The Artificial Human

Every day, we read something new about Artificial Intelligence - it'll take our jobs, it'll teach our kids, it knows more about us than we do ourselves... but how much of that is hype, and how much is, or will be reality? Part of our problem with AI is that it feels impenetrable and mysterious, especially when even those building it aren't entirely sure how it works. In a new series, Aleks Krotoski (The Digital Human, Radio 4) and Kevin Fong (13 Minutes to the Moon, BBC World Service) set out to 'solve' AI. Or at the very least, to answer our questions on all things artificial intelligence-related. These are the questions that really matter to us - is AI smarter than me? Could AI make me money? Will AI save my life or make me its slave? These questions predate the current frenzy created by the likes of Chat GPT, BARD and LlaMA. They've been in our collective psyche ever since the very first thinking machines. Now these fears and excitement are a reality. This series arrives at a critical moment.

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Episodes

Can AI get me a new job?

Artificial Intelligence is in our homes, schools and workplaces. What does this mean for us? In 'The Artificial Human,' Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong set out to 'solve' AI. Or at the very least, to answer our questions about it. These are the questions that really matter to us - is AI smarter than me? Could AI make me money? Will AI save my life? They'll pursue the answer by speaking to those closest to the forefront of AI-related innovation. By the end of each programme, the subject will be a l...

Jul 03, 2024•29 min

Could AI Make My Glastonbury Better?

Jun 26, 2024•29 min

How green is my AI?

As Apple announce the integration of generative AI across their platforms Aleks and Kevin ask do we actually know how much energy AI consumes and is it compatible with a push to net zero? Energy consumption is AI's dirty little secret, some industry insiders believe the true potential of these technologies won't be realised until the problem is solved. Aleks and Kevin uncover some fairly startling numbers; a search done through an AI like ChatGPT can use up to 40 times more energy than using a t...

Jun 19, 2024•29 min

Why can’t AI drive me home yet?

Developers have been trying to create driverless cars since the 1920s. Numerous iterations have come into being and fallen away over the years - radio controlled cars, electronic guide systems buried into roads, lidar, radar, computer vision, but with the roll out of AI, we seem closer than ever to getting from A to B without having to touch the wheel. In fact, in several places in the United States, Driverless Cars are already on the streets - albeit in a limited scope - ferrying users across t...

Jun 12, 2024•29 min

Can we stop saying AI can think

Artificial Intelligence is in our homes, schools and workplaces. What does this mean for us? In 'The Artificial Human,' Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong set out to answer the questions that really matter to us - is AI smarter than me? Could AI make me money? Will AI save my life? They'll pursue the answer by speaking to those closest to the forefront of AI innovation. In this episode, listener Martha wants to know; why the builders of these technologies are projecting human like qualities on to mac...

Jun 05, 2024•30 min

Can AI Look After Me in Old Age?

May 29, 2024•29 min

Should AI Make My Decisions?

Artificial Intelligence is in our homes, schools and workplaces. What does this mean for us, and how will it change our lives? In this episode of The Artificial Human, presenters Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong ask: should AI make my decisions?' In The Artificial Human, Aleks Krotoski (The Digital Human, Radio 4) and Kevin Fong (13 Minutes to the Moon, BBC World Service) set out to 'solve' AI. Or at the very least, to answer our questions on all things artificial intelligence-related. Each episode...

Mar 25, 2024•28 min

How do I avoid being scammed by AI?

In a world where AI Voice clones can sound like your bank manager or your child in distress, Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong discover how to avoid being scammed by AI. Some scams are easier to spot than others - The Prince never has money locked in an account that only you, dear brave internet user, can free for him - but in the age of AI, some scams are becoming increasingly difficult to spot, and defend against. AI can churn out phishing emails and texts - the kind meant to make you log in to a ...

Mar 18, 2024•29 min

Could AI win an Oscar?

AI art has been evolving at a rapid pace. In a few short months images, sound and increasingly video have all become so realistic it’s hard to tell what’s created by humans verses machines. The release of SORA, Open AI’s text to video model, has sent shockwaves through the film industry. Movie mogul Tyler Perry reportedly halted an $800 million studio expansion because he saw what SORA was capable of. He feared he was wasting his money. He thinks that AI will, ‘touch every corner of our industry...

Mar 11, 2024•29 min

Is AI Better Than My Doctor?

Artificial Intelligence is in our homes, schools and workplaces. What does this mean for us? In a new series, Aleks Krotoski (The Digital Human, Radio 4) and Kevin Fong (13 Minutes to the Moon, BBC World Service) set out to 'solve' AI. Or at the very least, to answer our questions on all things artificial intelligence-related. Each episode will start with a question, and by the end, Aleks and Kevin give us answers we can take away and reflect on, making the subject a little clearer - for us, and...

Mar 04, 2024•29 min

Could AI Swing an Election?

With over 50 elections around the world in 2024, how could AI influence the democratic process? Disinformation has already been supercharged by digital technology - with bot farms, fake news and conspiracy theories running rampant across social media platforms. But now, AI could potentially make it all the more difficult to sort fact from fiction in political discourse. We've already heard a deepfake of Sadiq Khan claiming to control the city of London, in the style of a cartoon villain - yet fo...

Feb 26, 2024•29 min

Should I let my kids use AI for their homework?

Children always seem to figure out new technology before their parents, but as technology has become ever more advanced, and interactive, we have had to wrestle with questions about what technology, and how much is good for children, and what could potentially do them harm? With the speedy proliferation of AI, these questions are all the more important. And the one Kevin and Aleks aim to answer this week is 'Should I let my kids use AI for their Homework?' Will AI just be a way to cheat on an es...

Feb 19, 2024•29 min

Introducing The Artificial Human

With stories coming out daily of how it will change just about everything Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong set out to answer the most pressing questions about AI.

Feb 14, 2024•3 min

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