Introduction

Is artificial intelligence capable of consciousness? We’ll hear from an expert who believes that AI is not as intelligent as we sometimes think, and as usual, we’ll be learning some new vocabulary as well.

This week's question

What happened to Blake Lemoine is strangely similar to the 2013 Hollywood movie, Her, starring Joaquin Phoenix as a lonely writer who talks with his computer, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. But what happens at the end of the movie? Is it:

a) the computer comes to life?

b) the computer dreams about the writer? or,

c) the writer falls in love with the computer?

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

chatbot
computer programme designed to have conversations with humans over the internet

cognitive
connected with the mental processes of thinking, knowing, learning and understanding

wishful thinking
something which is unlikely to come true in the future

anthropomorphise
treat an animal or object as if it were human

blindsided
unpleasantly surprised

get/be taken in (by) someone
be deceived or tricked by someone

230126_6min_english_AI_conscious.pdf