SPOS #978 – Christopher DiCarlo On AI, Ethics, And The Hope We Get It Right

Welcome to episode #978 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Dr. Christopher DiCarlo is a philosopher, educator, author, and ethicist whose work lives at the intersection of human values, science, and emerging technology. Over the years, Christopher has built a reputation as a Socratic nonconformist, equally at home lecturing at Harvard during his postdoctoral years as he is teaching critical thinking in correctional institutions or corporate boardrooms. He's the author of several important books on logic and rational discourse, including How To Become A Really Good Pain In The Ass - A Critical Thinker's Guide To Asking The Right Questions and So You Think You Can Think?, as well as the host of the podcast, All Thinks Considered. In this conversation, we dig into his latest book, Building A God - The Ethics Of Artificial Intelligence And The Race To Control It, which takes a sobering yet practical look at the ethical governance of AI as we accelerate toward the possibility of artificial general intelligence. Drawing on years of study in philosophy of science and ethics, Christopher lays out the risks - manipulation, misalignment, lack of transparency - and the urgent need for international cooperation to set safeguards now. We talk about everything from the potential of AI to revolutionize healthcare and sustainability to the darker realities of deepfakes, algorithmic control, and the erosion of democratic processes. His proposal? A kind of AI "Geneva Conventions," or something akin to the IAEA - but for algorithms. In a world rushing toward techno-utopianism, Christopher is a clear-eyed voice asking: "What kind of Gods are we building… and can we still choose their values?" If you're thinking about the intersection of ethics and AI (and we should all be focused on this!), this is essential listening. Enjoy the conversation...

• Running time: 58:55.
• Hello from beautiful Montreal.
• Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
• Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
• Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
• Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
• Check out ThinkersOne.
• or you can connect on LinkedIn.
• ...or on X.
• Here is my conversation with Dr. Christopher DiCarlo.
• Building A God - The Ethics Of Artificial Intelligence And The Race To Control It.
• How To Become A Really Good Pain In The Ass - A Critical Thinker's Guide To Asking The Right Questions.
• So You Think You Can Think?.
• All Thinks Considered.
• Convergence Analysis.
• Follow Christopher on LinkedIn.
• Follow Christopher on X.
• This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction to AI Ethics and Philosophy.
(03:14) - The Interconnectedness of Systems.
(05:56) - The Race for AGI and Its Implications.
(09:04) - Risks of Advanced AI: Misuse and Misalignment.
(11:54) - The Need for Ethical Guidelines in AI Development.
(15:05) - Global Cooperation and the AI Arms Race.
(18:03) - Values and Ethics in AI Alignment.
(20:51) - The Role of Government in AI Regulation.
(24:14) - The Future of AI: Hope and Concerns.
(31:02) - The Dichotomy of Regulation and Innovation.
(34:57) - The Drive Behind AI Pioneers.
(37:12) - Skepticism and the Tech Bubble Debate.
(39:39) - The Potential of AI and Its Risks.
(43:20) - Techno-Selection and Control Over AI.
(48:53) - The Future of Medicine and AI's Role.
(51:42) - Empowering the Public in AI Governance.
(54:37) - Building a God: Ethical Considerations in AI.