Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers: consciousness and language

About this episode

In this episode, Neha and Shruti talk about Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers. Published in 1995, it describes a group of scientists who are attempting to create an intelligent machine that they can feed the great classics of literature. We get into the ethics of the situation, its similarities and differences to the current AI crisis, and draw comparisons to the many versions of the Pygmalion myth that have emerged over the years. Links: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael Pollan Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw Galatea by Madeline Miller The Overstory by Richard Powers Authority by Jeff Vandermeer The Laughter by Sonora Jha Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee Annie Bot by Sierra Greer Transcription by Ben Lerner If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack. We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com. This episode description contains