Following a committee decision to review membership fees and categories, international members now benefit from the same rates as UK/EU members. We have also introduced a new three-year discounted student/unwaged/retired rate. Membership rates were last increased in 2018. Since then, we have all experienced significant inflation, and AISB’s administrative costs have increased significantly. EurAI will be increasing their affiliation fee by 33% in 2026. In the UK the cumulative inflation since 2018 has been almost 29%. Whilst we recognise that academic members’ salaries may not have kept pace with inflation, we feel it is essential to increase membership fees to help address increased costs. The new Ordinary Member rate of £55 represents an increase of just under 15%. The new rates are available on the web site: https://aisb.org.uk/membership-options/
Michael Faraday Prize Lecture: This is not the AI we were promised
Talk Announcement: Professor Michael Wooldridge, AISB Fellow
- 18 February 2026
- 18:30 – 19:30
- The Royal Society
- Watch online
Contemporary AI systems such as ChatGPT seem to offer articulate, wide-ranging expertise — yet beneath the surface, they fail many basic tests of rational intelligence. In this engaging talk, Professor Michael Wooldridge (Fellow of AISB) explores how these systems actually work and why they display such strange, inconsistent, and often entertaining behaviour. He will contrast today’s AI with classical ideas of logic and reason, and discuss what these developments mean for the future frontiers of artificial intelligence — and for the enduring dream of truly intelligent machines.
Full details are available here on the Royal Society web site.
Member discounts on DELL equipment
We are delighted to announce that AISB members can now receive discounts on DELL computer equipment and accessories. Simply log in to the AISB web site, access the ‘Members Area’ menu and select the ‘Member benefits from DELL’ menu item for full instructions.
AISB 2026 – Call for Symposia Proposals
CALL FOR SYMPOSIA PROPOSALS: AISB 2026, University of Sussex
DEADLINE: November 30, 2025Contact: Simon Bowes S.C.Bowes@sussex.ac.uk
AISB 2026 will be held at the University of Sussex on the 1st-2nd July. Further information on arrangements for the convention will be made available as information becomes available.
Keynote Speaker: Anil Seth
The AISB 2026 convention will follow the same overall structure as previous conventions, namely a set of co-located symposia, and we are seeking proposals for these symposia. Typical symposia last for one or two days, and can include any type of event of academic benefit: talks, posters, panels, discussions, demonstrations, outreach sessions, etc. Proposals for Symposia are welcomed in all areas of AI and cognitive science. Some suggested areas are shown below, although any proposal in the field of AI or cognitive science will be welcomed:
- AI in Education
- Agency & AI
- Art & AI
- Cognitive & Computational Neuroscience
- Computational theory of mind
- Computational Intelligence
- Consciousness
- Embodiment and AI
- Ethics of AI
- Human and Machine Creativity
- Hybrid Human-AI
- Knowledge Representation
- Machine Learning
- Robotics
- Bio-inspired approaches
- Simulation of Human and Animal Behaviour
- The Turing Test and Philosophical Foundations of AI
Proposing a Symposium
Each symposium is organized by its own programme committee. The committee proposes the symposium, defines the area(s) and structure for it, issues calls for abstracts/papers etc., manages the process of selecting submitted papers for inclusion, and compiles an electronic file for inclusion in the convention proceedings.
Proposers are welcome to submit or be involved with more than one proposal. Proposers need not already be members the AISB and will not be required to become members. They will of course be encouraged to join!
Deadline for symposium proposals: 30th November 2025Notification of acceptance: 15th December 2025
Submissions should consist of the following:
- A title.
- A 300–1000-word description of the scope of the symposium, and its relevance to the convention along with the nature of the academic events (talks, posters, panels, demonstrations, etc.).
- Whether the symposium is intended as a sequel to a symposium at a previous AISB conference.
- An indication of whether submissions will be by abstract, extended abstract, or full paper.
- Your preferences about the intended length of the symposium as a number of days (half a day, one day or two days), together with a brief justification.
- A description (up to 500 words) of any experience you have in organization of academic research meetings (please note that it is not a requirement that you have such experience).
- Names and affiliations of any invited speakers that you may have in mind for the symposium.
- Your names and full contact details, together with, if possible, names and workplaces of the members of a preliminary, partial programme committee.
Michael Faraday Prize awarded to AISB Fellow Prof Mike Wooldridge
It is with great joy that we note this week that the Royal Society has awarded the Michael Faraday Prize and Lecture 2025 to AISB Fellow Professor Michael Wooldridge.
The award was made based on Professor Wooldridge’s award-winning work as a leading researcher, educator and commentator in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). His popular science books, lectures and media appearances have informed millions. Full details are available on the Royal Society web site.
