Can Myth Teach Us Anything About the Race to Build Artificial General Intelligence? With Josh Schrei

We usually talk about tech in terms of economics or policy, but the casual language tech leaders often use to describe AI — summoning an inanimate force with the powers of code — sounds more... magical. So, what can myth and magic teach us about the AI race? Josh Schrei, mythologist and host of The Emerald podcast,  says that foundational cultural tales like "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" or Prometheus teach us the importance of initiation, responsibility, human knowledge, and care.  He argues these stories and myths can guide ethical tech development by reminding us what it is to be human. 

Correction: Josh says the first telling of "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice" myth dates back to ancient Egypt, but it actually dates back to ancient Greece.

RECOMMENDED MEDIA 

The Emerald podcast

The Emerald explores the human experience through a vibrant lens of myth, story, and imagination

Embodied Ethics in The Age of AI

A five-part course with The Emerald podcast’s Josh Schrei and School of Wise Innovation’s Andrew Dunn

Nature Nurture: Children Can Become Stewards of Our Delicate Planet

A U.S. Department of the Interior study found that the average American kid can identify hundreds of corporate logos but not plants and animals

The New Fire

AI is revolutionizing the world - here's how democracies can come out on top. This upcoming book was authored by an architect of President Biden's AI executive order

RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES 

How Will AI Affect the 2024 Elections?

The AI Dilemma

The Three Rules of Humane Tech

AI Myths and Misconceptions

 

Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_