Why the honey bee is smarter than ChatGPT 

  Host: Professor Andrew Barron

  Tuesday 18 August 2026, 6.15pm – 7.30pm 

  Venue TBC, Macquarie University

Overview

How smart is the honey bee really? This lecture considers the biological marvel that is the honey bee brain, and the bee mind it supports.  

Bees’ brains incorporate rapid feedback on their actions, and can quickly learn different types of art, recognise abstract concepts and learn to navigate for kilometres around their hives. I argue the honey bee is significantly smarter than ChatGPT and surpasses the best that contemporary AI has to offer. I discuss what lessons AI and robotics developers could learn from consideration of the humble bee.

Biography

Professor Andrew Barron is Director of The Macquarie University Minds and Intelligences Research Centre. Andrew completed his PhD in Zoology at The University of Cambridge in 1999. 

His lab at Macquarie University studies honey bee neurobiology, specialising on understanding the incredible intelligence of bees and how sophisticated social behaviour is possible with such a tiny brain. 

His research is currently supported by awards from The Ian and Shirley Norman Foundation, The Australian Research Council, Horticulture Innovation and The Templeton World Charity Foundation. 

He has held fellowships from the Australian Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust, The Fulbright Commission and The Royal Society of London.

Contact Us

For more details about the series, contact us at fse.outreach@mq.edu.au.