“Machines like Us: TOWARD AI WITH COMMON SENSE” with Professor Ronald Brachman

Machines Like us reviewed on Bridging the Gaps

There is a consensus among the researchers in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning that today’s artificial intelligence systems are narrowly focused, are designed to tackle specialised tasks and cannot operate in general settings. An important feature of the human brain that enables us to operate in general settings, and in unfamiliar situations is our common sense. In their new book “Machines like Us:
TOWARD AI WITH COMMON SENSE” Hector Levesque and Ronald Brachman explain “why current AI systems hopelessly lack common sense, why they desperately need it, and how they can get it”. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Professor Ronald Brachman, one of the authors of this book. We discuss various topics covered in the book and explore the question, how we can create artificial intelligence with broad, robust common sense rather than narrow, specialised expertise.

Professor Ron Brachman is the director of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute and is a professor of computer science at Cornell University. Previously, he was the Chief Scientist of Yahoo! and head of Yahoo! Labs. Prior to that, he was the Associate Head of Yahoo! Labs and Head of Worldwide Labs and Research Operations.

We start off with a detailed discussion about the progress that we have made in recent decades, in developing narrowly focused and task oriented artificial intelligence systems. Some of these systems outperform humans; however we do acknowledge and discuss the need for developing artificial intelligence systems that can operate in general settings. We discuss the concept of artificial general intelligence and explore how understanding “human common sense” and equipping AI with common sense is an extremely important milestone in our journey toward developing artificial general intelligence. We discuss the challenge of developing a clear and thorough understanding of the nature and working of human common sense. We explore how “common sense” might be modelled and incorporated in future artificial intelligence systems. We then discuss the future of artificial general intelligence.

Complement this discussion with Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans” with Professor Melanie Mitchell and with Artificial Intelligence: Fascinating Opportunities and Emerging Challenges with Professor Bart Selman and then listen to 2062: The World That AI Made” with Professor Toby Walsh

By |June 4th, 2022|Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Future, Podcasts, Research, Technology|
Read More

A Portal for Curious Minds

“ In-depth conversations on emerging and evolving research topics and original ideas with researchers, explorers and thought leaders from around the world.

Featured Conversation

Featured Guests

“ Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Spotify TuneIn Google Podcasts Sound Cloud or your favourite podcasting platform, or stream from Bridging the Gaps website.

“ Connect on Twitter Facebook or drop us an email.

“ For podcasts and audio only content visit our Audio Shelf, while scroll down to read full posts and relevant podcasts.

Audio Shelf

By |May 1st, 2022|Information, Podcasts, Research|
Read More

“Philosophy of Technology” with Professor Peter-Paul Verbeek

Philosophical reflection on technology is not new, it is about as old as philosophy itself. However, as the impact of technology on everyday human life and on society keeps increasing, and new and emerging technologies permeate nearly every aspect of our daily lives, it is crucial that human-technology relationships are studied extensively and understood thoroughly. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with philosopher Professor Peter-Paul Verbeek who suggests that human-technology relationships should be studied by focusing on how technologies mediate our actions and our perceptions of the world.

Peter-Paul Verbeek is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy of Technology at the Department of Philosophy of the University of Twente. He is chair of the Philosophy of Human-Technology Relations research group and co-director of the DesignLab of the University of Twente. He is also honorary professor of Techno-Anthropology at Aalborg University, Denmark and is chairperson of the UNESCO World Commission on the Ethics of Science and Technology (COMEST). His research focuses on the philosophy of human-technology relations, and aims to contribute to philosophical theory, ethical reflection, and practices of design and innovation.

I open this discussion by asking Professor Verbeek why humans are usually worried about new technologies. This is not a new phenomenon; even in ancient Greek, philosophers expressed their concerns about the emerging technologies of their time. We see similar concerns expressed at the time of the invention of the printing press. Now we see similar views being expressed by technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. We discuss in detail philosophy of technology, technology ethics, ethics from with-in and the challenges posed by powerful and intelligent technologies of the future.

Complement this discussion with Professor Luciano Floridi’s thoughts on Philosophy and Ethics of Information and then listen to Dr Karl Frey’s views in “The Technology Trap and the Future of Work”.

By |January 31st, 2021|Philosophy, Podcasts, Technology|
Read More