Why Machines Can’t Replace Us w/ Neil Lawrence
Episode #83
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | SoundCloud | Goodpods | CastBox | RSS Feed
Episode recorded on 02 July 2024.
Summary
Computer Scientist Neil Lawrence shares his insights on what machine intelligence can teach us about being human, the risks of relying on technologies that prioritise efficiency and scalability over ethics, and the hubris of efforts to extend or upload human consciousness using AI.
Guest Bio
Neil Lawrence is the inaugural DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge. He has been working on machine learning models for over 20 years. He recently returned to academia after three years as Director of Machine Learning at Amazon. His main interest is the interaction of machine learning with the physical world. This interest was triggered by deploying machine learning in the African context, where ‘end-to-end’ solutions are normally required. This has inspired new research directions at the interface of machine learning and systems research, this work is funded by a Senior AI Fellowship from the Alan Turing Institute. Neil is also visiting Professor at the University of Sheffield and the co-host of Talking Machines.
Featured Book
The Atomic Human: Understanding Ourselves in the Age of AI
What does Artificial Intelligence mean for our identity? Our fascination with AI stems from the perceived uniqueness of human intelligence. We believe it's what differentiates us. Fears of AI not only concern how it invades our digital lives, but also the implied threat of an intelligence that displaces us from our position at the centre of the world.
Neil D. Lawrence's visionary book shows why these fears may be misplaced. Atomism, proposed by Democritus, suggested it was impossible to continue dividing matter down into ever smaller components: eventually we reach a point where a cut cannot be made (the Greek for uncuttable is 'atom'). In the same way, by slicing away at the facets of human intelligence that can be replaced by machines, AI uncovers what is left: an indivisible core that is the essence of humanity.
Human intelligence has evolved across hundreds of thousands of years. Due to our physical and cognitive constraints over that time, it is social and highly embodied. By contrasting our capabilities with machine intelligence, The Atomic Human reveals the technical origins, capabilities and limitations of AI systems, and how they should be wielded. Not just by the experts, but ordinary people. Understanding this will enable readers to choose the future we want – either one where AI is a tool for us, or where we become a tool of AI – and how to counteract the digital oligarchy to maintain the fabric of an open, fair and democratic society.
Show Notes
Coming Soon
Links
Transcript
Coming Soon
Credits
If you enjoyed listening to this episode of the FUTURES Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following:
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | SoundCloud | Goodpods | CastBox | RSS Feed
Write us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
Subscribe to our mailing list through Substack
Producer & Host: Luke Robert Mason
Assistant Audio Editor: Ramzan Bashir
Transcription: Beth Colquhoun
Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @FUTURESPodcast
Follow Luke Robert Mason on Twitter at @LukeRobertMason
Subscribe & Support the Podcast at http://futurespodcast.net
