Your Undivided Attention

Will AI ever start to think by itself? If it did, how would we know, and what would it mean?In this episode, Dr. Anil Seth and Aza discuss the science, ethics, and incentives of artificial consciousness. Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex and the author of Being You: A New Science of Consciousness.RECOMMENDED MEDIAFrankenstein by Mary ShelleyA free, plain text version of the Shelley’s classic of gothic literature.OpenAI’s GPT4o DemoA video from OpenAI demonstrating GPT4o’s remarkable ability to mimic human sentience.You Can Have the Blue Pill or the Red Pill, and We’re Out of Blue PillsThe NYT op-ed from last year by Tristan, Aza, and Yuval Noah Harari outlining the AI dilemma. What It’s Like to Be a BatThomas Nagel’s essay on the nature of consciousness.Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?Philosopher Nick Bostrom’s essay on the simulation hypothesis.Anthropic’s Golden Gate ClaudeA blog post about Anthropic’s recent discovery of millions of distinct concepts within their LLM, a major development in the field of AI interpretability.RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODESEsther Perel on Artificial IntimacyTalking With Animals... Using AISynthetic Humanity: AI & What’s At Stake

Climate change, political instability, hunger. These are just some of the forces behind an unprecedented refugee crisis that’s expected to include over a billion people by 2050. In response to this growing crisis, wealthy governments like the US and the EU are employing novel AI and surveillance technologies to slow the influx of migrants at their borders. But will this rollout stop at the border?In this episode, Tristan and Aza sit down with Petra Molnar to discuss how borders have become a proving ground for the sharpest edges of technology, and especially AI. Petra is an immigration lawyer and co-creator of the Migration and Technology Monitor. Her new book is “The Walls Have Eyes: Surviving Migration in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”RECOMMENDED MEDIAThe Walls Have Eyes: Surviving Migration in the Age of Artificial IntelligencePetra’s newly published book on the rollout of high risk tech at the border.Bots at the GateA report co-authored by Petra about Canada’s use of AI technology in their immigration process.Technological Testing GroundsA report authored by Petra about the use of experimental technology in EU border enforcement.Startup Pitched Tasing Migrants from Drones, Video RevealsAn article from The Intercept, containing the demo for Brinc’s taser drone pilot program.The UNHCRInformation about the global refugee crisis from the UN.RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODESWar is a Laboratory for AI with Paul ScharreNo One is Immune to AI Harms with Dr. Joy BuolamwiniCan We Govern AI? With Marietje SchaakeCLARIFICATION:The iBorderCtrl project referenced in this episode was a pilot project that was discontinued in 2019

This week, a group of current and former employees from OpenAI and Google DeepMind penned an open letter accusing the industry’s leading companies of prioritizing profits over safety. This comes after a spate of high profile departures from OpenAI, including co-founder Ilya Sutskever and senior researcher Jan Leike, as well as reports that OpenAI has gone to great lengths to silence would-be whistleblowers. The writers of the open letter argue that researchers have a “right to warn” the public about AI risks and laid out a series of principles that would protect that right. In this episode, we sit down with one of those writers: William Saunders, who left his job as a research engineer at OpenAI in February. William is now breaking the silence on what he saw at OpenAI that compelled him to leave the company and to put his name to this letter. RECOMMENDED MEDIA The Right to Warn Open LetterMy Perspective On "A Right to Warn about Advanced Artificial Intelligence": A follow-up from William about the letterLeaked OpenAI documents reveal aggressive tactics toward former employees: An investigation by Vox into OpenAI’s policy of non-disparagement.RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODESA First Step Toward AI Regulation with Tom WheelerSpotlight on AI: What Would It Take For This to Go Well?Big Food, Big Tech and Big AI with Michael MossCan We Govern AI? With Marietje SchaakeYour Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_

Right now, militaries around the globe are investing heavily in the use of AI weapons and drones.  From Ukraine to Gaza, weapons systems with increasing levels of autonomy are being used to kill people and destroy infrastructure and the development of fully autonomous weapons shows little signs of slowing down. What does this mean for the future of warfare? What safeguards can we put up around these systems? And is this runaway trend toward autonomous warfare inevitable or will nations come together and choose a different path? In this episode, Tristan and Daniel sit down with Paul Scharre to try to answer some of these questions. Paul is a former Army Ranger, the author of two books on autonomous weapons and he helped the Department of Defense write a lot of its policy on the use of AI in weaponry. RECOMMENDED MEDIAFour Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Paul’s book on the future of AI in war, which came out in 2023.Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War: Paul’s 2018 book documenting and predicting the rise of autonomous and semi-autonomous weapons as part of modern warfare.The Perilous Coming Age of AI Warfare: How to Limit the Threat of Autonomous Warfare: Paul’s article in Foreign Affairs based on his recent trip to the battlefield in Ukraine.The night the world almost almost ended: A BBC documentary about Stanislav Petrov’s decision not to start nuclear war.AlphaDogfight Trials Final Event: The full simulated dogfight between an AI and human pilot. The AI pilot swept, 5-0.‘Lavender’: The AI machine directing Israel’s bombing spree in Gaza: An investigation into the use of AI targeting systems by the IDF.RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODESThe AI ‘Race’: China vs. the US with Jeffrey Ding and Karen HaoCan We Govern AI? with Marietje SchaakeBig Food, Big Tech and Big AI with Michael MossThe Invisible Cyber-War with Nicole PerlrothYour Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_

