241. Gary F. Marcus with Ted Chiang How to Make AI Work for Us (And Not the Other Way Around)

Artificial intelligence is an actively surging field in today’s digital landscape, and as each new AI interface reaches the public it throws into sharper resolution that all the big tech players are getting involved. And quickly. But where are the roots of this rapidly expanding industry’s interests? How does AI impact individuals, established industries, and the future of our society if it continues to grow faster than it is critically examined? In his newest book Taming Silicon Valley: How We Can Ensure That AI Works For Us, author and scientist Gary F. Marcus uses his expertise in the field to help readers understand the realities, risks, and responsibilities the public faces as AI gains widespread traction.

Taming Silicon Valley aims to compare and critique the potential futures that AI– alongside Big Tech strategies and governmental involvement– could present to our world. Marcus asserts that if used and regulated properly, there are openings for huge advancements in science, medicine, technology, and public prosperity. On the opposite side of the spectrum, there lie vulnerabilities to abuses of power, a lack of effective policy, and dwindling protections for intellectual property and fair democracy. Marcus emphasizes that AI is meant to be a tool, not an unchecked entity and that it is up to the public to choose how it is allowed to shape the paths ahead. His work sets out to provide context to how AI has gotten to its current state, guidance towards understanding what coherent AI policy should look like in the future, and a call to action in pushing for what is needed in real-time. In the tradition of Abbie Hoffman’s Steal This Book and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Taming Silicon Valley urges readers towards awareness, analysis, and activism in this pivotal time of new AI integration.

Gary F. Marcus is an author, psychologist, scientist, and prominent voice in the field of artificial intelligence. He is Professor Emeritus of Neural Science and Psychology at NYU and was the founder and original CEO of Geometric.AI. His previous publications include Guitar Zero, Kluge, and Rebooting AI: Building Artificial Intelligence We Can Trust.

Ted Chiang is an award-winning science fiction author. His publications include Tower of Babylon, Exhalation: Stories, and Stories of Your Life and Others, which has been translated into twenty-one languages. He is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, particularly of non-fiction related to the intersections of art and technology.

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