In this episode, Neha and Shruti talk about Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers. Published in 1995, it describes a group of scientists who are attempting to create an intelligent machine that they can feed the great classics of literature. We get into the ethics of the situation, its similarities and differences to the current AI crisis, and draw comparisons to the many versions of the Pygmalion myth that have emerged over the years.
Links:
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke
Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery
A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael Pollan
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
Galatea by Madeline Miller
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Authority by Jeff Vandermeer
The Laughter by Sonora Jha
Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
Transcription by Ben Lerner
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