It's been a while since I last sent an update out, so I though one was probably due -- especially as there are a couple of things going on that I suspect many of you will be interested in.

Riding the AI Wave

First off, as I mentioned back in May, I'm currently focusing a lot of my writing on Substack, and would love to have you join me there (all my articles are open access, but by subscribing you get regular updates via email).

Much of my writing recently has been focused on AI -- not just near-term developments around generative AI (although these featured heavily, especially when it comes to learning and education) but also in the longer term implications to society and how the technology transition we're currently in might play out.

On the learning and education front, you may be interested this article that reflects on the prompt engineering course I ran for undergrads this summer:

If you're obsessed with ChatGPT's accuracy, you're missing the point​
​https://andrewmaynard.substack.com/p/chatgpt-stimulates-creativity-critical-thinking​

As you'll gather from it, I'm optimistic about the positive transformations that text based generative AI in particular promise for learning, as long as we don't get caught up in somewhat narrowly focused debates that are framed around very conventional ideas around what AI should do.

More broadly, if you're interested in developments and discussions closer to the cutting edge of AI, I'd recommend the following three articles -- the second by Melanie Mitchell, and the third by Brad Allenby:

Could we build conscious AIs in the near future? Quite possibly​
​https://andrewmaynard.substack.com/p/could-we-build-conscious-ais-in-the-future​

Can Large Language Models Reason?​
​https://andrewmaynard.substack.com/cp/136915829​

Riding the AI Tiger​
​https://andrewmaynard.substack.com/p/riding-the-ai-tiger​

Diving deep into emerging tech and responsible innovation

A few weeks ago I made the (probably questionable) decision to publish a series of recordings of me reading my book Films from the Future.

This dates back to the COVID pandemic when, in a moment of weakness, I decided to record myself reading the book from cover to cover to "free" it (so to speak) from behind the publishing paywall.

That didn't particularly work for a number of reasons. But the upshot is that I have a full set of recordings of me reading the book. And so I decided to repurpose them as a podcast -- with a title that should have been one one on book: The Moviegoer's Guide to the Future!

You can access all the episodes here (the final three will be posted over the next three weeks):
​https://andrewmaynard.substack.com/podcast​

If you're a podcast listener or are interested in emerging tech and responsible innovation you may be interested in browsing through the episodes -- especially as contain a lot of material that I haven't published elsewhere. And even if you're not a podcast sort of person, the the "transcript" option is pretty amazing! This allows you to effectively read the book for free. To give you a sense of how it works, check out this episode on nanotechnology and public engagement: https://andrewmaynard.substack.com/p/living-in-a-material-world#transcription​

The Future of Being Human ... Unplugged

Finally, we're launching a new series of informal online conversations over the next few weeks that focuses on thinking creatively about the intersection of emerging science and technology and the future -- I'm bias of course but I'm extremely excited about these conversations and think they're well worth signing up for: https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu/2023/08/19/the-future-of-being-human-unplugged/​

We have four conversations lined up between now and the end of December -- all of them will be live-streamed and archived for later viewing. Registration is currently open for the first two:

Will AI transform how we learn in the future?​
With Sean Leahy, Aleksandr Bogatirev, and Sophia Herman
​https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu/2023/09/11/will-ai-transform-how-we-learn-in-the-future/​

Do AI’s dream of electric people?​
With Mark Daley and Blake Richards
​https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu/2023/09/11/do-ais-dream-of-electric-people/​

Please do spread the word on these -- I think the conversations are going to be compelling and unique, as well as a lot of fun.

That's it for now. Before I go though, a final reminder to subscribe to the Future of Being Human Substack ... if you haven't done so already :)

Cheers

Andrew