Tech Writer Kevin Roose on the Trillion-Dollar Sprint to Build Artificial General Intelligence

AGI or “artificial general intelligence” has been both the holy grail of machine learning researchers, and also the source of their biggest fears. Whereas AI refers to task-specific responses like finding a recipe, summarizing a contract, or explaining how a car works, AGI can write its own recipe, draft a contract autonomously, and drive the car.  In his new book, “The AGI Chronicles,” journalist Kevin Roose goes inside the race to create super intelligent machines, detailing the feuds, defections and breakthroughs fueling the trillion-dollar effort. He also highlights the exhilarating and troubling questions its creators are grappling with: Does the tech have a conscience? And might it obliterate humanity?

Guest:

• Kevin Roose, author, The AGI Chronicles: The Inside Story of the Race to Create an Artificial Superintelligence; former columnist, the New York Times