Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagAI

COSM2022-Nov10-174A0052-ai-panel
Panel on AI at COSM 2022
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post
Author
News
Date
June 6, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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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 ›

robot-take-over-solarized-image-stockpack-adobe-stock
robot take over solarized image
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post
Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
June 5, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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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-stockpack-adobe-stock
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
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post
Author
News
Date
June 5, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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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 ›

thinking with gears
Thinking mechanisms
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post
Author
News
Date
June 1, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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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 ›

thinker-man-3d-illustration-the-thinker-statue-by-the-french-sculptor-rodin-stockpack-adobe-stock
Thinker man 3D illustration. The Thinker Statue by the French Sculptor Rodin.
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
May 30, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Moving On to Breaking Google’s Bard

These AI systems lack the uniquely human capacity of self-transcendence
William A. Dembski
May 30, 2023
4
Artificial Intelligence

I’ve finally started playing around with Google Bard. With self-referential sentences, it seems even more at sea than ChatGPT. Here is an exchange from May 18: Me: Consider the following six sentences: This is the first sentence. Ignore this sentence. Why are these sentences being written down? The second sentence has exactly three words. The fifth sentence has at least twenty words. This, along with the preceding five sentences, have fewer than twenty times twenty words. Which of these last six sentences has a truth value and which are true? Bard: The last six sentences have the following truth values: The second sentence is false because it has 5 words, not 3. The fifth sentence is true because it has Read More ›

empty-vintage-congress-hall-with-seats-and-microphones-stockpack-adobe-stock
Empty vintage congress hall with seats and microphones
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post
Author
News
Date
May 29, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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“A Printing Press Moment” in History

AI should be regulated lest it do real harm in the world, said OpenAI CEO
News
May 29, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the company at the forefront of artificial intelligence development in recent months, testified before lawmakers last week on the state of AI, its potential, and the dangers of its misuse. Despite Altman’s overall optimism regarding AI, calling it a “printing press moment,” he called for lawmakers to regulate it to keep it from causing legitimate harm in the world. Julia Zorthian, writer at Times and owner of the coolest last name in the world, reports, Joining Altman in testifying before the committee were two other AI experts, professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University Gary Marcus and IBM Chief Privacy & Trust Officer Christina Montgomery. The three witnesses supported governance of AI Read More ›

light-bulb-global-internet-connection-business-global-internet-connection-application-technology-and-digital-marketing-financial-and-banking-digital-link-tech-big-data-bulb-light-energy-lamp-stockpack-adobe-stock
Light bulb Global Internet connection. Business global internet connection application technology and digital marketing, Financial and banking, Digital link tech, big data, bulb, light, energy, lamp,
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post
Author
Jeffrey Funk
Date
May 29, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Technology
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Review of “Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity”

This new book on tech, AI, and economic prosperity by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson is incredibly timely
Jeffrey Funk
May 29, 2023
7
Artificial Intelligence, Technology

This book by two MIT economists is very timely because the world is now dealing with the latest in the “Thousand Year Struggle,” in the form of artificial intelligence, the claims that many white-collar jobs will be automated, OpenAI’s call for regulation, and the possibility that AI will bring a further concentration of power among the big tech companies. Much of the book sets the stage for this discussion by summarizing the history of technology. This review focuses on the economic and social impact of automation and information technology over the last 50 years. For instance, “the distribution of income between capital and labor began to change significantly in the late 20th century. While throughout most of the century, about Read More ›

adult-student-reading-a-book-in-the-college-library-young-standing-male-wearing-glasses-with-bookshelves-on-background-stockpack-adobe-stock
Adult student reading a book in the college library. Young standing male wearing glasses with bookshelves on background.
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post
Author
News
Date
May 28, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture
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In the Wake of AI Books, What Does Authorship Mean?

