Podcasts | Babbage

Will AI achieve consciousness?

Our podcast on science and technology. This week, we explore whether artificial intelligence could become sentient—and the legal and ethical implications if it did

Image: Getty Images
Listen to this podcast
Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android.

A DEBATE has been raging in technology circles, after an engineer at Google claimed in June that the company’s chatbot was sentient. Host Kenneth Cukier explores how to define “sentience” and whether it could be attained by AI. If machines can exhibit consciousness, it presents myriad ethical and legal considerations. Is society equipped to deal with the implications of conscious AI? Runtime: 44 min

Find The Economist’s list of the five best books to read on artificial intelligence here.

For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer and sign up for our weekly science newsletter at economist.com/simplyscience.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Stitcher | TuneIn

Explore more

More from Podcasts

Podcast The Intelligence

Why more European countries are considering conscription

Also on the daily podcast: remote husbands and killer whales

23:53

Podcast Editor’s Picks

Why stories of civil war loom large in America

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

9:57


Podcast Babbage

How to fix a faulty microbiome

Our podcast on science and technology. From faecal transplants to microbial medicines, we consider the prospects for a new kind of medicine

45:53