In June 2022, a text exchange between the US software engineer Blake Lemoine and Google’s experimental AI chatbot LaMDA went viral when Lemoine came forward with claims that LaMDA had achieved sentience. Combining intriguing moments from the chat’s transcript, interviews with experts such as David Chalmers, and archival footage, this short film offers a refreshingly sober look at the state of AI, as well as the massive gaps in our understanding of consciousness. In doing so, the US director Garson Ormiston makes the case that sensationalist headlines conjuring fears of a techno-dystopian near-future overshadow more material issues over AI ethics that already exist – including how they reflect human biases, and the many ways in which they’re capable of manipulating users.
Director: Garson Ormiston
Producers: Allison Schroeder, Isabella Danzi
Director of Photography: Pete Quandt
Website: BBC Reel
video
Physics
The abyss at the edge of human understanding – a voyage into a black hole
4 minutes
video
Stories and literature
Robert Frost’s poetic reflection on youth, as read in his unforgettable baritone
5 minutes
video
Sex and sexuality
After a sextortion scam, Eugene conducts an unblushing survey of masturbation
14 minutes
video
Language and linguistics
Closed captions suck. Here’s one artist’s inventive project to make them better
8 minutes
video
Thinkers and theories
A rare female scholar of the Roman Empire, Hypatia lived and died as a secular voice
5 minutes
video
Architecture
The celebrated architect who took inspiration from sitting, waiting and contemplating
29 minutes
video
Anthropology
Why are witchcraft accusations so common across human societies?
4 minutes
video
Subcultures
Drop into London’s eclectic skate scene, where newbies and old-timers find community
5 minutes
video
Technology and the self
A deepfake porn victim confronts the pain of having her likeness stolen and vandalised
19 minutes