Issue 92 - Nuclear-Powered AI

A moment for station identification for new readers and listeners:  500 Words is a weekly-ish newsletter with two regular columns: INTERROGATING AI, which examines our use of artificial intelligence, and BLURBOMATIC, a monthly curated list of book reviews. I'll also keep you updated about books I'm publishing, productions in progress, new courses and trainings, and podcasts I'm launching or publicizing.

I have made a point of writing about productive uses for AI, like using a chatbot as a writing coach to help you come up with ideas. Adobe has added a feature to their editing app, Premiere Pro, that will generate a few missing frames of video if yours ends too early to make the edit.  AI has the capability of making us fitter, happier, more productive (Yes, a that's a Radiohead quote from *Ok Computer*.)

But truly interrogating AI means asking who it benefits. Easy answer to that: The companies leading AI development have a beneficiary in mind--themselves. AI has corporate masters, and it is being shaped to benefit them. We, as users of AI, can speak up and make it more beneficial to humans, and we ask demand that it not hurt the Earth too much. 

What is 500 Words by Lee Schneider?

500 Words is a companion podcast to the 500 Words newsletter, written by Lee Schneider. It features blogs and newsletter read by the author. Past seasons have featured short-form interviews with creative folks from film, music, design, multi-media and more.