Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

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robot ai sits in the library and reads a book. Concept of text generation, AI training and information systematization

The State of Reading in an AI World

Are we heading to a post-literate society?
Whatever one’s opinion, it’s still a fact that, unlike a human writer or artist, AI can’t think or feel. Read More ›
a-cute-robot-holding-a-notepad-with-a-pencil-set-against-a-t-1204269652-stockpack-adobestock
A cute robot holding a notepad with a pencil, set against a teal background, symbolizing creativity and technology.

AI Still Can’t Think

It can only create the appearance of thought
AI, as a tool, can have a lot of benefits and uses, but as we’ve witnessed time and time again, it often makes mistakes. Read More ›
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Austin's downtown landscape with google building

What Are My Recommendations for Reining in/Reforming Google?

Part 10: Here’s one thing: If Google claims Section 230 and DMCA protections but actively moderates or curates content, it is a publisher, not a neutral platform
The alternative to the First Amendment is a narratocracy in which a society’s commanding institutions determine what stories are allowed and disallowed. Read More ›
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Positive cute robot pointing at a space. Copy space, ai generated

Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4 Can Deceive and Blackmail

Is AI getting out of control?
In a bizarre twist, Opus threatened to expose a fictional affair if it were to lose its spot to another AI system. Read More ›
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Concept of artificial intelligence for industrial revolution and automation robots

AI: The New Industrial Revolution?

Experts try to guess where AI is heading over the next few years
Perhaps the human conversation alone is argument enough on why AI can never replace us. Read More ›
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storage big data cloud

The Evilization of Google—And What to Do About It

Part 1: Understanding Google's dominance over the internet
Nothing is totally evil. Still, there’s enough evil in Google that it is, for now, more on the side of Darth Vader than Obi-Wan Kenobi. Read More ›
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Businessman holding a cloud of social media network icon

The Tech Giants Looming in the Background

The presence of these tech giants at Trump's inauguration signals a major "vibe shift" in the culture.
The Constitution guards against government interference in the speech of American citizens. Read More ›
phone in the dark
Asian woman playing game on smartphone in the bed at night,Thailand people,Addict social media

The Tragic Case of Teen’s Death and Character.AI

From the perspective of friends and family, it looked like Sewell just got mired in his phone. They weren’t aware he “fell for a chatbot.”
Sewell spiraled farther down an AI vortex until he fantasized about "joining" the chatbot in some kind of postmortem union. Read More ›
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Dynamic cyber big data flow: blockchain networks intersecting with ai technology and digital communication. Vibrant 3d illustration of music waves and science research

Hinton and Hopfield Win Nobel Prize in Physics

Hinton warns against neglecting AI safety

Geoffrey E. Hinton, a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence responsible for helping develop “neural networks,” has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize alongside John J. Hopfield. The two scientists won the award for their groundbreaking work in machine intelligence, paving the way for a revolutionary new way to use computers. Hinton attracted attention just last year when he departed from Google and started warning the public about the potential dangers of new AI systems. He likened the AI revolution to the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century, only this time, it won’t be our physical capacities that get trumped by the machine, but our intellects. The New York Times reports, “It will be comparable with the Industrial Revolution,” Read More ›

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Concept idea freedom of speech freedom of expression democracy feminism and censored, surreal painting, portrait illustration, political art, women's rights, conceptual artwork

The U.K. Government Reposts Censorious Tweet

The rising authoritarianism in western societies is becoming more evident

In light of the violent protests and now counter-protests raging across the England and elsewhere in the United Kingdom (UK), the UK government reposted an announcement on X that those posting online content promoting “hatred” or “violence” could be criminally prosecuted. Here’s the post: Not only can citizens face prosecution by posting inciteful content (although the video makes no mention about what that really is), but they can also get nabbed for simply reposting it from someone else. The pushback on X was swift, with critics calling the post a blatant instance of government overreach and comparing the measure to something we would expect in authoritarian countries like China and North Korea. The debate over free speech in western countries Read More ›

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Abstract digital human face.  Artificial intelligence concept of big data or cyber security. 3D rendering

AI Isn’t Going to Destroy the World (or Save It, Either)

Revisiting a classic podcast interview with Robert J. Marks

A classic episode of ID the Future dives into the controversial realm of artificial intelligence (AI). Will robots or other computers ever become so fast and powerful that they become conscious, creative, and free? Will AI reach a point where it leaves humans in the dust? To shed light on these and other questions, host Casey Luskin interviews computer engineering professor Robert J. Marks, head of the Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence. In this fast-paced interview, Marks touches on dystopian AI and the limits of computer algorithms (they can never do anything that is inherently non-computable, Marks argues), and discuss celebrity thinkers and entrepreneurs who’ve weighed in on the promises and perils of AI, such as Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Read More ›

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Big data and artificial intelligence concept. Machine learning and circuit board. Deep learning

Final Release of COSM 2023 Videos!

The fourth and final tranche of COSM 2023 videos is now available.

The fourth and final tranche of COSM 2023 videos is now available — featuring topics such as how advances in artificial intelligence may affect automobile transportation, solutions to the vast amounts of energy artificial intelligence will require, and why we might be on the brink of seeing the most disruptive innovations the world has ever seen. If you weren’t able to attend, or perhaps you want to revisit some of your favorite speakers, take a look at our COSM 2023 playlist on YouTube! A few highlights of the recently released videos: You can also watch backstage interviews, in which Senior Fellow Jay Richards goes into greater depth with several speakers on the topics addressed onstage. Click here to go to Read More ›

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Large Language Models - Generative AI illustration

Large Language Models Are Often Wrong, Never in Doubt

LLMs are statistically driven text generators, nothing more
As an economist, professor, and writer, I am reportedly in imminent danger of being replaced by large language models (LLMs). I’m not worried. Read More ›
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University college audience or lecture room with students as back to school education study and learning during conference presentation and training seminar meeting

Universities Should Prioritize Critical Thinking Over Large Language Models

It is doubtful that LLMs can generate novel ways to boost productivity
No matter how many words they train on and no matter how many human trainers correct their mistakes, they will continue to lack the critical thinking skills. Read More ›
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Retro Robot mad of junk rusty metal learning Human Civilization by it self reading books like making updates in library

Former Googlers Weren’t Shocked by Gemini

The new bot simply reflects the tech giant's ideological commitments.
For them, Gemini is in keeping with Google's corporate culture and represents the tech giant's prioritization of ideology over excellence. Read More ›
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robot learning or solving problems

Can AI Ever Be Sentient? A Conversation with Blake Lemoine

AI can mimic sentience, but can it ever be sentient? On this episode, we return to our conversation with former Google engineer Blake Lemoine. Host Robert J. Marks has a lively back and forth with Lemoine, who made national headlines when, as an employee of Google, he claimed that Google’s AI software, dubbed LaMDA, might be sentient. Lemoine recounts his experience at Google and Read More ›

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Cute and little robot helper with artificial intelligence raising hand. Generative AI

Google Gemini Presents a Past That Never Happened

You can't trust a bot to give you a history lesson, turns out.
Walter Kirn tweeted recently: "Gemini AI is inventing damaging stories about people and figures I know. It is an automated false-witness weapon." Read More ›
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When it Comes to New Technologies Like AI, Tempers Run Hot

So far, the most tangible LLM successes have been in generating political disinformation and phishing scams.
LLMs often remind us of clueless students who answer essay questions by writing everything they think is relevant, hoping the right answer is in there somewhere Read More ›