Joint IACAP/AISB Conference on Philosophy of Computing and AI (IACAP/AISB-25)
1-3 July 2025, University of Twente, NL
Latest Updates
Registration for IACAP-AISB-25 is now open. Here is the link for registration system: https://2025.tickets.iacapconf.org/Further information on the preliminary programme will be communicated and published on the conference website: https://iacapconf.org/
For practical information including accommodation please visit here: https://iacapconf.org/pages/practical.html
Please note that there is an exciting free workshop with reception co-organised with, and sponsored by, 4TU.ethics on the Monday before the conference. Places are limited. More information is available on the conference and registration websites.
Call for Abstracts
The International Association for Computing and Philosophy (IACAP) and the Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour (AISB) will host a joint conference in July 2025. Please see below for joint CFA.
Conference dates: July 1-3
Conference website: https://iacapconf.org/
Host Organisation Websites:
IACAP.org
AISB.org.uk
Conference location: Enschede, NL.
Conference host: University of Twente
Keynote Speakers
AISB Keynote – Philip BreyIACAP Covey Award Address – To be announced soon. Nominations are closed.
IACAP Simon Award Address – To be announced soon. Nominations are closed.
Calls for Symposia Contributions (still open)
If you consider submitting a paper for a symposium at IACAP/AISB, each symposium has its own submission format, specifications and timeline. Here are the symposia that are open for submissions:
- Symposium and Edited Volume: Teaching With and About AI using Engagement Philosophy and Case Studies. Deadline: 28 February 2025.
- Symposium and Proceedings: Moral and Legal AI Alignment. Deadline (extended): 15 March 2025.
- Symposium: AI and Animals: Ethical Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Non-humans. Deadline: 14 February 2025 – submissions closed.
- Symposium: Reimagining AI Agents: Artificial, Angelic, or Adversarial Intelligences?. Deadline (extended): 28 March 2025.
- Symposium: Bridging Justice and Meaningful Human Control in Medical AI. Deadline (extended): 15 March 2025.
- Symposium: Generative Companionship in the Digital Age: On Human-AI Relationships and the Ethical Landscape Surrounding Artificial Others. Deadline: 15 March 2025.
Accepted Symposia in closed format (no call for contributions)
- Advancing Debates on the Epistemology of Medical AI, with Juan M. Durán, Emanuele Ratti, Emma-Jane Spencer and Chirag Arora
- The Epistemic Risks of AI Integration, with Ian Robertson, Sascha Fink, Hadeel Naeem and Brandon Ashby
- Values and AI Systems, with Vincent C. Müller, Max Hellrigel-Holderbaum, Ibifuro Robert Jaja and Eleonora Catena
Call for Abstracts and Symposia Proposals (all closed)
The International Association for Computing and Philosophy (IACAP) has a long-lasting tradition of promoting philosophical dialogue and interdisciplinary research on all aspects of computing as it relates to philosophy. IACAP’s members have contributed to shaping the philosophical (both theoretical and applied) debate about computing, information technologies, and artificial intelligence.
The Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour (AISB) is the largest Artificial Intelligence Society in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1964, the society has an international membership from academia and industry, with a serious interest in Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Science and related areas. It is a member of the European Coordinating Committee for Artificial Intelligence.
Our joint 2025 annual meeting will gather philosophers, ethicists, roboticists, and computer scientists and engineers interested topics that include:
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Ethics, Philosophy, and Societal Impact of AI and Computing
- Robotics, Autonomous Systems, and Human-Machine Interaction
- Cognitive Science and Computational Models of Mind and Behavior
- Embodied, Ecological, and Distributed Cognition
- Consciousness, Emotions, and Affective Computing
- Symposia – will typically run one or two full days. Successful applicants will issue their own CfPs and organise reviews
- Individual papers – typically as 30-minute talks (including Q&A)
- Poster presentations – either submitted as such or as alternative format for individual papers
- Workshops – more open, interactive format, typically as 90-minute sessions
Depending on format, submissions may be published in proceedings either as extended abstracts or as full papers.
Important Dates
- Symposia Proposals due date (extended, was December 1): January 15, 2025.
- Notification of acceptance for Symposia proposals: December 9, 2024 for all submissions sent before December 1, all others January 30, 2025.
- Extended Abstracts (approx. 1000 words) for individual Presentations, Posters, and Workshops independent of Symposia, due date (extended, was December 20): January 15, 2025.
- Notification of acceptance for Presentations, Posters, Workshops: March 31, 2025.
- Conference registration opens: April 1, 2025. (For individual papers, posters, and workshops: In case you need a visa, please note this with your submission so that we can facilitate an early review.)
Join the Community
For updates on IACAP conferences and to be part of the conversation with other attendees, you can join:- Our Slack channel here
- Our Mailing List here (no book or paper announcements)
Royal Bank of Canada to Support AISB 2025
We are delighted to announce that Royal Bank of Canada have kindly agreed to support the AISB Convention 2025. RBC are a long time supporter of the AISB Convention and we are grateful for their support again this year.
