Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagTechnology

COSM-Ray-Kurzweil-screen
Type
post
Author
News
Date
April 25, 2024
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Does AI Make Immortality Possible?

Ray Kurzweil speaks out
News
April 25, 2024
1
Artificial Intelligence

Technology futurists are confident that artificial intelligence will soon surpass human intelligence, but will it enhance human longevity too? Computer scientist and pioneer Ray Kurzweil addresses this question in his fascinating lecture at COSM 2023, the national tech summit that witnesses the best minds on tech, AI, and its intersections with society. See Kurzweil talk about the direction he thinks AI is currently headed, and how our longevity could be affected as a result. See also a number of other exciting and timely videos from the most recent COSM conference for more material on these topics!

comparison-portrait-of-beautiful-woman-with-problem-and-clean-skin-aging-and-youth-concept-beauty-treatment-stockpack-adobe-stock
Comparison. Portrait of beautiful woman with problem and clean skin, aging and youth concept, beauty treatment
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post
Author
News
Date
April 15, 2024
Categorized
Biology, Technology
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Anti-Aging: Is it Possible or a Pipe Dream?

A brand-new video on the topic of anti-aging technologies from the 2023 COSM conference
News
April 15, 2024
1
Biology, Technology

The Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence is pleased to be able to share the videos from the 2023 COSM conference, now available on YouTube. This annual conference explores the status and the future of our era-defining technologies, from artificial intelligence to electric vehicles to new developments in biotech. Today’s video features a discussion on anti-aging, and whether this is even a possibility. Matt Scholz, CEO of Oisin Biotechnologies, leads a discussion with Vered Caplan, CEO of Orgenesis, and Elena Sergeeva, Neuroscientist at Tufts and Harvard and co-founder of Tiamat Labs, about anti-aging biotechnologies — how genetic reprogramming of cells could negate the effects of aging and even allow a person to stay in perfect health indefinitely, essentially Read More ›

FTF3-125-2-P022
Type
post
Author
Caitlin Cory
Date
April 9, 2024
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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COSM 2023 Now on YouTube!

COSM 2023 explored the nature of artificial intelligence, as well as its future potential and risks.
Caitlin Cory
April 9, 2024
3
Artificial Intelligence

You can now watch the 2023 COSM Technology Summit on YouTube. If you weren’t able to attend, or perhaps you want to revisit some of your favorite speakers, we are now releasing the second tranche of videos for your enjoyment. Click here to go to the COSM 2023 Playlist on YouTube! COSM 2023 explored the nature of artificial intelligence, as well as its future potential and risks. Stephen Wolfram spoke about his efforts to make the world more computable so that computers can help us understand the world. Afterward, George Gilder and Bob Metcalfe joined him in a fascinating discussion about Turing machines, neural networks, and AI-driven language models. A panel featuring William Dembski, Robert Marks, and George Montanez offered Read More ›

cyber-network-data-flow-open-source-3d-illustration-of-digital-hi-tech-particles-stockpack-adobe-stock
Cyber network, data flow, open source. 3D illustration of digital hi-tech particles
Type
post
Author
Jonathan Bartlett
Date
April 1, 2024
Categorized
Computer Security
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The Backdoor to Control the Internet

We almost lost the Internet last week, but open-source developers saved the day.
Jonathan Bartlett
April 1, 2024
4
Computer Security

Few people are aware, but over the last several days, a perceptive developer foiled a multi-year plot to install a remote backdoor into, well, the entire Internet. Two years ago, a programmer known as Jia Tan (JiaT75) started helping out with a lesser-known compression library, known as xz. For those who don’t know, software today is not a monolithic entity. Every piece of software you use it built from a collection of tools, known as libraries, that make programming easier. For instance, most programmers never have to write the specifics of a sorting algorithm, because, somewhere, there is a library which performs sorting for them. This leaves programmers to focus on higher-level tasks, like actually making the software do what the users want. However, these Read More ›

flint-sparking-matchstick-for-authentic-ignition-concept-fire-starting-survival-gear-camping-essentials-emergency-preparedness-stockpack-adobe-stock
Flint sparking matchstick for authentic ignition. Concept Fire starting, Survival gear, Camping essentials, Emergency preparedness
Type
post
Author
Jeffrey Funk
Date
March 27, 2024
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Sundar Pichai Says AI Will Be as Big as Fire

The AI bubble is going to pop.
Jeffrey Funk
March 27, 2024
7
Artificial Intelligence

