Artificial Intelligence

Comradeship in Crisis: Climate Change vs. the Posthuman Threat

October 24, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

Could the posthuman—rather than climate catastrophe—be the unifying force that calls us to arms?

Lying Artificial Intelligence

July 27, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

Should we worry about a robot capable of lying about being a robot?

BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast, Ep7: “Playest” with C. Thi Nguyen

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

For Episode 7, I am joined by Dr. C. Thi Nguyen to talk about “Playtest” (Season 3, Episode 2), which premiered in 2013 and is the only Black Mirror episode that follows a straightforwardly “horror” format. Before getting to the Episode 7 notes, I want to announce that BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS now tweets! Please follow…

BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 5: “San Junipero” with Michael Norton

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

For Episode 5 of BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, I am joined by Dr. Michael Norton to talk about one of the most widely-beloved Black Mirror episodes, “San Junipero.” It premiered in 2016, the fourth episode of Season Three, and made a million tech-savvy queers *swoon.* Not trying to be the party-pooper podcast hostess here, but SJ…

BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep2: “White Christmas” with Chris Gilliard

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

In Episode 2 of BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, I am joined by Dr. Chris Gilliard to discuss the first Black Mirror holiday special, first aired in 2014, “White Christmas.” Again, I strongly recommend that you watch (or re-watch) the episode before listening to this podcase episode. Even though Chris and I spend waaayyyy more time talking about…

BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 19: “Metalhead” with Roman V. Yampolskiy

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

For Episode 19, I am joined by Dr. Roman V. Yampolskiy to talk about killer robot dogs, poker playing AIs, the control problem, how long we have left before the rise of the machines, what it would be like to be a superintelligence’s pet, and “Metalhead” (Season 4, Episode 5 of Black Mirror), which…

BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep11: “USS Callister” with David Gunkel

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

For Episode 11– our first Christmas episode!– I am joined by Dr. David Gunkel to talk about the possibility of virtual moral agents, the seriousness of online games, science fiction’s bad politics, and “USS Callister” (Episode 1, Season 4 of Black Mirror), which first premiered in 2017. Listen/Download BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast episodes Subscribe to BLACK…

No Exit: The Problem with Facebook’s Algo-Policing

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 1 Comment

On Tuesday, this blog– which I very much consider an extension of myself– was finally released from Facebook jail, after having been “inside” for more than a month. I was reported by a user (who I do not know IRL and who is not a “Facebook friend” of mine) for violating Facebook’s “Community Standards,” specifically the…

Why You Should Care That Artificial Intelligence Can Lie (Part 2)

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

If you haven’t already, please read Part 1 of “Why You Should Care That Artificial Intelligence Can Lie” before continuing, because I’m picking up in this post where I left off in the last one. Again, the concern here is whether or not robots (AI systems) can lie. As I demonstrated in Part 1, there…

Why You Should Care That Artificial Intelligence Can Lie (Part 1)

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

Many people, myself included, are willing to affirm the near-future possibility of artificial general intelligence (AGI), or machines capable of performing all of the cognitive functions normally associated with human minds. The most important of these capabilities, not yet achieved by our extant “narrow” AI, is consciousness (sometimes, problematically, called “self-awareness”): an imprecise, indefinite, and…

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