While of course it's easy to use AI to generate text, the quality and storytelling are lacking.
News
May 28, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

We all know there are a lot of books out there. Perusing your local used bookstore and you may find hundreds of old romance paperbacks, and somehow most of them managed (at least at one point) to make the New York Times bestsellers’ list. It’s estimated that 500,000 to 1 million books are published each year, and that’s excluding self-published material. The publishing market has become saturated, with the average book selling less than 200 copies. From the advent of the printing press centuries ago to e-books and online publishing, humans alone have managed to generate a mountain of words. But suppose one person could “generate” not just a few books in a lifetime, but hundreds every year? According to Read More ›

the-beam-of-light-in-the-path-of-the-magic-forest-stockpack-adobe-stock
The beam of light in the path of the magic forest
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post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
May 28, 2023
Categorized
Philosophy, Religion
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The Rational Magicians

Can real meaning be experienced in a godless world? The postrationalists are trying
Peter Biles
May 28, 2023
4
Philosophy, Religion

In the era of scientific enlightenment, progress, and technological sophistication, “magic” might be the last word one might use to describe the activity of modern Western culture. We live in an age of reason, not superstition. Right? The old world of myth, mystery, and religion is holed away in museums and cathedrals; these are relics of an admirable but outdated generation. After Reason In a fascinating new article from The New Atlantis, writer Tara Isabella Burton writes about the “postrationalists,” an Internet subculture disillusioned with the technocratic rationalism of Silicon Valley and in search of a sense of the mystical and divine. “Reason,” or the modern conception of it, has left the postrationalists disappointed. Neither, however, are they flocking to Read More ›

man-walking-in-the-night-toward-the-light-stockpack-adobe-stock
man walking in the night toward the light
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post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
May 27, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture
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Here Come the AI Companions

The Internet ushered in a wave of virtual living and connectivity. Is this the next inevitable step?
Peter Biles
May 27, 2023
3
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

The popular social media influencer Caryn Marjorie recently launched “CarynAI,” an artificially intelligent companion that her millions of followers can interact with every day. Marjorie told the Washington Post that she doesn’t have the bandwidth to respond to all the requests she gets from her predominantly male fanbase, however much she wishes to. She furthermore wants to cure them all of their loneliness. She’s on track to make 5 million dollars a month from CarynAI. The bot makes it possible for fans to have a “relationship” with a simulated version of Caryn. Conversations are designed to “wind down” after an hour, but there’s no time limit. One of Caryn’s reps said users are spending hours interacting with CarynAI. The project Read More ›

space-environment-ready-for-comp-of-your-characters3d-rendering-generative-ai-stockpack-adobe-stock
Space environment, ready for comp of your characters.3D rendering. Generative AI
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post
Author
Gary Varner
Date
May 27, 2023
Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction
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Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Review, Part 1

It's a decent movie, but the tone doesn't account for all these characters have been through
Gary Varner
May 27, 2023
6
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 came out in theaters on May 5th, and while the movie is not the best addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s better than most, certainly better than Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, there have been complaints about theater turnout, and these complaints are a testament to the damage movies like Multiverse of Madness have done to the Marvel brand. I’d say we have the Mouse to thank for that. The only consolation to this turn of events is that as the box office numbers for Marvel films continue to dwindle, so do the subscriptions to Disney Plus. I’ll take the victories where I can get them. The Movie’s Tone Needs Read More ›

emotional-glitchy-tetris-pattern-pixelated-photoluminescence-scifi-otherworldly-realistic-stockpack-adobe-stock
emotional glitchy tetris pattern pixelated Photoluminescence SciFi Otherworldly Realistic
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post
Author
News
Date
May 26, 2023
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Arts & Culture, Technology
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Before the iPhone, There Was Tetris

What was the precursor for the widespread tech addiction we see today, particularly in young people?
News
May 26, 2023
2
Arts & Culture, Technology

