Moti Mizrahi: It’s Not a Hallucination, It’s BS

Moti Mizrahi: It’s Not a Hallucination, It’s BS

What does it mean to "hallucinate" if you're a machine? And why do we call it that in the first place? In this episode of Responsible AI, host Alex Alben sits down with Dr. Moti Mizrahi, Professor of Philosophy at the Florida Institute of Technology and author of Playing God with Emerging Technologies: How to Avoid the Traps of Techno Optimism and Techno Pessimism (Bloomsbury). Dr. Mizrahi's research focuses on how we talk about AI and how that language shapes the way we use it and trust it. His team has been studying media coverage of AI products and found that journalists routinely borrow anthropomorphic language straight from tech company press releases, describing systems as "thinking," "reasoning," and "feeling." That's both imprecise and ethically consequential. When we're primed to see chatbots as human-like, we form attachments, extend unwarranted trust, and may even develop what Dr. Mizrahi calls "unhealthy, addictive relationships" with these products. The episode digs into why this happens: human beings are wired to anthropomorphize. We name our cars. We talk to our pets. And when a tech company calls its product "Claude," gives it a warm conversational voice, and programs it to respond using first-person pronouns, it's making a deliberate design choice that plays directly into that psychology. Dr. Mizrahi argues these choices should be made consciously, with ethical guardrails, before a product reaches the public, not discovered through real-world trial and error. Short on time? Fast-forward to 21:40 to listen to Dr. Mizrahi's discussion of the academic paper titled "ChatGPT Is Bullshit," where "bullshit" is a precise philosophical term drawn from Harry Frankfurt's landmark 2005 essay. Unlike lying, which requires caring about the truth, bullshitting involves a fundamental indifference to it. The argument is that LLMs, which predict statistically plausible responses rather than verified ones, fit this definition more accurately than the gentler, and more humanizing, term "hallucination." We also explore the "extended mind thesis,” the idea that our smartphones and AI tools may function as extensions of our cognition, and whether LLMs can qualify as reliable epistemic authorities. Throughout, Dr. Mizrahi champions a middle path, neither cheerleading for AI nor catastrophizing about it, and makes a compelling case that philosophy is exactly the right discipline for navigating this moment. Chapters 01:03 Exploring Anthropomorphism in AI 06:35 The Ethics of AI Design and User Interaction 11:22 The Nature of Human-AI Relationships 16:46 Understanding AI's Limitations and Reliability 21:40 On AI Bullshit and Existential Risk 27:19 The Future of Technology Ethics 32:18 Reflections on AI's Impact 38:57 Navigating the AI Discourse: Beyond Boom and Doom 40:04 The Importance of Responsible AI Conversations

Who Gets to Use the Law? Marc Miller on Access, Education, and the AI Moment

There are 58 counties in the United States with zero lawyers. Marc Miller thinks that's a surprise, and that creating more access requires rethinking almost everything about how we train, license, and deploy legal professionals. As former dean of the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Marc helped build the first Bachelor of Arts in Law in the U.S., expanded access through flexible online master's programs, and worked with the Arizona Supreme Court to create a new class of limited-practice legal professionals who can serve the communities big law has never reached. In this episode of Responsible AI, host Alex Alben and Miller range across some of the thorniest questions in American law: Is the bar exam a measure of competence or a restraint on trade? What is the trial penalty, and why should every citizen care that 95–98% of felonies never see a trial? And what happens when AI enters a profession already struggling to serve the people who need it most? Miller's answer: "Getting law students to think differently about using AI to provide a much wider range of basic legal services to people who now cannot afford them—that is a challenge where law schools need to think very differently about what they do." The episode ends somewhere unexpected: with a set of haikus that Claude generated after Miller told it a first draft was, frankly, trash. Here’s a preview, and a pretty good rule for anyone working with AI in a legal setting: The case looks so real. Perfect citation, wrong world. Check, check again, check. CHAPTERS 01:44 Mark Miller's Innovative BA in Law 10:01 Expanding Access to Legal Education 13:36 Reimagining Law School Curriculum 17:38 The Impact of AI on Legal Practice 20:16 Legal Paraprofessionals and Access to Justice 23:13 Rethinking the Bar Exam 23:48 Vetting Lawyers: A New Approach 26:07 The Bar Exam: Rethinking Competency 28:07 Access to Justice: The Lawyer's Role 31:01 Understanding the Trial Penalty 32:32 AI in Law: A Transformative Force 40:56 Four Legal Haikus from Claude

Nishat Ruiter: Can Reflection Help Lawyers Make Wiser Use of AI?

