Summary:
In the provided transcript, Yuval Noah Harari discusses the evolution of AI and its potential impact on human society. He points out that AI is becoming increasingly adept at forming intimate relationships with humans, which could have profound consequences. He emphasizes the need for regulation and awareness to prevent AI from becoming a destructive force. The conversation also touches on the potential positive aspects of AI, such as assisting with education and healthcare, but cautions against ignoring the dangers it presents.
Here are some possible key facts extracted from the text:
1. The text is a transcript of a podcast episode of The Poetry of Predicament, produced by Dean Walker and The Living Resilience Alliance.
2. The podcast episode features a conversation with Yuval Noah Harari, a historian and author of books such as Sapiens and Homo Deus.
3. The main topic of the conversation is the potential and dangers of artificial intelligence (AI), especially its ability to create intimate relationships with humans and manipulate their emotions and opinions.
4. Harari argues that AI is not conscious, but humans are compelled to attribute consciousness to entities that they form emotional bonds with, such as pets or computers.
5. Harari also warns that humans are not good at learning how to use new technologies without causing harm, and gives examples from history such as European imperialism, communism, fascism and Nazism, which were all experiments in how to build an industrial society.
6. Harari suggests that we need to be careful about how we deploy AI into the public sphere, and not ignore its negative potential, which could destroy the foundations of human society or even the species.