Take two top academics, two dangerous ideas, add one comedian and it’s the force of nature that is the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas (CODI).

Hosted by comedian Susan Morrison, and now in its tenth year, CODI is sixty minutes of rapid-fire research from some of the finest minds in the country.

Featuring

 Who’s Afraid of The Big Bad AI?

Killer robots, mind control and super intelligence. These are just some of the stories that are told about AI. What does this mean for public understanding? Join Dr Mhairi Aitken (Alan Turing Institute) as we discuss everything from AI love affairs and existential crises to efficient spam filters, and ask what are the stories we should be telling to inspire more people to engage with AI? Has Sci-Fi made the public scared of AI, or is it the AI community that’s scared of talking to the public?

 Regulate the Optical Spectrum?

It’s the year 2030 – you now have high bandwidth secure laser communications straight to your VR headset without an Ethernet cable. Result! However, you need to keep your window blinds closed; otherwise, daylight or passing cars at night takes you straight back to 1990’s bandwidth. Scientists and innovators are developing new technologies that can be disturbed by your local streetlamp. Should we bow down to these intellectual boffins and regulate the optical spectrum, asks Dr Ross Donaldson (Heriot-Watt University)?

 This live show is part of the Alan Turing Institute’s online AI conference.