Season 1, Episode 5 - Trust, Faith, and AI Safety with Richard Zhang from Google DeepMind
In this thought-provoking episode, we sit down with Richard Zhang, a research scientist at Google DeepMind, to explore the intersection of Christian faith and artificial intelligence development. Richard shares his unique perspective on building trust in AI systems, moving beyond static assessments to understanding the trajectory of where AI technology is heading.We dive deep into the challenges of AI safety from a Christian worldview, discussing how core biblical values can inform the development of ethical AI systems. Richard explains his work on hyperparameter optimization and prompt engineering, making complex AI concepts accessible while addressing the "black box" problem that concerns many users.The conversation explores how AI agents are changing our relationship with technology, the importance of interpretability in modern language models, and what it means to pursue understanding while embracing mystery - both in faith and in AI development.Richard also shares his experience as part of the "Christians in AI" community at Google, revealing how faith-based perspectives are increasingly recognized as essential for serving the 80-85% of the world's population who are people of faith. He discusses the ongoing efforts to make AI models more religiously aware and culturally sensitive.Whether you're a technologist, person of faith, or simply curious about the future of AI, this episode offers valuable insights into how we can build more trustworthy and value-aligned artificial intelligence systems.Topics covered: Trust in AI, AI safety and alignment, Christian perspectives on technology, hyperparameter optimization, AI agents, interpretability, religious representation in AI models, Christians in tech
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