Gary Marcus and John Lanchester join David to discuss all things AI, from ChatGPT to the Turing test. Why is the Turing test such a bad judge of machine intelligence? If these machines aren’t thinking, what is it they are doing? And what are we doing giving them so much power to shape our lives? Plus we discuss self-driving cars, the coming jobs apocalypse, how children learn, and what it is that makes us truly human.Gary’s new podcast is Humans vs. Machines.Read Turing’s original paper here.Sign up to LRB Close Readings:Directly in Apple: https://apple.co/3pJoFPqIn other podcast apps: lrb.supportingcast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Lanchester, Tom Crewe, and Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite discuss Keir Starmer's victory and the Conservative Party collapse. They analyze the country's needs, Labour's promises, and Harold Wilson comparisons. The podcast reflects on the recent UK general election results, future political strategies, challenges for Labour governments, voting trends, Rachel Reeves' energy strategy, Labour's new deal, and hopeful political change.

Tom Crewe, Patricia Lockwood, Deborah Friedell, John Lanchester, and Rosemary Hill discuss their favorite pieces from the LRB archive, including Terry Castle's analysis of Jane Austen's letters and Alan Bennett's nuanced portrayal of Philip Larkin. Topics covered include controversial literature, bestiality in poetry, and mistaken identity at a party.

Join acclaimed author Michael Lewis, known for his deep dives into finance, and journalist John Lanchester, celebrated for his urban insights, as they unravel the complexities of government counting. They discuss how inflation numbers reflect national values and decision-making. The duo highlights the critical role data plays in governance, especially in crises like the pandemic. They also delve into the murky waters where fact meets fiction, emphasizing a growing mistrust in information and the urgent need for authentic narratives in policy debates.

Novelists Adam Biles and John Lanchester discuss the timeless appeal of Animal Farm, exploring why it has retained its hold and what makes the characters so relatable. They also discuss other favorite political allegories, from The Wizard of Oz to WALL-E.