Don't Trust the Promise of Artificial Intelligence Debate

If human beings successfully create self-aware machines, will the positive social benefits outweigh the potential dangers we see in many blockbuster Hollywood movies? In this debate hosted by Intelligence Squared U.S., Andrew Keen and Jaron Lanier argue that while artificial intelligence research is promising, we should slow down and think out the real-world economic, political, and philosophical implications that this fast-moving technology will have on us as a species. On the other hand, AI advocates James Hughes and Martine Rothblatt counter that since human beings are not inherently self-destructive, and since this technology will likely come about within the context of a liberal democracy, our artificial counterparts will have an “inborn” mission to improve human life in almost every way possible. Listen to a stimulating debate on this pressing issue. It is available as an audio download podcast through the Intelligence Squared U.S. website and streaming on video through YouTube.