Prof. Mike Wooldridge and Naomi Alderman discuss the impact of AI in various fields including medicine and the arts. Prof. David Runciman raises concerns about the collaboration between AI and states/corporations. The podcast explores the power and control of states and corporations, the limitations of democracy, the humanizing quality of humanity, and the concentration of power in technology billionaires. Other topics include the impact of social media, technological watershed years, biases in AI, and the need to address AI-generated hallucinations.
The podcast explores the blurred lines between states and corporations, emphasizing their symbiotic relationship and the potential implications of corporations taking on state-like functions.
The episode highlights the transformative potential and concerns surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on bias in AI systems, risks of misinformation and disinformation in elections, and the role of AI in various aspects of life.
Deep dives
The Power and Influence of States and Corporations
The podcast discusses the power and influence of states and corporations in the context of technology and artificial intelligence. The guests explore how states and corporations shape our world and make decisions that impact our lives. They highlight the long-standing relationship between states, corporations, and artificial decision-making machines, emphasizing their role in defining modernity. The discussion delves into the blurred lines between states and corporations, their symbiotic relationship, and how corporations can take on state-like functions. The episode raises concerns about the growing power of technology billionaires and their potential lack of accountability, as well as the potential manipulation and biases associated with AI and large language models. Overall, it prompts reflection on the governance, biases, and ethical implications of emergent technologies and their impact on society.
The Transformative Potential and Concerns of AI
The episode highlights the transformative potential and concerns surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). The discussion focuses on large language models, such as Chat GPT, which can generate text based on training data from the Internet. The guests delve into the advancements in AI and its implications for society. They touch upon the challenges of bias in AI systems, the risks of misinformation and disinformation in elections, and the potential limitations of AI innovation and creativity. The conversation also examines the corporate governance of AI companies and the role of states in investing and utilizing AI technology. The episode leaves the listener questioning the future trajectory of AI and its impact on various aspects of life.
The Impact of Technology Billionaires and Corporate Power
The podcast episode addresses the influence and impact of technology billionaires and corporate power. The guests discuss the rise of technology billionaires and the concentration of power in the hands of a few individuals. They explore the potential dangers when wealthy individuals have control over significant resources and the ability to shape the world as they see fit. The conversation delves into the role of corporations in society and the dynamics between states and corporations. It raises concerns about the potential manipulation and monetization of personal data, the erosion of privacy, and the need for robust governance and regulation to ensure accountability and the well-being of society as a whole.
The Information Crisis and the Role of Communication
The episode explores the concept of the information crisis and the evolving nature of communication. The discussion draws parallels between historical periods of communication transformation, such as the invention of writing and the Gutenberg Revolution, and the present digital era. It highlights the increased access to information and the challenges of navigating the vast amount of data available. The guests discuss the impact of social media and the internet on society, including the polarization of opinions, the spread of misinformation, and the blurring of lines between the functions of the state and corporations. The episode raises questions about the potential future dominance of AI-generated content and its implications for the written word and communication as a whole.
Artificial Intelligence will be the focus of this year’s Royal Institution Christmas Lectures by the Oxford Professor of Computer Science, Mike Wooldridge. In his series of lectures (broadcast on BBC Four in late December) he will attempt to disentangle the realities from the myths, but will also demonstrate the huge impact AI is already having in fields ranging from medicine to football to astrophysics, as well as on the creative arts.
The bestselling novelist Naomi Alderman has fun with AI and its tech trillionaire-creators in her latest thriller The Future. While the wealthy corporate heads are effectively decapitated by an end-of-the-world scenario, the story explores whether the technology that could presage the apocalypse can also be used for the good of society.
The Professor of Politics at Cambridge, David Runciman, wants to change the way people think about a future in which artificial intelligence has taken control. In The Handover he looks back to the formation of states and corporations, arguing that these are the precursors to AI: powerful artificial entities that have come to rule our world. While thy have made us richer and safer, he questions what will happen to human existence if these two machines – states and AI – join forces.
Producer: Katy Hickman
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