John Havens: Heartificial Intelligence

We're excited to welcome to the podcast John Havens, a multifaceted thinker at the intersection of technology, ethics, and sustainability. John's journey has taken him from professional acting to becoming a thought leader in AI ethics and human wellbeing.

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In his 2016 book, "Heartificial Intelligence: Embracing Our Humanity to Maximize Machines," John presents a thought-provoking examination of humanity's relationship with AI. He introduces the concept of "codifying our values" - our crucial need as a species to define and understand our own ethics before we entrust machines to make decisions for us.

Through an interplay of fictional vignettes and real-world examples, the book illuminates the fundamental interplay between human values and machine intelligence, arguing that while AI can measure and improve wellbeing, it cannot automate it. John advocates for greater investment in understanding our own values and ethics to better navigate our relationship with increasingly sophisticated AI systems.

In this conversation, we dive into the key ideas from "Heartificial Intelligence" and their profound implications for the future of both human and artificial intelligence. We explore questions like:

• What are the core components of human values that AI systems need to understand?
• How can we design AI systems to augment rather than replace human decision-making?
• Why has the field of AI ethics lagged behind technological development, and what role can positive psychology play in bridging this gap?
• Should we be concerned about AI systems usurping our ability to define our own values, or are there inherent limits to what machines can understand about human ethics?

Let's dive into our conversation with John Havens.

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Thanks to Jonathan Coulton for our music