v3.1: AI can be good, actually
We’re back! And we’re catching up on all the AI news, good and bad, that’s been happening. And to prove there really are good applications of AI out there, we spoke to Dr Mark O’Sullivan, co-founder and CEO of NeuroBell, which is developing a device using AI to help detect seizures in newborns.
We also discussed OpenAI’s Sora, its text-to-video generation engine. You can see the videos we mentioned in the episode here. See if you can spot the flaws! 👀
Mega movie producer Tyler Perry was apparently so impressed by Sora that he put a planned $800m studio expansion on hold “indefinitely”, as he figures his productions won’t need elaborate sets if he can AI-generate one instead. Perry has expressed concerns about the jobs that could be lost when and if Sora makes it into the hands of film producers – but that concern clearly doesn’t extend to the people who’ve now lost work on the back of his decision to cancel development. 🤷🏻♀️
Generative AI like Sora does look like a threat to creators, though, especially when you see a partnership forming between the world’s biggest ad agency and the leading AI chipmaker.
Furthering the debate on whether AI is good or evil, on the bad side of AI we had:
👎🏻 An eating disorders chatbot that offered dieting advice
👎🏻 Fake calls using Joe Biden’s voice to discourage voters
👎🏻 Trump supporters targeting Black voters with faked images
And on the good side, as well as NeuroBell, we discussed:
👍🏻 Using AI and machine learning to help patients with brain tumours
👍🏻 Keeping indigenous languages alive with AI
👍🏻 Giving people with motor neurone disease their voice back
👍🏻 A potential early flood warning system for Ireland
And then of course there’s the funny stuff, like the now-infamous Glasgow Willy Wonka experience (and we love Conor Nolan’s artwork commemorating this incredible moment in tech history) and the hilarious obituary generated by AI (allegedly) which Elaine read out in the episode.
Also, you can find out more about Mark O’Sullivan and NeuroBell at NeuroBell.com and on Silicon Republic.
Want to hear more?
If you enjoyed this episode of For Tech’s Sake then there are some others from previous seasons you may also want to check out, as good companions to some of the themes discussed here:
👺 The dangers of deepfakes with Dr Conor Lenihan
🤖 Explaining AI with Abeba Birhane
🧠 Exploring ethical AI with Dr Patricia Scanlon
🦾 Robotic challenges with Niamh Donnelly
🪛 Dr David McKeown from The Big Life Fix
Next up, we’ll have a special bonus episode exclusive for HeadStuff+ Community members, so if you really want to hear from us every week, you’ll have to become a member here.
The For Tech’s Sake podcast is a co-production from Silicon Republic and The HeadStuff Podcast Network, hosted by Elaine Burke and Jenny Darmody and produced by Hilary Barry. If you want to support The HeadStuff Podcast Network, for our sake, for tech’s sake and for many more great podcasts, visit HeadStuffPodcasts.com.