Okay, so get ready because we are diving
into some seriously mind-bending stuff today.
Like you have been all over this quantum computing,
AI, even animal communication.
And we're gonna try to like connect these seemingly
really, really separate threads
in a way that just might blow your mind.
Ever wonder if we'll ever actually understand
what dolphins are saying or what's going on in a dog's head?
It's a question that has like captivated humans for ages,
trying to crack the code of animal communication.
Yeah.
And you know that you're researching right now,
advancements in AI, specifically algorithms
that analyze complex patterns.
Okay.
It's bringing us closer than ever
to potentially understanding.
I'm seeing that link, this idea that we might need
totally new kinds of tools to even begin to process
the complexity of how animals communicate.
It's like we've been trying to listen to an orchestra
with earmuffs on and now we're finally starting
to hear the nuances.
A perfect analogy.
And speaking of powerful tools,
your deep dive into quantum computing
plays a big role here.
Okay.
It's not just science fiction anymore.
It's real.
Right.
And the implications are, well, pretty wild to consider.
Yeah.
No, quantum computing has definitely
captured my imagination.
Yeah.
It's like the wild west out there,
nations investing billions this race to unlock its power.
Yeah.
But I'll admit, sometimes I feel like I need a PhD
in physics just to understand the basics.
Right.
Yeah.
It's a whole new way of thinking about computing.
Yeah.
You've been digging into IBM's work, right?
Yeah, yeah.
Their multi-billion dollar gamble on quantum computers.
Exactly.
Their approach focusing on these things called quibits,
it's completely different from the computers we're used to.
You're right on the money.
Okay.
See, a normal computer bit is like a light switch.
Oh, okay.
It's either on or off, one or O.
Right.
But a quibit,
to the wonders of quantum mechanics,
Yeah.
can be in a sort of blurry state
where it's both one and O at the same time.
What?
It's called superposition.
Wow.
Imagine spinning a coin.
Okay.
Until it falls, it's both heads and tails simultaneously.
Oh, right.
It's both at the same time.
How?
In a way.
So instead of processing every possibility one by one,
a quantum computer could explore a massive number
of solutions at the same time.
Right.
Talk about a game changer.
It's the potential to tackle problems
that are currently impossible.
Yeah.
Even for the most powerful supercomputers.
Right.
Think about drug discovery, for example.
Okay.
Right now, designing new medications
at the molecular level is incredibly complex
and time consuming.
Yeah.
But a quantum computer could analyze
the intricate interactions of molecules
in ways we can barely imagine,
potentially leading to cures for diseases
we currently have no answers for.
It's like having a super powered microscope
that can see and manipulate matter
at its most fundamental level.
Yeah.
It's amazing, but also a bit daunting, isn't it?
Yeah, it's true.
This kind of power has the potential
to be incredibly beneficial,
but also, well, maybe a bit scary.
You're absolutely right to be thinking
about the other side of the coin.
Yeah.
Because with this kind of power
comes serious responsibility.
Yeah.
The same technology that could lead
to medical breakthroughs could also be used
to crack the encryption that protects our online data.
Right.
Our financial systems, even national secrets.
It's like we're talking about handing someone
the master key to the entire digital world.
It is, yeah.
It makes you wonder who we can trust
with that kind of power.
Right.
And based on my reading,
there's already a global race going on
to see who will control this technology.
You hit on a crucial point.
Okay.
The geopolitical implications are enormous.
Yeah.
I'm seeing the US-China rivalry in this space, I see.
Right.
It's not just about economic advantage,
it's about national security.
Yeah.
And who gets to shape the future of global power.
It's fascinating and a bit unnerving.
On the one hand, we have the potential
for incredible advancements in medicine,
material science, or understanding of the universe itself.
Right.
And on the other, we have the very real possibility
of a world where privacy is a distant memory
and the balance of global power
shifts in unpredictable ways.
It's unpredictable, it's a tightrope walk, isn't it?
Yeah.
Balancing the immense potential of these technologies
with the very real risks.
Yeah.
And as we delve deeper into your research.
Okay.
It's clear that quantum computing
is just one piece of the puzzle.
Right.
It's pushing us to confront some even bigger questions
about the nature of intelligence itself.
Right.
Especially with the rise of artificial intelligence.
It's interesting you say that
because I've been thinking a lot
about how we define intelligence.
Yeah.
Especially as AI becomes more sophisticated.
Right.
We're already surrounded by AI in our daily lives.
We are.
But it seems like we're on the verge of something
even more profound.
Right.
Something that could fundamentally
challenge our place in the world.
It's that leap from narrow AI machines
that are really good at specific tasks.
Right.
To general AI, which is what really gets people talking.
Okay.
And maybe a little nervous.
Right.
Narrow AI is like having a calculator
that can solve complex equations in seconds.
Right.
It's useful, but still just a tool.
