The Power of Control

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Key takeaways

Transcript

Episode notes

There is a binary distinction between autonomy and moral issues when parenting.
Parents struggle with wanting to give their kids freedom while also keeping them safe.
Complex situations arise when children want to engage in potentially harmful behavior.
Some parents derive satisfaction from controlling others.
Bad parents may abuse their power over helpless beings.
There is a libertarian complaint against government interference.
Government entities may not have genuine intentions to help.
Speech deemed harmful is often targeted for restriction in the moralistic world.

It seems obvious that moral artificial intelligence would be better than the alternative. But psychologist Paul Bloom of the University of Toronto thinks moral AI is not just a meaningless goal but a bad one. Listen as Bloom and EconTalk's Russ Roberts have a wide-ranging conversation about the nature of AI, the nature of morality, and the value of ensuring that we mortals can keep doing stupid or terrible things.