The Importance of Communication in the Age of AI

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Developing language skills in one language may atrophy use of other languages
AI and digital devices may condition people to behave like machines and seed their capacity to communicate to technology
AI has the potential to manipulate people and make it difficult to discern truth from fiction
Deep fake videos and propaganda further complicate the issue of knowing what the truth is

In the early 1900s, the philosopher Henry Adams expressed concern about the rapid rate of social change ushered in by new technologies, from the railways to the telegraph and ultimately airplanes. If we transpose Adams's concerns onto the power of artificial intelligence--a power whose rate of acceleration would have exceeded his wildest dreams--you might feel a bit uneasy. Listen as philosopher Jacob Howland of UATX speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about why too much leisure is at best a mixed blessing, and how technology can lead to intellectual atrophy. They also speak about the role of AI in education and its implications for that most human of traits: curiosity. Finally, they discuss Howland's biggest concern when it comes to outsourcing our tasks, and our thinking, to machines: that we'll ultimately end up surrendering our own liberty.