Letters archive

Annalee Newitz highlights the threat of AI for the creative industry and those whose livelihoods depend on it, but surely I am not the only one who can see that their personality, interests and opinions shine through in every column? It is this personal flair, also seen in features with phrases and anecdotes written in …

I doubt I am the only one alarmed by the idea of prescribing weight-loss drugs to children, as discussed by Clare Wilson. It comes amid studies showing that a rise in consumption of ultra-processed food is linked with a decline in physical and mental health ( 15 July, p 32 ). Manufacturers create ultra-processed foods …

Having visited Bolivia on several occasions, I found it spectacular. Moreover, as a scientist, I well understand the consequences of destroying its forests. However, I still have to question the nature of the commentary in your recent picture story on this. How can people living in higher-income countries suggest that Bolivians don't have the right …

You write that "until we know what consciousness is, there is no solid way of testing for it" in an artificial intelligence. There is, in fact, a simple way of testing for it, provided the AI is incapable of lying about itself, has colour vision and hasn't been trained on the concept of "subjective experience" …

You state: "Perhaps the relevant question isn't whether or not AIs can become conscious, but why we would want them to be conscious." If you see conscious awareness as the ability to express feelings, thoughts and intentions, then the importance of consciousness in robots that are to be useful assistants, carers or interesting companions is …

The consequence – or economic threat if you are personally affected – of AI is that armies of white-collar professionals, such as architects, lawyers and accountants, may become permanently redundant. You ask an AI: "Show me some designs for an east-facing beach house with a veranda and water views that backs onto a bush reserve." …

I couldn't agree more with Madeleine Cuff's report regarding the carbon taxation of luxuries. However, defining a luxury is no simple matter. She mentions two examples, air travel and SUVs. Imagine three people – A, B and C – are all on the same plane travelling from a small rural town to the big city. …

The James Webb Space Telescope was pricey at $10 billion, but the game-changing science that it is producing really makes it great value for money ( Letters, 22 July ). Your correspondent needs to see it in context and should save her ire for the oil companies that make huge profits by drilling for the …