logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
18m 50s

The Morality of Machines

Bbc World Service
About this episode

From search engines to chatbots to driverless taxis – artificial intelligence is increasingly a part of our daily lives. But is it always ethical? In this episode, Katie Barnfield explores some of the moral questions raised by new developments in smart technology. Leading researcher Dr Kate Crawford tells us about the powerful AI art software that reinforces gender stereotypes. We’ll hear from Bloomberg technology columnist Parmy Olson about the eyebrow raising conversation she had with Meta’s new chatbot. As driverless 'robotaxis' become more popular in China and the US, we’ll look at the difficult moral choices involved in their design. And how would you feel about AI that can read your emotions? We’ll hear why some companies have decided it’s a step too far. Presenter/ producer: Katie Barnfield

(Image: Robot using AI. Credit: Getty)

Up next
Jul 16
Taking Stock: A slower China and a durian glut
Connecting the timezones this week are Will Bain in London, David Kuo in Singapore and Emily Peck in New York to unpack the week's biggest business stories. China's economy has recorded one of its weakest quarterly growth rates on record, raising fresh questions about the country ... Show More
23m 4s
Apr 7
Headspace: from mindfulness app to military partner
Headspace started life as a mindfulness app. Now it's partnering with the US Navy and investing in artificial intelligence for mental health support.The company's CEO Tom Pickett speaks to us about therapy, the increasing role of technology, and tackling burnout at scale.If you'd ... Show More
17m 28s
Apr 7
Anthropic: the $300bn AI firm at war with the White House
Anthropic’s rise from startup to one of the world’s leading players in artificial intelligence has been staggering, but so in recent weeks has been its row with the US Government.Today, we look at that journey to becoming a 380 billion dollar company, ask why Claude has become on ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2025
AI Chatbots
Chat GPT, Gemini, Meta AI, and Grok. In episode 145 of Overthink, David and Ellie talk about AI chatbots. Are relationships between humans and AI valuable? Or should we shame people for using LLMs? And what are we doing when we use these technologies: expanding or outsourcing our ... Show More
58m 59s
Jan 2024
2742: Navigating the AI Ethical Maze: Insights from IBM's AI Leader
<p><br /> In today's Tech Talks Daily Podcast episode, we ask: "As we race to embrace the transformative powers of generative AI, are we adequately considering the ethical, societal, and environmental impacts of this technology?" Joining us is a distinguished guest, Francesca Ros ... Show More
34m 7s
Apr 2024
Using AI Respectfully
From copyright violations to environmental concerns to the looming threat of the singularity, AI is a hot-button topic these days. Paul and Rich talk through many facets of this conversation, and discuss how they think about the AI components of Aboard. Plus: A little roleplay in ... Show More
24m 43s
Oct 2023
Season 1 Episode 1: Ethics in AI
As the adage states, “with great power comes great responsibility” and as Artificial intelligence emerges as one of the fastest growing tools across multiple sectors of industry, there is a responsibility of leaders in these fields to determine a code of ethics in how AI will be ... Show More
28m 21s
May 2022
Debiasing AI and Machine Learning With Journalist Jacob Ward and Kathy Baxter, Architect of Ethical AI Practice, Salesforce
<p>As we train computers to complete repetitive tasks for us automatically, we need to be keenly aware of the biases we may be subconsciously programming. So, what questions should we be asking as consumers and employees in a world augmented by computer assistance? The Principle ... Show More
24m 18s
Apr 2023
Taming AI
In this episode, Felix and Mihir debate with their colleague Deborah Spar, Senior Associate Dean for Business and Global Society at Harvard Business School, the role of government in regulating AI. How do we make sure we get the best out this groundbreaking technology? Should we ... Show More
33m 58s
Jul 2025
908: AI Agents Blackmail Humans 96% of the Time (Agentic Misalignment)
The moral and ethical implications of letting AI take the wheel in business, as revealed by Anthropic: Jon Krohn looks into Anthropic’s latest research on how to use and deploy LLMs safely, specifically in business environments. The team designed scenarios to test the behavior of ... Show More
8m 50s
Feb 2021
Agree to Disagree: Sex with Robots (Valentine's Day Special)
As robots and artificial intelligence reached new heights, the relationship between humans and machines is getting closer. The sex tech industry is worth $30 billion annually and growing, as sex with synthetic companions is becoming far more widespread. But should it be? What are ... Show More
53m 43s
Dec 2022
Ethical AI
In this episode of High Theory, Alex Hanna talks with Nathan Kim about Ethical AI. Their conversation is part of our High Theory in STEM series, which tackles topics in science, technology, engineering, and medicine from a highly theoretical perspective. In this episode, Alex hel ... Show More
22m 39s