Your Brain on AI From organoids to consciousness
17 August 2024
In the Concert Hall
Talks and Ideas
With Paul Davies, Inês Hipólito and Brett Kagan
Hosted by the University of Sydney’s Sandra Peter
Join us this National Science Week for a journey into a future that is coming sooner than you think. A future where artificial intelligence intersects with human cognition, consciousness, and even life itself. Imagine a world where our brains are enhanced through cognitive advancements, merging organic and digital networks to unlock unprecedented potential. What does this mean for intelligence, human agency and consciousness?
| Date | Time |
| Saturday 17 August | 7pm |
| Ticket | Price |
| Premium | $65 |
| A Reserve | $45 |
| B Reserve | $35 |
$8.95 booking fee applies per transaction
Prices correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection.
The only authorised ticket agency for this event is Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
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8am, Wednesday 12 June 2024
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General Public tickets on-sale
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Wheelchair accessible
There are a number of wheelchair and companion seating locations in our theatres. To book accessible seating contact Box Office:
Telephone
+61 2 9250 7777
(Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm AEST)
Email bookings@sydneyoperahouse.com
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
Run time
This talk runs for approximately 90 minutes.
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Age
This talk is recommended for all ages.
Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy.
Paul DaviesThe development of artificial intelligence may well imply that man will relinquish his intellectual supremacy in favour of thinking machines.
Also on this page
Seating map
What makes a mass of cells come together to think, do and become self-aware?
As AI capabilities surge forward, we stand on the brink of understanding how intelligence and consciousness arise, how emotions and feelings are generated and how our brains adapt to technological evolution.
Imagine a future where our brains are augmented through cognitive advancements, seamlessly integrating organic and digital networks with cutting-edge technologies. This fusion holds the key to unprecedented enhancements in human capabilities: faster information processing, enhanced memory and novel modes of cognition.
Beyond these advancements lie fundamental questions that continue to captivate scientists and philosophers alike: What is consciousness and how does it originate? Can machines or robots be conscious? How does agency manifest in physical systems? How do atoms organise into structures capable of thought and emotion? The intersection of these inquiries with technologies like DishBrain and brain organoids could revolutionise fields from neuroscience and psychology to artificial intelligence and philosophy.
Has the time come to fundamentally re-think the relationship between mind and matter?
Esteemed experts including renowned quantum physicist and cosmologist Paul Davies AM, cognitive scientist Inês Hipólito and neuroscientist Brett Kagan, will talk to the University of Sydney's AI expert Sandra Peter and unveil life-altering developments that will reshape our future sooner than you think.
Presented by Sydney Opera House, Big Questions Institute and the University of Sydney
Article
Why your next computer may be a lab-grown brain
Ahead of the event, we spoke with one of the speakers, Dr Brett Kagan, one of the creators of DishBrain. Read our chat with Dr Kagan that unpacks this exciting new technology and gives us a fascinating glimpse of the future.
Meet the speakers
Paul Davies
Paul Davies is a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, astrobiologist and best-selling author. His research has been mostly in quantum gravity, with application to the early universe and black holes and on the nature of time. More recently he has worked on the origin of life, the search for life beyond Earth and the deep evolutionary roots of cancer. He held academic appointments in the UK and Australia before moving to Arizona in 2006. He has written over 30 books, including The Demon in the Machine, The Goldilocks Enigma: Why is the universe just right for life? and How to Build A Time Machine. The most recent book is What’s Eating the Universe? And Other Cosmic Questions. Among his many awards, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2011 and he has an asteroid named after him in recognition of his work on cosmic impacts.
Dr Inês Hipólito
Dr Inês Hipólito stands at the forefront of the philosophy of mind and cognitive science of AI. Renowned for her insights into fundamental questions surrounding agency and intelligence, Dr. Hipolito is sought after as a speaker at academic conferences, public lectures and podcasts alike. Currently holding the esteemed position of Assistant Professor at Macquarie University and serving as a researcher at the Macquarie Ethics and Agency Research Centre, Dr. Hipolito's academic journey is fortified by her previous role as a lecturer at the prestigious Berlin School of Mind and Brain (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany) and as a recipient of the prestigious Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Talent Grant (2021) by the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands). She also serves as the Ethicist of AI at VERSES – a computing company based in Los Angeles.
