Sci-fi writer Ted Chiang: ‘The machines we have now are not conscious’
Sci-fi writer Ted Chiang discusses the limits of AI, the uses of science fiction, and the illusion of sentience in AI tools. His work explores the relationship between language and cognition and the implications of superhuman intelligence. Chiang argues that large language models are mostly useful f
- Sci-fi author Ted Chiang discusses the current state of AI and the uses of science fiction.
- Chiang argues that the machines we have now are not conscious and that AI models are simply collections of applied statistics.
- He warns against anthropomorphic language that creates an illusion of sentience in AI tools.
- Chiang's work explores the relationship between language and cognition, the implications of superhuman intelligence, and the shifting nature of our place in the world.
- He believes that large language models are mainly useful for producing filler text, rather than writing that speaks to people.
Sci-fi writer Ted Chiang: ‘The machines we have now are not conscious’
The visionary author on the limits of AI, the uses of science fiction — and why there’s a ‘market opportunity for volleyballs’
Madhumita Murgia
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