This interview podcast features cognitive scientist Joscha Bach discussing his unique upbringing, academic journey, and perspectives on artificial general intelligence (AGI) and consciousness. The conversation begins with Bach's unconventional childhood spent in the woods of East Germany, transitioning to his academic pursuits and experiences witnessing the fall of the Berlin Wall. A significant portion focuses on Bach's views on AGI timelines, the limitations of current transformer models, and his belief that a "master algorithm" is needed for true AGI. He also delves into his theory of consciousness as a simulated property, contrasting his views with those of Daniel Dennett, and discusses the ethical implications of creating conscious AI. Finally, Bach describes his work at Liquid AI, focusing on developing more efficient neural networks.
