FBL93: Angus Fletcher - Why Storytelling Will Prevent AI Dominance

FBL93: Angus Fletcher - Why Storytelling Will Prevent AI Dominance

Author: Singularity University March 6, 2023 Duration: 56:24

This week our guest is Professor of Story Science at Ohio State University’s Project Narrative, Angus Fletcher, who pulls on his background of literature and neuroscience to understand how brains and machines process story and narrative.

Angus has recently made some extremely bold claims, including putting forth a proof that “even a sentient, self-aware, and infinitely powerful computer could never innovate” because it can’t engage in narrative thought. In essence, computer AI cannot replicate human creativity, and all of our expectations around self-driving cars and ChatGPT come down to a human-guided prank that pretends to do something it’s not really doing. In this episode, I obviously push back on this idea that narrative limits computer AI, but Angus makes some strong counter-arguments.

Find out more about Angus and his work at angusfletcher.co 

**

Apply for registration to our exclusive South By Southwest event on March 14th @ www.su.org/basecamp-sxsw

Apply for an Executive Program Scholarship at su.org/executive-program/ep-scholarship

Learn more about Singularity: su.org

Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter

Music by: Amine el Filali


Hosted by Singularity University, The Singularity Discussion Series is a deep and ongoing conversation about the forces that will define tomorrow. Rather than offering quick tech news, this podcast creates a space for sustained exploration. Each episode features leading thinkers and practitioners who examine exponential technologies like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, blockchain, and quantum computing. The discussions go beyond isolated innovations to focus on their powerful convergence-the point where these fields intersect to reshape everything from global industries and economic models to the fabric of our daily lives. You’ll hear nuanced analysis on both the immediate implications and the long-term trajectories of these changes. The goal is to unpack the breakthroughs that are actively redefining the boundaries of the possible, providing listeners with a clearer, more thoughtful understanding of the complex future we are building together. Tune in for a consistently insightful and forward-looking dialogue that challenges assumptions and illuminates the path ahead.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Singularity Discussion Series
Podcast Episodes
FBL85: Sandra Matz - Lessons From a Computational Social Scientist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:33
This week my guest is computation social scientist and professor at Columbia University, Sandra Matz, who recently published her book, The Psychology of Technology: Social Science Research in the Age of Big Data. In this…
FBL84: David Rose - Using Augmented Reality to Gain Supersight [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:18
Our final guest of 2022 is entrepreneur, product innovator, and lecturer at MIT, David Rose. Pulling on an extensive background as VP at Warby Parker and as a long-time explorer of ambient technologies, David recently re…
FBL83: Danielle Citron - Fighting for Data Privacy and Protection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:23
This week our guest is Distinguished Professor in Law at the University of Virginia, Danielle Citron, who recently released her book The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age. Danie…
FBL82: Orly Lobel - The Equality Machine & Techno-optimism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:18
This week our guest is law professor, author, and distinguished speaker, Orly Lobel, who recently published her latest of three books, The Equality Machine: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Fu…
FBL81: Rama Chellappa - Can We Trust AI? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:29
This week my guest is Rama Chellappa, a pioneering AI researcher and distinguished professor at John Hopkins University who recently published his book, Can We Trust AI? In this episode we try to tackle the question pose…
FBL80: David Wood - Principles of the Singularity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:32
This week our guest is David Wood, a long-time futurist and renowned transhumanist thinker. David has authored 10 books on the subject of our technological future, including his recently published book Singularity Princi…
FBL79: Gloria Mark - Understanding Attention in the Digital Age [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:38
This week our guest is Dr. Gloria Mark, who is Chancellor's Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. In addition to having a PhD in psychology and acting as a visiting senior researcher at Micros…
FBL78: James Bridle - Using Nature to Rethink Artificial Intelligence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:47
This week our guest is writer, artist and technologist, James Bridle. Famous for trapping a self-driving car with salt in the mountains of Greece, his artworks have been commissioned by numerous galleries and institution…
FBL77: Brett Johnson - America’s Most Wanted Cybercriminal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:12
This week our guest is Brett Johnson, who was listed on America’s Most Wanted list in 2006 for cyber-crime and who the secret service once declared as the “original internet godfather.” Since serving his jail sentence an…
FBL76: David Carroll - Cambridge Analytica & Data Privacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:46
This week our guest is David Carroll, a professor of media design at the New School in New York City who gained worldwide renown when he decided to engage in a legal battle with the Cambridge Analytica. For those who may…