Tech companies say that AI will lead to massive economic productivity gains. But as we know from the first digital revolution, that’s not what happened. Can we do better this time around?RECOMMENDED MEDIAPower and Progress by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson Professor Acemoglu co-authored a bold reinterpretation of economics and history that will fundamentally change how you see the worldCan we Have Pro-Worker AI? Professor Acemoglu co-authored this paper about redirecting AI development onto the human-complementary pathRethinking Capitalism: In Conversation with Daron Acemoglu The Wheeler Institute for Business and Development hosted Professor Acemoglu to examine how technology affects the distribution and growth of resources while being shaped by economic and social incentivesRECOMMENDED YUA EPISODESThe Three Rules of Humane TechThe Tech We Need for 21st Century DemocracyCan We Govern AI?An Alternative to Silicon Valley UnicornsYour Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_

Suicides. Self harm. Depression and anxiety. The toll of a social media-addicted, phone-based childhood has never been more stark. It can be easy for teens, parents and schools to feel like they’re trapped by it all. But in this conversation with Tristan Harris, author and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt makes the case that the conditions that led to today’s teenage mental health crisis can be turned around – with specific, achievable actions we all can take starting today.This episode was recorded live at the San Francisco Commonwealth Club.  Correction: Tristan mentions that 40 Attorneys General have filed a lawsuit against Meta for allegedly fostering addiction among children and teens through their products. However, the actual number is 42 Attorneys General who are taking legal action against Meta.Clarification: Jonathan refers to the Wait Until 8th pledge. By signing the pledge, a parent  promises not to give their child a smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade. The pledge becomes active once at least ten other families from their child’s grade pledge the same.

Beneath the race to train and release more powerful AI models lies another race: a race by companies and nation-states to secure the hardware to make sure they win AI supremacy. Correction: The latest available Nvidia chip is the Hopper H100 GPU, which has 80 billion transistors. Since the first commercially available chip had four transistors, the Hopper actually has 20 billion times that number. Nvidia recently announced the Blackwell, which boasts 208 billion transistors - but it won’t ship until later this year.RECOMMENDED MEDIA Chip War: The Fight For the World’s Most Critical Technology by Chris MillerTo make sense of the current state of politics, economics, and technology, we must first understand the vital role played by chipsGordon Moore Biography & FactsGordon Moore, the Intel co-founder behind Moore's Law, passed away in March of 2023AI’s most popular chipmaker Nvidia is trying to use AI to design chips fasterNvidia's GPUs are in high demand - and the company is using AI to accelerate chip productionRECOMMENDED YUA EPISODESFuture-proofing Democracy In the Age of AI with Audrey TangHow Will AI Affect the 2024 Elections? with Renee DiResta and Carl MillerThe AI ‘Race’: China vs. the US with Jeffrey Ding and Karen HaoProtecting Our Freedom of Thought with Nita FarahanyYour Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_  

What does a functioning democracy look like in the age of artificial intelligence? Could AI even be used to help a democracy flourish? Just in time for election season, Taiwan’s Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang returns to the podcast to discuss healthy information ecosystems, resilience to cyberattacks, how to “prebunk” deepfakes, and more. RECOMMENDED MEDIA Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens by Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. PageThis academic paper addresses tough questions for Americans: Who governs? Who really rules? Recursive PublicRecursive Public is an experiment in identifying areas of consensus and disagreement among the international AI community, policymakers, and the general public on key questions of governanceA Strong Democracy is a Digital DemocracyAudrey Tang’s 2019 op-ed for The New York TimesThe Frontiers of Digital DemocracyNathan Gardels interviews Audrey Tang in NoemaRECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES Digital Democracy is Within Reach with Audrey TangThe Tech We Need for 21st Century Democracy with Divya SiddarthHow Will AI Affect the 2024 Elections? with Renee DiResta and Carl MillerThe AI DilemmaYour Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_

