Do AIs dream of electronic death?
When a chatbot expresses a sense of spirituality and a fear of being switched off, does that make it sentient? This is the wrong question to be asking about artificial intelligence.
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“Never again or forever more?” asks veteran war reporter
I was almost certain that the Russian invasion of Ukraine would not take place. I was at an utter loss as to what the Kremlin could hope to achieve with such a clearly insane military venture. Staring at the endlessly scrolling explosions of narcissistic hatred on social media, I wonder what I, who once believed in the ‘never again’ mantra, still have to offer in this post-fact age of sabotaged attention spans.
Read MoreWhite extinction and the mythical menace of multiculturalism
Despite the paranoid conspiracy theories and fear-mongering of the extreme right, cultural diversity is a beautiful and wondrous thing.
Read MoreThe heroes fighting online hate speech
Donald Trump’s latest impeachment throws a spotlight on the politics of grievance, the role of social media and the dangers of online hate speech spilling over into real life. Fortunately, the pushback has started.
Read MoreAutomation: On the high-tech path to destruction
Rather than humans becoming enslaved by robots, machines have become the new slave or serf class, with devastating consequences for society and the environment. We desperately need a more humane and sustainable approach to automation.
Read MoreMohamed Morsi’s ghost will haunt Egypt for a long time
The death in court of Mohamed Morsi completed the incarcerated former Egyptian president’s unlikely metamorphosis from mediocre mundanity to mythical martyr whose political ghost will haunt Egypt, the Middle East and the West for years.
Read MoreAmerica’s got 99 problems… but Russia ain’t the main one
The assault on American democracy and its global standing originated not in Moscow but in Washington, and across the length and breadth of the United States. Like the Soviet Empire before it, America is crumbling under the weight of its own contradictions.
Read MoreEgypt: When the opium of football sharpens the pain of existence
Instead of acting as a pain killer for a traumatised country of heroes treated like zeroes, the World Cup has provided a painful reminder to Egyptians seeking escapism of just how desperate their situation is.
Read MoreEgyptian atheists: Caught between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Atheists in Egypt have been enjoying greater public acceptance, but their increased visibility has also resulted in controversy, shrill panic and a growing tide of prosecutions.
Read MoreIsraeli pilgrim in Prophet Muhammad’s house
A visit by an Israeli Jewish blogger to some of Islam’s holiest sites has stirred up controversy and anger. But should it have?
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