AISB 2025 takes place on 14th – 16th January 2025 at UWE, Bristol. Places are still available for registration online. Full details of the convention and registration options are available here.
Tony Cohn awarded EurAI Distinguished Service Award 2024
It is with great pride and pleasure that we can announce the recipient of the EurAI Distinguished Service Award 2024 is AISB Fellow Anthony (Tony) G. Cohn, Professor of Automated Reasoning at the University of Leeds.Tony has served the European and international AI communities in numerous roles since the 1980s, including as president of both AISB and ECCAI/EurAI, as PC chair of ECAI-1994, and as editor-in-chief of the AI journal. Tony was presented with this award during the 50th Anniversary Session on the History of AI in Europe.
Spotlight Seminar 25th Oct 2024 – AI’s Challenge of Understanding the World
AISB/AIxIA Spotlight Seminar on AI, 25th Oct 2024
25 October 2024, 4pm (BST)
The AI*IA, in collaboration with the Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour (AISB), UK, is pleased to announce the first of the Winter 2024 seminars.
AI’s Challenge of Understanding the World
The seminar will be held by Melanie Mitchell and will be available for streaming on the YouTube channel of AIxIA at https://www.youtube.com/c/AIxIAit.
Abstract
I will survey a debate in the artificial intelligence (AI) research community on the extent to which current AI systems can be said to “understand” language and the physical and social situations language encodes. I will describe arguments that have been made for and against such understanding, hypothesize about what humanlike understanding entails, and discuss what methods can be used to fairly evaluate understanding and intelligence in AI systems.
Short Bio
Melanie Mitchell is Professor at the Santa Fe Institute. Her current research focuses on conceptual abstraction and analogy-making in artificial intelligence systems. Melanie is the author or editor of six books and numerous scholarly papers in the fields of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and complex systems. Her 2009 book Complexity: A Guided Tour (Oxford University Press) won the 2010 Phi Beta Kappa Science Book Award, and her 2019 book Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux) was shortlisted for the 2023 Cosmos Prize for Scientific Writing.
AISB/AI*IA Spotlight Seminars
The aim of the seminars is to illustrate, explore and discuss current scientific challenges, trends, and possibilities in all branches of our articulated research field. The seminars will be held virtually (https://www.youtube.com/c/AIxIAit), on a monthly basis, by leading Italian researchers as well as by top international scientists. The seminars are mainly aimed at a broad audience interested in AI research, and they are also included in the Italian PhD programme in Artificial Intelligence; indeed, AIxIA warmly encourages the attendance of young scientists and PhD students.
CFP: General Track, at AISB-2025, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, 14-16 January 2025
As part of the AISB-2025 Annual Convention 2025 to be held at the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, 14-16 January 2025
https://aisb.org.uk/aisb-convention-2025-non-members/
The convention is organised by the Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour (AISB)
https://aisb.org.uk/
OVERVIEW
This track accommodates AI research that does not align with any of the other special tracks.
TOPICS OF INTEREST
- Agents and multi-agent systems
- Agent-based social simulation
- Verification of AI systems
- Combining learning and reasoning
- Argumentation
- AI & cyber security
- Natural language processing
- Knowledge representation
SUBMISSION AND PUBLICATION DETAILS
Submissions may be full papers or extended abstracts and should be sent to steve.battle@uwe.ac.uk with AISB GENERAL TRACK in the subject line.
We request that submitted papers are limited to eight pages, and extended abstracts are limited to 500-800 words. Each paper or abstract will receive at least two reviews. Selected papers will be published in the general proceedings of the AISB Convention, with the proviso that at least ONE author attends the symposium, in person, to present the paper and participate in general symposium activities.
IMPORTANT DATES
- Extended abstract submission deadline: Extended to December 1, 2024
- Notification of acceptance/rejection decisions: December 9, 2024
- Final versions of accepted papers (Camera ready copy): January 7, 2025
- Convention: 14-16 January 2025
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Please note that there will be separate proceedings for each symposium, produced before the convention. Delegates will either receive a memory stick containing the proceedings of all the symposia, or this content will be available online. In previous years there have been awards for the best student paper, and limited student bursaries. These details will be circulated as and when they become available. Authors of a selection of the best papers may be invited to submit an extended version of the work to a journal special issue.
SYMPOSIUM ORGANISERS
SYMPOSIUM CHAIR: Dr Steve Battle, School of Computing and Creative Technologies, University of the West of England (UWE), Frenchay Campus, Bristol, UK.
steve.battle@uwe.ac.uk;
http://go.uwe.ac.uk/battle
PROGRAMME COMMITTEE: Ryan Fellows, Dr Steve Battle FCybs