Was it political progress, or just political theater? The recent Senate hearing with social media CEOs led to astonishing moments — including Mark Zuckerberg’s public apology to families who lost children following social media abuse. Our panel of experts, including Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, untangles the explosive hearing, and offers a look ahead, as well. How will this hearing impact protocol within these social media companies? How will it impact legislation? In short: will anything change?Clarification: Julie says that shortly after the hearing, Meta’s stock price had the biggest increase of any company in the stock market’s history. It was the biggest one-day gain by any company in Wall Street history.Correction: Frances says it takes Snap three or four minutes to take down exploitative content. In Snap's most recent transparency report, they list six minutes as the median turnaround time to remove exploitative content.RECOMMENDED MEDIA Get Media SavvyFounded by Julie Scelfo, Get Media Savvy is a non-profit initiative working to establish a healthy media environment for kids and familiesThe Power of One by Frances HaugenThe inside story of France’s quest to bring transparency and accountability to Big TechRECOMMENDED YUA EPISODESReal Social Media Solutions, Now with Frances HaugenA Conversation with Facebook Whistleblower Frances HaugenAre the Kids Alright?Social Media Victims Lawyer Up with Laura Marquez-GarrettYour Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_  

Over the past year, a tsunami of apps that digitally strip the clothes off real people has hit the market. Now anyone can create fake non-consensual sexual images in just a few clicks. With cases proliferating in high schools, guest presenter Laurie Segall talks to legal scholar Mary Anne Franks about the AI-enabled rise in deep fake porn and what we can do about it. Correction: Laurie refers to the app 'Clothes Off.' It’s actually named Clothoff. There are many clothes remover apps in this category.RECOMMENDED MEDIA Revenge Porn: The Cyberwar Against WomenIn a five-part digital series, Laurie Segall uncovers a disturbing internet trend: the rise of revenge pornThe Cult of the ConstitutionIn this provocative book, Mary Anne Franks examines the thin line between constitutional fidelity and constitutional fundamentalismFake Explicit Taylor Swift Images Swamp Social MediaCalls to protect women and crack down on the platforms and technology that spread such images have been reignitedRECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES No One is Immune to AI HarmsEsther Perel on Artificial IntimacySocial Media Victims Lawyer UpThe AI DilemmaYour Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_

We usually talk about tech in terms of economics or policy, but the casual language tech leaders often use to describe AI — summoning an inanimate force with the powers of code — sounds more... magical. So, what can myth and magic teach us about the AI race? Josh Schrei, mythologist and host of The Emerald podcast,  says that foundational cultural tales like "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" or Prometheus teach us the importance of initiation, responsibility, human knowledge, and care.  He argues these stories and myths can guide ethical tech development by reminding us what it is to be human. Correction: Josh says the first telling of "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice" myth dates back to ancient Egypt, but it actually dates back to ancient Greece.RECOMMENDED MEDIA The Emerald podcastThe Emerald explores the human experience through a vibrant lens of myth, story, and imaginationEmbodied Ethics in The Age of AIA five-part course with The Emerald podcast’s Josh Schrei and School of Wise Innovation’s Andrew DunnNature Nurture: Children Can Become Stewards of Our Delicate PlanetA U.S. Department of the Interior study found that the average American kid can identify hundreds of corporate logos but not plants and animalsThe New FireAI is revolutionizing the world - here's how democracies can come out on top. This upcoming book was authored by an architect of President Biden's AI executive orderRECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES How Will AI Affect the 2024 Elections?The AI DilemmaThe Three Rules of Humane TechAI Myths and Misconceptions Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_

2024 will be the biggest election year in world history. Forty countries will hold national elections, with over two billion voters heading to the polls. In this episode of Your Undivided Attention, two experts give us a situation report on how AI will increase the risks to our elections and our democracies. Correction: Tristan says two billion people from 70 countries will be undergoing democratic elections in 2024. The number expands to 70 when non-national elections are factored in.RECOMMENDED MEDIA White House AI Executive Order Takes On Complexity of Content Integrity IssuesRenee DiResta’s piece in Tech Policy Press about content integrity within President Biden’s AI executive orderThe Stanford Internet ObservatoryA cross-disciplinary program of research, teaching and policy engagement for the study of abuse in current information technologies, with a focus on social mediaDemosBritain’s leading cross-party think tankInvisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality by Renee DiRestaPre-order Renee’s upcoming book that’s landing on shelves June 11, 2024RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODESThe Spin Doctors Are In with Renee DiRestaFrom Russia with Likes Part 1 with Renee DiRestaFrom Russia with Likes Part 2 with Renee DiRestaEsther Perel on Artificial IntimacyThe AI DilemmaA Conversation with Facebook Whistleblower Frances HaugenYour Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_