Noam Chomsky on AI, Neural Networks, and the Future of Linguistics (#349)

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Brian Keating

Science, Physics, Natural Sciences

4.7 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 September 2023

⏱️ 95 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Noam Chomsky is one of the most influential and highly cited scholars of our time. He is a pioneer in the fields of linguistics and cognitive science. He has deep thoughts about communicating with aliens, meditation, Elon Musk, and free speech. Chomsky is a prolific author and known political activist. We avoided politics, as is the custom for my interviews. Our conversation also covers the Turing Test, neural nets, and artificial intelligence, including why he expects Elon Musk’s Neuralink project to fail. Key Takeaways: Introduction (00:00) Does Noam Chomsky believe in extraterrestrial life & could we communicate with E.T.? (09:01) Busting (or confirming) linguistic myths with the master (23:57) “There is no scientific method. It’s just being intelligent.” (39:19) Artificial intelligence applications in cognitive science (58:13) Chomsky University would encourage discovery (1:09:46) Thoughts on the negative reaction to the Harper’s Magazine article (1:21:52) What object or knowledge would Chomsky put in or on his monolith? (1:29:59) What did Chomsky think was impossible until he did it? (1:32:16) — Additional resources: Noam Chomsky has been called "the father of modern linguistics." He has been a professor at MIT since 1955 (now emeritus) and continues to teach at the University of Arizona at the age of 91. Chomsky has received numerous awards and honorary doctorates, along with being a member of multiple professional societies. He has written over 100 books covering topics including linguistics, politics, and philosophy. Read “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate,” the letter in Harper’s Magazine which Chomsky signed https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/ Find Chomsky on the web: https://chomsky.info and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Noam-Chomsky-294468630182/ 🥗 Thanks, HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/50impossible and use code 50impossible for 50% off plus 15% off the next 2 months. 📝 With a MasterClass annual membership, you can take one-on-one classes from the world’s best for $10 a month with your annual membership, get unlimited access to every class — and even better, right now, as an Into The Impossible listener, you can get 15% off when you go to MASTERCLASS.com/impossible. 🧑‍💻 Visit LinkedIn.com/IMPOSSIBLE to post your job for free! 🎤 Join me and ⁦Lawrence Krauss for an Onstage Dialogue ⁦at the San Diego Air & Space Museum Tuesday, Oct 17, 2023 at 7:00 PM: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-onstage-dialogue-brian-keating-lawrence-m-krauss-tickets-699430514497 ➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php 🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast — Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known. Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The neural net systems are just the wrong place to look.
0:03.2	They don't have the kind of architecture which is involved in thinking.
0:07.6	We have to find something else.
0:09.5	It might turn out to be at the molecular level.
0:11.7	With the level of RNA, molecular level, you're really getting
0:15.5	massive possibilities of computation. So maybe just duplicating in their own that'll tell you nothing
0:21.8	because you're not looking in the right place.
0:24.0	We don't know. I mean the thing to do is do the science first, then worry about the engineering. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
0:37.0	Open the pod bay doors now.
0:44.0	We've never had a linguist on,
0:46.0	and I wonder if it's possible for you to give a brief overview of why linguistics is important
0:52.0	and what inspired you many years ago to pursue it.
0:56.3	It's been understood for millennia actually that since of language is the almost the defining characteristic of
1:10.9	human beings.
1:12.2	Sispeas property is common. characteristic of human beings.
1:12.5	It's a species property.
1:14.4	It's common to all humans.
1:16.4	It was assumed for centuries that it's common to all humans.
1:20.1	Now we have good evidence for it. There doesn't seem to be any group variation. It's
1:25.9	apparently a very recent development last couple of, maybe 200,000 years ago roughly about that, which is nothing in evolutionary time.
1:37.0	It has, it is, its properties have no analog in the animal world, essentially none.
1:45.0	So it's a true species property common to humans,
	...

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