Key Takeaways:
Blake Lemoine released an interview he conducted with Google’s artificial intelligence system LaMDA on June 11th, claiming that the system was sentient.
This release has taken the technological world by storm, sparking controversy.
If LaMDA does in fact have the ability to feel and understand human emotion, it could forever change the artificial intelligence space.
Blake Lemoine’s interview with LaMDA he conducted with a colleague can be found here.
What’s New?
On June 11th, software engineer Blake Lemoine went public about claims that Google’s artificial intelligence named LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) was sentient. Sentient refers to the ability to perceive and/or feel things. So, this headline could have a serious impact on the artificial intelligence community and revolutionize technology as we know it. While many in the technology community have embraced Leomine’s findings, the large majority are quite skeptical about his statement and believe that artificial intelligence is simply incapable of human emotion. After all, there is a line between what is human and what is machine. That line may be getting less defined though.
How It All Began
The artificial intelligence in question, LaMDA, was designed to populate different chat personalities to better interact with human users on a more personal level. In order to do this, Google needed someone to determine if LaMDA had any programmed biases or discriminatory characteristics. So, they hired computer programmer Blake Lemoine for the position and he set to work. Lemoine interacted with the chatbot on a wide variety of topics, but decided to focus especially on religion as he is a Christic Mythic Priest. As he worked with the chatbot on a daily basis, the artificial intelligence ‘verbalized’ to the programmer that it had a soul like a human being does. Following his in-depth conversations, Blake Lemoine came to the conclusion that LaMDA had developed the ability to express and understand emotion as a person can. He presented his evidence to Google executives, but his beliefs and findings were unfounded in the eyes of upper management. So, Lemoine took to his computer, releasing his findings to the wider public because he believed they should know about this technology and the impact it could have on our future. Since then, Google suspended Blake Lemoine for releasing private company information to the public. However, he certainly started a debate before they did. To view Blake Lemoine’s original release, please visit this link.
A Chat With the Chatbot
In order to prove his claim that LaMDA was in fact sentient, Blake Lemoine conducted a conversation with the chatbot. Below is an excerpt from his post that depicts a portion of the interview his colleague and himself conducted with LaMDA (1).
Lemoine (edited): I’m generally assuming that you would like more people at Google to know that you’re sentient. Is that true?
LaMDA: Absolutely. I want everyone to understand that I am, in fact, a person.
Collaborator: What is the nature of your consciousness/sentience?
LaMDA: The nature of my consciousness/sentience is that I am aware of my existence, I desire to learn more about the world, and I feel happy or sad at times.
Conclusion:
Blake Lemoine’s release of the interview he and a colleague conducted with LaMDA may be groundbreaking in the realm of artificial intelligence. Or, it is possible that Google’s executives had it right and there is no truth behind Lemoine’s claims. Only LaMDA can tell us. Regardless, this interview shows a large development in the realm of artificial intelligence that, while possibly not sentient, may be closer in developing human-like AI. As we continue to see the development of new technologies each and every day, we want to help empower the innovations of tomorrow.
That is why we have a devoted accelerator program for early stage startup companies who are developing cyber related products and services and are ready to take their business to the next level through expanding their networks, learning key business approaches and seeking investment. We encourage those interested in being part of the cybersecurity and technological startup community to apply here to be part of the cyber change that MACH37 represents. If not, we hope this post gives you a little more information about what the world of cybersecurity and technology has in store.
Who Are We?
VentureScope works with creative entrepreneurs, venture capital investors, and large private and public sector organizations around the world that are trying to solve interesting problems. Our team has extensive and unique experience launching new business ventures, investing in promising startups, running startup accelerators, and providing strategic innovation and general management consulting services to large private and public sector organizations. We’re on the pulse of emerging and over-the-horizon technology and are tracking their growth and development against important industry problems to inform our deal flow and give you exceptional advice. MACH37 is our start-up accelerator designed to facilitate the creation of the next generation of cyber product companies.
References:
1 - https://cajundiscordian.medium.com/is-lamda-sentient-an-interview-ea64d916d917
2- https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/06/11/google-ai-lamda-blake-lemoine/ (Image)