Why do we call it "Artificial Intelligence"? It wasn't the only name on the table in 1956, but it’s the one that stuck, and according to Dr. Stephen Cave, that’s because it tapped into 3,000 years of deep-seated mythology.

In this episode, Kerry McInerney sits down with Dr. Stephen Cave to discuss his new book (co-authored with Dr. Kanta Dihal) on the origin myths of AI. They dive into the "value-laden" history of technology, exploring how the binary of the artificial vs. the natural was used to justify colonial conquest, and how the very concept of intelligence was forged by card-carrying eugenicists to structure society into hierarchies of "fitness". From the labs of Silicon Valley to the history of SATs (Standard Assessment Tests), Dr. Cave illustrates how these old stories continue to shape who gets to build our future and whose voices are sidelined.

Edited by Meibel Dabodabo