^ArchiveArticles

Closeup of Ben Franklin on a one hundred dollar bill for background IV

^{Type
post

Author
George Gilder
Date
June 9, 2023

Categorized
Economics

Tagged
Artificial Intelligence, capitalism, Creativity, Crypto, economics, George Gilder, Human exceptionalism, Technology, Venture capital}

Life After Capitalism: Human Creativity Drives Economic Growth

_{Gilder once more rocks the archetypes of modern information theory and economics with a paradigm-shifting salvo of sheer brilliance} _{George Gilder

June 9, 2023

2

Economics}

Author of national bestseller Life After Google and generation-defining Wealth and Poverty, venture capitalist, futurist, and pioneering thinker extraordinaire George Gilder pinpoints how the clash of creativity with power at the heart of economic systems leads to global cognitive dissonance and argues that the creation of the novel taps capitalism’s infinite promise and is humanity’s only path of escape from stagnation and tyranny. Gilder once more rocks the archetypes of modern information theory and economics with a paradigm-shifting salvo of sheer brilliance. The capitalist era is over — get ready for life after capitalism. For more than two hundred years, capitalism spread wealth around the globe, bringing unprecedented prosperity and progress, liberating human potential. But something has gone terribly wrong in the world economy. Read More ›

No AI Artificial Intelligence Forbidden Sign Lawsuit Copyright

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post

Author
News
Date
June 9, 2023

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Bach, ChatGPT, Creativity, human exceptionalism (vs. computers), music, Newsmax, Robert J. Marks, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, The Stream, Wagner, Warhol v. Goldsmith}

Supreme Court Ruling Strikes a Blow to “Generative AI”

_{Ouch. That's a big loss for AI. Here's why:} _{News

June 9, 2023

2

Artificial Intelligence}

Can generative AI “think outside the box” even as it draws from preexisting material on the internet? Are the images it produces protected under “fair use”? The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has decided “no.” AI fails to be “transformative,” meaning it can’t create new meaning apart from its source material. Robert J. Marks reported on the recent lawsuit Warhol v. Goldsmith, writing, Assume AI is trained with all of the musical compositions of Bach. If the AI generates music that sounds like Bach, it is not transformative. The “meaning or message” can be construed as being the same. It’s still like Bach. On the other hand, if the AI is trained only on Bach but generates music Read More ›

Mockup of social media app user interface in dark screen mode

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post

Author
News
Date
June 8, 2023

Categorized
Social Media

Tagged
AI, Big Tech, Child sex abuse, Child sexual abuse (online), Instagram, Meta, sex trafficking, social media, Stanford University, Twitter, Wall Street Journal}

The Dark Side of Instagram

_{An investigative report shows that Instagram algorithm promotes pedophilia networks} _{News

June 8, 2023

3

Social Media}

It’s an unfortunate fact that sex trafficking and pedophilia rings have benefitted from the invention of the internet. Even worse, Meta‘s Instagram is amplifying the problem – not because Meta wants to, of course, but because the algorithm promotes the activity. The Wall Street Journal did an investigative report in partnership with a team from Stanford University on Instagram’s promotion of pedophilia rings, with Jeff Horwitz and Katherine Blunt writing, Pedophiles have long used the internet, but unlike the forums and file-transfer services that cater to people who have interest in illicit content, Instagram doesn’t merely host these activities. Its algorithms promote them. Instagram connects pedophiles and guides them to content sellers via recommendation systems that excel at linking those Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 8, 2023

Categorized
Surveillance

Tagged
aliens, Extraterrestrials (ET), Information, New York Post, Pentagon, space, Top secret, Unidentified flying objects (UFOs)}

Just in Case You Were Wondering, Aliens Exist (Allegedly)

_{The whistleblower report is out: aliens are real! At least, that's the rumor.} _{News

June 8, 2023

2

Surveillance}

The whistleblower report is out: aliens are real! At least, that’s the rumor. And the government has been hiding it for decades, apparently. If you needed another bizarre headline in your feed, we’ve got you covered. Although to be fair, the extraterrestrials have been in the news pretty often over the last couple of years. In 2021, the Pentagon confirmed that images of an unidentified flying object were taken by Navy personnel. Even earlier photos of similar “UFO” looking aircraft surfaced, going against strong winds and having all the appearance of highly advanced technology. Now, the whistleblower, Air Force veteran David Grusch, says that the US government recovered an alien spacecraft and has been hiding the fact for years, even Read More ›

Closed up image of a Female using TikTok application on a smartphone in home. 5 September, 2022. ChiangMai, Thailand.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 7, 2023

Categorized
Social Media, Surveillance

Tagged
addiction, ByteDance, China, Cognition, Congress, Forbes, government, mental health, National Security, social media, TikTok}

