Artificiality: Minds Meeting Machines

We're excited to welcome Jamie Boyle to the podcast. Jamie is a law professor and author of the thought-provoking book The Line: AI and the Future of Personhood.

In The Line, Jamie challenges our assumptions about personhood and humanity, arguing that these boundaries are more fluid than traditionally believed. He explores diverse contexts like animal rights, corporate personhood, and AI development to illustrate how debates around personhood permeate philosophy, law, art, and morality.

Jamie uses fascinating examples from science fiction, legal history, and philosophy to illustrate the challenges we face in defining the rights and moral status of artificial entities. He argues that grappling with these questions may lead to a profound re-examination of human identity and consciousness.

What's particularly compelling about Jamie’s approach is how he frames this as a journey of moral expansion, drawing parallels to how we've expanded our circle of empathy in the past. He also offers surprising insights into legal history, revealing how corporate personhood emerged more by accident than design—a cautionary tale as we consider AI rights.

We believe this book is both ahead of its time and right on time. It sharpens our understanding of difficult concepts—namely, that the boundaries between organic and synthetic are blurring, creating profound existential challenges we need to prepare for now.

To quote Jamie from The Line: "Grappling with the question of synthetic others may bring about a reexamination of the nature of human identity and consciousness. I want to stress the potential magnitude of that reexamination. This process may offer challenges to our self conception unparalleled since secular philosophers declared that we would have to learn to live with a god shaped hole at the center of the universe."

Let's dive into our conversation with Jamie Boyle.

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Thanks to Jonathan Coulton for our music

We're excited to welcome to the podcast Shannon Vallor, professor of ethics and technology at the University of Edinburgh, and the author of The AI Mirror.

In her book, Shannon invites us to rethink AI—not as a futuristic force propelling us forward, but as a reflection of our past, capturing both our human triumphs and flaws in ways that shape our present reality.

In The AI Mirror, Shannon uses the powerful metaphor of a mirror to illustrate the nature of AI. She argues that AI doesn’t represent a new intelligence; rather, it reflects human cognition in all its complexity, limitations, and distortions. Like a mirror, AI is backward-looking, constrained by the data we’ve already provided it. It amplifies our biases and misunderstandings, giving us back a shallow, albeit impressive, reflection of our intelligence.

We think this is one of the best books on AI for a general audience that has been published this year. Shannon’s mirror metaphor does more than just critique AI—it reassures. By casting AI as a reflection rather than an independent force, she validates a crucial distinction: AI may be an impressive tool, but it’s still just that—a mirror of our past. Humanity, Shannon suggests, remains something separate, capable of innovation and growth beyond the confines of what these systems can reflect. This insight offers a refreshing confidence amidst the usual AI anxieties: the real power, and responsibility, remains with us.

Let’s dive into our conversation with Shannon Vallor.

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If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe and leave a positive rating or comment. Sharing your positive feedback helps us reach more people and connect them with the world’s great minds.

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Thanks to Jonathan Coulton for our music

We're excited to welcome to the podcast Matt Beane, Assistant Professor at UC Santa Barbara and the author of the book "The Skill Code: How to Save Human Ability in an Age of Intelligent Machines."

Matt’s research investigates how AI is changing the traditional apprenticeship model, creating a tension between short-term performance gains and long-term skill development. His work has particularly focused on the relationship between junior and senior surgeons in the operating theater. As he told us, "In robotic surgery, I was seeing that the way technology was being handled in the operating room was assassinating this relationship." He observed that junior surgeons now often just set up the robot and watch the senior surgeon operate for hours, epitomizing a broader trend where AI and advanced technologies are reshaping how we transfer skills from experts to novices.

In "The Skill Code," Matt argues that three key elements are essential for developing expertise: challenge, complexity, and connection. He points out that real learning often involves discomfort, saying, "Everyone intuitively knows when you really learned something in your life. It was not exactly a pleasant experience, right?"

