When Will the Machines Come Alive?

The discussion around whether AI can ever become alive or sentient is divisive. Some experts consider it a distraction from important research, while others say it's essential to ask the question. Neuroscientist and Westworld adviser David Eagleman argues that the possibility of AI developing consciousness is an important conversation to have. Former Google software engineer Blake Lemoine says his decision to go public with concerns that an AI bot had become sentient has kick-started conversations around regulation and led to greater transparency. Then, child psychologist Alison Gopnik explains why babies and young children’s ability to interact with the world around them provides a blueprint for artificial intelligence systems.