“What we’ve created with AI so far is extraordinary. However, there are still some issues to be considered.”

The world has seen rapid technological evolution in recent years, driven largely by advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has opened the door to innovative possibilities. Still, as innovation accelerates, the need to ensure that ethical boundaries remain clear becomes increasingly pressing. What concerns should we address? And how can we establish boundaries?

These themes were at the center of the latest episode of RTP’s “Sociedade Civil”, during which Ana Paiva, INESC‑ID researcher in artificial intelligence for people and society, provided her point of view for the various question that were posed. Concerning the possibility of AI being close to consciousness, the researcher noted that despite significant progress, current systems still lack crucial abilities, such as social and empathic qualities, which keep them far from behaving autonomously in a way comparable to people.

Ana Paiva also added that despite the human tendency to trust machines that appear rational, human feedback remains essential for the development and use of AI tools. Furthermore, she highlighted the importance of legislation capable of keeping pace with the development and use of agentic AI, to avoid transparency and manipulation problems, ensuring that technological growth is matched by responsible governance.

Joining Ana Paiva in this debate were Steven Gouveia, Mind, Language and Action Group do Instituto de Filosofia da Universidade do Porto,  Alexandra Leitão, Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa, and artist Leonel Moura.

Watch the full episode here (in Portuguese)

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Image: © RTP / Sociedade Civil