Weighing the existential risks of AI and the proposals to prevent them
Recent warnings about the possible existential threats some say AI may pose to humanity have led to heightened debates about how we should address these concerns.
Podcast profile
By Brookings Institution
TechTank is a biweekly podcast from The Brookings Institution exploring the most consequential technology issues of our time.
Latest episode
38 min
Topics
Laws, regulation, antitrust, standards, and public policy governing technology.
Robot design, perception, control, manipulation, deployment, and robotics ecosystems.
Civil liberties, speech, access, surveillance, and human rights in digital environments.
Formats
Host-led conversation where a guest supplies most of the subject matter.
Interpretation, opinion, debate, review, and analytical discussion.
Audience level
Assumes basic technology literacy and familiarity with common products, roles, and terminology.
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Episodes shown — 10 of 25
Recent warnings about the possible existential threats some say AI may pose to humanity have led to heightened debates about how we should address these concerns.
Conversations about the importance of getting children access to technology have morphed into efforts to remove devices from the classroom and restrict kids’ access to social media. Yet, the discussions leading up to these bans frequently lack participation from youth and an assessment of cultural norms.
Cyber risk in an interconnected environment is increasingly complex for organizations to assess and address. Navigating such challenges elevates the question of vendor concentration, which can introduce certain risks but also provide important strengths.
As AI becomes more ubiquitous in our lives, babies and toddlers are also interacting with it more. But it's unclear how the technology could affect children in this critical stage of development.
The space economy is accelerating at a rapid pace with advances in space tourism, mining, exploration, communications, and defense, but to expand upon these activities, the U.S. needs to invest in ground stations and space infrastructure to help commercial firms take advantage of the growing opportunities.
Technological advances are reshaping manufacturing processes, and robotics, in particular, are important to improve efficiency and advance military preparedness. Yet there are questions about what robotics can do and what governments and businesses should be doing to accelerate these technologies.
Technology is accelerating rapidly, raising concerns about how artificial intelligence and other tools are altering communications, decisionmaking, and governance.
Cars and trucks are being digitally connected through online sensors, safety devices, and entertainment systems, leading some observers to call vehicles today "smart phones on wheels."
Large language models are now marketed for more than just efficiency—some companies are encouraging them for more personal use cases, such as health questions or companionship. These uses carry some privacy and mental health concerns, which lawmakers are currently trying to address.
A recent survey examined how U.S. teens use and view AI, finding the majority have used chatbots for schoolwork or searching for information. Teens reported varying opinions about how AI would impact them personally versus society, and these feelings and use cases varied across certain demographics.