This talk explores the difference between machines predicting patterns and humans experiencing meaning, emotion and embodied lived reality.

Artificial intelligence can now generate human-like text, produce synthetic images, imitate conversation, and support healthcare and education. As these systems become part of our everyday life, they raise deeper questions about consciousness, creativity, judgement and what it really means to think. Drawing on philosophy, neuroscience and generative AI, this talk explores the difference between machines predicting patterns and humans experiencing meaning, emotion and embodied lived reality.

About the speaker:

Dr Ourania Varsou is a medically-qualified Senior Lecturer in Anatomy at the University of Glasgow, where she leads curriculum innovation across bioscience, medical and dental programmes. She is the POCUS and Anatomy Director at Ballater Medical and serves as the MVLS College Ethics Committee Vice Chair at her home institution. She also holds leadership roles within the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young Academy of Scotland as Exchange Grant Challenge Lead and Advisory Group Chair. Her research focuses on generative AI in higher education, ultrasound imaging and humanities in healthcare/biosciences. A strong advocate for inclusive, creative and active technology-informed pedagogies, Dr Varsou promotes interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teaching approaches across sectors.

Attendance

This event is free. No ticket is required. We operate on a first come first served basis. It's relatively rare that we fill up the function room, but please be aware that if things are looking busy, the earlier you get there the less chance there is of not getting in.Although the event is free, we will be asking for donations at the end of the talk. Participants are under no obligation whatsoever to donate, however please rest assured that the money we collect doesn't end up in anyone's pocket - it is used to fund our overhead costs, and travel/accommodation for our speakers who come from further afield.

Accessibility:

The Admiral Woods Bar now has a functioning lift which can take wheelchair users (or others who are unable to manage stairs) down to the function room. There is also a disabled toilet in the function room area

Description supplied by the event organiser.