The Mind's Mirror: Daniela Rus and Gregory Mone on the risk and reward of AI

AI has been dominating the news cycle for the last year and yet many still are confused by this technology’s benefits and perils. On one hand, AI has the potential to create new life-saving drugs or help unlock mysteries of the natural world. On the other hand, it could displace millions of workers or, most terrifyingly, lead society to its own destruction.

WBUR director of digital audio and co-host of the Endless Thread podcast, Ben Brock Johnson, moderated a conversation with MIT researcher Daniela Rus and science writer Gregory Mone about their new book, “The Mind’s Mirror: Risk and Reward in the Age of AI,” where they discussed the hype and fear-mongering to offer a clear-eyed, balanced and accessible explanation of the technology’s limitations and possibilities.


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It's disheartening to hear drug discovery being hailed as the "most exciting" use case for AI, when in reality, it's a symptom of a much deeper issue. Instead of harnessing the power of AI to address the root causes of our global health crises, our food systems, lifestyles, and environments, we continue to focus on treating symptoms. Yes, I understand that someone has to fund the models and the infrastructure, but this approach keeps us locked in a vicious cycle. We've merely moved from one form of experimentation to another, swapping traditional cages for AI-powered ones. It would be far more transformative to channel AI's potential into reshaping the way we live, making small but impactful changes that could prevent these problems from arising in the first place. Rather than developing endless "quick fixes, " we should be focused on a future where we no longer need them.