Hans Bernhard Schmid (Vienna): “Robot” as a Life-Form Word. Brian Fiala, Adam Arico and Shaun Nichols (Arizona): You, Robot. Cade Metz on AI’s next frontier: Machines that understand language. For the first time ever a computer has managed to develop a new scientific theory using only its artificial intelligence, and with no help from human beings. Watson was just 4 years old when it beat the best human contestants on Jeopardy! — as it grows up and goes out into the world, the question becomes: How afraid of it should we be? A prelude to a robot uprising. What do AI researchers think of the risks of AI? Concerns of an Artificial Intelligence Pioneer: The computer scientist Stuart Russell wants to ensure that our increasingly intelligent machines remain aligned with human values. How humans can keep superintelligent robots from murdering us all. Relax, the Terminator is far away: Despite the warnings of visionaries like Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates, today’s artificial intelligence is still tethered to human controllers. Is AI a threat? Why the Singularity is further than it appears. Erik Larson on questioning the hype about artificial intelligence: Fresh fears about the singularity have prompted new critiques of what it will mean for humanity. Should we care if the human race goes extinct? Robin Hanson on the “em” economy: Imagine a future dominated by brain emulation robots. Nicholas Carr on why robots will always need us.
Edward Skidelsky (Exeter): Why Machines are not Slaves. We’re in the midst of a jobs crisis, and rapid advances in AI and other technologies may be one culprit — how can we get better at sharing the wealth that technology creates? From The Atlantic Monthly, Derek Thompson on a world without work: For centuries, experts have predicted that machines would make workers obsolete, and that moment may finally be arriving — could that be a good thing? We could be entering a post-employment paradigm — that could be good news, or it could be really friggin’ scary. The machines are coming: Low-wage jobs are no longer the only ones at risk. Lydia DePillis on the definitive guide to whether or not a robot will take your job. What will happen when all the jobs are gone? When the robots take our jobs, America will need to learn to respect the unemployed. These absurd robots do pointless jobs — but we love them anyway.
