Podcast

SPOS #978 – Christopher DiCarlo On AI, Ethics, And The Hope We Get It Right

Welcome to episode #978 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Dr. Christopher DiCarlo is a philosopher, educator, author, and ethicist whose work lives at the intersection of human values, science, and emerging technology. Over the years, Christopher has built a reputation as a Socratic nonconformist, equally at home lecturing at Harvard during his postdoctoral years as he is teaching critical thinking in correctional institutions or corporate boardrooms. He’s the author of several important books on logic and rational discourse, including How To Become A Really Good Pain In The Ass – A Critical Thinker’s Guide To Asking The Right Questions and So You Think You Can Think?, as well as the host of the podcast, All Thinks Considered. In this conversation, we dig into his latest book, Building A God – The Ethics Of Artificial Intelligence And The Race To Control It, which takes a sobering yet practical look at the ethical governance of AI as we accelerate toward the possibility of artificial general intelligence. Drawing on years of study in philosophy of science and ethics, Christopher lays out the risks – manipulation, misalignment, lack of transparency – and the urgent need for international cooperation to set safeguards now. We talk about everything from the potential of AI to revolutionize healthcare and sustainability to the darker realities of deepfakes, algorithmic control, and the erosion of democratic processes. His proposal? A kind of AI “Geneva Conventions,” or something akin to the IAEA – but for algorithms. In a world rushing toward techno-utopianism, Christopher is a clear-eyed voice asking: “What kind of Gods are we building… and can we still choose their values?” If you’re thinking about the intersection of ethics and AI (and we should all be focused on this!), this is essential listening. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 58:55.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
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or you can connect on LinkedIn.
…or on X.
Here is my conversation with Dr. Christopher DiCarlo.
Building A God – The Ethics Of Artificial Intelligence And The Race To Control It.
How To Become A Really Good Pain In The Ass – A Critical Thinker’s Guide To Asking The Right Questions.
So You Think You Can Think?.
All Thinks Considered.
Convergence Analysis.
Follow Christopher on LinkedIn.
Follow Christopher on X.
This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Chapters:

(00:00) – Introduction to AI Ethics and Philosophy.
(03:14) – The Interconnectedness of Systems.
(05:56) – The Race for AGI and Its Implications.
(09:04) – Risks of Advanced AI: Misuse and Misalignment.
(11:54) – The Need for Ethical Guidelines in AI Development.
(15:05) – Global Cooperation and the AI Arms Race.
(18:03) – Values and Ethics in AI Alignment.
(20:51) – The Role of Government in AI Regulation.
(24:14) – The Future of AI: Hope and Concerns.
(31:02) – The Dichotomy of Regulation and Innovation.
(34:57) – The Drive Behind AI Pioneers.
(37:12) – Skepticism and the Tech Bubble Debate.
(39:39) – The Potential of AI and Its Risks.
(43:20) – Techno-Selection and Control Over AI.
(48:53) – The Future of Medicine and AI’s Role.
(51:42) – Empowering the Public in AI Governance.
(54:37) – Building a God: Ethical Considerations in AI.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #978.

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Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.