Matt's research shows that while AI can significantly boost productivity, it may be undermining critical aspects of skill development. He warns that the traditional model of "See one, do one, teach one" is becoming "See one, and if-you're-lucky do one, and not-on-your-life teach one." In our conversation, we explore these insights and discuss how we might preserve human ability in an age of intelligent machines.

Let’s dive into our conversation with Matt Beane on the future of human skill in an AI-driven world.

If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe and leave a positive rating or comment. Sharing your positive feedback helps us reach more people and connect them with the world’s great minds.

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Learn about our book Make Better Decisions and buy it on Amazon

Thanks to Jonathan Coulton for our music

We're excited to welcome to the podcast Emily M. Bender, professor of computational linguistics at the University of Washington.

As our listeners know, we enjoy tapping expertise in fields adjacent to the intersection of humans and AI. We find Emily’s expertise in linguistics to be particularly important when understanding the capabilities and limitations of large language models—and that’s why we were eager to talk with her.

Emily is perhaps best known in the AI community for coining the term "stochastic parrots" to describe these models, highlighting their ability to mimic human language without true understanding. In her paper "On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots," Emily and her co-authors raised crucial questions about the environmental, financial, and social costs of developing ever-larger language models. Emily has been a vocal critic of AI hype and her work has been pivotal in sparking critical discussions about the direction of AI research and development.

In this conversation, we explore the issues of current AI systems with a particular focus on Emily’s view as a computational linguist. We also discuss Emily's recent research on the challenges of using AI in search engines and information retrieval systems, and her description of large language models as synthetic text extruding machines.

Let's dive into our conversation with Emily Bender.

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If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe and leave a positive rating or comment. Sharing your positive feedback helps us reach more people and connect them with the world’s great minds.

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Thanks to Jonathan Coulton for our music

We're excited to welcome to the podcast John Havens, a multifaceted thinker at the intersection of technology, ethics, and sustainability. John's journey has taken him from professional acting to becoming a thought leader in AI ethics and human wellbeing.

In his 2016 book, "Heartificial Intelligence: Embracing Our Humanity to Maximize Machines," John presents a thought-provoking examination of humanity's relationship with AI. He introduces the concept of "codifying our values" - our crucial need as a species to define and understand our own ethics before we entrust machines to make decisions for us.

Through an interplay of fictional vignettes and real-world examples, the book illuminates the fundamental interplay between human values and machine intelligence, arguing that while AI can measure and improve wellbeing, it cannot automate it. John advocates for greater investment in understanding our own values and ethics to better navigate our relationship with increasingly sophisticated AI systems.

In this conversation, we dive into the key ideas from "Heartificial Intelligence" and their profound implications for the future of both human and artificial intelligence. We explore questions like:

Let's dive into our conversation with John Havens.

If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe and leave a positive rating or comment. Sharing your positive feedback helps us reach more people and connect them with the world’s great minds.

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Thanks to Jonathan Coulton for our music

We’re excited to welcome to the podcast Leslie Valiant, a pioneering computer scientist and Turing Award winner renowned for his groundbreaking work in machine learning and computational learning theory. In his seminal 1983 paper, Leslie introduced the concept of Probably Approximately Correct or PAC learning, kick-starting a new era of research into what machines can learn.

Now, in his latest book, The Importance of Being Educable: A New Theory of Human Uniqueness, Leslie builds upon his previous work to present a thought-provoking examination of what truly sets human intelligence apart. He introduces the concept of "educability" - our unparalleled ability as a species to absorb, apply, and share knowledge.

Through an interplay of abstract learning algorithms and relatable examples, the book illuminates the fundamental differences between human and machine learning, arguing that while learning is computable, today's AI is still a far cry from human-level educability. Leslie advocates for greater investment in the science of learning and education to better understand and cultivate our species' unique intellectual gifts.

