Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 Too Long; Didn't Read: Ep 6. Computer says no
Sep 5, 2025
Guesting are Kate Devlin, a leading expert on AI and society, and comedian Sunil Patel. They dive into the humorous implications of AI in our lives, tackling the absurdity of treating robots as overlords. Devlin shares insights on the emotional complexities of AI-human interactions, while Patel offers comedic takes on the reliance on technology. The conversation also touches on data privacy concerns and the quirkiness of nostalgia in today's digital world, all wrapped in a playful critique of our tech-saturated lives.
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Episode notes
How Generative AI Actually Works
- Generative AI creates new content by learning patterns from vast datasets rather than just classifying data.
- Olga Koch explains this is why chatbots can produce surprisingly original-seeming text or images.
Projection Explains Chatbot Attachment
- Humans readily project deep emotional narratives onto minimal cues from others or systems.
- Olga Koch notes people easily fall in love with sparse signals, explaining attraction to chatbots isn't new.
The Risk Of Frictionless Relationships
- Chatbots provide completely one-sided, frictionless relationships that lack reciprocity or conflict.
- Olga Koch warns this frictionless ease risks making people more selfish and conflict-averse over time.
