Uploaded January 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Filmed by Worldwrite volunteers at the Battle of Ideas Festival, this is a fascinating panel discussion.
An apocalyptic mood surrounds the latest advances in AI. Sci-fi and tech enthusiasts have long murmured about the ‘singularity’ – the point at which technology runs irreversibly away from us. Since the growth in use of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, such digital doomsaying has gone mainstream, going way beyond the usual concerns about AI taking our jobs.
Are these apocalyptic fears of AI warranted? Or are they obscuring and stifling the true potential of this technology? The inscrutability of the way AI works – its ‘black box’ of algorithms – is now seen by many as Pandora’s box, dividing opinion around greater openness versus keeping the technology under wraps.
Who should have access to AI? Is it a liability if it falls into the hands of nefarious actors, or do we need greater transparency, to ensure that the technology aligns with our human values and objectives? Do fears of an existential threat reflect the pessimism of our current moment? Or should we take seriously the warnings from those who are at the forefront of developing this technology?
The speakers are:
Dr Norman Lewis - visiting research fellow, MCC Brussels; co-author, Big Potatoes: the London manifesto for innovation
Dr Elizabeth Seger - AI governance and ethics researcher, Centre for the Governance of AI
Professor Ulrike Tillmann FRS - mathematician; director, Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences; fellow, Alan Turing Institute
The chair is: Sandy Starr - deputy director, Progress Educational Trust; author, AI: Separating Man from Machine
This debate was filmed by volunteers working with Worldwrite. Please help ensure the charity is able to edit a further 30 debates by hitting the THANKS button above and donating whatever you can afford.
Filmed by Worldwrite volunteers at the Battle of Ideas Festival, this is a fascinating panel discussion.
An apocalyptic mood surrounds the latest advances in AI. Sci-fi and tech enthusiasts have long murmured about the ‘singularity’ – the point at which technology runs irreversibly away from us. Since the growth in use of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, such digital doomsaying has gone mainstream, going way beyond the usual concerns about AI taking our jobs.
Are these apocalyptic fears of AI warranted? Or are they obscuring and stifling the true potential of this technology? The inscrutability of the way AI works – its ‘black box’ of algorithms – is now seen by many as Pandora’s box, dividing opinion around greater openness versus keeping the technology under wraps.
Who should have access to AI? Is it a liability if it falls into the hands of nefarious actors, or do we need greater transparency, to ensure that the technology aligns with our human values and objectives? Do fears of an existential threat reflect the pessimism of our current moment? Or should we take seriously the warnings from those who are at the forefront of developing this technology?
The speakers are:
Dr Norman Lewis - visiting research fellow, MCC Brussels; co-author, Big Potatoes: the London manifesto for innovation
Dr Elizabeth Seger - AI governance and ethics researcher, Centre for the Governance of AI
Professor Ulrike Tillmann FRS - mathematician; director, Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences; fellow, Alan Turing Institute
The chair is: Sandy Starr - deputy director, Progress Educational Trust; author, AI: Separating Man from Machine
This debate was filmed by volunteers working with Worldwrite. Please help ensure the charity is able to edit a further 30 debates by hitting the THANKS button above and donating whatever you can afford.
