THESE STRANGE NEW MINDS: How AI Learned to Talk and What it Means

If you’re tracking the rapid changes happening in AI, there’s a major event coming up in Brighton that should be on your radar. On Monday, March 2, 2026, the local organization BRIGHTHINK is hosting THESE STRANGE NEW MINDS: How AI Learned to Talk and What it Means. The venue is The Grand Central, specifically in the Nightingale Room, located at 29-30 Surrey Street. The speaker is Christopher Summerfield, and his credentials make this a particularly interesting discussion. He is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Oxford, a Research Scientist at Google DeepMind, and also serves on the UK’s AI safety committee, giving him a unique perspective on both the technical capabilities and the ethical boundaries of the technology.

Summerfield’s talk is designed to be an accessible yet authoritative exploration of AI’s evolution, tracing its history from early concepts in the 17th century right up to the deep neural networks and Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT we use today. The core focus is less on the mechanics and more on the profound questions these systems raise: Can AI truly think, know, or understand? Are we heading toward a technological utopia, or are we potentially 'writing ourselves out of history' by relying on these tools? He argues that while LLMs are "brilliant imitators" capable of simulating human reasoning, they fundamentally lack crucial elements like continuous memory, subjective consciousness, and purpose. The event centers on his recent book of the same title, which will be available for purchase and signing after the main session.

For those planning to attend, the evening runs for about an hour and a half. Doors open at 7:00 PM, with the main talk kicking off at 7:30 PM. This is followed by a dedicated Q&A session starting around 8:30 PM, and then the book signing at 9:00 PM. Tickets are available through Eventbrite, with prices starting from £11.55 to £12, depending on whether you buy in advance. If you are considering going, please note a key piece of practical information: the Nightingale Room is situated on the upper floor of The Grand Central, and unfortunately, the venue does not have wheelchair access.