Will developing countries be positively impacted by AI and the newest technology? Not always, what is needed is appropriate technology. Today we explore the question, “What is appropriate technology?”
In this third part of their reflection on Yuval Harari’s Atlantic piece anticipating technology’s march toward tyranny, Jay Richards and Robert J. Marks discuss the many assumptions therein. At the root of these speculations is an overestimation of the power of information processing systems and an underestimation of the human ability to be the true governors of their creations, not their docile “pets”. Harari rightly points to a better understanding of the mind as the way forward, but fails to appreciate its true nature, resulting in a dismal prognosis for art, religion, and democracy. Read More ›
Will A.I. ultimately make free market economics obsolete and destroy democracy in favor of digital dictatorships? Well, forecasting, “especially about the future”, is hard. Jay Richards returns to further discuss Yuval Harari’s prognosticating and along the way gives reason to hope for a far more promising future, grounded in the resilient and reinventing human self. Show Notes 01:33 | Creativity and chess Read More ›
Will infotech and biotech erode human agency, subvert human desires, and render free-market economics obsolete? At first glance, there looks to be a wide gap between the future of AI and the destruction of democracy. Some futurists claim to have jumped that chasm. In a cheery little column published by the Atlantic, Yuval Noah Harari posits AI will ultimately destroy Read More ›
Business intelligence affects you daily; from advertising and solicitation to how much you pay for tickets to watch the Dallas Cowboys. Jeremiah Marks talks about what business intelligence is and how it changes the way we approach our customers. Show Notes 01:26 | Introducing Jeremiah Marks 02:00 | Opera Philadelphia 03:25 | Jeremiah Marks describes business intelligence 05:20 | Business intelligence packages 06:30 | Privacy, Read More ›
AI can do many things faster and better than humans. It can beat humans in chess, outsmart us in Jeopardy, and defeat us at GO. The question remains. Is there anything a human can (and always will) do better than an AI? Show Notes 01:00 | Eric Holloway Introduction 01:57 | Fold It, a showdown between AI and amateurs 03:40 | Jay Read More ›
What is an algorithm and could a computer ever perform a non-algorithmic task? Computers are getting faster, algorithms are getting more complex, and our computing power is growing. With all these advancements, are there limitations that computers can never overcome? Show Notes 01:22 | Roger Penrose – The Emperor’s New Mind and Shadows of the Mind 01:57 | Meet Eric Holloway Read More ›
Everyone has heard the buzz about Bitcoin, but what is driving this mad dash and the volatile cryptocurrency markets? What are the mechanics of Bitcoin, of mining and trading it? How are transactions secured against tampering? Is it anonymous, and thereby shielded from the IRS? As Warren Buffet would have it, is it time to be fearful or greedy? Show Read More ›
Robert J. Marks and Will Fullerton discuss what changes await as we enter the implementation phase of a foundational technology: blockchain. While China is making a multi-billion dollar investment, IBM is betting on countless blockchain projects. And by promising to disintermediate financial institutions, blockchain holds the promise of radically reducing obstacles and overhead from human transactions. Still, challenges remain to be solved that are inherent to the technology. Join Bob and Will for a stimulating conversation. Read More ›
Host Robert J. Marks introduces the breadth of issues that will be covered on the Mind Matters podcast, from job displacement to human flourishing in a world increasingly run by our algorithms. In brief, Mind Matters will bring natural and artificial intelligence head to head in the areas of research, application and education. Read More ›
