Robert Wright's Nonzero

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.orgRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling.Read this edition of the Earthling at:https://nonzero.substack.com/p/the-real-problem-with-the-trump-bidenRecorded March 08, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org0:31 The other Tim B. Lee 3:16 Unpacking the Elon v. OpenAI case 14:04 How did Google’s Gemini go wrong? 25:24 The unsung ingenious side of Gemini 34:39 Is AI a bubble? 38:53 Are some LLM issues insoluble? 44:39 How Sora changes the AI picture 51:12 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Timothy B. Lee (Full Stack Economics, Understanding AI). Recorded March 6, 2024.Tim's Understanding AI newsletter on Substack:Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPodsOvertime titles:0:00 Are LLMs general learning machines? Are human minds? 6:44 The Darwinian dynamics of machine learning 13:37 How to conceptualize how LLMs conceptualize 20:04 Is digital technology’s impact on society overstated?

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.orgRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the (would-be) Earthling.Recorded March 01, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org1:19 Big trouble with Small Potatoes 5:13 What makes a good podcast? 13:21 Google’s AI goes wild(ly woke) 27:02 Is Biden a “super-ager” or just super old? 35:51 On the psychology of self-immolation 52:38 Are we thinking right about mental illness? 56:52 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded February 27, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPodsPaul’s Substack:Overtime titles:0:00 The problem with paywalls 4:06 Is contingency in life good news or bad? 22:28 Do AIs need to be symbolic to be logical? 32:46 A new TV show Bob hates 38:04 Bob’s (mental?) break in the JFK case

0:31 Gary’s background and place in the AI world 1:45 Are Gary’s views on AI paradoxical? 9:16 Bob: Searle’s Chinese Room argument is dead 19:29 Have LLMs demonstrated "theory of mind"? 26:34 Arguing the semantics of an LLM's “semantic space” 32:04 Do LLM representations map onto the real world? 41:20 Can (and should) we slow down AI development? 52:11 Gary: I’ve never seen a field as myopic as AI today 54:53 The (symbolic?) future of AIRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Gary Marcus (https://garymarcus.substack.com/, Humans vs. Machines, The Algebraic Mind, Kluge). Recorded February 13, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPodsGary's Substack: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org2:19 Nikita’s memories of Navalny’s emergence as a political force 12:17 The time Nikita was detained for protesting election fraud 23:42 Navalny’s success as a political organizer 36:53 What did Navalny represent? 47:22 Navalny’s courageous post-poisoning return to Russia 57:53 Heading to Overtime (plus: Nikita’s photo with Navalny)Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Nikita Petrov (psychopolitica.substack.com). Recorded February 20, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.orgRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling.Read this edition of the Earthling at: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/sam-altmans-big-bad-ideaRecorded February 16, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org(Overtime audio available to paid subscribers through the player at the top of the page and video version available below the paywall.)1:35 What MSM missed about Carlsons' Putin interview 14:20 Putin’s litany of grievances against the West 22:19 Russia gets the upper hand in Ukraine 30:02 Why Zelensky hasn’t paved the way for peace talks 37:02 Putin’s mafia-inspired approach to negotiations 45:47 Do most Russians support the war? 49:49 Why Zelensky fired his popular top general 54:00 Heading to OvertimeLeonid's article in Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/2/12/putin-is-ready-for-talks-on-ukraine-but-on-his-own-termsRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Leonid Ragozin (Rest of World, West of Providence, Lonely Planet). Recorded February 14, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPodsOvertime titles:0:00 An approaching Russia-NATO war? 3:39 Why the Gaza war is a godsend for Putin 13:32 Does Putin really prefer Trump over Biden? 22:52 The point of Putin’s long historical monologue

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org1:57 Nora’s low score on the AI doomer test 8:26 The messy math of AI alignment 13:41 Teaching and (unteaching) concepts to LLMS 18:06 Do we really want human-like AI? 28:48 How the AI “mind” works 40:41 How to change an AI’s mind 53:19 Are LLMs reverse-engineering the human mind? 57:26 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Nora Belrose (EleutherAI). Recorded January 16, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPodsOvertime titles:0:00 Eleuther’s extra open open-source AIs 4:29 Is the human mind a general learning machine? 7:18 Why Nora supports open-source AI 11:42 How could we tell if AIs are conscious? 23:31 The new contender for reinforcement learning supremacy 29:57 Inside the minds of the AI doomers 40:52 Bob’s main sources of AI anxiety

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.orgRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling.Read this edition of the Earthling at: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/the-new-lab-leak-evidenceRecorded February 09, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods