The rise of AI over the last decade was driven by one invention, the neural network. It's this miraculous technology that learns from whatever data you feed it. Because GPT-3 learns from information we humans pose to the internet, it can be biased against people of color and spew hate speech. This issue has led to enormous tension in the tech industry. We are heading toward a world where machines can create and distribute disinformation at a scale that makes today's fake news problem look tiny.
Imagine a world where AI is everywhere — where self-driving cars roam the streets and chatbots can do your homework. Oh, wait. That world already exists. This is exciting news for some. For others, it's slightly terrifying. Whichever camp you fall into, there are two questions we should all be asking: Where is this technology going? And what will happen if we let it develop unchecked? For answers, we turn to Cade Metz, a tech reporter at the New York Times and author of "Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World."
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• This episode first aired in June 2021.
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