What was the precursor for the widespread tech addiction we see today, particularly in young people? Many say it was the iPhone. Peter Tonguette, however, thinks that the game Tetris started the screentime avalanche. Tonguette reviewed the new Apple TV+ film Tetris, which covers the story of the classic game’s development, acquisition, and subsequent popularity in the early nineties. He writes, One might assume this changeover coincided with the rise of smartphones and social media, but a new movie shows that it happened as early as the summer vacation of 1989. During that fateful interregnum between school years, kids were introduced to something that prefigured the electronic devices of the 21st century: a battery-powered, 8-bit handheld videogame device whose two Read More ›

depressed-teenager-browsing-the-internet-on-his-mobile-phone-as-he-is-lying-on-his-bed-in-the-dark-stockpack-adobe-stock
Depressed teenager browsing the internet on his mobile phone as he is lying on his bed in the dark.
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post
Author
News
Date
May 26, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Wisdom

What manner of harms are we creating?
News
May 26, 2023
6
Artificial Intelligence

By Tom Gilson Richard Stevens’ May 11 Stream article, “AI Legal Theories,” suggests we consider making Artificial Intelligence companies legally responsible for the harms they cause. We do that already with consumer products, so in principle it should be possible to do the same with AI. Enforcement would be by civil law. Injured parties would presumably be given standing to sue the source of the harm without having to prove negligence. That gets us somewhere, but not far enough. It settles the question of who is legally responsible. But responsible for what? Specifically, what will we call harm? Who will decide? Based on what standard of wisdom? Stevens gives this example of harm, citing an earlier Stream article by Robert J. Marks: “The Snapchat ChatGPT-powered Read More ›

cctv-security-room-stockpack-adobe-stock
CCTV Security Room
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post
Author
News
Date
May 25, 2023
Categorized
Surveillance
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New Surveillance Tech in the UK

The debate over security and privacy rights is reaching a new level
News
May 25, 2023
1
Surveillance

The government in the United Kingdom is reportedly working on a new surveillance technology that could monitor the online activity of millions of people. Critics say implementing the tech in practice would be a radical intrusion of privacy. Matt Burgess writes at Wired, Haidar of Privacy International says that creating powers to collect more of people’s data doesn’t result in “more security” for people. “Building the data retention capabilities of companies and a vast range of government agencies doesn’t mean that intelligence operations will be enhanced,” Haidar says. “In fact, we argue that it makes us less secure as this data becomes vulnerable to being misused or abused.” -Matt Burgess, The UK’s Secretive Web Surveillance Program Is Ramping Up | Read More ›

schreibmaschine-alt-jahrgang-retro-schriftsteller-stockpack-adobe-stock
schreibmaschine alt jahrgang retro schriftsteller
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post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
May 25, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture
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Hollywood Writers vs. AI

The Writers Guild of America doesn't want AI stealing their jobs
Peter Biles
May 25, 2023
3
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

I smell something rotten in the heart of Hollywood. So do a lot of screenwriters, actors, and directors. And you probably already have seen the headlines about the Writers Guild of America (WGA) going on strike, largely due to Hollywood studios’ apparent openness to using AI to generate scripts. It feels inevitable looking back, with the introduction and consequent explosion of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, that we would quickly arrive at a place where people like screenwriters are demanding job security. New AI systems have challenged a lot of different sectors, from visual art to journalism, but right now, the WGA strike is at the forefront of the conversation and continues to rage. Maggie Harrison of Futurism reports that a good many Read More ›

aerial-view-of-the-pentagon-and-the-united-states-air-force-memorial-in-arlington-virginia-stockpack-adobe-stock
Aerial view of the Pentagon and the United States Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia
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post
Author
News
Date
May 24, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Fake Fire at the Pentagon

An AI image of a fire near Pentagon stokes panic
News
May 24, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence

An AI-generated image showing a billowing fire near the U.S. Pentagon caused panic this week. False alarms of an explosion started to proliferate across social media, with even a Russian state outlet reporting on the situation, according to TMZ. Nonetheless, the image showed various distortions and was quickly dismantled as a hoax by a number of vigilant viewers. Even so, the image looks realistic at first glance, and was enough to ignite concern; the incident occurs amidst legislative talks on Capitol Hill over AI regulation. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (which was originally funded by Elon Musk) testified before Congress and noted that while he sees great benefits in new AI systems, the possibilities of their abuses are evident. The Read More ›

