Artificial intelligence, as the name suggests, is artificial and fundamentally different to human intelligence.
Yet so often, the goal of AI is to fake human intelligence: like we’ve seen with ChatGPT which tries to convince us each day it is intelligent, yet it lacks true understanding and common sense.
Listen to today’s episode of The Briefing here:
While AI each day is faking human intelligence, this fakery isn’t actually a modern phenomenon and can be traced back to the very beginning of its field.
In his new book, Faking It, Professor Toby Walsh explores this fundamental deceit at the heart of AI, drawing back the curtain to reveal the reality behind all the artificiality.
He joins Tom Tilley on today’s episode of The Briefing, touching on the topics explored in the book including the importance of considering the implications of AI’s abilities and the various ways AI fakes human intelligence.
Walsh said there are aspects of artificial intelligence that is exciting. “We’re all going to have our own personal lawyer, accountant tutor. We’re going to be able to cure cancer. We’re going to the latest antibiotic already discovered”.
What we should be concerned of however, is AI’s ability to create “deepfakes” and produce misinformation.
“What is the most pressing thing that really does worry at the moment, which is the rise of misinformation powered misinformation, deepfakes,” he said.
“We’ve already seen that picture of the Pope in a puffer jacket. It wasn’t real, it was made by an AI.
“We’re going to very soon be in a world in which anything you see, anything you see online, anything you hear, you have to entertain the idea it’s made up.”