It is.
But general AI.
Yeah.
That's like creating a machine
that could potentially outthink us
in every way imaginable.
Exactly.
Yeah.
General AI aims to create machines
that don't just follow instructions.
Right.
But can actually learn, adapt, and reason
at a level comparable to
or even exceeding human capabilities.
Wow.
It's the kind of AI that could write a bestselling novel.
Right.
Compose a symphony, or even design
a groundbreaking scientific experiment.
Why?
All things we currently consider uniquely human pursuits.
It makes you wonder if we're even close to understanding
what true artificial intelligence would look like.
You wanna?
Let alone how to create it.
Right.
It seems like every time we think we're getting close,
the goalposts move.
You've hit on a fundamental challenge.
Okay.
Defining intelligence is surprisingly difficult.
Right.
Is it the ability to process information quickly?
Right.
To solve complex problems.
Uh-huh.
To be more aware.
Right.
Or is it something even more elusive?
Yeah.
Something we haven't even begun to comprehend.
It's like trying to define what it means to be human.
Right.
It's a question that philosophers have been wrestling with
for centuries.
Exactly.
But I do think there are some key aspects of intelligence
that most researchers seem to agree on.
Okay.
Like learning, for example.
Okay.
A truly intelligent system,
whether it's biological or artificial,
needs to be able to learn from its experiences
and adapt to new information.
Absolutely.
It's not just about rote memorization.
Okay.
It's about understanding the why behind the what.
Okay.
About making connections between
seemingly disparate pieces of information.
Okay.
It's about using past experiences to solve new problems.
Right.
And navigate unfamiliar situations.
Yeah.
So it's not just knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Right.
It's understanding why that matters in a botanical sense.
Right.
But also maybe knowing when to use that knowledge.
Yeah.
Like doing a trivia contest or explaining to your friend
why they shouldn't put tomatoes in their fruit salad.
Precisely.
Yeah.
It's about applying knowledge
in a flexible and creative way.
Okay.
And that brings us to another hallmark of intelligence.
Yeah.
Reasoning.
Right.
It's the ability to think abstractly.
Okay.
To see patterns,
to draw logical conclusions from available information.
Right.
It's what allows us to plan for the future.
Right.
To make predictions, to understand cause and effect.
And if you're talking about AI that can truly reason,
you have to consider the possibility
that it might need more than just lines of code
and algorithms.
Yeah.
Some researchers believe that AI might need a physical body
to fully interact with and understand the world.
You're thinking about the work of researchers
like Sergey Levine, right?
Yes.
They're building robots that learn by interacting
with the physical world.
Yeah.
Much like a child learns through play and exploration.
Exactly.
I was blown away by that video I saw of Sergey's robot.
It was learning how to manipulate objects,
like figuring out how to use a spoon
to skip something into a bowl.
Wow.
It was incredible because it wasn't just following
pre-programmed instructions.
It seemed like it was actually experimenting,
learning from its mistakes.
Yeah.
And developing its own understanding
of how the physical world works.
That's what's so intriguing about this line of research.
Yeah.
The idea that AI might need a body,
a physical presence in the world.
Yeah.
To develop the kind of common sense understanding
that we humans take for granted.
It's like that saying, you don't really know something
until you've experienced it firsthand.
Right.
Maybe it's the same for AI.
Right.
Maybe to truly understand what it means to be intelligent.
Yeah.
AI needs to interact with the world
in a way that's more than just theoretical.
Yeah.
It needs to experience the world
through its own senses, so to speak.
It's a fascinating concept.
Yeah.
And it raises a whole host of questions
about the nature of consciousness, embodiment,
what it truly means to be intelligent.
Right.
But it also highlights the potential risks involved
in creating something
that could be more intelligent than ourselves.
That's the million dollar question, isn't it?
Humans develop larger brains, more complex language.
Right.
And the ability to use tools
in increasingly sophisticated ways.
Okay.
As a result, we have come to dominate the planet.
Right.
While gorillas are confined to shrinking habitats,
their survival often dependent on our goodwill.
So the analogy being that humans could become the gorillas
in a future dominated by super-intelligent AI.
That's the question.
Relegated to the sidelines,
our fate in the hands of something we created
but can no longer control.
It's a sobering thought.
It is.
And it highlights the ethical imperative
to approach AI development with caution and foresight.
Right.
We need to be asking ourselves
not just if we can create super-intelligent AI.
Yeah.
But should we?
Right.
And if so, how do we ensure that it shares our values,
our goals for the future?
Yeah.
How do we create AI that is aligned with human wellbeing?
Right.
Rather than something that could potentially see us
as a threat or an obstacle.
These aren't just hypothetical questions anymore, are they?
We're not, no.
We're talking about decisions
that could determine the fate of humanity.
We are.
It's a lot of responsibility to bear.