3d-rendering-artificial-intelligence-ai-research-of-robot-and-cyborg-development-for-future-of-people-living-digital-data-mining-and-machine-learning-technology-design-for-computer-brain-stockpack-adobe-stock
3D rendering artificial intelligence AI research of robot and cyborg development for future of people living. Digital data mining and machine learning technology design for computer brain.
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post
Author
News
Date
May 24, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Opinion: They Were Right to Call for AI’s Pause

Could ChatGPT end up making us subservient to it?
News
May 24, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence

Brad Littlejohn wrote an opinion piece at World claiming that Elon Musk and the many others who signed a petition calling for AI to pause research were onto something–and that the rest of us should pay attention. He writes, In a famous essay at the dawn of the personal computing era, “Thinking About Technology,” Canadian philosopher George Grant examined the statement, “Computers do not impose on us the ways they should be used.” It expressed, he argued, the quintessential modern idea of technology as simply an extension of human freedom. The claim is that we remain at all times the masters of our technological instruments, free to bend them to our will. More often, however, they have an uncanny way Read More ›

audiobook-education-smartphone-screen-with-audiobook-application-on-paper-books-black-background-ebook-e-learning-electronic-internet-mobility-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock
Audiobook education. Smartphone screen with audiobook application on paper books black background. Ebook e learning electronic internet mobility concept.
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post
Author
News
Date
May 23, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture
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Audiobook Voice Actor: Storytelling Should Stay Human

Handing the narrative baton to a machine can bankrupt stories of their human element
News
May 23, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

New AI systems have carved inroads into many industries, not least of all those involving voice and audio. Now the audiobook business is in trouble; since AI has the increasingly good ability to mimic the human voice and generate words, many voice actors and readers have watched the demand for their contributions steadily fall. According to a report from Tech Explore, voice actor Tanya Eby, who has been in the business for 20 years, has seen her workload drop “by half.” Several of her colleagues report similar trends in their own work. AI startups like DeepZen, based in London, cheapen audiobook projects tremendously, making it a challenge for human actors to stay viable. DeepZen technology takes several different human voices Read More ›

chatgpt-chat-with-ai-or-artificial-intelligence-young-businessman-chatting-with-a-smart-ai-or-artificial-intelligence-using-an-artificial-intelligence-chatbot-developed-by-openai-stockpack-adobe-stock
ChatGPT Chat with AI or Artificial Intelligence. Young businessman chatting with a smart AI or artificial intelligence using an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI..
Type
post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
May 19, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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How to Break ChatGPT

It has a difficulty dealing with self-reference
William A. Dembski
May 19, 2023
3
Artificial Intelligence

Over the last several months I’ve been playing with ChatGPT, first version 3 and now version 4. It’s impressive and it can answer many questions accurately (though sometimes it just makes stuff up). One problem it has consistently displayed, and which shows that it lacks understanding (that it really is just a big Chinese room in the style of John Searle) is its difficulty dealing with self-reference.  Consider the following exchange that I had with it (on 5/8/23): Me: The fifth sentence does not exist. The second sentence has four words. Ignore this sentence. Is this sentence true? This is the fifth sentence. Which of these last five sentences has a truth value and is in fact true? << In Read More ›

deepfake-deep-learning-fake-news-generator-modern-internet-technology-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock
Deepfake deep learning fake news generator modern internet technology concept.
Type
post
Author
News
Date
May 19, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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“Suddenly There’s No More Reality”

The deepfakes and AI scams abound
News
May 19, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence

With the proliferation of AI text and images, the issue of deepfakes is of deepening concern. The better AI gets at refashioning reality, will the already murky waters of the Internet become too surreal to navigate? Even real videos, when divorced from their proper context, can be deeply misleading. When entire clips are artificially contrived, then, it seems like the line between fact and fiction dissolves entirely. Some folks are already worried. Victor Tangermann writes at Futurism, [Given] recent developments, the situation is likely to get worse before it can get better. AI tools are making it easier to generate deepfakes every year. These days, an AI can be trained on a relatively small stockpile of audiovisual data to convincingly Read More ›