Artificial Intelligence: An Existential Threat?

Technology & science · 02 ago. 2021

0 min read

It is not an understatement to say that Artificial Intelligence may be the most important technology human beings will ever create. Can it be employed to enhance the quality of our lives, or will it pose an existential risk to humanity?.

Today we are joined by Stuart Russell, professor of Computer Science at UC Berkeley and the author of Human Compatible: AI and the Problem of Control. Marcus du Sautoy, Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford and author of The Creativity Code; and, Mathias Gonzalez, Head of Investment Specialists, Middle East and Africa at Pictet Wealth Management. This conversation is moderated by Anjali Bastianpillai, Senior Product Specialist at Pictet Asset Management.

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Appearing in this episode

Stuart Russell is a professor of Computer Science and holder of the Smith-Zadeh Chair in Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and an Honorary Fellow of Wadham College, University of Oxford. He has advised Number 10 and the United Nations about the risks of AI. In 1990, he received the Presidential Young Investigator Award of the National Science Foundation, in 1995 he was co-winner of the Computers and Thought Award and in 2005 he received the ACM Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award. He is the author (with Peter Norvig) of Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, the Number One bestselling textbook in AI which is used in over 1,300 universities in 118 countries around the world. He was born in England and lives in Berkeley.

Marcus du Sautoy holds Oxford University's prestigious Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science, a post previously held by Richard Dawkins, and is also a professor of Mathematics. He has presented numerous programmes on television and radio, including the internationally acclaimed BBC series The Story of Maths and the comedy maths show The School of Hard Sums with Dara Ó Briain. He writes extensively for the Guardian, The Times and the Daily Telegraph and has written and performed a new play called X&Y which has been staged in London’s Science Museum and Glastonbury Festival. He received an OBE for services to science in the 2010 New Year’s Honours List.

Mathias Gonzalez joined Pictet in 2016 to advise sophisticated clients on both discretionary and advisory solutions His core focus is on building customized portfolios across all asset classes as well as advisory business for those clients who wish to be more involved in the investments process In his current role, Mathias heads a team of Investment Specialists and dedicates a large part of his time on business development.

Anjali Bastianpillai joined Pictet Asset Management in 2016 and is a Senior Product Specialist in the bank’s Thematic Equities team, responsible for Robotics, Securities and Digital strategies. Prior to taking her current role in 2018, she was a Senior Client Portfolio Manager for the Total Return Fixed Income team, focusing on Credit Long/Short and EM Debt Long/Short strategies. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University.