We are definitely at the very edge of that Turing test threshold where it's almost impossible not to feel like the model is conscious. And I think you will get to, we're going to get to the scenario where people develop intense emotional attachments to these algorithms. So whether or not they are actually conscious, people are going to feel that they are. We haven't even solved that problem yet. Anyone run a Turing test at Google? Uh, I can't tell you about that.
The two hottest topics in tech right now are the rise of generative AI and, with Apple’s recent push into spatial computing, the mainstreaming of augmented reality. Will silicon-based machines develop sentience? Will human experience extend into virtual worlds? These distinct technologies may eventually blend to spawn a surprising future, as our “real” world becomes digitally enhanced and our machines behave increasingly like humans.
Today, a provocative discussion with some big (human) thinkers: Steven Johnson, visiting scholar at Google Labs and author of ”Extra Life,” “Where Good Ideas Come from,” and “How We Got to Now”; philosopher and cognitive scientist David Chalmers, author of ”The Conscious Mind” and “Reality+”; and Betaworks founder and AI investor John Borthwick.
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• “David Chalmers Thinks We May Be Living in a Simulation (and He’s OK With It)”
• “Steven Johnson & Michael Specter on the Future of Life”