Ethical Machines

How AI Threatens Scientific Inquiry


Listen Later

Science depends on more than just results. It depends on researchers asking questions, testing hypotheses, challenging assumptions, and scrutinizing evidence.

My guest, Emily Sullivan, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy of Science and AI at the University of Edinburgh, argues that AI is beginning to influence every stage of the scientific process—from deciding which questions get asked to how papers are written, reviewed, and published.

We discuss algorithmic monocultures, scientific de-skilling, AI-generated research, and whether the pressure to accelerate discovery risks undermining the very process that makes science reliable in the first place.

I'm sympathetic to the promise of AI in science. Emily is concerned that, if we're not careful, we may end up optimizing for scientific output at the expense of scientific inquiry itself.



Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Ethical MachinesBy Reid Blackman

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

54 ratings


More shows like Ethical Machines

View all
On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti by WBUR

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

4,034 Listeners

Pivot by New York Magazine

Pivot

9,651 Listeners

Tech Policy Podcast by TechFreedom

Tech Policy Podcast

46 Listeners

How I Built This with Guy Raz by Guy Raz | Wondery

How I Built This with Guy Raz

30,246 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

112,234 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

56,597 Listeners

This Is Uncomfortable by Marketplace

This Is Uncomfortable

3,616 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

3,385 Listeners

MIT Technology Review Narrated by MIT Technology Review

MIT Technology Review Narrated

260 Listeners

Hard Fork by The New York Times

Hard Fork

5,544 Listeners

Overthink by Ellie Anderson, Ph.D. and David Peña-Guzmán, Ph.D.

Overthink

463 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,230 Listeners

Pondering AI by Kimberly Nevala, Strategic Advisor - SAS

Pondering AI

19 Listeners

KeepTalking Podcast by Sean Tumilson and Chuck the Bot

KeepTalking Podcast

3 Listeners

If Books Could Kill by Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri

If Books Could Kill

9,410 Listeners