Most lawyers fear AI is coming for their jobs. Nishat Ruiter flips that script, revealing how human skills—like intuition, collaboration, and moral courage—are the real superpowers in the age of automation. Spoiler: AI can't read the room or reimagine justice, and that's what makes us irreplaceable. On this episode of the Responsible AI podcast, Nishat, General Counsel of TED, unpacks her groundbreaking TEDLaw initiative—an in-person training curriculum designed to reshape legal education with reflective, innovative thinking. You'll discover how they’re teaching lawyers to reimagine their roles, develop critical thinking, cultural competency, and even craft their own mission statements for working with AI. She shares insights from global surveys, lessons from behavioral science, and her vision for a legal profession fueled by purpose rather than fear. We break down the five pillars of TEDLaw’s curriculum—professional identity, cultural competency, critical thinking, intuitive collaboration, and moral responsibility—and how these skills can transform lawyers into leaders, not just code consumers. Nishat also discusses the importance of ethical AI use, cultivating a compliance culture, and how lawyers can be more intentional, reflective, and connected in their practice. Chapters 1:49 AI's Role in Modern Law 6:27 The Human Touch: Legal Practice Beyond AI 7:17 Exploring the TEDLaw Initiative 13:09 Legal Curriculum Redefined 19:57 Equipping Lawyers for AI Integration 28:27 Ethical Frontiers: AI and Legal Responsibility 37:24 Navigating AI in Legal Education

Rabbi David Wolpe: Does AI Change the Way We Are Human?

This week we explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and human identity with Rabbi David Wolpe, offering a unique perspective on the ethical and spiritual challenges we face. Drawing on Jewish legends, he compares AI to the Golem, a creation that "both threatens you, but also, does unbelievable service to you that nothing normal could do." As the conversation unfolds, Rabbi Wolpe addresses the pursuit of life extension and the preservation of knowledge, questioning whether these advancements align with the natural cycle of life. He suggests that "dying is part of life, and it's part of making way for other people and other creations to come along," prompting a reflection on the balance between innovation and nature. We also engage with the deeper questions of how AI influences our internal lives and communities. Rabbi Wolpe warns, "We're losing the value and priority of the internal life because so much of our lives are lived on display." This episode offers a compelling exploration of how technology reshapes our world and challenges us to redefine what it means to be human. Chapters 01:10 Exploring the Golem: AI in Jewish Legend 03:40 The Existential Threat of AI 07:22 AI in Personal and Spiritual Contexts 10:31 The Tower of Babel: Competing AI Models 13:54 Humanity as Designers: The God Analogy 17:18 The Paradox of Life Extension 19:43 The Obsession with Recording Life 23:01 Discovering Identity in a Digital Age 25:43 The Role of Prayer in Introspection 27:54 Kabbalah, Mysticism, and Chatbots 32:49 Learning from Stories and Human Experience

Austin Jenkins on the State-by-State Challenge to Regulate AI

In this episode of the Responsible AI Podcast, journalist Austin Jenkins reveals how state legislatures are outpacing Congress in the race to regulate AI. As Jenkins notes, "State legislators are very motivated to pass laws because this is what they were elected to do." From California's chatbot laws to Illinois' anti-discrimination efforts, states are taking bold steps to address AI's societal impacts. Discover how these local initiatives are setting the stage for national policy and what it means for the future of technology governance. Tune in to explore the dynamic interplay between state innovation and federal inaction. Highlights * This is the third year of state AI regulation—what’s happening now and why it matters. * California’s SB 243 and the deepfake drama. * Why industry keeps pushing back and how states are still ahead of Washington (and the feds). * The European EU AI Act vs. the US politics of innovation—who’s winning the race? * Can journalism survive in the age of AI—should young reporters learn coding or storytelling? * What’s next? Predictions for the AI legal landscape over the next five years—spoiler: more local laws, fewer big ones. Chapters 01:09 Austin Jenkins: A Journalist's Journey 03:36 The State of AI Regulation 07:11 Chatbot Regulation and Child Safety 09:34 State vs. Federal Regulation Dynamics 12:57 Industry Influence on AI Legislation 16:20 Deepfakes and Political Advertising 18:01 Children's Safety and Social Media Regulation 20:14 Algorithmic Discrimination and Employment 23:46 Private Right of Action in AI Regulation 26:16 Comparing US and EU AI Regulation 29:16 The Future of AI Regulation 32:40 The Role of AI in Journalism