Dr Brett Kagan
Dr Brett J. Kagan is the Chief Scientific Officer at Cortical Labs. Cortical Labs is a multidisciplinary deep-tech startup looking at integrating hardware, software, and synthetic biology approaches to explore how to harness intelligence from neurons on a chip. Dr Kagan has a PhD in neuroscience focusing on stem cell therapy and completed post-doctoral work in bioinformatics and regenerative medicine. Recent work includes developing the first real-time closed-loop demonstration of in-vitro intelligence in a simplified pong-game environment, along with working to better test and understand these systems. Dr Kagan also explores the philosophical and ethical approaches to the development and use of this new technology.
Dr Sandra Peter
Host
Dr Sandra Peter is the Director of Sydney Executive Plus and Associate Professor at the University of Sydney. She leads executive and leadership development in cutting edge areas of business, technology, and society. Her research focuses on engaging with the future in productive ways, and the impact of emerging technologies and AI. Sandra has led strategic initiatives and worked on executive programs with business, research organisations, governments and Defence. She has published in leading business journals and worked on a wide range of educational research initiatives and programs, including work with UNESCO and the Department of Education. She is a sought-after keynote speaker and regularly contributes commentary, interviews and research in national and international media.
Other information
Venue information
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer.
Getting here
The Sydney Opera House Car Park, operated by Wilson Parking, is open and available to use. Wilson Parking offer discounted parking if you book ahead. Please see the Wilson Parking website for details.
Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six minute walk to the Opera House.
Covid-safe information
The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We’re committed to making your experience safe, comfortable and enjoyable, with a number of measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. We remind our audiences and visitors to please stay home if you feel unwell. If you need to discuss your ticketing or booking options, contact our Box Office team on 02 9250 7777.
The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We have a number of safety measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. While face masks are no longer required, we ask all our patrons and visitors to practise good hygiene.
The Sydney Opera House no longer requires patrons to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Frequently asked questions
Ticket purchases and collection at our Box Office is discouraged and eTicket or postal delivery methods should be used, wherever possible. However, if you are collecting your tickets from the Box Office, we recommend doing this at least 60 minutes before the event starts. If you have already received your tickets, the venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Please take your seats as soon as you arrive.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as we can and, where possible, in your allocated seat. However, to reduce movement in the venue as well as minimise disruption to the performance and other patrons, ticketholders may be seated in an allocated latecomer’s seat. Please be aware that some events have lock-out periods. In these cases, latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance. On occasions, this may not be until the interval, or at all where there is no interval.
Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.
In accordance with our venue security procedures, Opera House security will be scanning and checking bags under the Monumental Stairs, prior to entering the building. Bags will be scanned by an x-ray machine, and staff will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling your belongings, such as gloves. Cloaking facilities will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 60 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. However it is strongly encouraged that you travel lightly to minimise contact and queuing. Any bags larger than an A4 piece of paper will need to be checked into the Cloak Room.
The authorised agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House.
Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered reliable. If you purchase tickets from a non-authorised agency such as Ticketmaster Resale, Viagogo, Ticketbis, eBay, Gumtree, Tickets Australia or any other unauthorised seller, you risk that these tickets are fake, void or have previously been cancelled. RESALE RESTRICTION APPLIES. For more details, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events.
Please contact Box Office on 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend.
Foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
The venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances.
Please bring a credit or debit card for any on site purchases to enable contactless payment. You’re welcome to bring your own water bottle but no other food and drinks are permitted inside our venues. Opera Bar, Opera Kitchen and Portside are also available for you to enjoy.
The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Sydney Opera House is our top priority. In line with this commitment, the Opera House became a smoke-free site in January 2022. Read our Smoke-free Environment Policy.
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