Podcast | Making smart decisions about artificial intelligence

As the new technology proliferates, the founding CEO of the Allen Institute for A.I. discusses how — or even whether — it should be controlled.

Two people chatting on stage

Oren Etzioni, left, and Chirag Shah speak on stage during the Crosscut Ideas Festival in Seattle on May 6, 2023. (David Ryder for Crosscut)

Artificial intelligence is everywhere. Companies are already exploring the many uses of AI and a number of tools are widely available for public use. We're seeing the benefits in the business world, from simple to revolutionary, but at the same time a host of critiques. 

For this episode of the Crosscut Talks podcast, we dive into the technological phenomenon with Oren Etzioni, founding CEO of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, who spoke at the Crosscut Ideas Festival in May 2023. 


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Etzioni tells interviewer Chirag Shah, from the University of Washington's School of Information and Computer Science, that he doesn't want to rush sweeping new regulations, but says companies should adhere to current laws and regulators should focus on the enforcement of potential violations. 

The bigger concern here, according to Etzioni, is what still needs to be done to prevent this kind of technology from getting into the hands of bad actors. To some degree, he says, it already is.

This conversation was recorded May 6, 2023.

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