In this episode of “Technically Human,” I interview Gary Bengier, the author of the award-winning science fiction novel, Unfettered Journey. We talk about the relationship between his prior work as a technologist, and his current career as a writer of science fiction; we talk about the relationship between technology, philosophy, and science fiction; and we talk about the possibility of making moral choices in a world governed by deterministic technologies.
Gary F. Bengier is a writer, philosopher, and technologist. After a career in Silicon Valley, Gary pursued multiple projects animated by his intellectual passions, studying astrophysics and philosophy. He is the author of the award winning science fiction novel, Unfettered Journey. Before turning to writing speculative fiction, Gary worked in a variety of Silicon Valley tech companies. He was eBay's Chief Financial Officer, and led the company's initial and secondary public offerings. Gary has an MBA from Harvard Business School, and an MA in philosophy from San Francisco State University.
Set in a richly imagined near future, Gary’s novel, Unfettered Journey is a cross-genre novel combining thrilling action, adventure, and a love story. It traces an epic journey – from inside the human mind to the vastness of space, from AIs battling in the desert to the peace of a mountain refuge. It asks social, spiritual, and philosophical questions that reach into some of the major topics of this show. How do human values interact with technological products? How does ethics—that is to say, what we should do or ought to do, change and our respond to our new technological world? And how can science fiction itself transform our vision of who we want to become?
Agree to Disagree: Are we living in an age of techno-pessimism?
The Ethics and Technology of Teams in the Age of AI
Ethics Works: A day in the life of an ethics worker in tech
Feel the Burn: A new novel explores the financial crisis in tech
Dr. Strangelanguage: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Generative AI in Medicine
Taking the Temperature of AI: Measuring AI's Environmental Impact
Brain Storm: The new technologies that are changing how we think about brain function
The Singularity of Hope: The case for AI optimism
The Count: The politics of data science
Getting Public About Privacy: Understanding data privacy in the digital age
The Case for Cryptocurrency: The future of digital assets post Sam Bankman-Fried
The New Rules: challenging Big Tech’s reign over legal reform
Soul Machines: Can AI have a body?
Saving Israeli and Palestinian Lives: Technology For Life: Disaster relief and life-saving tech *From the Archives*
The Romance of AI: Discussing Love and Artificial Intelligence with Amy Kurzweil
Funny Business: ”Silicon Valley” writer and co-producer Dan Lyons explains what‘s funny about tech culture *From the Archives*
The American Dream Goes Digital: The myths and technologies that bind us with Dr. Julie Albright *From the Archives*
Bad Input: Raising public awareness about AI bias
Instituting Greenlining: how policy can promote digital inclusion
Designing Data Governance
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