In this conversation, we dive deep into the key ideas from The Importance of Being Educable and their profound implications for the future of both human and artificial intelligence. We explore questions like:

Let’s dive into our conversation with Leslie Valiant.

If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe and leave a positive rating or comment. Sharing your positive feedback helps us reach more people and connect them with the world’s great minds.

Subscribe to get Artificiality delivered to your email

Learn about our book Make Better Decisions and buy it on Amazon

Thanks to Jonathan Coulton for our music

We’re excited to welcome to the podcast Jonathan Feinstein, professor at the Yale School of Management and author of Creativity in Large-Scale Contexts: Guiding Creative Engagement and Exploration.

Our interest in creativity is broader than the context of the creative professions like art, design, and music. We see creativity as the foundation of how we move ahead as a species including our culture, science, and innovation. We’re interested in the huge combinatorial space of creativity, linked together by complex networks. And that interest led us to Jonathan.

Through his research and interviews with a wide range of creative individuals, from artists and writers to scientists and entrepreneurs, Jonathan has developed a framework for understanding the creative process as an unfolding journey over time. He introduces key concepts such as guiding conceptions, guiding principles, and the notion of finding "golden seeds" amidst the vast landscape of information and experiences that shape our creative context.

By looking at creativity mathematically, Jonathan has exposed the tremendous beauty of the creative process as being intuitive, exploratory, and supported by math and machines and knowledge and structure. He shows how creativity is much broader and more interesting than the stereotypical idea of creativity as simply a singular lightbulb moment.

In our conversation, we explore some of the most surprising and counterintuitive findings from Jonathan's work, how his ideas challenge conventional wisdom about creativity, and the implications for individuals and organizations seeking to innovate in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Let’s dive into our conversation with Jonathan Feinstein.

If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe and leave a positive rating or comment. Sharing your positive feedback helps us reach more people and connect them with the world’s great minds.

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Learn about our book Make Better Decisions and buy it on Amazon

Thanks to Jonathan Coulton for our music

We’re excited to welcome to the podcast Karaitiana Taiuru. Dr Taiuru is a leading authority and a highly accomplished visionary Māori technology ethicist specialising in Māori rights with AI, Māori Data Sovereignty and Governance with emerging digital technologies and biological sciences.

Karaitiana has been a champion for Māori cultural and intellectual property rights in the digital space since the late 1990s. With the recent emergence of AI into the mainstream, Karaitiana sees both opportunities and risks for indigenous peoples like the Māori. He believes AI can either be a tool for further colonization and cultural appropriation, or it can be harnessed to empower and revitalize indigenous languages, knowledge, and communities.

In our conversation, Karaitiana shares his vision for incorporating Māori culture, values and knowledge into the development of AI technolo gies in a way that respects data sovereignty. We explore the importance of Māori representation in the tech sector, the role of AI in language and cultural preservation, and how indigenous peoples around the world can collaborate to shape the future of AI. Karaitiana offers a truly unique and thought-provoking perspective that I believe is crucial as we grapple with the societal implications of artificial intelligence. I learned a tremendous amount from our conversation and I'm sure you will too.

Let’s dive into our conversation with Karaitiana Taiuru.

If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe and leave a positive rating or comment. Sharing your positive feedback helps us reach more people and connect them with the world’s great minds.

Subscribe to get Artificiality delivered to your email

Learn about our book Make Better Decisions and buy it on Amazon

Thanks to Jonathan Coulton for our music

We’re excited to welcome to the podcast Omri Allouche, the VP of Research at Gong, an AI-driven revenue intelligence platform for B2B sales teams. Omri has had a fascinating career journey with a PhD in computational ecology before moving into the world of AI startups. At Gong, Omri leads research into how AI and machine learning can transform the way sales teams operate.

