Ethical Machines

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Ethical Machines on hiatus until 20 June 2024.

Alex Grzankowski, a philosopher, discusses AI understanding language but not having true comprehension. They explore semantic vs syntactic understanding in AI, evolution of understanding in creatures, and internalist vs externalist semantics. The conversation delves into world models in AI, training AI to understand truth, and the concept of reference in semantics.

Exploring the ethical implications of AI-generated art and questioning the emotional impact on audiences. Discussing the depth of relationships and happiness in 'The Truman Show' and evaluating the value of human intention in creative works versus AI-generated content. Delving into the authenticity and deception in AI-generated creations and the importance of transparency in acknowledging the lack of genuine emotions.

We’re told that algorithms on social media are manipulating us. But is that true? What is manipulation? Can an AI really do it? And is it necessarily a bad thing? These questions and more with philosopher Michael Klenk. Michael Klenk is a tenured Assistant Professor of Ethics and Philosophy of Technology at TU Delft. He earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Utrecht University, graduating with the highest possible distinction. Before becoming a professional philosopher, he earned Business Administration and Psychology degrees and worked as a management consultant. Focusing on resolving foundational philosophical issues with practical implications, Klenk investigates the ethical dimensions of emerging technologies. His recent work is on manipulation, particularly in online contexts. He co-edited the Philosophy of Online Manipulation with Fleur Jongepier (Routledge, 2022), and his work has appeared in journals such as American Philosophical Quarterly, Analysis, Synthese, Erkenntnis, Philosophy and Technology, and Ethics and Information Technology.

Unless you don't mind decreased autonomy and increased narcissism

How bad is it and what could possibly fix it? Countering Disinformation Effectively: An Evidence-Based Policy Guide https://carnegieendowment.org/2024/01/31/countering-disinformation-effectively-evidence-based-policy-guide-pub-91476 Jon Bateman is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on global technology challenges at the intersection of national security, economics, politics, and society. His research areas include techno-nationalism, cyber operations, disinformation, and AI. Bateman is the author of U.S.-China Technological “Decoupling”: A Strategy and Policy Framework (2022). Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, in his foreword, called it “a major achievement” that “stands out for its ambition, clarity, and rigor” and “will remain a touchstone for years to come.” Bateman is also the co-author of Countering Disinformation Effectively: An Evidence-Based Policy Guide (2024). His other major works include a military assessment of Russia’s cyber operations in Ukraine and a proposal to reform cyber insurance for catastrophic and state-sponsored events. Before joining Carnegie, Bateman was a special assistant to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., serving as the chairman’s first civilian speechwriter and the lead analyst in the chairman’s internal think tank. Bateman previously worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, developing several key policies and organizations for military cyber operations, and at the Defense Intelligence Agency, leading teams responsible for assessing Iran’s senior leadership, decisionmaking, internal stability, and cyber activities. Bateman’s writings have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, Politico, Slate, Harvard Business Review, Foreign Policy, and elsewhere.  His TV and radio appearances include BBC News, NPR Morning Edition, and C-SPAN After Words. Bateman is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Johns Hopkins University. Dean Jackson was project manager of the Influence Operations Researchers’ Guild, a component of the Partnership for Countering Influence Operations at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He specializes in how democracies and civil society around the world can respond to disinformation, influence operations, and other challenges to a free, healthy digital public square. From 2013 to 2021, Jackson managed workshops and publications related to disinformation at the International Forum for Democratic Studies, a center for research and analysis within the National Endowment for Democracy. Prior to his time at the National Endowment for Democracy, he worked in external relations at the Atlantic Council. He holds an MA in international relations from the University of Chicago and a BA in political science from Wright State University in Dayton, OH.

Exploring the ethical implications of AI surpassing human accuracy in medical diagnoses and AI vs. Human Judges in Sentencing. The debate over replacing human judges with AI in the legal system and the value of human deliberation in decision-making processes.

Can we train AI to be ethical the same way we teach children? #AI #ethics #AIethics Cameron Buckner’s research primarily concerns philosophical issues which arise in the study of non-human minds, especially animal cognition and artificial intelligence. He began his academic career in logic-based artificial intelligence. This research inspired an interest into the relationship between classical models of reasoning and the (usually very different) ways that humans and animals actually solve problems, which led him to the discipline of philosophy. He received a PhD in Philosophy at Indiana University in 2011 and an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship at Ruhr-University Bochum from 2011 to 2013. He just published a book with Oxford University Press that uses empiricist philosophy of mind (from figures such as Aristotle, Ibn Sina, John Locke, David Hume, William James, and Sophie de Grouchy) to understand recent advances in deep-neural-network-based artificial intelligence.