Ask someone how big AI will be, and the answer is likely huge. But how big is huge? Why does this matter? Because big forecasts encourage big investments, trials, and purchases. After big consulting companies predicted eight years ago that AI would have economic gains of about $15 trillion by 2030, many countries and companies felt the need to pay for their own reports from those same consultants. Of course, those consultants said that those countries could experience rapid productivity gains and those companies could experience rising profits if they implemented AI in the right way, which was of course under the guidance of the consulting companies! Eight years later and few of their predictions have come true. But their Read More ›

closed-up-image-of-a-female-using-tiktok-application-on-a-smartphone-in-home-5-september-2022-chiangmai-thailand-stockpack-adobe-stock
Closed up image of a Female using TikTok application on a smartphone in home. 5 September, 2022. ChiangMai, Thailand.
Type
post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
March 13, 2024
Categorized
Addiction
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Escaping the Dopamine Cartel

We can't even be bothered with "entertainment" anymore.
Peter Biles
March 13, 2024
3
Addiction
Ted Gioia investigates the impact of the "dopamine culture," our modern tendency to flit among tabs and scroll endlessly through fifteen-second-long video clips. Read More ›
stock-market-diagram-on-lcd-screen-selective-focus-stockpack-adobe-stock
Stock market diagram on LCD screen. Selective focus.
Type
post
Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
February 28, 2024
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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AI and Wall Street’s Hype Curve

Almost all new tech has a hype curve. Here are the stages.
Robert J. Marks
February 28, 2024
4
Artificial Intelligence
Technologies that have surfed the hype curve include superconductivity, the Segway, cold fusion, information theory, Theranos, Piltdown man and string theory. Read More ›
graduation-stockpack-adobe-stock
graduation
Type
post
Author
Jonathan Swindell
Date
January 17, 2024
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Education
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Artificially Smart: Artificial Intelligence and Higher Education

Understanding needs to remain the metric by which students are evaluated
Jonathan Swindell
January 17, 2024
4
Artificial Intelligence, Education
If steps aren’t taken to ensure that conceptual mastery remains the standard for higher education, most students will complete their degrees as technicians. Read More ›
abstract-flight-in-retro-neon-hyper-warp-space-in-the-tunnel-3d-illustration-stockpack-adobe-stock
Abstract flight in retro neon hyper warp space in the tunnel 3d illustration
Type
post
Author
Gary Varner
Date
January 13, 2024
Categorized
Arts & Culture
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Alien 3 Review, Part 4

Ripley's curtain call
Gary Varner
January 13, 2024
7
Arts & Culture

In the third article, Ripley woke up in an all-male prison after surviving a shuttle crash. A parasitic alien tagged along and implanted an embryo in an inmate’s dog. The embryo breaks out of the animal and begins killing people until everyone figures out what’s going on, then they hatched one of the dumbest plans I’ve ever seen in cinema. After that, Ripley begins feeling sick. She goes to her still fully intact cryobed and scans herself. She finds that the parasitic alien has also planted an embryo inside her. The fact that Ripley had an embryo in her the entire time is ridiculous for a number of reasons. As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, her cryobed wasn’t broken, so Read More ›

rising-planet-stockpack-adobe-stock
Rising planet
Type
post
Author
Gary Varner
Date
January 6, 2024
Categorized
Arts & Culture
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Alien 3 Review, Part 3

Aliens vs. Looney Tunes
Gary Varner
January 6, 2024
7
Arts & Culture

In the previous reviews, we talked about how Ripley is once again the sole survivor. Her ship crashed because, somehow, the alien queen she killed in the second movie managed to lay an egg in the five minutes before it died. That egg hatched, attacked Ripley and the other’s cryobeds, and some of its acidic salvia melted its way into the ship’s wiring, causing the spacecraft to crash. To make the situation even more ridiculous, the escape shuttle the cryobeds were moved into crashed as well, and everyone expect Ripley was killed. Ripley wakes up in an all-male prison. Superintendent Harold Andrews is concerned for her safety, so he does his best to keep Ripley in the medical wing. Ripley Read More ›

blurred-crowd-of-unrecognizable-at-the-street-stockpack-adobe-stock
Blurred crowd of unrecognizable at the street
Type
post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
January 1, 2024
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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This New Year, Resolve to Stay Human

This year, we will continue to declare that human beings are unique and exceptional.
Peter Biles
January 1, 2024
3
Artificial Intelligence
The transhumanist vision of life seeks to supplant our human limits with endless knowledge and longevity through the collective online database of humanity. Read More ›
pipe-line-oil-and-gas-valves-at-gas-plant-pressure-safety-valve-selective-stockpack-adobe-stock
Pipe line oil and gas valves at gas plant pressure safety valve selective
Type
post
Author
Eric Holloway
Date
November 6, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture
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“Ghost Work” and the Enduring Necessity of Human Labor