It is indeed.
Wow.
And as we delve further into your research.
Okay.
We'll see how these questions about the nature
of intelligence and the ethics of AI
are playing out in a field that's
captivated humans for centuries.
Yeah.
Animal communication.
Okay.
Could the key to coexisting with artificial intelligence
lie in unlocking the secrets of the natural world?
Okay.
We'll explore that right after this.
It's fascinating to think that like the key
to navigating the future of intelligence.
Right.
Both artificial and our own
might lie in like deciphering the languages
of other species.
Yeah.
We've been talking about the potential of AI.
Right.
But it seems like our own attempts to understand
how animals communicate go back centuries, right?
It's an age old pursuit.
Right.
Fueled by a fundamental curiosity about the natural world.
Yeah.
For centuries we've observed the intricate dances of bees,
listened to the haunting songs of whales,
and marveled at the complex social structures of ants,
all while wondering, what are they saying?
What's going on in those brains?
It's like we've been staring at a giant jigsaw puzzle.
Right.
But missing most of the pieces.
Yeah.
But now with the power of AI,
it feels like we might finally have a chance
to start putting those pieces together.
You're spot on.
What you've been digging into,
the use of AI to analyze animal communication.
Right.
It's revolutionizing the field.
Okay.
We're going beyond simple observation
and starting to uncover the hidden patterns,
instructions within those animal sounds.
Okay.
Those chirps and whistles and clicks
that might hold the key to understanding their meaning.
So instead of just recording a bird call and saying,
well, that's pretty.
Right.
Scientists are using AI to analyze thousands,
even millions of those calls.
Looking for patterns that our human ears
might completely miss.
Exactly.
Think about those transformer models
that power things like chat GPT.
Okay.
The ones that can generate human quality attacks.
Right.
Researchers are now applying those same algorithms
to analyze animal communication.
Wow.
These AI systems can process massive data sets
of animal sounds,
identifying subtle variations in pitch rhythm,
even the emotional context of those sounds.
Things that would be impossible for humans to do
on such a large scale.
It's like having a super powered ear for animal language.
It is.
But I imagine it's not as simple
as just feeding these sounds into a computer
and getting a direct translation right.
You're right.
It's much more nuanced than that.
Yeah.
The biggest challenges is context.
Okay.
Take the humble dog bark for example.
Right.
A bark can mean so many different things.
Sure.
Hello, play with me, danger.
Right.
Depending on the situation, the dog's body language,
even the tone of the bark itself.
And that's just one species
with a relatively limited vocal range.
Right.
Imagine trying to decode the communication
of a humpback whale.
Right.
With its complex songs that can last for hours.
Precisely.
The sheer complexity and diversity
of animal communication systems is sounding.
Yeah.
And each species perceives the world in a unique way.
Right.
Whales for example, use echolocation
to navigate and find food.
Right.
Their acoustic world is vastly different from ours.
So it's not just about translating sounds.
It's about understanding the entire sensory experience
of another species.
Yes.
It's about trying to see the world through their eyes.
Right.
Or in the case of a bat, through their ears.
It's a humbling endeavor, really.
Yeah.
It forces us to confront the limits of our own perception
and to appreciate the incredible diversity
of intelligence on this planet.
It makes you wonder what we might discover
about ourselves in the process.
But even if we never achieve perfect translation.
Right.
Even a basic understanding of animal communication
could have a huge impact,
especially when it comes to conservation.
Absolutely.
You've been looking into the work of Lucy King, haven't you?
Yes.
Her research on elephant communication
is a fantastic example of how even a partial understanding
of animal language can have real world benefits.
Her work is incredible.
It's amazing how she was able to identify
that specific rumble elephants use
to warn each other about bees.
Right.
And then use that knowledge to develop a practical solution
to human elephant conflict.
It's a testament to the power of curiosity driven research.
Yeah.
Lucy's initial observation that elephants seem to have
an aversion to bees.
Right.
Had really been dismissed as a quirky footnote.
Right.
But she dug deeper.
She listened to the elephants.
And in doing so, she discovered a new way
to protect both elephants and humans.
It's a powerful reminder that we still have so much to learn
from the natural world.
We do.
If we can find a way to listen, really listen,
to what other species are saying,
who knows what we might discover.
It's true.
Maybe the key to coexisting with artificial intelligence
to ensuring a future where both humans and AI
can thrive lies in deciphering the languages
of the natural world.
Yeah.
In recognizing that intelligence takes many forms.
It does.
And that our own understanding of that concept
is still evolving.
You've hit on a profound point.
Yeah.
As we delve deeper into the realms of quantum computing,
artificial intelligence, and animal communication,
we're ultimately on a quest to understand
the nature of intelligence itself.
Right.
In all its breathtaking complexity and diversity.
Yeah.
And that, perhaps, is the most exciting discovery of all.