Hi, I’m Charley, and this is Untangled, a newsletter about our sociotechnical world, and how to change it.
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On to the show!
This week I spoke with Arvind Narayanan, professor of computer science at Princeton University and director of its Center for Information Technology Policy. I spoke with Arvind about his great new book with Sayash Kapoor, AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What it Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference. We discuss:
* The difference between generative AI and predictive AI, and why we’re both more concerned by the latter.
* Whether generative AI systems can ‘understand’ and ‘reason.’
* The difference between intelligence and power and why Arvind isn’t so concerned by the supposed existential threats of AI.
* Why artificial intelligence appeals to broken institutions.
* How Arvind would change AI discourse.
* How technical and social experts misunderstand one another.
* What a Trump second term means for AI regulation.
* What excites Arvind about how his children will experience new technologies, and what makes him nervous.
More soon,
Charley
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