The amount of computing power that's necessary to make these neural networks really functional is orders of magnitude greater than Rosenblatt had thought. In the 80s, they just didn't realize how much data and how much processing power they would need. Now what we have are the vast amounts of data that allow this idea to work and the computing power needed to process all that data. And it's now manifest in our own individual lives with digital assistants like Google Translate.
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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