Contrary to popular assumptions, the greater the automation, the greater the need for human labor.
Eric Holloway
November 6, 2023
5
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture
As automation increases, the need for human labor increases, and as a corollary, so does the need for humans in general. Read More ›
young-unhappy-woman-suffering-from-depression-and-stress-stockpack-adobe-stock
young unhappy woman suffering from depression, and stress
Type
post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
October 24, 2023
Categorized
Addiction, Social Media
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Is This a Moral Reckoning? 41 States Sue Meta for Knowingly Addicting Young Users

The lawsuit claims that Meta's platforms are harming its young users. The data backs it up.
Peter Biles
October 24, 2023
3
Addiction, Social Media
The lawsuit coincides with a new article from Jean Twenge, known for researching "Gen-Z" and their painful relationship with addictive digital media. Read More ›
hand-holds-a-disposable-film-camera-stockpack-adobe-stock
hand holds a disposable film camera
Type
post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
October 21, 2023
Categorized
Social Media
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Trying to Solve Social Media’s Problems Through…More Social Media

Alternative social media apps still have to figure out ways to keep you scrolling.
Peter Biles
October 21, 2023
3
Social Media

Last month a friend invited me to download a new photography app called “Lapse.” Perhaps you’ve already heard of it and downloaded it yourself. I decided to try it and see what all the fuss was about. The app’s opening screen was dramatic, with captions about the failures of previous social media apps to truly “capture” the present moment. The business model of social media apps, the Lapsers rightly contend, revolves around “likes” and gaining “friends.” What happened to taking pictures of real, human moments without minding the social reward they might reap? Photo-taking was about holding on to moments that mattered. It wasn’t about filters, validation, or identity. Lapse promises to be different. It’s a disposable camera on your Read More ›

hands-of-a-male-photographer-holding-a-digital-camera-taking-pictures-of-a-idyllic-landscape-with-a-lake-and-mountains-while-the-picture-shows-at-the-display-stockpack-adobe-stock
Hands of a male photographer holding a digital camera taking pictures of a idyllic landscape with a lake and mountains while the picture shows at the display
Type
post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
October 16, 2023
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Two Notable Reads: Children and Tech and the Illusions of Photography

How much should kids be online? And is taking pictures taking us out of real life?
Peter Biles
October 16, 2023
4
Teenagers' mental health has been on the decline over the last decade, particularly among teen girls. Idealized images can be fodder for the social comparison game. Read More ›
old-black-telephone-stockpack-adobe-stock
Old black telephone
Type
post
Author
Andrew McDiarmid
Date
October 15, 2023
Categorized
Technology
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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.
Andrew McDiarmid
October 15, 2023
5
Technology
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 ›
modern-glass-elevator-and-escalator-in-a-shopping-mall-empty-mall-stockpack-adobe-stock
Modern glass elevator and escalator in a shopping mall. Empty mall.
Type
post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
October 14, 2023
Categorized
Arts & Culture
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Zero K: A Novel About Escaping the World Through Technology

Zero K by novelist Don DeLillo is a frightening but prophetic tale of transhumanism and the temptation to evade suffering at all costs.
Peter Biles
October 14, 2023
4
Arts & Culture
The book is prophetic, merging two pertinent issues into one speculative tale: euthanasia and transhumanism. Read More ›
goal-to-success-for-level-up-with-person-climbing-on-route-slope-to-mountain-peakhuman-performance-limit-conceptsgrowth-mindset-and-motivationgenerative-ai-technology-stockpack-adobe-stock
Goal to success for level up with person climbing on route slope to mountain peak.human performance limit concepts.growth mindset and motivation.generative ai technology
Type
post
Author
Andrew McDiarmid
Date
October 11, 2023
Categorized
Human exceptionalism
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Are We Approaching the Singularity?

Are humans progressing morally as well as materially? What does it mean to be human in the cosmos?
Andrew McDiarmid
October 11, 2023
2
Human exceptionalism

Are humans progressing morally as well as materially? What does it mean to be human in the cosmos? On a new episode of ID the Future, we bring you the second half of a stimulating conversation between Dr. David Berlinski and host Eric Metaxas on the subject of Berlinski’s book Human Nature. In Human Nature, Berlinski argues that the utopian view that humans are progressing toward evolutionary and technological perfection is wishful thinking. Men are not about to become like gods. “I’m a strong believer in original sin,” quips Berlinski in his discussion with Metaxas. In other words, he believes not only that humans are fundamentally distinct from the rest of the biological world, but also that humans are prone to ignorance and Read More ›

group-of-students-using-laptops-and-other-devices-in-classroom-stockpack-adobe-stock
Group of students using laptops and other devices in classroom.
Type
post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
October 8, 2023
Categorized
Education
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The Kids Aren’t Taking Notes

Colleges have become too dependent on digital methods of learning and communication.
Peter Biles
October 8, 2023
3
Education
Visit a typical classroom in the United States and you’re bound to see just about every student “taking notes” behind a computer screen as the professor lectures at the helm. Read More ›