opinions – The Knowledge Dynasty

Should we fear killer robots?

(CNN)Physicist Stephen Hawking recently warned of the dangers of artificial intelligence and “powerful autonomous weapons.” Autonomous technology is racing forward, but international discussions on managing the potential risks are already underway. This week, nations enter the fourth year of international discussions at the United Nations on lethal autonomous weapons, or what some have called “killer […]

Google exec: Our society is in real jeopardy

(CNN)In November 2014, the Guardians of Peace — a group affiliated with the North Korean government — hacked Sony Pictures because the studio was planning to release “The Interview,” a movie they felt insulted their leader, Kim Jong Un. After the initial breach, the hackers threatened theaters that were planning to show the film. The […]

The Dylan situation: imagining the ‘secret minutes’ of a Nobel committee meeting

(CNN)Minutes from the Royal Swedish Academy Meeting, Stockholm, Sweden Date: October 18, 2016 Subject: Bob Dylan Elsa calls the 10 a.m. meeting of the Royal Swedish Academy to order. “What’s the status of the ‘Dylan situation’?” “Not good, Elsa,” Viktor responds. “How many times have we called him in Malibu?” “Too many to count,” Ludvig […]

After Dylan’s Nobel, how about Springsteen, Mitchell, Cohen?

(CNN)For those who annually pay attention to such things (other writers, mostly), the Nobel Prize in Literature always offers an occasion for often-impassioned chatter over who won and, even more ardently, who didn’t. For every fan who delights over, say, Canadian Alice Munro being acknowledged by Stockholm three years ago for her long career achieving […]

Canada just did something (else) awesome that the US should copy

(CNN)Nearly everyone who studies climate change policy agrees on one thing: To fix this monster of a problem, governments need to put a price on dangerous carbon pollution. Carbon pricing can take a few forms, and it’s not a cure-all, to be sure. But it is generally considered by climate wonks to be the cheap-but-effective […]