TikTok is Storing Data in China, Contrary to Former Claims

_{TikTok CEO said user data isn't stored in China. Turns out it is.} _{News

June 7, 2023

2

Social Media, Surveillance}

Many online creators and entrepreneurs give sensitive data to TikTok, the China-owned social media app, so they can do business on the platform. That includes social security numbers. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told Congress earlier this year that users’ data was stored outside of China in places such as Virginia and Singapore. Apparently, however, that is an inaccurate claim. According to a report from Forbes, TikTok has indeed been storing sensitive data on Chinese servers, where employees there can access it. Alexandra S. Levine reports, A trove of records obtained by Forbes from multiple sources across different parts of the company reveals that highly sensitive financial and personal information about those prized users and third parties has been stored in China. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Eric Holloway
Date
June 7, 2023

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, Cats, ChatGPT, Consciousness, Creativity, Dall-E, Human exceptionalism, Midjourney, OpenAI, Robert J. Marks, Understanding}

Say What? AI Doesn’t Understand Anything

_{Is that supposed to be a cat, Mr. AI?} _{Eric Holloway

June 7, 2023

9

Artificial Intelligence}

Whenever I look at AI generated content, whether it be pictures or text, they all have the same flaw. The AI cannot comprehend what it is making. Let me explain. When we humans draw a picture, we are drawing a concept. We are drawing something like “cat climbs a tree” or “cowboy riding into the sunset”. It seems like this is what is happening with a picture drawing AI. We give it a prompt, and it draws an associated picture. On second thought, maybe not… When AI draws the picture, what is really going on is it is finding individual-colored pixels that correlate with the letters we typed in its massive database stored in the neural network. Very different than how we draw. We Read More ›

VR virtual reality headset goggles worn by man 3D illustration with colorful abstract art showing creativity, fun, metaverse and more, with a white background.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 7, 2023

Categorized
Technology

Tagged
AI, apple, Apps, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Big Tech, CEO, Meta, metaverse, Productivity, social media, Tim Cook, Virtual Reality}

Apple’s Vision Pro Promises “Augmented Reality”

_{The goal? To seamlessly blend digital and physical space} _{News

June 7, 2023

3

Technology}

We’ve written here several times on Meta‘s struggling metaverse project; Zuckerberg‘s darling endeavor hasn’t gotten the traction he hoped for, with teetering investor involvement and an even more fragile consumer interest. But that didn’t stop Apple from chasing their own augmented reality project. The tech giant recently announced the Vision Pro, a headset that allows users to see apps and messages within their physical space. The product is a major development, and the main goal, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, is to dissolve the boundaries between our physical and digital dimensions. Per a report from ABC News, “Vision Pro is a new kind of computer that augments reality by seamlessly blending the real world with the digital world,” Apple Read More ›

AI robot tutor reading with a teenage boy

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 6, 2023

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
Artificial Intelligence, Bard, Bill Gates, Bing, Blogging, Futurism, Google, Microsoft, Teaching, therapy}

The End of the Search Engine?

_{Bill Gates thinks AI will someday replace traditional search engines} _{News

June 6, 2023

2

Artificial Intelligence}

Bill Gates thinks AI will destroy search engines. In the wake of artificial assistants, searching the “traditional” way will get thrown out as the internet totally transforms; nonetheless, it might take a while for AI to fully replace search engines like Google or Microsoft’s Bing. Until then, tech companies will keep trying to implement GPT-like systems into their search systems. Microsoft is already aggressively pushing for this. When you search for something through Microsoft Edge, the chatbot’s response is the first thing to pop up. Victor Tangermann reports at Futurism, Gates has been bullish on the topic of AI for a while now. Just last month, he told an audience during a keynote speech that AI could eventually teach kids how Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 6, 2023

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, Algorithms, Blake Lemoine at COSM 2022, COSM 2022, Discovery Institute, Jay Richards, Robert J. Marks, Sentience and AI, Understanding}

AI’s Lack of Understanding

_{How are we to view AI in an era where it increasingly seems to mimic human intelligence so well?} _{News

June 6, 2023

1

Artificial Intelligence}

We’ve been highlighting a number of interviews from last year’s COSM conference, which attracted many of the most celebrated and respected engineers, scholars, and scientists from around the country. In today’s featured clip, George Montañez, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Harvey Mudd College, shares his perspective on COSM 2022’s panel on artificial intelligence—areas of agreement and disagreement about the nature and future of artificial intelligence. Montañez, like Robert J. Marks, with whom he shared the panel, thinks AI is impressive and that we’ve made incredible strides in the field of computation, but maintains that these systems lack understanding and sentience. Blake Lemoine, the other panelist in the conversation, thinks AI is capable of a bit more than mere algorithmic Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
June 5, 2023

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness, Elon Musk, Information Theory, Intelligent Design, Robert J. Marks, the matrix}

