Artificiality: Minds Meeting Machines

Steven Sloman: Trusting knowledge

Jun 7, 2021
Join Steven Sloman, a Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences at Brown University, as he dives into the intriguing concept of the Knowledge Illusion—how we often believe we know more than we truly do. He discusses the cognitive challenges of explaining intuitive ideas, the dynamics of relying on community knowledge, and how our understanding is affected by AI. Sloman emphasizes the need for humility, open dialogue, and awareness of our cognitive limitations in a world increasingly influenced by technology.
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INSIGHT

Understanding the Knowledge Illusion

  • The knowledge illusion describes how we think we understand things better than we do because we rely on community knowledge.
  • This illusion encourages humility and recognizing limits in our knowledge, especially in communication with others.
INSIGHT

Explanation Reveals Knowledge Gaps

  • Trying to explain something explicitly reveals gaps between intuition and deep understanding.
  • Moral reasoning often oversimplifies, while causal reasoning exposes complexity.
INSIGHT

Impact of Expertise on Confidence

  • Being near experts can lower confidence (comparative ignorance).
  • Clear expert communication increases our sense of knowledge, even if fragile.
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