Dr Kate Darling
Dr Kate Darling is a Research Scientist at the MIT Media Lab and author of The New Breed. Her interest is in how technology intersects with society.
Recent articles by Dr Kate Darling
Robots are already with us - how we treat them tells us a lot about ourselves, here's why
Just be kind guys.
AI-generated email may be convenient, but it could kill off endangered languages
Bot-written text is already creeping into common use.
How AI is about to change your job – and not for the better
It's not AI that is the issue, it's the underlying socioeconomic system that needs to change.
Rise of the therapy chatbots: Should you trust an AI with your mental health?
AI chatbots could provide easier access to mental health services but we don’t yet know whether the risks are worth the benefits.
How ChatGPT – and Ted Lasso – could rid the internet of hate speech
AIs may be better at navigating difficult conversations than us humans.
Stop blaming Avatar-generating AI for needlessly sexualised images – fault the creators instead
Dr Kate Darling argues that AI designers should take more responsibility for the content their creations produce.
ChatGPT: A scientist explains the hidden genius and pitfalls of OpenAI's chatbot
Language modelling tools like GPT-3 are capable of engaging in increasingly realistic conversations, but there’s still lots we need to figure out.
Robot companions are on their way, but don’t worry, they won’t replace humans
We may find that home robots originally purchased to help us out with tasks such as surveillance and security quickly become part of the family.
AI image generators will help artists, not replace them
Machine learning models are the latest in a long line of technological innovations that artists can use to express their creativity.
Human drivers should not be responsible for accidents caused by autonomous vehicles
New UK legislation will put the blame where it should be – on the vehicles' manufacturers.
It isn’t always the best idea to design robots that look like us – just ask R2-D2
Humanoids have long been regarded as the ‘holy grail’ but there’s room for a lot more diversity in the robot design world.
If a chatbot became sentient we'd need to care for it, but our history with animals carries a warning
Why questions about robot sentience can lead to far-reaching conversations about the people we want to be.
We all hated Clippy the Microsoft Office assistant – so why do we love our robot vacuums?
Social expectations play a huge role in how we react to robots and AIs.
The robots are coming for your job… if you’re a dolphin
Hyper-realistic animal robots are coming... but should they replace the real thing in zoos and aquariums?
It's time to accept AI will never think like a human – and that's okay
It’s no point getting frustrated with AI when it doesn’t do what we expect it to. Instead, we should focus on the ways it can help and support people.