Episode 35

The Long, Hot AI Summer, India's Space Mission, and Addressing Inequality through Innovation ft. Richard Jones

September 13, 2023

TRANSCRIPT

Jack and Shobita are back after a summer hiatus! We return talking about--of course--ChatGPT and other generative AI, the problem at Fukushima, and India's Chandrayaan Rover. Then we chat with Richard A.L. Jones, professor of material physics and innovation policy . He is also the Vice President for Regional Innovation and Civic Engagement at Manchester University.

Study Questions:

1. What is wrong with the Turing test to evaluate AI?

2. What is unique about India's approach to space innovation?

3. What is the problem with the conventional idea that the road to economic opportunity is teaching miners how to code?

4. How does Richard Jones think that innovation policy should address inequality? How about universities?

5. What is wrong with equating innovation and entrepreneurship? How do our conventional notions of innovation constrain its potential to help society?

Related links:

• Richard A.L. Jones (2022). "Science and innovation policy for hard times: an overview of the UK’s Research and Development landscape."The Productivity Institute.

• Tom Forth and Richard A.L. Jones (2020). "The Missing £4 Billion." Nesta.

• Richard A.L. Jones (2019). "A Resurgence of the Regions: rebuilding innovation capacity across the whole UK."

• Richard A.L. Jones and James WIlsdon (2018). "The Biomedical Bubble."Nesta.
  Richard A.L. Jones.Soft Machines. Blog.

• Jack Stilgoe (2023). "We need a Weizenbaum test for AI." Science. August 11.

• Gil Scott-Heron, (1970) "Whitey on the Moon."