Big Picture Science - Skeptic Check: AI Comes Alive

When a Google software engineer claimed that a piece of chatbot software was sentient, it was a major story. Just like your dog is sentient, could it be that some computer code – a chatbot system called LaMDA – has feelings?

But was it truly sentient, or was it pulling algorithmic wool over our eyes? Were we simply being fooled by high-tech mimicry? In this, our regular look at critical thinking: Skeptic Check, we ask what is the evidence that this system is sentient. Also, even A.I. that’s not sentient can still be powerful – and that
has serious implications.

Guests:

• Blake Lemoine – Software engineer and artificial intelligence researcher
• Oren Etzioni – Emeritus Professor at the University of Washington, and former CEO at the Allen Institute for AI in Seattle
• Mark Coeckelbergh – Professor of Philosophy of Media and Technology, University of Vienna, and author of  “Robot Ethics“

Download podcast at - http://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/skeptic-check-ai-comes-alive

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://bigpicturescience.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!