Podcast: What is AI? We made this radio play to help. – MIT Technology Review

Defining what is, or isnt artificial intelligence can be tricky (or tough). So much so, even the experts get it wrong sometimes. Thats why MIT Technology Reviews Senior AI Editor Karen Hao created a flowchart to explain it all. In this bonus content our host and her team reimagined Haos original reporting, gamifying it into a radio play.

This episode was reported by Karen Hao. It was adapted for audio and produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens. The voices you hear are Emma Cillekens, as well as Eric Mongeon and Kyle Thomas Hemingway from our art team. Were edited by Michael Reilly and Niall Firth.

[:15 pre-roll]

[TR ID]

Jennifer: Hi there. Im Jennifer Strong host of In Machines We Trust.

Defining what is, or isnt artificial intelligence can be a little tough. So much so, that even the experts get it wrong sometimes. Thats why Tech Reviews senior AI editor Karen Hao created a flowchart to explain it and together, we turned into this next episode Its silly. Its fun. And we hope it helps.

I also want to tell you about something really special weve been working on for more than a year. Its called The Extortion Economy. Its a short podcast series about the ransomware epidemic produced in collaboration with ProPublica. And Its available now wherever you like to listen.

[Show ID]

Emma Cilikens: Ladies and gentlemen... Welcome to This is AI...

Players will ask questions that get to the bottom of what it is or isnt AI And... Ive brought along an assistant to help out with the answers

Voice assistant: Hello.

Emma Cilikens: Hello, Alexa.

Emma Cilikens: And just so were all on the same page Artificial Intelligence... in its broadest sense refers to machines that can learn, reason, and act for themselves. They can make their own decisions when faced with new situations, much like humans and animals do.

Emma Cilikens: Now this bell... [SOT: ding] ...means correctly identified AI and this buzzer... [SOT: buzzer, crowd sigh] Well... not so much.

Emma Cilikens: Ok. So, lets test your knowledge.. Ready... set player one, go! ..

Eric Mongeon: Can it see...

Voice assistant: Yes.

Eric Mongeon: Can it identify what it sees...

Voice assistant: No ...[SOT: buzzer]

Emma Cilikens: Ok, so thats just a camera

Eric Mongeon: ok ok but what if it can identify what it sees?

[SOT: ding, ding, ding]

Emma Cilikens: Yep - thats computer vision and image processing. Player two!

Kyle Thomas Hemingway: Can it hear...

Voice assistant: Yes

Kyle Thomas Hemingway: Does it respond in a useful, sensible way to what it hears?

Voice assistant: Yes

[SOT: DING DING DING]

Emma Cilikens: So, thats NLPnatural language processing.

The goal of this kind of AI is to help computers make sense of human languages in a way thats useful.

But what if it doesnt respond in a useful, sensible way to what it hears. Could that also be AI?

Kyle Thomas Hemingway: If it's transcribing what you say

[SOT: bell ding, ding, ding]

Emma Cilikens: Yes! Thats also AIits speech recognition, which is similar but working from the spoken word instead of text. New round of questions! Player 1.

Eric Mongeon: Can it read?

Voice assistant: Yes

Eric Mongeon: Is it reading what you type?

Voice assistant: No

Eric Mongeon: Is it reading passages of text?

Voice assistant: Yes

Eric Mongeon: Is it analyzing the text for patterns?

Voice assistant: Yes

[SOT: ding, ding, ding]

Emma Cilikens: Yes, once again thats NLPnatural language processing. Well done!

Kyle Thomas Hemingway: Ill take that same question again - Can it read?

Voice assistant: Yes

Kyle Thomas Hemingway: Is it reading what you type?

Voice assistant:: Yes

Kyle Thomas Hemingway: Does it respond in a sensible, useful way?

Voice assistant: Yes

[SOT: ding, ding, ding]

Emma Cilikens: Thats also NLPnatural language processing. New question please player 1.

Eric Mongeon: Can it reason?

Voice assistant: Yes

Eric Mongeon: Is it looking for patterns in massive amounts of data?

Voice assistant: Yes

Eric Mongeon: Is it using these patterns to make decisions?

Emma Cilikens: Well, if not, that sounds like math.

Eric Mongeon: But if it is using patterns to make decisions?

Voice assistant: Yes

[SOT: ding, ding, ding]

Emma Cilikens: Then thats machine learningwhich is when a machine learns through experience. Ok. Final round!

Kyle Thomas Hemingway: Can it move?

Voice assistant: Yes.

[SOT: ding, ding, ding]

Kyle Thomas Hemingway: By itself, without help?

Voice assistant: Yes.

[SOT: ding, ding, ding]

Kyle Thomas Hemingway: Does it move based on what it sees and hears?

Voice assistant: Yes.

[SOT: ding, ding, ding]

Kyle Thomas Hemingway: Are you sure its not just moving along a pre-programmed path?

Voice assistant: [Alexa] Hmmm. Im not sure.

Emma Cilikens: Very funny but if so, thats just a bot.

[SOT: buzzer, crowd sigh]

Kyle Thomas Hemingway: Ok, lets try that again. Is it moving along a pre-programmed path?

Voice assistant: No.

[SOT: ding, ding, ding]

Emma Cilikens: Ok, so thats a smart robot, meaning one thats using AI to make some of its own decisions.

Great.

And thats the game.

Thanks for playing!

[Music up full]

Jennifer: Well be back - right after this.

[MIDROLL]

[MUSIC]

Jennifer: Many thanks to the talented voices in this episodeincluding our producer, Emma Cillekens, with Eric Mongeon and Kyle Thomas Hemingway. The editors are Michael Reilly and Niall Firth.

Thanks for listening Im Jennifer Strong.

[Post Roll: TR ID]

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Podcast: What is AI? We made this radio play to help. - MIT Technology Review