Intelligent Machines (Audio) IM 836: I See OJ and He Looks Scared - Modern Oracles or Modern BS?
20 snips
Sep 11, 2025 
Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West, professors at the University of Washington, dive into the world of misinformation and AI. They discuss their innovative 'BS Machines' curriculum aimed at teaching critical thinking skills in an age inundated with synthetic information. The duo tackles the ethical implications of AI in communication, highlights recent legal battles over copyright infringement involving AI, and shares humorous anecdotes, including a memorable sandwich experience. Harper Reed joins to add playful insights on AI as both a companion and a source of potential disappointment.
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Teach The AI Duality
- Teach students to explore the dual nature of AI: it's both extremely useful and often produces persuasive falsehoods.
- Encourage learners to experience that tension and decide how to use AI responsibly.
Differentiate Human Skills From LLM Tasks
- Train students to distinguish what makes them uniquely hireable versus what LLMs can do.
- Spend classroom time developing skills that AI cannot easily replicate.
Anthropoglossic Design Misleads Users
- LLMs are built to 'speak like humans' rather than to think like them, which drives anthropic confusion.
- That humanlike speech makes users grant these models undeserved agency and trust.
