EPISODE 147: The ethics of AI

Una and Andrea's United Ireland

This week Blake Lemoine, a Google engineer was put on leave after he claimed an AI program, named LaMDA, had become sentient. We've all seen the movies where AI becomes sentient, turns on humans and machines take over the world - is this what's happening now? In a word, no. But we are joined by Dr William Ratoff, Asst Professor at the Department of Philosophy, School of Social Sciences and Philosophy at Trinity, who has a focus on current various issues in the ethics and regulation of artificial intelligence to discuss the possibility and implications of machine sentience. We're also discussing the frustration of being a lesbian journalist listening to & reading all the anti-trans sentiment coming through Irish media; wondering if the SocDems have all the solutions ready to roll for the housing crisis, nay disaster, that President Higgins so spicily called out and how the lack of confidence in ABP has gone official as Cork County Council passes vote of no confidence. Plus great art at the RHA, techno & great stages at AVA and obviously, JLo. You can sign up for William's course: Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Ethics in Trinity this August here: https://www.tcd.ie/courses/hci-cpd/az-of-cpd-courses/big-data-artificial-intelligence-and-ethics/index.php