AI, Ethics, and Data: What Level(s) of Consciousness?

Close out the 2025 edition of the Bar des Sciences with the evening event: “AI, Ethics, and Data: What Level(s) of Consciousness?”

Artificial intelligence is already here—often unobtrusive, but sometimes very visible. It is integrated into many aspects of our daily lives: geolocation, image recognition, data processing, and the generation of text or images. It is profoundly transforming our lifestyles and making its mark in an ever-widening range of fields: healthcare, the environment, language, scientific research, and many others.

But AI is no longer limited to performing automated tasks: today, it raises major questions about our relationship to consciousness, creativity, responsibility, and the choices we make as a society. In the short to medium term, how far can these technologies evolve? Can we imagine an AI capable of feeling, imagining, creating poetry, and experiencing empathy? Could it one day develop a form of consciousness? And beyond this mind-boggling question: are we fully aware of our practices involving AI and their consequences?

This Science Bar invites you to explore these questions alongside experts who will share their knowledge and engage with the audience.

Mathieu LAFOURCADE: Ph.D. in computer science and researcher at the Montpellier Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics, and Microelectronics (LIRMM – CNRS, University of Montpellier, and INRIA; Paul-Valéry University of Montpellier and UPVD). His research combines the fields of computer science, linguistics, and AI, and currently focuses on natural language processing and lexical semantics.

François SABOT: Ph.D. in plant genomics at the IRD’s Diversity–Adaptation–Plant Development (DIADE) laboratory (IRD, CIRAD, and the University of Montpellier), and coordinator of the IRD’s working group on artificial intelligence. His research focuses on plant genomes, their mechanisms, structure, and evolution, as well as on the bioinformatics analysis of data using AI.

Jérôme BERANGER: Ph.D. in digital ethics, Ethics & AI expert for the EuropIA Institute, CEO of GoodAlgo, and research associate in the BIOETHICS team at the Center for Epidemiology and Population Research (CERPOP – INSERM and Paul Sabatier University Toulouse III). His research focuses on the moral and societal implications of the digital revolution. He also publishes scholarly works on the subject. His most recentbook is*Conscious AI Is No Longer a Utopia! There Is Still Time to Prepare for It*(2024, De Boeck Supérieur).

The Bar des Sciences has become one of Montpellier’s premier events for scientific culture, offering a participatory discussion once a month—from January through June—on major scientific and societal issues. Come share your thoughts, join the discussion, and ask the experts your questions!