The world, the universe and us

The real threat of AI - ethics, exploitation and the erosion of truth


Listen Later

Episode 305

As artificial intelligence grows into more and more aspects of our lives, it seems we’re just at the beginning of the boom. Hundreds of billions of dollars are being pumped into advancing AI capabilities, making it the best funded area in science. But, just like the dot-com revolution, is it a bubble waiting to burst?

In this special episode of the podcast, we explore the growing promise of AI - and also the existential threat it poses.

Despite the amount of money going into AI, chatbots are still making glaring mistakes, plagued with hallucinations. All the while students are relying on them to do their homework for them, and others are using them to replace very human tasks, like writing wedding speeches. So we hear from two authors who have been thinking hard about AI and machine learning - and what that means for the future.

We also get into the idea of AGI, artificial general intelligence - and its cousin, artificial superintelligence, which may already exist in certain areas. With many researchers concerned about AI overthrowing humanity, is it even worth worrying about? We dig into whether AGI is even possible and who would want to develop it.

This discussion has to include some mention of the human and environmental costs of these technologies, too. Energy demands are expected to skyrocket over the next few years - can the planet keep up with the demand? And alongside that, there’s a lot of human exploitation going on to help fuel these machines - a little-known fact that has to be tackled.

Finally, is superintelligent AI a threat to the existence of humankind - will they want to wipe us out when they get smart enough? Or is the threat more insidious, one where we watch the slow erosion of truth and democracy?

Chapters:

(02:49) How chatbots and LLMs came to dominate

(15:50) Superintelligent AI

(18:18) What does $500 billion buy?

(19:30) The high energy demand of AI

(20:56) The murky ethics of the AI race

(25:15) How AI is being thrust upon us

(26:48) The existential threat of AI

(29:57) Is AI a bubble waiting to burst?

Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Sophie Bushwick, with guests Alex Wilkins, Adam Becker and Emily Bender.
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The world, the universe and usBy New Scientist

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

87 ratings


More shows like The world, the universe and us

View all
The Science Show by ABC listen

The Science Show

120 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

604 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

398 Listeners

5 Live Science Podcast by BBC Radio 5 Live

5 Live Science Podcast

109 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

344 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

898 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

953 Listeners

Ask the Naked Scientists by Dr Chris Smith

Ask the Naked Scientists

78 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,921 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

248 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

355 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

401 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

823 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

480 Listeners

New Scientist Escape Pod by New Scientist

New Scientist Escape Pod

1 Listeners

New Scientist Weekly by New Scientist

New Scientist Weekly

4 Listeners

New Scientist CultureLab by New Scientist

New Scientist CultureLab

7 Listeners

Uncharted with Hannah Fry by BBC Radio 4

Uncharted with Hannah Fry

118 Listeners

New Scientist Colab Podcasts by DMG Media

New Scientist Colab Podcasts

0 Listeners