Skip to main content

Elia Ching's Response to Meeting with Sir Nigel Shadbolt


On June 29, 2017 Sir Nigel Shadbolt, a professor of computer science at the University of Oxford and the principal of Jesus College, discussed with the Summer Institute students his research on artificial intelligence. Through discussions and several articles students were able to better understand the concept of artificial intelligence and the different perspectives it entails. Below is a student's reflection on meeting with Sir Nigel Shadbolt and their class discussions. 


Last Thursday I was delighted to listen to Sir Nigel Shadbolt on the topic of artificial intelligence. I came into the meeting with a vague concept of the term, but the conference cleared up many things for me. Something that Sir Shadbolt clarified for me was the true definition of artificial “intelligence.” Although I thought some advanced AI systems seemed capable of sentience and emotion, that is not so. It is, and will always be incapable of making emotional and artistic choices; that is what differentiates it from the human mind.
A more realistic approach in defining AI would be to examine how it actually works. Self driving cars, IBM’s Watson, and even the most complicated AI systems are reliant and pattern finding and guesses. At it’s best, artificial intelligence is simply an exceptional calculator. However, the misconception that AI has some form of consciousness is still prevalent due to several reasons. One of the most obvious is the incorrect interpretation it gets from the media. From the 1968 film A Space Odyssey to the 2015 film Ex Machina, the film world has gave AI a reputation as an intelligent humanoid trying to take over the world in some fashion. Misconception also comes from the fact that AIs are designed to imitate human intelligence. These factors confuse the general public into thinking that artificial intelligence has the capability of human emotion. That, however, is not true.
One of the interesting ways to look at AI is through the lens of social studies and ethics. If, in the future machine learning progressed to the point that AI could experience human creativity and imagination, it would seen inhumane to use it as a computer system. Even if AI never reached that level, it most certainly will be able to mimic it. Animals do not possess intelligence to the extent of human but yet there are many activists that campaign for the rights of animals. In the same way, artificial intelligence may one day have activists campaigning for their rights.

One of the most pressing debates on the future will be the one on the ethics of AI. However, at it's core, artificial intelligence will always simply be a pattern detecting machine, not a sentient being.
- Elia Ching
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Art, Activism, and Fran Meckler by Valerie Wu

On June 15, 2017 Fran Meckler, a documentary photographer, showcased her photo collection “Fading Traditions: Papua New Guinea in Color”. Students in the Summer Institute were able to meet with her and discuss how her photos were a method to bring injustices to light. Below is a student’s reflection on meeting with Fran Meckler and her thoughts on photography as a way for advocacy. A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to interview Malak Shahin, the founder and editor-in-chief of Ascend Magazine , for an article I was writing on literary activism. Shahin is a Palestinian-American who cares deeply about effecting social change, especially in securing justice for Palestine. The goal of Ascend was to provide a creative space where art and protest could intersect. When I asked her whether she believed that art was inherently connected to activism, she responded with: “Art is a form of self-determination...giving people the resources to make art can, in some ways, be libera
Post a Comment
Read more

Sophie Alexis's Response to Meeting with Foreign Service Professionals

On June 22, 2017 Dorothy Ngutter, a Diplomat in Residence for the Northwest Region of the United States, and Evan G. Reade, a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer came to World Affairs to discuss with the Summer Institute students their experiences working in the Foreign Service. Through several articles as well as discussions with the speakers, students were able to get a grasp on American diplomacy and the various career paths the Foreign Service can provide. Below is a student’s reflection on meeting with the Foreign Service professionals and their class discussions.  Our discussion centered around several interesting questions, created by Group C. But there were two in particular that captured my interest: Has the United States’ significant diplomatic and military presence abroad since World War II had a net positive or negative effect? And, would it be a disadvantage to lose this presence or are there advantages to allowing other countries to forge the path forward?
Post a Comment
Read more