Science for the Public: Contemporary Science Issues & Innovations
May 10, 2023 Belmont Media Center, Belmont MA (Zoom)

Nir Eisikovits, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy; Director, Applied Ethics Center, University of Massachusetts-Boston

The AIEX project at the Applied Ethics Center at UMass-Boston investigates our interactions with AI, especially our tendency to imagine that technologies such as ChatBots have human-like awareness. Although projecting consciousness on non-sentient objects is an ancient human tendency, AI introduces new concerns about such beliefs. Dr. Eisikovits discusses the psychological effect of communicating with sophisticated AI technologies, and explains why we need guardrails.

background:

(03/15/23) AI Isn’t Close to Becoming Sentient – The Real Danger Lies in How Easily We’re Prone to Anthropomorphize It

(07/05/23) AI Is an Existential Threat – Just Not the Way You Think