Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

CategoryTechnology

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a new smartphone on the stand of the exhibition close-up. New models of gadgets at the exhibition of technologies. People choose new gadgets and smartphones

U.S. Sues the Big Apple (the Tech One)

Apple claims the suit sets dangerous federal precedent
Apple has promised to fight the lawsuit, which may be the most aggressive it has yet to face. Read More ›
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webinar, education online concept, video tutorial

Online Training: Real Education or Going Through the Motions?

Not all online trainings are bad. But many are procedural and pointless.
In some cases, I was convinced that the goal of the training was to pretend to convey information while not actually doing so.  Read More ›
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Future virtual reality learning process for children in a kindergarten daycare using Vision glasses for multimedial training and imagination

Will Apple’s Vision Pro Be the Next iPhone?

Or end up like Google Glass? With Vision Pro, in order to see anything, including the ordinary world around you, you have to use the multiple mounted cameras

(This article by Texas State University engineering prof Karl D. Stephan originally appeared at Engineering Ethics Blog (February 5, 2024) and is reprinted with permission.) Back in June of 2023, Apple announced its Vision Pro, which the Wikipedia article about it calls a “mixed reality” headset. This week, in some parts of the world you can now buy your own Vision Pro—for $3,500. While this will not be an obstacle for wealthy early adopters, the rest of us will probably wait until the beta-version bugs are worked out and the price comes down. In the meantime, we can think about what this means for the future of humanity. That sounds either presumptuous or silly, but there is no question that Read More ›

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Man is using virtual reality headset. Image with glitch effect.

The Apple Vision Pro is Here

What exactly is the point of this new, painfully expensive piece of gadgetry?
Given what we've seen so far, it seems like this new release from one of the world's foremost technology companies is more of a fancy toy than a genuine tool. Read More ›
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Integrated control system simulation and autonomous driving in smart city

Autonomous Vehicles Are Catching Up Fast

There are winners and losers. GM's Cruise was kicked out of California over safety issues but Alphabet's Waymo, which emphasizes safety, is still chugging along
Waymo wisely focused on Level 4 urban self-driving, which is an engineering problem, rather than Level 5’s total autonomy—that’s a philosophical problem. Read More ›
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Communication technology for internet business. Global world network and telecommunication on earth cryptocurrency and blockchain and IoT. Elements of this image furnished by NASA

Is Tech Still Innovating?

Is it just me, or is the world of technology feeling a bit … stale?
Maybe IT is slowing down. But maybe that is a good thing. Read More ›
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Teenage boy in a bedroom listening to music through his smartphone

New Report: Parents, Don’t Give Your Kids Smartphones

This has become a national health crisis.
Haidt writes in The Atlantic that smartphones ought to be banned from schools because "they impede learning, stunt relationships, and lessen belonging." Read More ›
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Old black telephone

The Wisdom of Elders for Navigating Modern Life

If you feel overwhelmed and frustrated about life in the digital age, here's a tip: talk to your elders.
Tech critic Andrew McDiarmid speaks of his friendship with Dorothy, a wise elderly woman he befriended who espoused a sound view of technology. Read More ›
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Full length of man touches with digital pencil simulation space wearing headset to create virtual reality dimension. Male using tablet computer for control augmented VR environment standing outdoors

See Through the False Promises of Apple Vision Pro

The illusion of connection so shapes our desires that we may lose our taste for the real thing
Vision Pro isolates us by the mere fact of its presence since everything we see has this device in the middle. Read More ›
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Chimpanzee

Is Neuralink Safe?

Musk says it is, but the evidence suggests otherwise.

Over the years, the company “Neuralink” has conducted a number of brain implant tests on monkeys, and according to a report from Futurism, a majority of those went south. The implants are supposed to aid cognitive abilities and perhaps even alleviate or offset certain mental disabilities. Now, an ethics group called Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is calling for an investigation. Elon Musk, who founded the biotechnology company in 2016, claimed that the affected animals had terminal illnesses that were unrelated to the implant tests, but others cry foul. Frank Landymore writes, Documents viewed as part of a new investigation by Wired, however, as well as testimony from a former employee, contradict Musk’s claims entirely — and the details are as upsetting Read More ›

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AGV (Automated guided vehicle) in warehouse logistic and transport.

U.S. Federal Trade Commission Sues Amazon

The lawsuit convicts Amazon of suppressing competition and stifling innovation from potential rivals

In a long-awaited lawsuit, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing Amazon for seeking to monopolize the online market, according to Reuters. The lawsuit convicts Amazon of suppressing competition and stifling innovation from potential rivals, arriving after years of complaints. From the Reuters article: he lawsuit, which was joined by 17 state attorneys general, follows a four-year investigation and federal lawsuits filed against Alphabet’s Google and Meta Platforms’ Facebook. “The FTC and its state partners say Amazon’s actions allow it to stop rivals and sellers from lowering prices, degrade quality for shoppers, overcharge sellers, stifle innovation, and prevent rivals from fairly competing against Amazon,” the agency said in a statement. The FTC said that it was asking the court Read More ›

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Telecommunications tower, antenna and satellite dish and city at night as background

The Future of 5G

Feutsch says that one of the great benefits of 5G will not only be faster speeds, but much lower latency

