Google DeepMind: The Podcast

In this discussion, Iason Gabriel, a Senior Staff Research Scientist at Google DeepMind and a former moral philosophy lecturer at Oxford, delves into the ethics of AI assistants. He explores the potential utopia created by these technologies, emphasizing their role in enhancing personal growth while raising concerns about privacy and inequality. Iason discusses anthropomorphism in AI, the complexities of multi-agent interactions, biases in language models, and the need for ethical frameworks to govern their deployment. His insights highlight the profound societal implications of advanced AI.

Irina Jurenka, a research lead at Google DeepMind with a focus on AI in education, dives into the transformative role of AI in the classroom. She discusses the balance between AI and human interaction in teaching, advocating for personalized AI tutors without replacing human educators. The conversation touches on enhancing education with technology, the journey from coding to AI, and the challenges of instilling critical thinking in AI systems. Jurenka emphasizes the importance of empathy in AI's interactions and the need for collaboration in developing educational tools.

Pushmeet Kohli, VP of Research at Google DeepMind, sheds light on AI's transformative role in scientific discovery. He discusses revolutionary advancements like AlphaFold 3 for protein structure prediction and its impact on biotechnology. Kohli also explores breakthroughs in material science, enabling rapid discovery of new materials, including alternatives to lithium-ion batteries. The conversation touches on AI's versatile applications across fields such as meteorology and mathematics, emphasizing the need for collaboration and robust algorithms to tackle complex scientific challenges.

Frederic Besse, a Senior Staff Research Engineer at Google DeepMind, dives into the fascinating world of AI agents in gaming. He explains how games create ideal environments for training agents, teaching them autonomy and decision-making. The discussion spans the evolution of these agents, the integration of language models with robotics, and the exciting potential of achieving Artificial General Intelligence. Besse also shares insights on how diverse training can enhance AI adaptability across various tasks, both virtual and real-world.

Hannah Fry chats with Jeff Dean, the legendary chief scientist of Google DeepMind, known for transforming Google into a tech giant and advancing AI research. They delve into Google's early days and the evolution of neural networks. Jeff reveals insights on the innovative Gemini model, emphasizing its potential in education and personalized AI experiences. The discussion touches on the importance of user consent, the integration of different research models, and the groundbreaking capabilities of multimodal AI in enhancing decision-making across various fields.

Anca Dragan, a lead for AI safety and alignment at Google DeepMind, dives into the pressing challenges of AI safety. She discusses the urgent need to align artificial intelligence with human values to prevent existential threats. The conversation covers the ethical dilemmas posed by AI recommendation systems and the interplay of competing objectives. Dragan also highlights innovative uses of AI, like citizens' assemblies, to promote democratic dialogue. The episode serves as a vital reminder of the importance of human oversight in AI development.

Douglas Eck, an expert in AI and creativity, shares his insights on how generative AI is revolutionizing art, music, and writing. He discusses the fine line between human creativity and AI-generated content, emphasizing the irreplaceable human connection in art. The conversation dives into the art of crafting prompts for AI, showcasing Google's impressive new video generation model. Eck also explores the challenges of achieving coherence in AI-generated videos and the potential for AI to create a new ecosystem for collaborative creativity.

Demis Hassabis, Co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, shares insights on the rapid evolution of AI and its growing public interest. He discusses why chatbots are described as 'unreasonably effective' and highlights unexpected advancements in AI, like conceptual understanding. The conversation shifts to the importance of rigorous AI safety measures and international collaboration as we approach artificial general intelligence. Demis also reflects on DeepMind's ambitious goal to achieve AGI by 2030 and the balance between innovation and ethical development.

Hannah wraps up the series by meeting DeepMind co-founder and CEO, Demis Hassabis. In an extended interview, Demis describes why he believes AGI is possible, how we can get there, and the problems he hopes it will solve. Along the way, he highlights the important role of consciousness and why he’s so optimistic that AI can help solve many of the world’s major challenges. As a final note, Demis shares the story of a personal meeting with Stephen Hawking to discuss the future of AI and discloses Hawking’s parting message. For questions or feedback on the series, message us on Twitter @DeepMind or email podcast@deepmind.com. Interviewee: Deepmind co-founder and CEO, Demis Hassabis CreditsPresenter: Hannah FrySeries Producer: Dan HardoonProduction support: Jill AchinekuSounds design: Emma BarnabyMusic composition: Eleni ShawSound Engineer: Nigel AppletonEditor: David PrestCommissioned by DeepMind Thank you to everyone who made this season possible! Further reading:DeepMind, The Podcast: https://deepmind.com/blog/article/welcome-to-the-deepmind-podcastDeepMind’s Demis Hassabis on its breakthrough scientific discoveries, WIRED: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WRow9FqUbwRiemann hypothesis, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riemann_hypothesisUsing AI to accelerate scientific discovery by Demis Hassabis, Kendrew Lecture 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm-VkgVX-2oProtein Folding & the Next Technological Revolution by Demis Hassabis, Bloomberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhd4ENh5ON4The Algorithm, MIT Technology Review: https://forms.technologyreview.com/newsletters/ai-the-algorithm/Machine learning resources, The Royal Society: https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/education-skills/teacher-resources-and-opportunities/resources-for-teachers/resources-machine-learning/How to get empowered, not overpowered, by AI, TED: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LRwvU6gEbA Please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts if you enjoyed this episode. We always want to hear from our audience whether that's in the form of feedback, new idea or a guest recommendation!  

AI needs to benefit everyone, not just those who build it. But fulfilling this promise requires careful thought before new technologies are built and released into the world. In this episode, Hannah delves into some of the most pressing and difficult ethical and social questions surrounding AI today. She explores complex issues like racial and gender bias and the misuse of AI technologies, and hears why diversity and representation is vital for building technology that works for all. For questions or feedback on the series, message us on Twitter @DeepMind or email podcast@deepmind.com.  Interviewees: DeepMind’s Sasha Brown, William Isaac, Shakir Mohamed, Kevin Mckee & Obum Ekeke CreditsPresenter: Hannah FrySeries Producer: Dan HardoonProduction support: Jill AchinekuSounds design: Emma BarnabyMusic composition: Eleni ShawSound Engineer: Nigel AppletonEditor: David PrestCommissioned by DeepMind Thank you to everyone who made this season possible!  Further reading: What a machine learning tool that turns Obama white can (and can’t) tell us about AI bias, The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/21298762/face-depixelizer-ai-machine-learning-tool-pulse-stylegan-obama-biasTuskegee Syphilis Study, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Syphilis_StudyEthics & Society, DeepMind: https://deepmind.com/about/ethics-and-societyRow over AI that 'identifies gay faces', BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41188560The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/AI takes root, helping farmers identify diseased plants, Google: https://www.blog.google/technology/ai/ai-takes-root-helping-farmers-identity-diseased-plants/How Can You Use Technology to Support a Culture of Inclusion and Diversity?, myHRfuture: https://www.myhrfuture.com/blog/2019/7/16/how-can-you-use-technology-to-support-a-culture-of-inclusion-and-diversityScholarships at DeepMind: https://www.deepmind.com/scholarshipsAI, Ain’t I a Woman? Joy Buolamwini, YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxuyfWoVV98How to be Human in the Age of the Machine, Hannah Fry: https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/book-prizes/science-book-prize/2018/hello-world/ Please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts if you enjoyed this episode. We always want to hear from our audience whether that's in the form of feedback, new idea or a guest recommendation!