Sebastian Thrun emphasizes the importance of focusing on the present and caring about people rather than speculating about living in a simulation.
Machine learning has revolutionized the field of artificial intelligence by allowing computers to learn from experience, leading to significant advancements in autonomous systems.
The use of AI in diagnosing skin cancer has shown promising results, with an iPhone app proving to be as accurate, if not better, than human doctors, potentially saving countless lives.
Deep dives
Sebastian Thrun's Background and Achievements
Sebastian Thrun is recognized as one of the greatest roboticists, computer scientists, and educators of our time. He led the development of autonomous vehicles at Stanford, winning the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and placing second in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge. As the former leader of the Google Self-Driving Car program, he played a crucial role in the Self-Driving Car Revolution. Thrun also co-founded Udacity, an online education platform, and currently serves as the CEO of Kitty Hawk, a company focused on developing flying cars.
Discussion on the Simulation Hypothesis
During the podcast episode, Thrun discussed the concept of living in a simulation. While acknowledging the interesting thought experiment, he emphasized that its existence or non-existence is largely irrelevant to how people should live their lives and make decisions. Thrun expressed a focus on the present, caring about people and the beauty and unpredictability of the world we live in.
Thrun's Journey in Computing and Predicting Technological Evolution
Thrun reflected on his early fascination with computing and the artificial intelligence field. He envisioned building artificial humans through robotic technology and recognized the importance of machine learning as a major innovation in creating intelligent systems. He described how computers can now learn from experience instead of being solely instructed by rules, leading to vast improvements in autonomous systems. Thrun highlighted the value of learning by example and the potential of AI systems to acquire expertise that humans may not be able to express in words.
Thrun's Motivation for Solving Problems and His Leadership Style
Thrun expressed his motivation to make the lives of others better and to continually learn and be in a challenging role. He discussed the importance of empowering others and creating an environment where people can connect with their intentions and contribute to making the world a better place. Thrun emphasized the significance of empathy, understanding others' problems, and offering help. He shared his belief that the majority of people have good intentions and the need for leaders to listen and connect with their teams to foster a productive and fulfilling work environment.
Using AI to Detect Skin Cancer
The podcast episode discusses the use of AI in assisting doctors and diagnosing skin cancer. An app built for iPhones can detect and classify skin cancer, proving to be as good or even better than human doctors. The story of a friend's experience with the app is shared, where it accurately diagnosed a melanoma that a doctor initially considered harmless. Skin cancer is a serious condition that can progress rapidly, but early detection can significantly improve survival rates. The use of AI in regularly inspecting the body for potential signs of cancer without the need for a doctor holds promise in saving countless lives.
Leveraging AI for Education and Employment
The podcast episode highlights the importance of contemporary tech skills and online education in preparing individuals for the job market. The guest speaker discusses a program called Udacity that offers affordable courses and guarantees job placement for over 50% of its graduates. The focus is on providing education as a basic human right, accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds from around the world. The collaboration with the US government and prominent CEOs aims to enhance education and skill development, contributing to the rebuilding of the American dream. By leveraging technology and online learning platforms, education can be made accessible to everyone, empowering individuals to enhance their potential and pursue fulfilling careers.
Sebastian Thrun is one of the greatest roboticists, computer scientists, and educators of our time. He led development of the autonomous vehicles at Stanford that won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and placed second in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge. He then led the Google self-driving car program which launched the self-driving revolution. He taught the popular Stanford course on Artificial Intelligence in 2011 which was one of the first MOOCs. That experience led him to co-found Udacity, an online education platform. He is also the CEO of Kitty Hawk, a company working on building flying cars or more technically eVTOLS which stands for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
This conversation is part of the Artificial Intelligence podcast. If you would like to get more information about this podcast go to https://lexfridman.com/ai or connect with @lexfridman on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Medium, or YouTube where you can watch the video versions of these conversations. If you enjoy the podcast, please rate it 5 stars on Apple Podcasts or support it on Patreon.
This episode is presented by Cash App. Download it (App Store, Google Play), use code “LexPodcast”.
Here’s the outline of the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
00:00 – Introduction
03:24 – The Matrix
04:39 – Predicting the future 30+ years ago
06:14 – Machine learning and expert systems
09:18 – How to pick what ideas to work on
11:27 – DARPA Grand Challenges
17:33 – What does it take to be a good leader?
23:44 – Autonomous vehicles
38:42 – Waymo and Tesla Autopilot
42:11 – Self-Driving Car Nanodegree
47:29 – Machine learning
51:10 – AI in medical applications
54:06 – AI-related job loss and education
57:51 – Teaching soft skills
1:00:13 – Kitty Hawk and flying cars
1:08:22 – Love and AI
1:13:12 – Life
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