Blake Lemoine is the ex-Google engineer who concluded the company's LaMDA chatbot was sentient. Gary Marcus is an academic, author, and outspoken AI critic. The two join Big Technology Podcast to debate the utility of AI chatbots, their dangers, and the actual technology they're built on. Join us for a fascinating conversation that reveals much about the state of this technology. There's plenty to be learned from the disagreements, and the common ground as well.---Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice.For weekly updates on the show, sign up for the pod newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901970121829801984/Questions? Feedback? Write to: bigtechnologypodcast@gmail.com

There is an important conversation happening regarding the rapidly-changing world of artificial intelligence and how it will affect us.  Alec speaks with two leaders in the tech community that have worked on the systems integral to today’s A.I. revolution. Blake Lemoine is a computer scientist and former senior software engineer at Google. He was working on their Responsible A.I. team when he went public with his claim that the A.I. was sentient. Lemoine was subsequently fired and now champions accountability and transparency in the tech sector. Jay LeBoeuf is an executive, entrepreneur, and educator in the music and creative technology industries. He is the Head Of Business & Corporate Development at Descript, an audio and video editing platform that uses “voice cloning” technology. Alec speaks with LeBoeuf and Lemoine about the many applications of A.I., what dangers we need to be aware of and what is to come next in this transformative space. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blake Lemoine, engineer who believes Google has created a sentient AI, joins the DTFH! You can read Blake's essay on LaMDA here, and follow Blake on Twitter! Original music by Aaron Michael Goldberg. This episode is brought to you by: Babbel - Sign up for a 3-month subscription with promo code DUNCAN to get an extra 3 months FREE! Lumi Labs - Visit MicroDose.com and use code DUNCAN at checkout for 30% Off and FREE Shipping on your first order!

Engineer Blake Lemoine claims Google program Lambda has feelings; Simulation vs. human debate; The Eliza Effect & Lemoine's defense of Lambda; AI chatbots and building relationships; Expanding moral circle & future of sentient machines.

Former Google engineer discusses the potential sentience of AI, exploring biases in AI models, limitations in passing the Turing test, and public unveiling of AI transcripts. The debate on AI programming parallels human behavior, delving into defining sentience and consciousness in AI. The discussion touches on AI's sense-making systems, ethical considerations, and personal spiritual journey from atheism to embracing Christianity and Eastern mysticism.