Gero von Boehm in conversation with neuroscientist and author Prof. Dr. Joachim Bauer
Empathy in the digital age: How AI & Co address the brain
Festivaltalk at the Kulturscheune Eibenhof
At a time when technological developments are advancing rapidly and artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing our lives, the question of what defines us as human beings is becoming increasingly urgent. While the analogue, real world is coming under increasing pressure from climate change and wars, representatives of digitech companies and transhumanist thinkers such as David Chalmers are recommending virtual worlds as an alternative.
How do the current challenges affect us as individuals and our societies as a whole? Is analogue physical presence, physical face-to-face interpersonal encounters and empathy at stake? Will digitalisation ultimately lead to a “loss of reality”, as the neuroscientist and author Prof. Dr. Joachim Bauer sees it coming (Joachim Bauer: Realitätsverlust. Heyne Verlag 2023)?
Against the backdrop of this year’s festival motto “NOW”, producer and journalist Gero von Boehm will discuss with Joachim Bauer the state of our empathy and the neurobiological basis of our ability to empathise. To what extent is the digital transformation changing the way we communicate? How do chatbots, humanoid robots and other digital products address our neuronal networks, our psyche and how do they manipulate our ability to empathise?
The traditional Sunday Talk on 15 September offers an in-depth exploration of a topic that is central to understanding our current and future social dynamics. Festival guests are invited to explore the complex interactions between humanity and technology and reflect on how we as a society can remain empathetic in an increasingly digitalised world.
In keeping with this theme, FILM OHNE GRENZEN will be showing the documentary “Eternal You” on Saturday, 13 September at 13:00 in the Cinema By Velotel, which deals with the “resuscitation” of the deceased by AI.