logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
53m 10s

Being human in the age of AI

Vox
About this episode

Will AI change what it means to be human? Sean Illing talks with essayist Meghan O'Gieblyn, author of God, Human, Animal, Machine, a book about how the way we understand human nature has been interwoven with how we understand our own technology. They discuss the power of metaphor in describing fundamental aspects of being human, the "transhumanism" movement, and what we're after when we seek companionship in a chatbot.

Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area

Guest: Meghan O'Gieblyn, essayist; author

References: 


Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

This episode was made by: 

  • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
  • Engineer: Patrick Boyd
  • Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Jun 30
If AI can do your classwork, why go to college?
What’s the point of college if no one’s actually doing the work? It’s not a rhetorical question. In the age of AI, it's incredibly easy for students to offload their assignments. AI tools can write essays, make study guides, and even complete whole assignments. So what is the poi ... Show More
59m 21s
Jun 16
Is Trump winning?
We’re nearly six months into Donald Trump’s second term as president, and a lot of us are still trying to figure out what that actually means. Not just politically. But culturally. What kind of country are we living in? And what kind of future are we heading toward? In today’s ep ... Show More
52m 31s
Jun 9
A right-wing economist makes his case
For decades, the American right has stayed on brand: the economy. Low taxes. Free markets. Deregulation. Those have been the buzzwords for more than half a century. But that doctrine is now being challenged by other conservatives who envision a future in which America’s trade def ... Show More
1h 8m
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
The Culture Creating A.I. Is Weird. Here’s Why That Matters.
In recent months, we’ve witnessed the rise of chatbots that can pass law and business school exams, artificial companions who’ve become best friends and lovers and music generators that produce remarkably humanlike songs. It’s hard to know how to process it all. But if there’s on ... Show More
1h 5m
Feb 2023
Synthetic Humanity: AI & What’s At Stake
It may seem like the rise of artificial intelligence, and increasingly powerful large language models you may have heard of, is moving really fast… and it IS. But what’s coming next is when we enter synthetic relationships with AI that could come to feel just as real and importan ... Show More
46m 25s
Jul 2024
How to Think About AI Consciousness With Anil Seth
Will AI ever start to think by itself? If it did, how would we know, and what would it mean?In this episode, Dr. Anil Seth and Aza discuss the science, ethics, and incentives of artificial consciousness. Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the Univers ... Show More
47m 58s
Sep 2021
A dog’s inner life: what a robot pet taught me about consciousness – podcast
The creators of the Aibo robot dog say it has ‘real emotions and instinct’. This may seem over the top, but is it? In today’s AI universe, all the eternal questions have become engineering problems. By Meghan O’Gieblyn. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/l ... Show More
29m 27s
Nov 2023
118. “My God, This Is a Transformative Power”
Computer scientist Fei-Fei Li had a wild idea: download one billion images from the internet and teach a computer to recognize them. She ended up advancing the state of artificial intelligence — and she hopes that will turn out to be a good thing for humanity.  RESOURCES:The Worl ... Show More
43m 36s
Sep 2023
The Robot Race - Part 1: Could AI ever replace humanity? - Nigel Crook & Anil Seth
The Big Conversation - Episode 5 | Season 5 In this special two-parter, we explore "The Robot Race". Are developments in Artificial Intelligence spiralling out of control? Can we slow the development of large scale AI even if we wanted to? And what can we learn about ourselves - ... Show More
54m 12s
Sep 2023
Will AI's Become “I”s? with Max Riesenhuber
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Max Riesenhuber to have a conversation about the ethics and morality of artificial intelligence.Questions Covered in This Episode:What first interested you about neuroscience?Can you talk about recent advancement in AI and where we might go?Do we h ... Show More
27m 22s
Oct 2022
How To Build a Happy Life: The Complexities of Human Love
Dating apps show us what we want—a relationship—without always accurately reflecting the experience of it. Our expectation that tech will create anything more than opportunities for social connectedness may overlook the hard work of coexisting with another human being. A conversa ... Show More
28m 57s
Mar 2024
128. Are Our Tools Becoming Part of Us?
Google researcher Blaise Agüera y Arcas spends his work days developing artificial intelligence models and his free time conducting surveys for fun. He tells Steve how he designed an algorithm for the U.S. Navy at 14, how he discovered the truth about printing-press pioneer Johan ... Show More
56m 18s
Apr 2024
193. Are You as Conscientious as You Think You Are?
Is it really that important to make your bed? What’s the benefit of hiring a lazy person? And how many cups of spinach can Mike fit in a red Solo cup?  Take the Big Five inventory: freakonomics.com/bigfive SOURCES:David Barack, philosopher and neuroscientist at the University of ... Show More
39m 28s