22. 3. 2023
Agate Co-organized a Scientific Duel on Human Communication and AI
Organized by the Learned Society of the Czech Republic in collaboration with the Agate Centre, the debate explored whether human communication can ultimately be reproduced by machines.
Can human communication be fully replicated by an artificial system? And if so, what would that reveal about the nature of humanity itself?
These questions were at the heart of a scientific duel organized by the Learned Society of the Czech Republic in collaboration with the AGATE Centre at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University. Sinologist Olga Lomová and physicist, computer scientist, and mathematician Lenka Zdeborová presented contrasting perspectives on the relationship between human communication and artificial intelligence, while mathematician Martin Loebl moderated the discussion.
Drawing on literature, language, computer science, and mathematics, the speakers explored whether meaning, creativity, and understanding are uniquely human or can emerge from computational systems. Their debate highlighted not only the remarkable progress of large language models but also the philosophical questions they raise about culture, experience, and consciousness.
The event was the second in a series of scientific duels organized by the Learned Society of the Czech Republic. The inaugural debate, held in 2025, featured Matthias Christandl and Gil Kalai, who discussed the provocative question Do Quantum Computers Exist? AGATE and the Learned Society plan to continue this series, bringing leading researchers together to explore some of today's most challenging scientific questions.