Podcast
Prosthetic Gods
Hosted by James Hughes and Nir Eisikovits · EN
Welcome to “Prosthetic Gods,” the podcast where bioethicist James Hughes and philosopher Nir Eisikovits engage in spirited debates on the ethics and politics of emerging technologies. Hughes, a pro-technology transhumanist, and Eisikovits, with his Luddite stance, explore topics from brain-computer interfaces to artificial intelligence. Tune in and explore the promise and perils of technological advancements with us!
16episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Humanoid Robots
Mar 2501:02:00Tap to summarizeEpisode 38 - Humanoid Robots This week on Prosthetic Gods, Nir and J talk about the distinctive ethical issues raised by the humanoid robots coming to homes and workplaces. Their presence and human-like form elicit unique responses compared to those of non-embodied AI. The appearance of a robot can manipulate human empathy and consent; robotic caregiving could be used as a pretext to dismantle the social safety net, and robot lovers could deepen loneliness. Show Notes: Moravec’s paradox “Can AI Robots Help Older Adults Live in Their Homes Longer?” By Lee Pruitt “China Could Dominate the Physical AI Future” by Eric Schmidt and Selina Xu “Humanoid Robots to Reach Nearly US$30 Billion by 2036” by Shihao Fu Humans (2015-2018, 3 seasons) Battlestar Gallactica (2004-2009, 5 seasons) As always, listeners can contact us at prostheticgods@gmail.com with questions, comments, and suggestions for future topics. Credits: Hosted by James Hughes and Nir Eisikovits Music & Production by Jake Burley
Transcribe →Anthropic's Conflict with the Pentagon: A Conversation with Alan Rozenshtein
Mar 1300:50:50Tap to summarizeEpisode 37 - Anthropic's Conflict with the Pentagon: A Conversation with Alan Rozenshtein This week on Prosthetic Gods, J and Nir are talking to Alan Rozenshtein, professor of Law at the University of Minnesota, senior editor of Lawfare, fellow at Brookings, and former attorney at the Justice Department specializing in national defense. We talked about the legal and political implications of the Trump administration’s conflict with Anthropic over the military and surveillance uses of Claude. Show Notes: Alan Rozenshtein’s website Scaling Laws podcast "Congress—Not the Pentagon or Anthropic—Should Set Military AI Rules" by Alan Rozenshtein "Lawfare Daily: The Pentagon Designates Anthropic as a Supply Chain Risk" podcast with Benjamin Wittes "Scaling Laws: The Pentagon Goes to War With Anthropic" podcast with Kevin Frazier “The Most Disruptive Company in the World” by Harry Booth and Billy Perrigo As always, listeners can contact us at prostheticgods@gmail.com with questions, comments, and suggestions for future topics. Credits: Hosted by James Hughes and Nir Eisikovits Music & Production by Jake Burley
Transcribe →Buddhism and the Self
Feb 1800:55:19Tap to summarizeEpisode 36 - Buddhism and the Self This week on Prosthetic Gods, Nir is interrogating an essay by J. on Buddhism, enhancement, and the self. They discuss the appeal of Buddhism for teenage Hughes, and how Buddhism reconciles a radical deconstruction of the self with moral commitment and principles. Show Notes: Buddhism and Our Posthuman Future - J. Hughes Cyborg Buddha - A conversation with transhumanist James Hughes Personal Immortality in Transhumanism and Ancient Indian Philosophy - Adam Buben Hume on personal identity The Machine Stops - E. M. Forster, 1909 As always, listeners can contact us at prostheticgods@gmail.com with questions, comments, and suggestions for future topics.
Transcribe →Pluribus
Feb 401:05:10Tap to summarizeEpisode 35 - Pluribus This week on Prosthetic Gods, Nir and J are discussing the hit Apple TV show Pluribus. Created by Vince Gilligan, the show runner of Breaking Bad, the show explores a world taken over by a very nice hive mind that wants to give you anything you want. Would you take advantage of the perks, appreciate that the hive reduced humanity’s suffering, or fight like hell to give us all back our miserable individuality? Show Notes: “In Apple TV’s ‘Pluribus,’ the biggest ethical dilemmas ‘are our fault,’ a philosopher says” Cody Mello-Klein “The Benign Zombies of Pluribus” Jonathan Moreno “The Fable of the Bees” Bernard Mandeville/ (1714) Dostoevsky - Notes from the Underground “The Revolutionary Spirit of Star Wars Andor” Jessie Gender “The revolutionary politics of Andor” Jorge Cotte As always, listeners can contact us at prostheticgods@gmail.com with questions, comments, and suggestions for future topics. Credits: Hosted by James Hughes and Nir Eisikovits Music & Production by Jake Burley
Transcribe →Simulations
Jan 2200:51:48Tap to summarizeEpisode 35 - Simulations This week on Prosthetic Gods, Nir and J. discuss the simulation hypothesis, the idea that we may actually be living in the Matrix. We discuss its religious and philosophical precedents, Bostrom’s classic argument, and the contemporary physics that some think supports the idea. Show Notes: The Simulation Argument Are we living in a computer simulation? I don’t know. Probably. As always, listeners can contact us at prostheticgods@gmail.com with questions, comments, and suggestions for future topics. Credits: Hosted by James Hughes and Nir Eisikovits Music & Production by Jake Burley
Transcribe →Moral Enhancement
Jan 900:56:50Tap to summarizeEpisode 33 - Moral Enhancement This week on Prosthetic Gods, J and Nir discuss “moral enhancement,” the use of drugs and devices to promote moral sentiments, cognition, and behavior. Is it any different from drinking coffee instead of alcohol when you go to work? What might the unintended consequences be of making ourselves more compassionate? Is happiness a virtue? Show Notes: Bernie and Hinton ondemocratizing AI Europe is Bending the Knee to the US on Tech Policy WHO Sets GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drug Guidelines As always, listeners can contact us at prostheticgods@gmail.com with questions, comments, and suggestions for future topics. Credits: Hosted by James Hughes and Nir Eisikovits Music & Production by Jake Burley
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