The Human and the Machine | Philosophy Talk

The Human and the Machine

The Human and the Machine

In this special three-part series, The Human and the Machine, generously sponsored by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), we tackle some of the most urgent questions about our growing reliance on AI and the radical changes it might bring about in our world. These questions are of vital importance, especially when AI is becoming integrated into every facet of our lives. The more we grow to rely on these intelligent technologies, the greater their capacity to bring about radical changes—socially, politically, and economically. To shape our future relationship with AI, we need to think carefully about the potential for human flourishing and human harm.

THE SOCIAL LIVES OF ROBOTS

Machines might surpass humans in terms of computational intelligence, but when it comes to social intelligence, they’re not very sophisticated. They have difficulty reading subtle cues—like body language, eye gaze, or facial expression...

WHAT CAN VIRTUAL REALITY (ACTUALLY) DO?

VR experiences transport users into all kinds of different realities, some modeled on the real world, others completely invented. Though still in its infancy, VR technology has become so sophisticated, it can trick the brain into treating the virtual experience as real...

COULD ROBOTS BE PERSONS?

As we approach the advent of autonomous robots, we must decide how we will determine culpability for their actions. Some propose creating a new legal category of “electronic personhood” for any sufficiently advanced robot that can learn and make decisions by itself...

The Human and the Machine

To ensure that humanity benefits from AI technology and that the benefits are broadly shared, the research that HAI supports is focused on three key areas: Human Impact, Augment Human Capabilities, and Intelligence. The following episodes from the archive address different aspects of these focus areas.

		Episode Title	Guest	Related Content
		Could Robots Be Persons?	Joanna Bryson, Professor of Ethics and Technology, The Hertie School of Governance	Digital Persons?
		What Can Virtual Reality (Actually) Do?	Jeremy Bailenson, Professor of Communication, Stanford University	Virtual Reality, Real Feelings
		The Social Lives of Robots	Elaine Short, Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor in Computer Science, Tufts University	Socially Intelligent Robots
		Conscious Machines	Susan Schneider, Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Science, University of Connecticut	Machine Consciousness
		Hacking the Brain: Beyond the Five Senses	Neuroscientist and Entrepreneur David Eagleman	Hacking Our Sense Perceptions
		The Ethics of Algorithms	Angèle Christin, Professor of Communication, Stanford University	Should Algorithms Decide?
		The Internet of Things	Carl Hewitt, Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT	Privacy and the Internet of Things
		A World Without Work	Juliana Uhuru Bidadanure, Professor of Philosophy, Stanford University	Automation and the Future of Work
		Driverless Cars at the Moral Crossroads	Joshua Greene, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University	When Driverless Cars Must Choose
		Artificial Intelligence	Marvin Minsky, Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, M.I.T.	Digital Selves Connectionism Creativity