Blaise Agüera y Arcas, an AI researcher, delves into the intersection of AI, identity politics, and human intelligence in his TEDxManchester talk. He challenges the notion that intelligence is an individual property, arguing that it is a collective effort shaped by evolution and culture. Using data from his surveys on American identities, he reveals the polarization and evolving trends in sexual orientation, gender identity, and political beliefs.
Arcas highlights the impact of urbanization on cultural development and political divides, showing how population density influences beliefs on key social issues. He emphasizes the need for reconciliation between urban and rural communities to foster global unity in the age of planetary civilization.
Drawing attention to the changing landscape of identities, from the rise in LGBTQ+ representation to the complexity of sex and gender definitions, Arcas provides insights into the evolving dynamics of human society. Through his research findings, he prompts reflection on the importance of understanding and embracing diversity to bridge societal divides and pave the way for a more united future.
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Author Video Description
Identity politics occupies the front lines in today’s culture wars, pitting generations against each other, and progressive cities against the rural traditions of our past. Debates over gender and sexuality occupy particularly intense flashpoints of controversy as we struggle to understand ‘who we are now’.
Leading Google AI researcher and author Blaise Agüera y Arcas looked to the data he collected between 2016 and 2021, asking thousands of anonymous respondents questions about their behaviour and identity, with a focus on gender and sexuality. He came to TEDxManchester to unveil what he discovered in seeking to understand what the future of human identity could look like. Blaise Agüera y Arcas is a leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) researcher, author, and Vice President and Fellow at Google Research. He is a winner of MIT Technology Review’s TR35 Prize and Fast Company’s Most Creative People Award, as well as a frequent speaker at TED and many other conferences.
At Google, Agüera y Arcas leads a team working on AI, large language models, smart devices, technology ethics, and privacy. Publicly visible projects from his team include Federated Learning, Artists and Machine Intelligence, Coral, and many AI features in Pixel and Android.
In 2016, Agüera y Arcas wrote a widely read essay on the relationship between art and technology, and in 2017 he co-authored another popular essay on physiognomy and bias in AI as well as a refutation of claims that facial structure reveals sexual orientation. Some of this material has been incorporated into his latest book, Who Are We Now?, released in December 2023 via Hat & Beard Press. His debut novella, Ubi Sunt, published in 2022 and was a winner of the AIGA 50 Books 50 Covers Award. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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Video “What data says about your identity politics | Blaise Agüera y Arcas | TEDxManchester” was uploaded on 06/10/2024 to Youtube Channel TEDx Talks