John Havens: Heartificial Intelligence

John Havens: Heartificial Intelligence

Author: Helen and Dave Edwards July 14, 2024 Duration: 1:02:29

We're excited to welcome to the podcast John Havens, a multifaceted thinker at the intersection of technology, ethics, and sustainability. John's journey has taken him from professional acting to becoming a thought leader in AI ethics and human wellbeing.

In his 2016 book, "Heartificial Intelligence: Embracing Our Humanity to Maximize Machines," John presents a thought-provoking examination of humanity's relationship with AI. He introduces the concept of "codifying our values" - our crucial need as a species to define and understand our own ethics before we entrust machines to make decisions for us.

Through an interplay of fictional vignettes and real-world examples, the book illuminates the fundamental interplay between human values and machine intelligence, arguing that while AI can measure and improve wellbeing, it cannot automate it. John advocates for greater investment in understanding our own values and ethics to better navigate our relationship with increasingly sophisticated AI systems.

In this conversation, we dive into the key ideas from "Heartificial Intelligence" and their profound implications for the future of both human and artificial intelligence. We explore questions like:

  • What are the core components of human values that AI systems need to understand?
  • How can we design AI systems to augment rather than replace human decision-making?
  • Why has the field of AI ethics lagged behind technological development, and what role can positive psychology play in bridging this gap?
  • Should we be concerned about AI systems usurping our ability to define our own values, or are there inherent limits to what machines can understand about human ethics?

Let's dive into our conversation with John Havens.


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#artificiality #ai #artificialintelligence #generativeai #airesearch #complexity #intimacyeconomy #spaciality #consciousness #knowledge #mindforourminds



Hosted by Helen and Dave Edwards, Stay Human, from the Artificiality Institute is a conversation that lives in the messy, human space between our tools and our selves. Each episode digs into the subtle ways artificial intelligence is reshaping our daily decisions, our creative impulses, and even our sense of identity. This isn't a technical manual or a series of futuristic predictions; it's a grounded exploration of how we maintain our agency in a world increasingly mediated by algorithms. The podcast operates from a core belief: that our engagement with AI should be about more than just safety or efficiency-it needs to be meaningful and worthwhile. You'll hear discussions rooted in story-based research, where complex ideas about cognition and ethics are unpacked through relatable narratives and real-world examples. The goal is to provide a framework for thoughtful choice, helping each of us consciously design the relationship we want with the machines in our lives. Tuning in offers a chance to step back from the hype and consider how we can actively remain the authors of our own minds, preserving what makes us uniquely human even as the technology evolves. It's an essential listen for anyone curious about the personal and philosophical dimensions of our digital age.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Stay Human, from the Artificiality Institute
Podcast Episodes
Values & Generative AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:05
As Silicon Valley lunges towards creating AI that is considered superior to humans (at times called Artificial General Intelligence or Super-intelligent AI), it does so with the premise that it is possible to encode valu…
Culture & Generative AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:29
Culture plays a vital role in connecting individuals and communities, enabling us to leverage our unique talents, share knowledge, and solve problems together. However, the rise of an intelligentsia of machine soothsayer…
Mind for our Minds: Introduction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:28
This episode is the first in our summer series based on our thesis for designing AI to be a Mind for our Minds. We recently presented this idea for the first time at our favorite event of the year hosted by The House of…
C. Thi Nguyen: Metrification [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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AI is based on data. And data is frequently collected with the intent to be quantified, understood, and used across context. That’s why we have things like grade point averages that translate across subject matters and e…
Harpreet Sareen: Cyborg Botany [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:44
We are deeply interested in the intersection of the digital and material worlds, both living and not living. Most of our interviews are focused on the intersection of humans and machines—how does the digital world affect…
Arvind Jain: Glean, Enterprise Search, and Generative AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:03
Anyone working in a large organization has likely asked this question: Why is it that I can seemingly find anything on the internet but I can’t seem to find anything inside my organization? It is counter-intuitive that i…
Lukas Egger: Generative AI, a view from SAP [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:35
The world has been upended by the introduction of generative AI. We think this could be the largest advance in technology—ever. All of our clients are trying to figure out what to do, how to de-risk the introduction of t…
Katie Davis: Technology's Child [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:32
Is technology good or bad for children? How should parents think about technology in their children’s lives? Are there different answers depending on the age of the child and their stage of development? What can we apply…
Andrew Blum: The Weather Machine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:58
Weather forecasting is fascinating. It involves making predictions in the complex, natural world, using a global infrastructure for people who have varying needs and desires. Some just want to know if we should carry an…
Juan Noguera: Generative AI in Industrial Design [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:26
We’ve heard a lot about how generative AI may negatively impact careers in design. But we wonder how might generative AI have a positive impact on designers? How might generative AI be used as a tool that helps designers…