Human-Computer Interaction and AI Concepts

Artificial Intelligence & Human Values Lecture 5

• The lecture focuses on the intersection of AI and human values, exploring the concept of human-computer interaction through dreams, visions, and fictions.
• Questions for the lecture include: What can dreams, visions, and fictions teach about AI and human values? How do publics, political leaders, and technologists think about the human-machine relationship today, and how has this been considered historically? What assumptions about humans are embedded in these imaginings?
• Current discussions surrounding AI raise questions about the ethics and potential consequences of AI development. The implications of AI for human values are examined.

Lecture 5: Dreams (and Nightmares) of Human-Computer Interaction

• The lecture explores how human-computer interaction is viewed from a historical perspective, considering the multifaceted nature of AI development.
• It underscores how societal, fictional, and scientific factors influence the evolution of computing in society.
• Analysis of popular culture explores the role of imagination in societal acceptance and development of technology.

From Last Week's Notes

• The discussion highlighted the need for considering and addressing the rapid advancements in AI, particularly in relation to data exposure and privacy concerns.
• There is a suggestion for protecting oneself considering the potential exposure of personal data.
• A particular publication, "Managing Extreme AI Risks Amid Rapid Progress," by Science (May 20, 2024), was mentioned as relevant.

Human & Machine Frame

• The frame aims to establish a distinction between information retrieval and meaning creation, linking these to human experience and technological advancements.
• This idea is represented in visually appealing advertisements (or images).
• Concepts of becoming a senior, maintaining childhood essence, discovering the origins of certain art forms, and how personal experiences affect our understanding are examined.

Google Fires Software Engineer

• A Google software engineer, Blake Lemoine, was dismissed from the company after claiming their AI chatbot, LaMDA, is sentient.
• The claims of sentience were deemed invalid by Google.
• The company views LaMDA as a sophisticated algorithm designed to generate convincing human language.

Interpreting and Making Meaning

• The act of interpreting meaning is framed as a human pursuit.
• A Gatebox promotion video ("Living with your Favorite Characters") was mentioned as relevant to the subject.

AI Definitions Matching Game

• Students were instructed to individually examine AI definitions and sources to identify matching concepts.
• Discussions with partners, combined with logging answers in the EduApp system, were required.
• Class discussion points centered around the nature of definitions, contextual clues within them, the concept of "intelligence", and how humans interact with society.

Human Computers

• Historical examples from the past, like the Scientific American (1890 US Census) and "Harvard Computers" (c. 1890), were referenced to highlight human involvement in early computing.

"Makin' Numbers" on the Mark I

• Information on the historical, mechanical computing device, Harvard Mark I (1944) is presented.
• The machine was referenced in relation to ideas of "robot" or "super-brain".

Orwell, Totalitarianism, & Technologies of Control

• Totalitarian control is presented as surveillance culture.
• The role of technologies, such as screens and cameras, in social control via surveillance was examined.
• The vision of a monolithic state as a primary agent of control. The 1984 novel by George Orwell was discussed.

"Can Man Build a Superman?"

• The question challenges the prospect of building superhuman beings via technological advancements.
• This topic links to past technology visions through a Time magazine cover from 1950 and Alan Turing's 1950 paper.
• The concept of human capabilities versus AI potential is explored.

"Birth of AI" - Dartmouth 1956?

• The notion of a particular AI 'birth' moment linked to the 1956 Dartmouth workshop is analyzed. The workshop aimed to understand learning and intelligence.

Texts, Conversations, Fictional portrayals

• Literature and fictional depictions, such as Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (1968) and the character HAL 9000 (from 1968), are referenced to provide context about AI depictions in popular culture.

Key Takeaways (I & II)

• The central role of the "human-machine" framework in contemporary understanding of AI, its promises and perils is highlighted
• There is an analysis of how current human-computer interactions have been shaped by historical developments, considering scientific, social, and fictional influences. The relevance of popular narratives is stressed. Boundaries evolve throughout time in relation to who, what, and how. People and societies' ideas and moral considerations are central to this discussion. Curiosity is encouraged to consider the social contexts surrounding themes of human and computer interaction.

AlxWorlds Unit - Coming Up

• This section previews upcoming lessons on topics including intelligent environments, numbers, facts, surveillance, prediction, misinformation, and manipulation
• Several relevant research papers are mentioned for further study.
• Reflection exercises related to the self and ideas are anticipated.

This quiz explores essential concepts in the field of human-computer interaction and the societal implications of technology. It addresses contemporary ideas about AI, boundaries between humans and machines, and the role of social contexts in understanding technology. Test your knowledge on key authors and theories related to this dynamic field.