Blog

Archive for the ‘ethics’ category

Nov 24, 2024

OpenAI is funding research into ‘AI morality’

Posted by in categories: ethics, information science, robotics/AI

One of the leading AI companies is funding academic research into algorithms that can predict humans’ moral judgements.

Nov 8, 2024

Will South Africa become first country to accept controversial form of human genome editing?

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, ethics

Scientists raise the alarm following updated research ethics guidelines on heritable human genome editing.

Oct 31, 2024

#115 Alexander Rosenberg: Theory of Mind, History, Mental Illusions, and Nihilism

Posted by in categories: biological, ethics, neuroscience, robotics/AI

—————–Support the channel———–
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter.
PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter.

——————Follow me on——————–
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT

Continue reading “#115 Alexander Rosenberg: Theory of Mind, History, Mental Illusions, and Nihilism” »

Oct 29, 2024

The 3 Body Problem Explored — Robin Hanson, Anders Sandberg & Joscha Bach

Posted by in categories: ethics, existential risks, robotics/AI

The 3 Body Problem Explored: Cosmic Sociology, Longtermism & Existential Risk — round table discussion with three great minds: Robin Hanson, Anders Sandberg and Joscha Bach — moderated by Adam Ford (SciFuture) and James Hughes (IEET).

Some of the items discussed:
- How can narratives that keep people engaged avoid falling short of being realistic?
- In what ways is AI superintelligence kept of stage to allow a narrative that is familiar and easier to make sense of?
- Differences in moral perspectives — moral realism, existentialism and anti-realism.
- Will values of advanced civilisations converge to a small number of possibilities, or will they vary greatly?
- How much will competition be the dominant dynamic in the future, compared to co-ordination?
- In a competitive dynamic, will defense or offense be the most dominant strategy?

Continue reading “The 3 Body Problem Explored — Robin Hanson, Anders Sandberg & Joscha Bach” »

Oct 29, 2024

Michael Levin: What is Synthbiosis? Diverse Intelligence Beyond AI & The Space of Possible Minds

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, biotech/medical, cyborgs, education, ethics, genetics, information science, robotics/AI

Michael Levin is a Distinguished Professor in the Biology department at Tufts University and associate faculty at the Wyss Institute for Bioinspired Engineering at Harvard University. @drmichaellevin holds the Vannevar Bush endowed Chair and serves as director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts and the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. Prior to college, Michael Levin worked as a software engineer and independent contractor in the field of scientific computing. He attended Tufts University, interested in artificial intelligence and unconventional computation. To explore the algorithms by which the biological world implemented complex adaptive behavior, he got dual B.S. degrees, in CS and in Biology and then received a PhD from Harvard University. He did post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical School, where he began to uncover a new bioelectric language by which cells coordinate their activity during embryogenesis. His independent laboratory develops new molecular-genetic and conceptual tools to probe large-scale information processing in regeneration, embryogenesis, and cancer suppression.

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 — Introduction.
1:41 — Creating High-level General Intelligences.
7:00 — Ethical implications of Diverse Intelligence beyond AI & LLMs.
10:30 — Solving the Fundamental Paradox that faces all Species.
15:00 — Evolution creates Problem Solving Agents & the Self is a Dynamical Construct.
23:00 — Mike on Stephen Grossberg.
26:20 — A Formal Definition of Diverse Intelligence (DI)
30:50 — Intimate relationships with AI? Importance of Cognitive Light Cones.
38:00 — Cyborgs, hybrids, chimeras, & a new concept called “Synthbiosis“
45:51 — Importance of the symbiotic relationship between Science & Philosophy.
53:00 — The Space of Possible Minds.
58:30 — Is Mike Playing God?
1:02:45 — A path forward: through the ethics filter for civilization.
1:09:00 — Mike on Daniel Dennett (RIP)
1:14:02 — An Ethical Synthbiosis that goes beyond “are you real or faking it“
1:25:47 — Conclusion.

