Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman

Ep105 "What if AI is not actually intelligent?" (with Alison Gopnik)

9 snips
May 19, 2025
Alison Gopnik, a Professor of Psychology at Berkeley, dives into the debate on whether AI should be seen as an intelligent agent or merely a cultural technology. She explores how historical narratives and tools shape our understanding of technology's role in society. The discussion highlights AI's limitations, emphasizing that it reflects human knowledge rather than possesses intelligence. Gopnik also critiques traditional views on intelligence, advocating for a nuanced approach to understanding AI's evolution and societal impact.
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INSIGHT

AI as Cultural Technology

  • Large AI models are not intelligent agents but cultural technologies that summarize human knowledge.
  • They process vast communications like Shakespeare and Reddit, remixing and highlighting patterns in culture.
ANECDOTE

Golem vs Stone Soup Stories

  • The story of the Golem warns about creating artificial agents that might go mad.
  • The story of Stone Soup shows AI as combining many human contributions into a new whole.
INSIGHT

Humans Learn Through Culture

  • Humans excel because we learn from others, amplified by technologies like language and writing.
  • AI models extend this lineage, enabling us to access and remix collective human ideas, not generate original intelligence.
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