LogicLounge
The LogicLounge as a modern philosophical symposium
Meeting place for friends of logic • Insights in exactly one hour live and in public • Tribute to antique philosophical symposium
The LogicLounge is a meeting place for friends of logic from science and the public. Created during the Vienna Summer of Logic 2014, the largest conference in the history of logic research, LogicLounge features discussions on the “science of reasoning” in the areas of logic, philosophy, mathematics, computer science and artificial intelligence.
Its seven successful instances during the conference (see here) inspired the LogicLounge initiators, Helmut Veith (TU Wien) and Oliver Lehmann (IST Austria), to continue the one-hour discussions with eminent scientists – offering insights into the millennium old discipline of logic, celebrating the antique concept of the philosophical symposium (from Greek συμπίνειν sympinein, “to drink together”).
Upcoming LogicLounges
coming soon …
Past LogicLounges
25/07/2024 in Montreal
Scott Shapiro, Yale Law School: Realizing Leibniz’s Dream
This LogicLounge was held as part of the CAV2024 conference program in Montreal on July 25, 2024. Essentially, Shapiro explored how formal methods and LLMs can be utilized to realize Leibniz’s dream of automated legal reasoning.
Abstract: In the 17th Century, the philosopher, mathematician and lawyer Gottlieb Leibniz envisioned the creation of a characteristica universalis and calculus ratiocinator that would enable reasoning in law and morals as systematically as in geometry and analysis. His goal was to resolve legal disputes with the precision and clarity with which accountants settle financial discrepancies. “To take pen in hand, sit down at the abacus and, having called in a friend if they want, say to each other: Let us calculate!”
We are now, for the first time in history, positioned to realize Leibniz’s dream of automating legal reasoning. The crucial step in this process, I will argue, is the alignment of sophisticated computer science techniques with appropriate types of legal problems. Automating code-based legal reasoning, which relies on explicit statutes and regulations, differs fundamentally from automating case-based reasoning, which depends on precedents and interpretations. I will explore how formal methods and Large Language Models (LLMs) can be utilized to achieve what Leibniz envisioned three centuries ago, effectively transforming the landscape of legal reasoning through the power of modern computational technology.
28/05/2024 in Vienna
LogicLounge 2024 was held on May 28 at Café Museum, which already served as a meeting place for Wittgenstein and the Vienna Circle. In his talk “Artificial Intelligence and Artificial Ignorance”, Georg Gottlob provided guests with unique insights into the world of machine learning and large language models. The discussion was moderated by journalist Sarah Kriesche (Ö1) for the third time in a row.
Click on the image below to watch the recording on the VCLA youtube channel!
06/06/2023 in Vienna
Carla P. Gomes and Bart Selman (Cornell University, Ithaca, NY): Exploring Connections: Wittgenstein, Gödel, and ChatGPT
moderated by radio journalist Sarah Kriesche (Ö1/ORF)
Carla Gomes and Bart Selman are pioneers in the field of computational sustainability. At LogicLounge 2023 held in Vienna, they discussed the notion of truth in large language models with the audience. Since its launch by OpenAI in autumn 2022, ChatGPT has become the hot topic in computer science, and due to constant improvements, its abilities are a source of fascination as well as skepticism. It can write a job application, give legal advice, and pass graduation exams. So what is it – a chatbot, a language model, or even an artificial intelligence? A fact is that it cannot (yet) tell right from wrong, make generalizations, or make inferences like human beings do hundreds of times every single day. What would Wittgenstein have to say about the truth value of ChatGPT’s propositions? What are its potentials and limitations, and how will it affect our lives in the future? So much food for thought at this year’s LogicLounge!
Click on the image below to watch the recording on the VCLA youtube channel!
28/07/2022 in Vienna
Stuart J. Russell (University of California, Berkeley): AI and the problem of control
moderated by radio journalist Sarah Kriesche
Stuart J. Russell is a British computer scientist known for his contributions to artificial intelligence (AI). At the LogicLounge 2022 held in Vienna, he talked about the need to impose limits in the area of artificial intelligence and algorithms. While he considers himself to be an optimist, Russell takes a critical view of the use of AI. During the discussion, it quickly became clear that AI and algorithms already play a major role in numerous areas of our lives, e.g., in advertisements that are presented to us online, in the assessment of a person’s creditworthiness, or in self-driving cars. As AI increasingly intervenes in our lives, this intervention must also be regulated, which is already happening to some extent. For example, a person’s ethnic origin must not have any influence on their creditworthiness, and in the case of some chatbots, it must be recognizable to viewers that they are dealing with an AI and not with an actual human being – especially when commercial products are offered.
This LogicLounge was co-located with IJCAI 2022 and hosted by VCLA and CAIML.
22/07/2021, VIRTUAL
Joscha Bach: Cognitive AI: From AI models to mental representations?
