"What Is Intelligence?" This profound question, posed by Blaise Agüera y Arcas in his latest book, serves as the foundation for our exploration in this episode of the Responsible AI podcast. Agüera y Arcas is is a vice president and Fellow at Google, where he is the CTO of Technology & Society and founder of Paradigms of Intelligence.

Join us as we delve into the philosophical implications of AI and consciousness, examining how AI challenges our understanding of intelligence and the nature of consciousness. Through engaging dialogue with Blaise, we uncover the ethical considerations of treating AI as moral entities and the role of prediction in AI's societal impact. This episode invites you to reflect on the evolving landscape of AI and its profound implications for the future.

Highlights:

• The importance of understanding intelligence beyond just artificial constructs.
• The historical context of AI development reveals significant contributions from women in computing.
• AI's predictive capabilities are central to its functionality and effectiveness.
• Consciousness may be more about functionality than a specific location in the brain.
• Kindness in interactions with AI can enhance collaboration and understanding.

Chapters

01:32 Exploring the Concept of Intelligence

05:56 Historical Context of AI and Computing

10:57 Biology, Sex, and Intelligence

13:50 Alan Turing’s True Contribution to AI

16:15 The Brain as a Computer: A Deeper Inquiry

18:51 Understanding Consciousness and Functionalism

21:52 Hollywood's Portrayal of AI

24:50 The Power of Prediction in AI

30:03 Hallucinations in AI and Their Implications

30:50 The Evolving Role of AI in Information Retrieval

33:17 Understanding Agency in AI: Stimulus and Response

35:08 The Challenges of Long-Term Task Management in AI

37:50 AI and Moral Considerations: Should We Care?

40:15 The Apocalyptic Narrative of AI: A Balanced Perspective

42:43 The Importance of Kindness in Human-AI Interactions

49:43 Dreaming and Consciousness: What Does It Mean for AI?