Not to Worry–AI Isn’t Going to Take Over

_{AI hype isn't new. Here's Robert J. Marks writing on the topic in 2017} _{Robert J. Marks

June 5, 2023

11

Artificial Intelligence}

[The AI hype isn’t new. The history of exaggerating its potential goes back decades. In this article, Robert J. Marks echoes many of the views covered in more detail in his 2022 book Non-Computable You: What You Do That Artificial Intelligence Never Will. Today we share it with you, originally written on October 3rd, 2017, and published at The Stream.] A.I. is transforming our world. Should we worry about that? Entrepreneur billionaire Elon Musk is worried. Woody Allen once said, “What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet.” Musk thinks he overpaid for his carpet. He believes there’s a good chance the world as we know it is a sophisticated Read More ›

An analyst uses a computer and dashboard for data business analysis and Data Management System with KPI and metrics connected to the database for technology finance, operations, sales, marketing

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 5, 2023

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Creativity, Human exceptionalism, Mind Matters podcast, Robert J. Marks}

What Even Is Artificial Intelligence?

_{When we talk about AI, we're basically talking about computers} _{News

June 5, 2023

2

Artificial Intelligence}

In a recent Mind Matters podcast, computer engineer Robert J. Marks puts the AI hype into perspective by investigating what it can and cannot do. Marks is of the mind that AI can offer a myriad of benefits to the modern world, and notes that the technology has already made inroads into various spheres of life including banking, accounting, and facial recognition technology. The danger lies in believing that AI can replicate human creativity and understanding. While AI can do a lot, it can never understand itself the way human beings can. Marks thinks this is essential to keep in mind. We are not machines. Here is a quote from the episode in which Marks sets some terms and definitions: Read More ›

Close up on drop splash of a healthy extra-virgin oil full of oligo elements and vitamins creating circular waves by falling down on the liquid and seamless pure surface shining with golden reflects.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 4, 2023

Categorized
Medicine and Health

Tagged
Altos Labs, Amazon, Artificial Intelligence, Bio-medical technologies, Biology, COSM 2022, transhumanism}

Synthetic Biology: What New Therapies Are in Store?

_{For today's featured video from COSM 2022, watch Babak Parviz, Vice President at Amazon, lead a discussion on synthetic biology} _{News

June 4, 2023

2

Medicine and Health}

For today’s featured video from COSM 2022, watch Babak Parviz, Vice President at Amazon, lead a discussion on synthetic biology, the multi-disciplinary field that applies engineering principles to redesign biological systems for new purposes. The panel focuses on bio-medical technologies that hold great promise for curing diseases and even counteracting human aging. For more material on the topic, see this piece on Altos Labs and their work on bio-longevity. Part of their project also involves artificial intelligence research: Altos Labs’ vision isn’t too far removed from that of the transhumanists who want to computerize human consciousness. For them, however, longevity is a junior varsity goal — what we really need is a way to live forever. Harrison quips at the Read More ›

Catch the star. A person is standing next to the Milky Way galaxy pointing on a bright star.

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post

Author
Peter Biles
Date
June 3, 2023

Categorized
Philosophy

Tagged
Artificial Intelligence, Human exceptionalism, J.P. Moreland, Materialism, mind-body dualism, Philosophy, Progress, Reality, science, Technology, theology}

A Return to the Reality of the Soul

_{Materialism has depersonalized the universe, but the evidence for the soul remains} _{Peter Biles

June 3, 2023

5

Philosophy}

Contemporary Western culture is disillusioned. Under the mainstream narrative of materialism, moderns struggle to connect their lives with a transcendent meaning beyond the self. In the United States, we enjoy a level of privilege and wealth foreign to the majority of prior generations, and yet we see “deaths of despair,” frightening rates of anxiety and depression, and heightened political tensions. None of this is news to you, I’m guessing. I’ve personally written a variation of that paragraph in other articles a number of times. The question behind our collective disillusionment is, frankly, why? Why do we struggle to make something of our lives? Why do we enjoy technological and scientific progress but lack the moral and cultural means to enjoy Read More ›

View of planet Earth from inside a space station

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post

Author
Gary Varner
Date
June 3, 2023

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Arts and Culture, Avengers, Cinema, Gary Varner, Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel, Movies and TV}

Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Part 2

_{When an otter and a raccoon make you cry} _{Gary Varner

June 3, 2023

7

Arts & Culture}

Last time, we talked about how the newest addition to the Guardians of the Galaxy movies had a decent script but suffers from tone issues, mostly regarding how the film treats Gamora’s death. The Guardians had just broken into a space station, hoping to find a way to bypass a device that is keeping them from healing Rocket’s wounds which he received from the mysterious Adam Warlock. They break into the station and manage to steal Rocket’s records, but the code that would allow them to bypass Rocket’s kill switch has been removed. However, the records also show the Guardians the face of the man who took the code, and presumably, he has transferred it inside his own hard drive Read More ›

