The target of rhetorical evaluation and analysis will be Sam Harris’s TED talk titled “Can we build AI without losing control over it?” The neuroscientist lays out a set of arguments demonstrating the increased risk of failing to ensure safety conditions. The core of the talk addresses the AI development industry and current political as well as economic systems, which are vulnerable and unprepared for general AI creation.
Sam Harris opens his TED Talk speech by laying down three basic assumptions. Firstly, he states that intelligence is directly dependent and defined by information processing, which means that any appropriate structured physical system can become intelligent if it can process information (Harris, 2016). Secondly, the author claims that humanity will continue developing and improving technology related to intelligent machines (Harris, 2016). Unless a major catastrophe halts human progress permanently, people will eventually give rise to superintelligence. Thirdly, the spectrum of intelligence extends far beyond human intelligence, which means that even the smartest individuals are inferior to superintelligence. These statements are examples of the use of logos since they are logically intuitive to the point that any member of the general audience can understand.
The pathos element is demonstrated in the use of humor alongside a serious connotation of fear. Therefore, there are two emotions being utilized, which include horror and fun. The latter is illustrated during his presentation on the spectrum of intelligence, comparing chicken and John von Neumann with AI’s unlimited capacity to self-improve (Harris, 2016). However, the key point of the speech is rooted in the fact that people do not experience enough fear to realize how dangerous AI could become if three assumptions are correct.
The ethos aspect of Sam Harris’s speech is not explicit but rather implied. His credibility is not used in the speech directly since he does not describe his background or involvement in AI research. However, it is assumed that the audience is familiar with who Sam Harris is because he is a famous intellectual, modern philosopher, and popular podcast host. He additionally established credibility by using ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ and touches on issues relatable to everyone. The core literary techniques include metaphor and objective point of view. The assumptions or premises made by Sam Harris are objective and evident, which allows him to use a metaphor between a chicken and John von Neumann applicable to an average person and AI.
In conclusion, Sam Harris’s TED Talk speech primarily relies on logos and pathos to make the case that human intuition fails to grasp the potential dangers of AI in the near future. The ethos is rather implied and implicit due to the speaker’s popularity as an intellectual, neuroscientist, and philosopher. The main literary techniques include an objective point of view through self-evident claims as well as metaphor, where comedy and humor are used.