PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Andy Clark

Andy Clark is a cognitive philosopher whose work spans extended minds, predictive processing, embodied cognition, and generative AI. He earned degrees at Stirling and held philosophy posts at Glasgow, Sussex, Washington University, Indiana, and Edinburgh. With David Chalmers, he published The Extended Mind in 1998, arguing that the environment can help drive cognitive processes. He published Surfing Uncertainty in 2016, and The Experience Machine went on sale in 2023 as a book about the brain as a prediction engine. In 2025, he won the inaugural Dennett Prize and wrote about generative AI; as of October 2026, he is Professor in Cognitive Philosophy at Sussex.

Works
403
Citations
38,744
h-index
73

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1981–1984

    Degrees at Stirling

    He earns a BA at Stirling in 1981 and completes his PhD in 1984.

  2. 1984–1993

    Glasgow and Sussex posts

    At Glasgow, he is a temporary philosophy lecturer in 1984–85. He joins Sussex as a lecturer in 1985 and becomes a reader in philosophy and cognitive sciences.

  3. 1993–2000

    The Extended Mind

    At Washington University, he becomes a philosophy professor and directs the Philosophy/Neuroscience/Psychology Program from 1993 to 2000. With David Chalmers, he publishes The Extended Mind in 1998, arguing that the environment can drive cognitive processes.

  4. 2000–2004

    From Sussex to Edinburgh

    He returns to Sussex as a professor in 2000, directs Indiana’s Cognitive Science Program from 2002 to 2004, and becomes Edinburgh’s Professor of Logic and Metaphysics in 2004.

  5. 2015

    A British Academy fellowship

    The British Academy elects him a Fellow in 2015.

  6. 2016

    Surfing Uncertainty

    In 2016, he publishes Surfing Uncertainty: Prediction, Action, and the Embodied Mind.

  7. 2023–2025

    Experience Machine and generative AI

    The Experience Machine goes on sale in 2023; Clark describes the brain as a prediction engine that mediates experience of the body and world. In May 2025, his Nature Communications article Extending Minds with Generative AI argues that people build hybrid thinking systems that incorporate non-biological resources. He wins the inaugural Dennett Prize in 2025.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor at Sussex

    As of October 2026, he is Professor in Cognitive Philosophy at the University of Sussex, with interests that include predictive processing and embodied cognition.

Sources and credits

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  1. Clark, Andy 1957– | Encyclopedia.com encyclopedia.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  2. The Extended Mind consc.net. Checked 15 October 2026.
  3. Andy Clark - Bokförlaget Stolpe bokforlagetstolpe.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  4. The Experience Machine | Penguin Random House Higher Education penguinrandomhousehighereducation.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  5. Professor Andy Clark wins inaugural Dennett Prize : Staff Hub : University of Sussex staff.sussex.ac.uk. Checked 15 October 2026.
  6. Extending Minds with Generative AI | Nature Communications nature.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  7. People : AI Research Group : University of Sussex sussex.ac.uk. Checked 15 October 2026.