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Will artificial intelligence help — or hurt — medicine?
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Short Wave

Will artificial intelligence help — or hurt — medicine?

A doctor's job is to help patients. With that help, often comes lots and lots of paperwork. That's where some startups are betting artificial intelligence may come in. The hope is that chatbots could generate data like treatment plans that would let doctors spend less time on paperwork and more time with their patients. But some academics warn biases and errors could hurt patients.

Will artificial intelligence help — or hurt — medicine?

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Doctors are drowning in paperwork. Some companies claim AI can help

Startup companies say that new programs similar to ChatGPT could complete doctors' paperwork for them. But some experts worry that inherent bias and a tendency to fabricate facts could lead to errors. ER Productions Limited/Getty Images hide caption

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ER Productions Limited/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Doctors are drowning in paperwork. Some companies claim AI can help

New startups believe chatbot technology could help reduce the burden on physicians. But some academics warn bias and errors could hurt patients.

Doctors are drowning in paperwork. Some companies claim AI can help

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Tech leaders urge a pause in the 'out-of-control' artificial intelligence race

The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT on March 21, in Boston. A group of prominent computer scientists and other tech industry notables are calling for a 6-month pause to consider the risks of powerful artificial intelligence technology. Michael Dwyer/AP hide caption

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Michael Dwyer/AP

Technology

Tech leaders urge a pause in the 'out-of-control' artificial intelligence race

A group of prominent computer scientists and other tech industry notables are calling for a 6-month pause to ponder the risks of powerful technology that spawned a successor to ChatGPT.

If ChatGPT designed a rocket — would it get to space?

When Geoff Brumfiel asked an AI software for rocket schematics, he got interesting results. Like these Saturn V-inspired renderings. NPR staff generated imagery using Midjourney hide caption

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NPR staff generated imagery using Midjourney

Short Wave

If ChatGPT designed a rocket — would it get to space?

From text churned out by ChatGPT to the artistic renderings of Midjourney, people have been taking notice of new, bot-produced creative works. But how does this artificial intelligence software fare when there are facts at stake — like designing a rocket capable of safe spaceflight?

If ChatGPT designed a rocket — would it get to space?

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A More Perfect Human
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Throughline

A More Perfect Human

The dream of AI — artificial intelligence — has been around for centuries: the idea of an intelligent machine without free will popped up in ancient Taoist scrolls, Buddhist fables, and the tales of medieval European courts. But it wasn't until the 20th century that science caught up to our imaginations.

A More Perfect Human

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Microsoft's new AI chatbot has been saying some 'crazy and unhinged things'

Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft corporate vice president of modern Llife, search, and devices speaks during an event introducing a new AI-powered Microsoft Bing and Edge at Microsoft in Redmond, Wash., earlier this month. Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images

Technology

Microsoft's new AI chatbot has been saying some 'crazy and unhinged things'

After Microsoft's powerful AI chatbot verbally attacked people, and even compared one person to Hitler, the company has decided to rein in the technology until it works out the kinks.

Microsoft's new AI chatbot has been saying some 'crazy and unhinged things'

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We asked the new AI to do some simple rocket science. It crashed and burned

Computers have been used in rocketry for half-a-century, so it's possible to think that the new AI programs could help. They struggled to grasp the basics. NPR staff generated imagery using Midjourney hide caption

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NPR staff generated imagery using Midjourney

Technology

We asked the new AI to do some simple rocket science. It crashed and burned

Computers traditionally excel at rocketry, so why do new artificial intelligence programs get it wrong?

We asked the new AI to do some simple rocket science. It crashed and burned

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Can you teach a computer common sense?

Dr. Yejin Choi University of Washington Professor and MacArthur Fellow, works to improve AI's understanding of common sense. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation hide caption

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John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Short Wave

Can you teach a computer common sense?

Over the past decade, AI has moved right into our houses - onto our phones and smart speakers - and grown in sophistication. But many AI systems lack something we humans take for granted: common sense. In this episode Emily talks to MacArthur Fellowship-winner Yejin Choi, one of the leading thinkers on natural language processing, about how she's teaching machines to make inferences about the real world.

Can you teach a computer common sense?

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