The best definitions of AI are vague, largely lack consensus and represent a huge challenge for lawmakers and legal scholars looking to regulate it. But back to back breakthroughs and rapid adoption of generative AI tools are making it feel a lot more real to everybody else. We examine how it’s possible that alone might be enough to push conversations about ethics further into focus.We Meet:MIT Technology Review Senior AI Reporter Melissa HeikkiläMozilla President Mark SurmanIBM Chief Privacy Officer Christina MontgomeryUnited Nations AI Advisor Neil SahotaSounds:Advances in artificial intelligence raise new ethics concerns - PBS NewsHour via YouTube https://youtu.be/l5nTlHeqYOQHe loves artificial intelligence. Hear why he is issuing a warning about ChatGPT - CNN via YouTube https://youtu.be/THJysHMi81c  Credits:This episode was reported and produced by Jennifer Strong and Anthony Green with help from Emma Cillekens and Melissa Heikkilä. It was edited by Mat Honan, and mixed by Garret Lang, with original music by Garret Lang and Jacob Gorski. Artwork by Stephanie Arnett.

Melissa Heikkilä, a senior AI reporter at MIT Technology Review, shares her unsettling experience with a hyperrealistic deepfake created by an AI startup. She vividly describes how she initially mistook the deepfake for herself, revealing the chilling ability of technology to blur the lines between reality and illusion. The discussion dives into the ethical implications of such advances, the emotional toll of interacting with AI-generated avatars, and the pressing need for content moderation as society grapples with increasingly synthetic media.