Donald Wunsch on the Limits of AI and Why It Matters
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The hype around AI is reaching fever pitch these days. But never mind predictions of future AI potential. What can it actually do and not do today? On this episode of the Mind Matters News podcast, host Robert J. Marks welcomes Dr. Donald C. Wunsch II to the show for a long-form, wide-ranging conversation about what AI can actually do today—and the very real risks and responsibilities that come with it.
Dr. Wunsch has spent decades working at the intersection of engineering, AI, and real-world systems, with research spanning neural networks, adaptive systems, machine learning, and AI engineering. He is a Fellow of the IEEE. What sets Dr. Wunsch apart from other AI experts is his insistence on engineering realism over hype. While much of today’s AI conversation centers on speculative futures and artificial general intelligence, his work focuses on what AI can actually do and not do today. His recent paper, “Artificial General Intelligence Is Nowhere Near, Artificial Specific Stupidity Is Already Here—Policy Implications,” challenges both techno-optimism and doomsday narratives, arguing that the greatest dangers of AI arise not from autonomous machines, but from human misuse, poor policy, and concentrated power.
We’re delighted to have him with us today for a thoughtful and grounded conversation about AI, autonomy, and what engineers—and society—should be paying attention to right now.
You’ll notice this is a long episode! In the past, we’ve released interviews in segments over multiple episodes, but we’ve found that this can fragment attention. Now, Mind Matters News releases two full-length interview episodes each month that will be longer, more comprehensive, and we hope, more engaging. These episodes will post on the first Wednesday and the third Friday of each month. The first Wednesday episodes will also be made available in video form on the Bradley Center YouTube channel for those who would prefer to watch it. We hope this new format makes the podcast more enjoyable and more accessible to you!
Additional Resources
- Read Dr. Wunsch’s paper that inspired this conversation!
- Dr. Wunsch directs an AI center at the Missouri University of Science and Tech. Get his takes on the latest AI news there!