Continue reading “Michael Levin: What is Synthbiosis? Diverse Intelligence Beyond AI & The Space of Possible Minds” »

Oct 18, 2024

Philip Zimbardo, the psychologist behind the ‘Stanford Prison Experiment,’ dies at 91

Posted by in categories: ethics, law enforcement, neuroscience

R.I.P. Phil Philip George Zimbardo. March 23, 1933 – October 14, 2024.

“Success is not about reaching a destination; it’s about the journey and the person you become along the way.”


Philip G. Zimbardo, one of the world’s most renowned psychologists, died Oct. 14 in his home in San Francisco. He was 91.

Continue reading “Philip Zimbardo, the psychologist behind the ‘Stanford Prison Experiment,’ dies at 91” »

Oct 9, 2024

The Consciousness Explosion: A Mindful Human’s Guide to the Coming Technological and Experiential Singularity

Posted by in categories: engineering, ethics, neuroscience, singularity

The pace of engineering and science is speeding up, rapidly leading us toward a “Technological Singularity” — a point in time when superintelligent machines achieve and improve so much so fast, traditional humans can no longer operate at the forefront. However, if all goes well, human beings may still flourish greatly in their own ways in this unprecedented era.

If humanity is going to not only survive but prosper as the Singularity unfolds, we will need to understand that the Technological Singularity is an Experiential Singularity as well, and rapidly evolve not only our technology but our level of compassion, ethics and consciousness.

The aim of The Consciousness Explosion is to help curious and open-minded readers wrap their brains around these dramatic emerging changes– and empower readers with tools to cope and thrive as they unfold.

Sep 27, 2024

Ethics, AI, and Neuroscience Converge at Mental Health, Brain, and Behavioral Science Research Day

Posted by in categories: ethics, neuroscience, robotics/AI, science

Mental health issues are one of the most common causes of disability, affecting more than a billion people worldwide. Addressing mental health difficulties can present extraordinarily tough problems: what can providers do to help people in the most precarious situations? How do changes in the physical brain affect our thoughts and experiences? And at the end of the day, how can everyone get the care they need?

Answering those questions was the shared goal of the researchers who attended the Mental Health, Brain, and Behavioral Science Research Day in September. While the problems they faced were serious, the new solutions they started to build could ultimately help improve mental health care at individual and societal levels.

“We’re building something that there’s no blueprint for,” said Mark Rapaport, MD, CEO of Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah. “We’re developing new and durable ways of addressing some of the most difficult issues we face in society.”

Sep 21, 2024

Understanding AI “Understanding” with Robert Wright of Nonzero Newsletter & Podcast

Posted by in categories: ethics, robotics/AI

In this special crossover episode of The Cognitive Revolution, Nathan Labenz joins Robert Wright of the Nonzero newsletter and podcast to explore pressing questions about AI development. They discuss the nature of understanding in large language models, multimodal AI systems, reasoning capabilities, and the potential for AI to accelerate scientific discovery. The conversation also covers AI interpretability, ethics, open-sourcing models, and the implications of US-China relations on AI development.

Apply to join over 400 founders and execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/J

Continue reading “Understanding AI ‘Understanding’ with Robert Wright of Nonzero Newsletter & Podcast” »

Sep 15, 2024

Will humans accept robots that can lie? Scientists find it depends on the lie

Posted by in categories: ethics, policy, robotics/AI

Honesty is the best policy… most of the time. Social norms help humans understand when we need to tell the truth and when we shouldn’t, to spare someone’s feelings or avoid harm. But how do these norms apply to robots, which are increasingly working with humans? To understand whether humans can accept robots telling lies, scientists asked almost 500 participants to rate and justify different types of robot deception.

“I wanted to explore an understudied facet of ethics, to contribute to our understanding of mistrust towards emerging technologies and their developers,” said Andres Rosero, Ph.D. candidate at George Mason University and lead author of the study in Frontiers in Robotics and AI. “With the advent of generative AI, I felt it was important to begin examining possible cases in which anthropomorphic design and behavior sets could be utilized to manipulate users.”

Page 1 of 8312345678Last