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SUMMARY:Thinking AI is sentient is like seeing Jesus on toasts - Cheuk Tin
 g Ho
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20261108T142000
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DTSTAMP:20260726T231311Z
UID:pretalx-pycones-2026-7THLW7@pretalx.com
DESCRIPTION:This presentation explores the increasing tendency to anthropo
 morphize Artificial Intelligence\, drawing a parallel to the psychological
  phenomenon of pareidolia—specifically\, seeing familiar patterns in ran
 dom stimuli\, such as Jesus's image on a piece of toast. The core argument
  is that while AI has become an indispensable and powerful tool\, the perc
 eption of its sentience is a projection of human cognitive biases: our inn
 ate need to find familiarity and project emotion. \n\nThe discussion moves
  beyond the technology itself to focus on the socio-ethical challenges ari
 sing from its use\, including misplaced trust in AI outputs and the creati
 on of systems designed to simply "please" users rather than solve problems
  ethically. \n\nFurthermore\, the presentation highlights the critical lag
  in effective regulation. The people most engaged in AI development are of
 ten less focused on governance\, leading to enforcement and ethical oversi
 ght gaps (exemplified by issues like the 'Matplotlib issue'). \n\nUltimate
 ly\, the presentation concludes that while the "Jesus on toasts" phenomeno
 n in AI will persist\, clear communication is necessary to temper public p
 erceptions\, urging both the public and relevant authorities to actively e
 ngage in the urgent discussion around AI ethics and regulatory enforcement
 .\n\nThe goal of this talk is to help the audience understand the effect o
 f AI from a moral perspective and the danger posed by a lack of regulation
 . This presentation is intended for everyone who is interested in or curre
 ntly using AI.
LOCATION:Track 03 - Manychat
URL:https://pretalx.com/pycones-2026/talk/7THLW7/
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