CategoryArtificial Intelligence
Is Big Tech’s AI Starting To Run Out of “Other People’s Money”?
People are beginning to wonder if all the AI hype is really going to pay off in substantial improvements
Science Journals Are Coming to Terms With AI’s Limits
There is risk in relying on chatbots for writing shortcuts. It is somewhat like relying on the town gossip for information. The tale might be true but…
AI: The Future of Friendship?
Odd visions of dystopia keep popping up in real life in our current social moment.Odd visions of dystopia keep popping up in real life in our current social moment. An upcoming device simply called “friend” is now being advertised. Per the product description, the “friend” is a Bluetooth disk that hangs around a person’s neck and “listens” to the user. It then has the capacity to make conversation by “texting” you at random times of the day, like a human friend might do. The website includes a “frequently asked questions” portion, which is where you can discover what the product is and what it can do. Here’s a bizarre response to the question: “what does ‘always listening’ mean”: When connected via bluetooth, your friend is always listening and forming their own internal thoughts. We Read More ›
AI health coaching: Risk vs. benefit
As health care analyst Katie Suleta points out, familiar problems like bias and hallucination could impact the health advice the AI coach gives
Social Media Cutting Into Your Sanity? Try the Great Unplug
Video producer Adam Nieri looks at the pros and cons of a post-AI world and recommends structured timeouts to regain perspective
Musk Wants to Use AI to Understand the Universe. Will it Work?
Could AI ever aid our quest to fully understand the universe?Jordan Peterson and Elon Musk sat down this week for an extensive conversation ranging from technology, AI, politics, and even religion and questions of the metaphysical. These two prominent figures are active on Musk’s X, and frequently call out infringements on free speech and other authoritarian measures they see as a danger. In one interesting point in the interview, Musk described how he diverged in his views from his friend Larry Page on AI safety. Page evidently believes that we will “upload our minds to the computer,” to which Peterson said, “There’s not much difference between that and the death of humanity.” Musk nonetheless is the developer of his own AI system and believes that AI can aid humanity’s perennial Read More ›
Tech Hype Watch: Do Chatbots Really Understand Things?
Well-known author Robert Wright believes they do but he misunderstands how computers work
We Shouldn’t Let AI Steal Art and Entertainment
This is an opportunity for artists and writers to create excellent work that champions the uniqueness of human creativityIt’s no secret that new forms of AI threaten the integrity of the arts and entertainment industry. Actors might be deep faked. Artists’ original work can be scraped by word prompts, and writers could be “replaced” by large language models that only seem to be getting more adept at copycatting human language. One of the reasons it’s tempting for Hollywood producers to use AI seems to go beyond simply cutting costs. It makes sense massive companies want to capitalize on a tool that will get them unpaid labor. But in a way, entertainment, including books and movies, have become apportioned to popular demand. Which means they tend to be more formulaic and geared towards marketability instead of genuine quality. I Read More ›
Biles Appears on AI Risk Podcast
Staying human in the digital worldMind Matters contributor Peter Biles, who writes often on technology, AI, and culture, appeared on the For Humanity Podcast with host John Sherman to talk about artificial general intelligence, religion, social media, and more. The hour-long episode appeared today on YouTube, and you can access it below if interested. In a world in which AI is hyped as the future of technology, with futurists claiming it can (and must) shape our society moving forward, how can we retain the perennial truths of human exceptionalism?
Science Writer: No Way To Tell If AI Is Conscious
Absent a definition of consciousness, it might not be possible to prove extravagant claims wrong
Tech Industry: Are the Unicorns an Endangered Species?
The canaries are cheeping loudly that new tech startup funding is fading
AI is Becoming a Tool of Mass Persuasion
Some worry that AI could be a powerful tool used to wield influence over users
Are We Close to Peak AI Hype?
Outrageous statements are proliferating.
High Tech Wizards Are Trying To Create a God in Their Own Image
Some AI industry figures believe in the coming of the Singularity, wherein machines duplicate and then exceed the abilities of man
YouTube Tries to Take Down Deepfake Impersonations… Well, Sort Of
The difficulty is, as the technology explodes, so does a minefield of complications
Written by Human or Bot? Researchers Have a New Way to Tell
After the use of chatbots surged in 2023, some common words appeared much more often in the abstracts of journal papers, hinting at AI origin
Famous Actress Wonders About AI, TV Culture, and Humanity
AI isn't like the printing press, Rashida Jones laments
Will AI Soon Help Animals Talk To Us?
Many animals have a natural tendency to hide their problems for self-protection. AI trained on massive animal datasets might suss them out