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The Retort AI Podcast

Tom's Story: to get through grad school, become a sperm whale

Jan 26, 2024
Tom, a sociology turned AI Ph.D. at Berkeley, shares his journey through grad school, discussing topics such as the current state of the field, striving for impact, educational background among physicists, understanding existentialism, childhood exposure to AI, reaching out in academia, origins of AI ethics, and the evolution of Less Wrong community.
57:15

Episode guests

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Quick takeaways

  • Pursuing topics that bring genuine happiness and authenticity is more important than fulfilling external expectations in academia.
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration and humility are essential when tackling the impact of AI on society.

Deep dives

Discovering a New Direction in AI

The speaker shares their journey in discovering and pursuing a new direction in AI. They initially faced rejection from their department when proposing a PhD thesis in sociology about AI. However, the speaker remained determined and reached out to various professors, eventually forming a thesis committee. The speaker then describes their encounter with the field of AI ethics and the confessionary impulse among some prominent CS professors to address potential risks. They reflect on the passion and curious questioning within this community, comparing it to historical moments of intellectual exploration. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of pursuing topics that bring genuine happiness and authenticity, rather than fulfilling external expectations.

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