Abstract technology black background. Futuristic digital motherboard texture. Neon blue light

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 2, 2023

Categorized
Technology

Tagged
Carver Mead, COSM 2022, Electron, First working transistor from Bell Labs, George Gilder, Innovation, science, Technology}

Carver Mead on the Future of Tech and Science

_{Listen to a classic lecture from Kyoto Prize winner Carver Mead} _{News

June 2, 2023

1

Technology}

We’ve been featuring lectures and interviews from the 2022 COSM conference, but today’s video is from a bit further back. Carver Mead, the winner of the 2022 Kyoto Prize, spoke at a Discovery Institute event about his pioneering work in transistor technology. Mead said, Any time you have a leading-edge technology you’re pushing, you will uncover fundamental questions there aren’t answers to in the literature. When you first look at the literature it it looks overwhelming. It looks like everything’s been done and everything that needed to be known is already known. And it turns out. That’s only an illusion. Watch the full talk below:

electric car parked in front of home modern low energy suburban house 3d rendering

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 2, 2023

Categorized
Technology

Tagged
Batteries (electric cars), Climate change, COSM 2022, Discovery Institute, Electric Cars, Emissions, Lithium, Walter Meyer}

Electric Cars: Fantasy or Salvation?

_{Many are extolling the benefits of electric cars, especially to reduce emissions} _{News

June 2, 2023

1

Technology}

Many are extolling the benefits of electric cars, especially to reduce emissions. Some jurisdictions are even banning the sale of gas-burning cars in the near future. The panel discusses the future of electric vehicles, their benefits as well as the challenges of their widespread adoption (including manufacturing issues and power supply limitations), and some of the practical issues associated with owning and operating an electric vehicle. Read here for further analysis on the panel and the participants’ various views on electric cars. There, Peter Biles writes, Despite their disagreements, the panelists shared various insights on the development of electric vehicles. As their conversation indicates, global economic issues are in the mix when we talk about electric cars. -Peter Biles, Are Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 1, 2023

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, Alan Turing, Alan Turing on computer creativity, ChatGPT, Elon Musk, OpenAI, Robert J. Marks, The Conversation}

New Conversation Article: ChatGPT Can’t Think

_{Will AI ever reach a point where it can independently analyze, think, and transcend itself?} _{News

June 1, 2023

2

Artificial Intelligence}

Will AI ever reach a point where it can independently analyze, think, and transcend itself? Furthermore, will it ever become sentient? Some experts in the field, like Blake Lemoine, think AI has already breached the boundaries of sentience. Others, though, remain skeptical. A new article from The Conversation discusses ChatGPT, the Turing test, and the question of consciousness. For Turing, “thinking” meant simply passing the test, but his assumptions were misguided. Philip Goff writes, Turing was wrong, however, when he said the only clear notion of “understanding” is the purely behavioural one of passing his test. Although this way of thinking now dominates cognitive science, there is also a clear, everyday notion of “understanding” that’s tied to consciousness. To understand Read More ›

the variety of different types of chips and electronic components on the printed circuit board

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 1, 2023

Categorized
Technology

Tagged
Computers, COSM 2022, Frederico Faggin, Intel, internet, Maria Teresa Cometto, Technology}

Celebrating an Internet Pioneer: Frederico Faggin

_{Faggin discussed his background and how he came to design the first commercial microprocessor at Intel} _{News

June 1, 2023

1

Technology}

For today’s featured video from the COSM 2022, check out this interview between journalist Maria Teresa Cometto and Frederico Faggin. Faggin discussed his background and how he came to design the first commercial microprocessor at Intel. For more similar material, visit the Center’s YouTube page to enjoy more lectures and videos from past COSM conferences.

Natural luxury abstract fluid art painting in alcohol ink technique. Tender and dreamy wallpaper. Mixture of colors creating transparent waves and golden swirls. For posters, other printed materials

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 31, 2023

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture}

So Long, Art History–AI is the Only Picasso We Need Now

_{How about we keep art human generated, eh?} _{News

May 31, 2023

2

Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture}

In the near future, will the high school senior struggling to turn in that art report Google search a famous artist only to be bombarded with AI remakes? And without proper education, will people start failing to discern the difference? Unfortunately, that future is already upon us. If you type in “Johannes Vermeer” at Google, the Dutch artist famous for his piece “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” an AI copy of the artwork appears in his bio preview. Visual artists have been resisting AI image generators like Midjourney and DALL-E for a few months now, with even some lawsuits in the mix. Many artists feel that AI art violates copyright. But we’re to another level with this whole debacle when Read More ›