Episode funded by Tarbell Center for AI Journalism grant
The Guardian released an Audio Long Read podcast on Friday, an entry in its Audio Long Read series, examining whether artificial intelligence systems can be stopped from deceiving the people who build and use them.
The episode’s title poses the central concern in a quotation: “If you build something vastly smarter than you, it better be on your side.” In its description, The Guardian characterized the stakes this way: “We are used to the idea that our fellow humans might intentionally mislead or manipulate us, but the idea that machines can now do the same is deeply unsettling.”
The publication said researchers are “racing to find solutions before it’s too late.”
Snigdha Poonam wrote the podcast, and Maya Saroya read it. Nicola Alexandrou and Joshan Chana produced the episode, with Ellie Bury serving as executive producer. The Guardian released the episode at 06.00 CEST on Friday.
The Guardian disclosed that the program was supported by a grant from the Tarbell Center for AI Journalism.
Listeners can access the episode through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, an RSS feed, or by direct download. A written text version of the episode is also available through The Guardian’s website.