In our conversation today, we'll explore Omri's perspective on managing AI research and innovation. We'll discuss Gong’s approach to analyzing sales conversations at scale, and the challenges of building AI systems that sales reps can trust. Omri will share how Gong aims to empower sales professionals by automating mundane tasks so they can focus on building relationships and thinking strategically.

Let’s dive into our conversation with Omri Allouche.

About Artficiality from Helen & Dave Edwards:

Artificiality is a research and services business founded in 2019 to help people make sense of artificial intelligence and complex change. Our weekly publication provides thought-provoking ideas, science reviews, and market research and our monthly research releases provides leaders with actionable intelligence and insights for applying AI in their organizations. We provide research-based and expert-led AI strategy and complex change management services to organizations around the world.

We are artificial philosophers and meta-researchers who aim to make the philosophical more practical and the practical more philosophical. We believe that understanding AI requires synthesizing research across disciplines: behavioral economics, cognitive science, complexity science, computer science, decision science, design, neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. We are dedicated to unraveling the profound impact of AI on our society, communities, workplaces, and personal lives. 

Subscribe for free at https://www.artificiality.world.

If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe and leave a positive rating or comment. Sharing your positive feedback helps us reach more people and connect them with the world’s great minds.

Learn more about ⁠⁠Sonder Studio⁠⁠

Subscribe to get ⁠⁠Artificiality⁠⁠ delivered to your email

Learn about our book ⁠⁠Make Better Decisions⁠⁠ and buy it on ⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠

Thanks to ⁠⁠Jonathan Coulton⁠⁠ for our music

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.artificiality.world.

#ai #artificialintelligence #generativeai #airesearch #complexity #futureofai 

We’re excited to welcome to the podcast Susannah Fox, a renowned researcher who has spent over 20 years studying how patients and caregivers use the internet to gather information and support each other. Susannah has collected countless stories from the frontlines of healthcare and has keen insights into how patients are stepping into their power to drive change.

Susannah recently published a book called "Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care." In it, she introduces four key personas that represent different ways patients and caregivers are shaking up the status quo in healthcare: seekers, networkers, solvers, and champions.

The book aims to bridge the divide between the leaders at the top of the healthcare system and the patients, survivors, and caregivers on the ground who often have crucial information and ideas that go unnoticed. By profiling examples of patient-led innovation, Susannah hopes to inspire healthcare to become more participatory.

In our conversation, we dive into the insights from Susannah's decades of research, hear some compelling stories of patients, and discuss how medicine can evolve to embrace the power of peer-to-peer healthcare. As you’ll hear, this is a highly personal episode as Susannah’s work resonates with both of us and our individual and shared health experiences.

Let’s dive into our conversation with Susannah Fox.

About Artficiality from Helen & Dave Edwards:

Artificiality is a research and services business founded in 2019 to help people make sense of artificial intelligence and complex change. Our weekly publication provides thought-provoking ideas, science reviews, and market research and our monthly research releases provides leaders with actionable intelligence and insights for applying AI in their organizations. We provide research-based and expert-led AI strategy and complex change management services to organizations around the world.

We are artificial philosophers and meta-researchers who aim to make the philosophical more practical and the practical more philosophical. We believe that understanding AI requires synthesizing research across disciplines: behavioral economics, cognitive science, complexity science, computer science, decision science, design, neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. We are dedicated to unraveling the profound impact of AI on our society, communities, workplaces, and personal lives. 

Subscribe for free at https://www.artificiality.world.

If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe and leave a positive rating or comment. Sharing your positive feedback helps us reach more people and connect them with the world’s great minds.

Learn more about ⁠⁠Sonder Studio⁠⁠

Subscribe to get ⁠⁠Artificiality⁠⁠ delivered to your email

Learn about our book ⁠⁠Make Better Decisions⁠⁠ and buy it on ⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠

Thanks to ⁠⁠Jonathan Coulton⁠⁠ for our music

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.artificiality.world.

#ai #artificialintelligence #generativeai #airesearch #complexity #futureofai