The Novel Tea podcast

Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers: consciousness and language

9/23/2026
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In this episode, Neha and Shruti talk about Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers. Published in 1995, it describes a group of scientists who are attempting to create an intelligent machine that they can feed the great classics of literature. We get into the ethics of the situation, its similarities and differences to the current AI crisis, and draw comparisons to the many versions of the Pygmalion myth that have emerged over the years.


Links:

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke


Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery

A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael Pollan

Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw

Galatea by Madeline Miller

The Overstory by Richard Powers

Authority by Jeff Vandermeer

The Laughter by Sonora Jha

Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

Transcription by Ben Lerner


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