Making Sense of Artificial Intelligence | Episode 1 of The Essential Sam Harris

From filmmaker Jay Shapiro comes a series of brand new audio documentaries exploring specific topics which have captivated or demanded Sam’s attention over the course of his career. 

Each episode weaves together original analysis, critical perspective, and lively thought experiments with compelling exchanges in the decade deep Making Sense archive to build an enticing overview of the subject. Whether you are new to this particular topic, think you have your mind made up about it, have always felt confused by its arguments, or simply have never understood why Sam cares so much about it, we are certain you’ll find plenty of rewarding, challenging, and important points to consider or revisit in a new light.

In this episode, we explore the landscape of Artificial Intelligence. We’ll listen in on Sam’s conversation with decision theorist and artificial intelligence researcher Eliezer Yudkowsky as we sketch out the potential dangers of AI – including the control problem and the value-alignment problem – as well as the concepts of Artificial General Intelligence, Narrow Artificial Intelligence, and Artificial Super Intelligence. 

We’ll then be introduced to philosopher Nick Bostrom’s “Genies, Sovereigns, Oracles, and Tools,” as physicist Max Tegmark outlines just how careful we have to be as we set off down the AI path. Computer Scientist Stuart Russell will dig deeper into the value alignment problem and explain how we may be dealing with a kind of “super literal” problem. 

We’ll hear from former Google CEO Eric Schmidt as we consider the geopolitical realities of AI terrorism and weaponization. We’ll then dip into the area of consciousness as Sam and psychologist Paul Bloom bring the conversation to the ethical and psychological complexities of living alongside consciousness-convincing AI. Psychologist Alison Gopnik will reframe the general concept of intelligence to help us wonder if the kinds of systems we’re currently building using “Deep Learning” and “Machine Learning'' techniques are really marching us towards our superintelligent technological overlords. 

Finally, physicist David Deutsch will grapple with Sam as he makes the case that many value-alignment fears of AI are based on some fundamental mistakes, which underestimate and misunderstand the unconquerable form of knowledge which only humans can generate.