Tag archives: artificial intelligence

Current battles over Artificial Intelligence (AI) are tied to the idea of “progress.” For the past century or so we have taken it for granted that progress is a thing. Progress is the idea that we can build on past knowledge to create new technology. Which in turn allows us to acquire more knowledge and […]

With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) ethical concerns have been raised about whether AIs can be conscious. And whether they can suffer. I find this interesting for many reasons. Notably, we already know that the animals we eat can suffer, yet we raise them in horrific factory farming conditions. Why the speculative concern about […]

This actually happened recently with OpenAI’s most advanced programs, but before the mob breaks out the pitchforks and torches, the incident requires some explanation.  First, the programs’ task was to test certain security functions in a controlled environment. Second, it’s just a machine and doesn’t have intent other than to do what it’s told. Third, […]

Like many of us, I use AI programs a lot. I’ve worked with ChatGPT since it was first released. Now with version 5 it has improved immensely. I’ve used other programs, but this one is my current favorite. I use it for research, and I’ve had a lot of interesting conversations with it. It “knows” […]

The rapidly accelerating world of artificial intelligence often fuels a modern culture of anxiety, but Santa Barbara tech executive and author Zack Kass believes humanity stands on the precipice of its greatest era yet. The audience of about 300 people reacted to his lively talk with applause on several occasions and gave him a standing […]

The Wheat and Chessboard legend tells of a king being so thrilled with the invention of chess, he allows the inventor to name his reward. The inventor makes what seems like a small request: Just give me one grain of wheat on the first chessboard square. Two on the next. And just double the number […]

How artificial intelligence is driving a surge in electricity demand — and what it means for the rest of us. For years, we’ve talked about “the cloud” as something invisible and weightless. But the cloud has a physical footprint. It lives in massive data centers filled with servers and cooling equipment that run day and […]

Photos by Brad Elliott A Westmont Downtown Lecture will explore AI’s real-world implications on Thursday, April 23, at 5:30 pm at Westmont Downtown | Keith Center, 29 W. Anapamu St. The talk, “AI and Our Shared Future: Opportunities, Challenges and What’s at Stake,” features Mike Ryu, Westmont assistant professor of mathematics and computer science, and […]

AI thought leader and Santa Barbara native Zack Kass returned home on Tuesday night for a sold-out on-stage conversation at the Granada Theatre, exploring the ideas behind his new book, The Next RenAIssance. Drawing on his experience at the forefront of artificial intelligence, Kass led a wide-ranging discussion on the societal, creative, and human implications […]

Artnet tempted me with a list of “The Best Art World Movies of 2025” and they were all so good I had to share. These films deal with prescient themes such as gender, art theft (both outright and AI generated), collaborative relationships in artists’ lives, and include documentaries on controversial art figures that we thought […]

Zack Kass has been at the forefront of the rapidly emerging field of artificial intelligence for nearly 20 years, entering the field shortly after graduating from San Marcos High School in 2005. After several jobs in the machine learning field, Kass joined OpenAI in 2021 as one of the first 100 employees. He served OpenAI […]

Dr. Amy Alzina, superintendent and principal of Cold Spring School Montecito, hosted the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit for educators at the school on July 10-11. With her continued interest in and integration of AI in the classroom and for educators, Dr. Alzina serves as the Chair of the ACSA […]

The fifth annual Impact Conference, Cultivating Community in the Age of AI, brings together senior technology leaders in higher education to explore ways to apply AI to strengthen – rather than replace – human connections on July 24-25 in Westmont’s Global Leadership Center. Purchase tickets, which cost $129 per person for two full days with […]

In the 1968 sci-fi classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Hal is a conscious computer guiding a mission to the planet Jupiter who goes insane. He kills all the crew except Dave who is stranded outside the ship and asks Hal to open the pod doors to let him in. “Open the pod doors Hal.” Hal […]

My daughter and I have an ongoing joke that isn’t a joke, that we are always nice to Siri or our Google clocks – just in case some form of Artificial Intelligence takes over the world, and they might favorably remember we were the ones who always said please and asked them how their day […]

Two Westmont computer science professors will offer a holistic understanding of artificial intelligence (AI), explore promising new developments, and expose lurking dangers in a Westmont Downtown Lecture, “A Human Approach to AI: Understanding Its Promises and Perils,” on Thursday, March 27, at 5:30 pm at the Community Arts Workshop in downtown Santa Barbara. The talk […]

It takes several minutes for astronaut Bowman to lose his patience. It’s a simple thing he’s asking – he just wants back in.  “Hello, HAL, do you read me? Hello, HAL… do you read me? Do you read me, HAL?” Eschatology – scholarship which concerns itself with the End of Humankind – is by definition […]

The Fletcher Jones Foundation has awarded Westmont College $500,000 to provide students with education, training, and industry readiness for the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (AI). The funds will expand the scope of the Center for Applied Technology Lab (CATLab) to include AI, adding state-of-the-art hardware and software infrastructure to facilitate students’ hands-on learning and […]

At my core I’m an optimist. Not to be confused with a Pollyanna. I try to stay open to ideas and sources of inspiration and innovation that could lead us to a better place – no easy feat.  Which is why I enjoyed (or more accurately, had the enriching experience of) reading Ian Bremmer’s book, […]

The best way to predict the future is to watch those who are working hard to create it. It is fascinating to reflect on how fast the world is changing. The Auto Industry Last week, the Los Angeles Times reported that Alphabet Inc’s Waymo has become the first company to receive a permit from the […]