In today’s featured video from a past COSM conference, Jay Richards interviews Andre Fuetsch, President of AT&T Labs and Chief Technical Officer at AT&T, about the future of 5G communications. Feutsch says that one of the great benefits of 5G will not only be faster speeds, but much lower latency. This will be a “game changer” for latency-sensitive applications such as autonomous vehicles, drones, and online gaming that require real time information. Andre Feutsch oversees the global technology direction for AT&T. This includes network planning, the company’s innovation road map, AT&T Labs, AT&T Foundry, and the intellectual property organization. His responsibilities include spearheading the design of the company’s next-generation 5G wireless infrastructure and software-defined networking (SDN) initiative. (REGISTER NOW FOR Read More ›

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Parking electric cars. Charging stations, fast charging cars. 3d illustration

The Benefits of Autonomous and Electric Vehicle Technology

Innovation has always created more opportunity, not less

In today’s featured video from a past COSM conference, Jay Richards interviews Tom Alberg, Founder, Madrona Venture Group and Co-chair of the ACES Northwest Network, about ACES’ efforts to bring Automated, Connected, Electric, and Shared vehicle technologies to the Puget Sound region. Alberg dismisses the idea that these new technologies will lead to job loss because innovation has always created more opportunity, not less. (REGISTER NOW FOR COSM 2023) COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it. From artificial intelligence to 5G and WiFi6, from tokenized time to blockchain, from cloud computing to the quantum revolution, and from biotech to the nanotech revolution, COSM brings together some of the greatest minds Read More ›

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Big radar parabolic radio antenna global information data stream

A Google Engineer Talks to Mind Matters About the Radio Spectrum

The spectrum business goes to the highest bidder. But what problems does that pose in the long run?

The federal government determines how the radio spectrum is used and who can use it. Turns out, renting out the spectrum to private companies is a billion-dollar business. The spectrum business goes to the highest bidder. But what problems does that pose in the long run? Google engineer Andrew Clegg discusses this and more with Dr. Robert J. Marks and Austin Egbert in the latest episode of the Mind Matters podcast. Here’s Clegg speaking to some of these issues from the transcript: In the decades past, there were typically enough frequencies to go around for everybody. And so pretty much the first person who applied for a particular frequency or band or whatever, would be given that frequency. And that worked Read More ›

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Medical Development Laboratory: Caucasian Female Scientist Looking Under Microscope, Analyzes Petri Dish Sample. Specialists Working on Medicine, Biotechnology Research in Advanced Pharma Lab

Killing Diseases and Living Longer

Can innovations in biotechnology enhance and lengthen human life?

Can innovations in biotechnology enhance and lengthen human life? This is question typical to the COSM Conference, where today’s leading voices in tech and science converge to discuss the potentials of the present and the vision of the future. Here, Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Jay Richards interviews Matt Scholz, CEO Of OISON Biotechnologies, on new approaches to killing disease and living longer.  (REGISTER NOW FOR COSM 2023) COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it. From artificial intelligence to 5G and WiFi6, from tokenized time to blockchain, from cloud computing to the quantum revolution, and from biotech to the nanotech revolution, COSM brings together some of the greatest minds of our Read More ›

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Aerial cityscape view of San Francisco and the Bay Bridge at Night

Silicon Valley is All About Use, Not Truth

Of Athens, Jerusalem, and the "third city"
We could see Birgis's brilliant article as a call to hold technological innovation in healthy conversation with common sense and moral values. Read More ›
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Julie Love at COSM 2021 interviewed by Jay Richards

Microsoft’s Julie Love on Quantum Computing

How might quantum computing change the technology in the future?

In today’s featured video from a past COSM conference, Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Jay Richards interviews Julie Love, Director of Quantum Computing Business Development at Microsoft, about how quantum computing differs from classical computing and what the future holds for this technology. (REGISTER NOW FOR COSM 2023) COSM is an exclusive national summit on the technologies remaking the world as we know it. The mission of the conference is to stimulate debate and deliberation amongst industry leaders, illuminating the synergy between Seattle and the world and providing a scene of civilized conversation and exchange. (REGISTER NOW FOR COSM 2023) We’ve been sharing a number of lectures from past COSM conferences. This video is just one of many you can find at Read More ›

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flags

Meta Introduces New Translator Tool

Meta's goal of making a universal translator is starting to materialize

Meta has developed a new speech-to-text model that can translate almost 100 languages, according to The Verge. The announcement reflects Meta’s recent attempts to expand their AI sector. (RELATED: Meta’s Weird New Speech AI | Mind Matters) Emilia David writes, SeamlessM4T, which stands for Massively Multilingual and Multimodal Machine Translation, that the company said can translate speech-to-text and text-to-text for nearly 100 languages. For speech-to-speech and text-to-speech actions, it recognizes 100 input languages and converts them into 35 output languages. -Emilia David, Meta releases multilingual speech translation model – The Verge Meta’s ultimate goal is to make a “universal translator.” The multi-billion dollar technology company compared the new model to the “Babel Fish” in the novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Read More ›

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Electric car charging

Hybrid Cars Are the Future

Plug-in hybrids offer motorists a balanced option with virtually no downsides, writes Walter Meyers III
Auto makers need to step up and address the one issue that makes these vehicles less practical — their inability to accept fast chargers. Read More ›