Peering Into A.I.’s Black Box + Who’s The Real Techno-Optimist? + Reading Ancient Scrolls With A.I.

<p>A.I. models are black boxes. You input a prompt and the model outputs nearly anything: a sonnet, an image or a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/08/nyregion/lawyer-chatgpt-sanctions.html" target="_blank">legal brief</a> riddled with lies. Today, a look at three ways that researchers are unlocking that black box in hopes of bringing transparency to A.I.</p><p>Then, Marc Andreessen’s techno-optimist manifesto has left us asking, Is he OK?!</p><p>Plus: decoding a 2,000-year-old ancient scroll with the help of A.I.</p><p><strong>Today’s Guest:</strong></p><ul><li>Brent Seales is a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky.</li></ul><p><strong>Additional Information:</strong></p><ul><li>Kevin Roose on learning more about <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/kevin-roose" target="_blank">how A.I. works</a>.</li><li>Marc Andreessen’s 5,000-word <a href="https://archive.vn/Ycutu" target="_blank">manifesto</a></li><li>Using A.I. to decode a scroll that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/arts/design/herculaneum-scroll-vesuvius-word-purple.html" target="_blank">survived the eruption of Mount Vesuvius</a> in A.D. 79.</li></ul>