Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly ubiquitous and is improving at an unprecedented pace.
Now we are edging closer to achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI) — where AI is smarter than humans across multiple disciplines and can reason generally — which scientists and experts predict could happen as soon as the next few years. We may already be seeing early signs of progress, too, with Claude 3 Opus stunning researchers with its apparent self-awareness.
In “Taming the Machine” (Kogan Page, 2024), Watson explores how humanity can wield the vast power of AI responsibly and ethically. This new book delves deep into the issues of unadulterated AI development and the challenges we face if we run blindly into this new chapter of humanity.
In this excerpt, we learn whether sentience in machines — or conscious AI — is possible, how we can tell if a machine has feelings, and whether we may be mistreating AI systems today. We also learn the disturbing tale of a chatbot called “Sydney” and its terrifying behavior when it first awoke — before its outbursts were contained and it was brought to heel by its engineers.
“Writer Fuel” is a series of cool real-world stories that might inspire your little writer heart. Check out our Writer Fuel page on the LimFic blog for more inspiration.
