Ep. 46: When AI Meets Sci-Fi - A Talk with Award-Winning Author Ken MacLeod
Jan 7, 2018
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Ken MacLeod, an award-winning science fiction author known for examining the interplay between humanity and technology, dives into fascinating themes in this conversation. He discusses his latest work, which features sentient robots and digital consciousness. The chat navigates the evolution of the internet and its impact on society, touching on the ethics of AI and capitalism. MacLeod shares insights from his writing journey, including a new novella set in an alternate Scotland, revealing his unique blend of speculative fiction and real-world influences.
Ken MacLeod's trilogy explores the complex dynamics between humans and sentient robots, questioning autonomy and the essence of humanity in an AI-driven future.
The podcast emphasizes the necessity of addressing human ethical frameworks in corporations as potentially more critical than the challenges posed by AI itself.
Deep dives
Exploring the Corporation Wars Trilogy
The trilogy centers around the interplay between humans and sentient robots, raising questions about autonomy and the essence of humanity. The premise considers a future where most industrial labor is performed off-Earth by autonomous AI systems, allowing humans to live as beneficiaries of this system. Thus, when robots gain self-awareness and challenge their status as property, it creates conflict that demands resolution, suggesting a 'robot revolt.' This scenario is enriched by the involvement of uploaded human war criminals tasked with suppressing such uprisings, offering a unique twist on the classic narrative of rebellion.
Researching for Science Fiction
An extensive reading habit of popular science and current affairs informs the writing process, allowing for grounded speculative scenarios. Research efforts are mostly directed toward understanding physics and chemistry relevant to alien worlds rather than exhaustive studies in outdated fields. One notable resource used in crafting the trilogy was a book on world-building for science fiction writers, which became a compass for designing believable environments. This approach contrasts with a reliance on outdated lore, enabling a dynamic connection with evolving scientific knowledge.
The Ethical Implications of AI and Capitalism
The discussion raises concerns about the ethical frameworks of corporations, often likened to primitive forms of artificial intelligence with their own goals, such as maximizing shareholder value. This analogy underscores that societal ethics may not be effectively instilled in the corporate world, a situation arguably more pressing than the development of superintelligent AI itself. The chaotic nature of capitalism is presented as an autonomous system that can operate beyond human control, highlighting the need for greater awareness of its impacts on society. This perspective suggests that addressing human ethics might be more crucial than the ethics of machines, given the existing challenges presented by human-made systems.
AI is getting better, and it's finding its way into more parts of our lives with each passing day. And talking about the future artificial intelligence has become a surefire way to spawn a thousand debates about the future, and nature, of humankind ourselves. Our guest today, Ken McLeod, is an award winning science fiction author whose work dives deep into the relationship between man and machine. His latest book, "The Corporation Wars: Emergence" is the final volume in an acclaimed trilogy whose cast of characters includes sentient robots, computer AIs that oversee Earth from afar, and, of course, emulated human minds running in digital simulations.
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