EBS to air lecture on AI and free will by Kevin Mitchell

The Great Minds program on EBS 1TV will air a lecture series titled "Kevin Mitchell: AI and Free Will" from November 6 to November 12, 2026. Trinity College Dublin associate professor Kevin Mitchell will explore whether artificial beings could possess agency and conscience by examining how evolution created free will in biological organisms.

EBS's premium lecture program, Great Minds, will explore the origins of free will and the future of AI alongside Kevin Mitchell, an associate professor of genetics and neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin. Mitchell posits that free will is a capability created by evolution, seeking the secrets of free will within biological life. The program will examine how humans came to make decisions through evolutionary agency and whether it is possible to design "artificial beings" that possess not only agency but also a conscience, moving beyond current AI.

The lecture series, titled "Kevin Mitchell: AI and Free Will," is scheduled to air on EBS 1TV on weekdays from November 6 to November 12, 2026, at 11:45 PM.

Can the free will created by evolution be implemented in AI? Humans make countless decisions daily, from what to eat to whom to trust and how to live, believing these choices are made by "themselves." However, if decisions are the result of genes, the brain, and accumulated experiences, the extent of that freedom is questioned. This ancient question regarding free will is now being directed toward AI: can AI, which processes information and makes judgments like humans, one day decide its own actions?

In Great Minds, Professor Mitchell does not look for the answer to free will solely within humans. He traces the concept back to how living organisms evolved into beings that maintain themselves, sense their surroundings, and regulate their own behavior. Even the simplest organisms are not merely driven by external stimuli; they receive information from their environment and act accordingly. Evolution added senses, movement, nervous systems, learning, and memory to this process, allowing organisms to decide what to do in new situations. Mitchell explains that through this process, organisms acquired "agency"—the ability to control their own actions. He suggests that human free will must also be understood through this evolutionary process.

This raises the question of whether humans can directly design this evolutionary capability. While large language models solve complex problems and think logically, they do not act directly in the real world. Conversely, robots and autonomous vehicles act in reality but operate within given goals and control systems. Mitchell suggests that increasing intelligence alone may not be sufficient. If the principles that made living organisms single agents are understood, the possibility of designing "artificial beings" that judge and act for themselves may open up.

However, does the ability to judge and act independently constitute free will? Humans reflect on the reasons behind their thoughts and judgments, contemplating their own desires and motivations. Moving beyond metacognition and self-reflection, Mitchell raises questions regarding morality and conscience. To act freely while remaining in harmony with the values of human society, will AI require a "conscience"?

Through "Kevin Mitchell: AI and Free Will," the program expands the inquiry from the agency of living organisms to human free will and, ultimately, the possibility of artificial beings. Where did free will come from, and if we understand its principles, can we design it? The ancient questions born from the evolution of life are set to lead into new questions of the AI era.

"Kevin Mitchell: AI and Free Will" will be broadcast on EBS 1TV from Friday, November 6, to Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 11:45 PM on weekdays, and can be viewed again on the EBS website.

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