AI

OpenAI is getting ready to launch "Strawberry," its latest AI model (previously known as Q*). This new model is said to possess capabilities far beyond current AI, including solving novel math problems, developing marketing strategies, and even tackling complex word puzzles. (We'll have to wait and see if the new model knows how many times the letter "r" appears in "strawberry.") Continue Reading →

Anthropic (the company behind ChatGPT competitor Claude) has taken an interesting step toward AI transparency by publishing Claude's system prompts – the ones that shape the model's behavior. These prompts dictate not only the model's restrictions (like avoiding facial recognition) but also their intended personality traits, such as intellectual curiosity and impartiality. According to Anthropic, its goal is to position itself as an ethical leader in AI. That would certainly set it apart from the pack. Continue Reading →

I haven't read Plato’s "Republic" since college, but an article I read over the weekend inspired me to download it last night and dig in. The article discusses Stephen Wolfram's perspective on the role of philosophers in addressing the ethical and existential questions surrounding AI. Continue Reading →

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks announced a first-of-its-kind partnership involving the State of California, news publishers, tech companies, and philanthropy to support local journalism and launch a National AI Accelerator. The partnership will provide nearly $250 million in funding over five years, with the majority allocated to newsrooms, especially those in underserved areas. Continue Reading →

Microsoft's "Recall" is an upcoming Windows 11 feature that will create a searchable timeline of your activities, allowing you to easily retrieve and review ("recall") past work. It accomplishes this by capturing and storing screenshots of nearly everything you see or do on your PC. What could possibly go wrong? Continue Reading →

Condé Nast has signed a multi-year deal with OpenAI, allowing the AI company to use content from its publications, such as The New Yorker, Vogue, and Vanity Fair. This partnership aims to generate revenue and ensure proper attribution for the media company’s content, amidst challenges posed by changes in traditional search engines. Details of the deal are undisclosed. Continue Reading →

Today, just seven years after the term deepfake was coined, absolutely anyone who is interested in making a photorealistic image or video of anything has the ability to do so at no (or very low) cost, in real (or very near-real) time. Continue Reading →

We've reached an era where summarizing any meeting, lecture, or event is as simple as hitting “record.” While this technological convenience is undeniably appealing, particularly in our fast-paced world, there’s a growing concern that something crucial is being lost as people abandon the art of personal note-taking in favor of AI-generated summaries. Continue Reading →

Do we need AI regulation? Can we articulate a specific danger? If so, how far should the regulations go? Who will they protect? How will they be enforced? How can we accomplish the protections we need and still foster and encourage innovation? These are all rational questions that, one would hope, lawmakers are asking themselves as they craft our laws. Continue Reading →

I read this study before bed last night: "Conversational AI Powered by Large Language Models Amplifies False Memories in Witness Interviews." It scared me more than I thought it would. The study explores how chatbots powered by LLMs can influence the formation of false memories for users; in other words, they can literally make users hallucinate. Continue Reading →