The aspiration of philosophy can be understood as the integration of all theories, and the aspiration of mathematics as the exploration of all consistent languages. Philosophy starts out with natural languages, mathematics with formal ones. Just as it is hard to say provably true things in the languages of philosophers, it is hard to make meaningful statements about our world using the languages of mathematicians. Grounding philosophy in mathematical languages requires the mathematization of the mind. In this sense, Artificial Intelligence is more than research into advances in information processing. It is also a daring, risky and extremely important philosophical project.
Organized by Leopold Haller in collaboration with VCLA, CAV 2021
19/07/2020, VIRTUAL
Los Angeles, California, USA
Cory Doctorow: Working as Intended: Surveillance Capitalism is not a Rogue Capitalism
Click here for details
Organized by Aina Niemetz and Mathias Preiner, CAV 2020
Click on the image below to watch the recording on the VCLA youtube channel!
15/07/2019 in New York
Eva Galperin (Electronic Frontier Foundation)
Spouseware and Stalkerware – Where Do We Go From Here?
Click here for details
Organized by Daniel Schwartz Narbonne, CAV 2019
Click on the image below to watch the recording on the VCLA youtube channel!
20/09/2018 in Vienna
Toby Walsh (Professor of artificial intelligence at University of New South Wales and Data61)
Living with artificial intelligence – How to stay Human (Click here for details)
Moderated by Franz Zeller (Ö1/ORF)
Click on the image below to watch the recording on the VCLA youtube channel!
16/07/2018 in Oxford
Luciano Floridi (Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Information, University of Oxford), Ben Kuipers (Professor of Computer Science and Engineering—specializing in robotics, University of Michigan), Francesca Rossi (AI Ethics Global Leader / Distinguished Research Staff Member at IBM Research AI, and Professor of Computer Science—specializing in artificial intelligence, University of Padova), Matthias Scheutz (Professor of Computer Science—with a background in logic and cognitive science, Tufts University), Sandra Wachter (University of Oxford and Alan Turing Institute), Jeannette Wing (Avanessians Director of the Data Sciences Institute at Columbia University, former VP of Microsoft Research with expertise in security and privacy). Moderated by Judy Wajcman (Anthony Giddens Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science)
Oxford Union debate on “Ethics and Morality of Robotics”(click here for details)
(organized by CAV at FLoC 2018)
Click on the image below to watch the recording on the VCLA youtube channel!
06/10/2017 in Vienna
Michael Huth (Imperial College London), Janos Makowsky (Technion – Israel Institute of Technology). Moderated by Laura Kovács (TU Wien)
Logic in Computer Science: A Teaching Perspective (click here for details)
(organized by CAV at FMCAD 2017)
 Laura Kovács, Anna Prianichnikova, Janos Makowsky, Michael Huth, Georg Weissenbacher. |
 LogicLounge on Teaching Logic in Computer Science. mmmmmmmmm |
 Colleagues, Friends, and Family at LogicLounge in memoriam Helmut Veith. |
27/07/2017 in Heidelberg
Fabiana Zollo (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)
Social Dynamics in the Post-Truth Society: How the Confirmation Bias is Changing the Public Discourse (click here for details)
(organized by CAV 2017)
 LogicLounge with Fabiana Zollo. |
 LogicLounge in Heidelberg,July 2017, organized by CAV 2017. |
 The hall of the LogicLounge in Heidelberg, with Fabiana Zollo. |
Click here to watch the recording on the VCLA youtube channel!
22/07/2016 in Toronto
Moshe Y. Vardi (Rice University), Dan Falk
Will robots take away your jobs? (click here for details)
In memoriam Helmut Veith (organized by CAV 2016)
Photos by Ilina Stoilkowska
 Moshe Vardi, Rice University. |
 Audience, LogicLounge in Toronto. |
 Discussion with Dan Falk and Moshe Vardi. |
07/03/2016 in Vienna
Cliff B. Jones (University of Newcastle), Tanja Traxler (Der Standard):
Formal Methods and the Vienna IBM Lab (click here for details and more photos)’
Photos by Nadja Meister
 Georg Weissenbacher introducing the speaker and his IBM Lab colleagues. |
 W. Pachl, E. Neuhold, V. Kudielka, C. Jones, G. Urschler, G. Chroust. |
 Cliff B. Jones and Tanja Traxler discussing his work at the IBM Lab. |
30/06/2015 in Vienna
Dana S. Scott (Carnegie Mellon University), Irene Schreier Scott (Carnegie Mellon University), Tanja Traxler (Der Standard)
Photos by Nadja Meister
 H. Veith, T. Traxler, D. Scott. |
 Dana Scott. |
 T. Traxler, D. Scott., I. Scott. |
Click on the image below to watch the recording on the VCLA youtube channel!
27/03/2015 in Vienna
Peter Norvig (Director of Research, Google Inc.), Gerhard Widmer (JKU Linz), Elke Ziegler (Ö1 Radio): How artificial is intelligence?
Photos by Nadja Meister
 G. Widmer, E. Ziegler, P. Norvig. |
 Elke Ziegler, Peter Norvig. |
 Gerhard Widmer, Elke Ziegler. |
