How far can a mind go if it doesn’t know what death is? This started with a simple question I couldn’t shake. Everyone talks about what AI can do — and what it might soon be capable of. But that’s not the real issue. The real issue is what happens when AI stops being a tool — and becomes something else. Where does AI end if it cannot understand what death is? There’s no point in repeating what neural networks can already do — that’s broadcast everywhere. But what should we do? Admire it? Fear...

How far can a mind go if it doesn’t know what death is? This started with a simple question I couldn’t shake. Everyone talks about what AI can do — and what it might soon be capable of. But that’s not the real issue. The real issue is what happens when AI stops being a tool — and becomes something else. Where does AI end if it cannot understand what death is? There’s no point in repeating what neural networks can already do — that’s broadcast everywhere. But what should we do? Admire it? Fear...