The Obtain: China’s EV dominance, and making ChatGPT safer

That is immediately’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a every day dose of what’s happening on the planet of know-how.

How did China come to dominate the world of electrical vehicles?

Earlier than most individuals may notice what was occurring, China grew to become a world chief in electrical automobiles. And the momentum hasn’t slowed: In simply the previous two years, the variety of EVs offered yearly within the nation grew from 1.three million to a whopping 6.eight million. 

The business is rising at a pace that has stunned even essentially the most skilled observers, giving China’s auto business sustained development through the pandemic. It has additionally boosted the nation in its quest to turn into one of many world’s local weather coverage leaders.

However the story of how the sector acquired right here is about extra than simply Chinese language state coverage. Learn the complete story.

—Zeyi Yang

How OpenAI is attempting to make ChatGPT safer and fewer biased

Have you ever been threatened by an AI chatbot but? Over the previous week it looks like nearly each information outlet has tried Microsoft’s Bing AI search and located that the chatbot makes up silly and creepy stuff. OpenAI, the startup behind the chatbot’s language know-how, has additionally gotten a whole lot of (doubtless baseless) warmth from conservatives within the US who’ve accused its chatbot ChatGPT of getting a “woke” bias. 

All this outrage is lastly having an impression, and OpenAI has realized it must do extra to reassure the general public. Our senior AI reporter Melissa Heikkilä spoke to 2 AI coverage researchers at OpenAI to listen to extra about how the corporate is making ChatGPT safer and fewer nuts. Learn the complete story.

Melissa’s story is from The Algorithm, her weekly AI e-newsletter. Enroll to obtain it in your inbox each Monday.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the web to search out you immediately’s most enjoyable/necessary/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.

1 China’s courts are invalidating western tech patents
In a bid to provide its personal companies a leg up. (WSJ $)
+ China’s tech sector is uneasy after a distinguished banker mysteriously disappeared. (FT $)
+ The sector’s poisonous status is failing to draw expertise from abroad. (SCMP $)

2 Russia isn’t any nearer to profitable the warfare than it was a 12 months in the past
However it nonetheless has sufficient assets to maintain combating for the foreseeable future. (FT $)
+ How Ukraine’s startups managed to thrive and even develop. (The Data $)
+ Turkey has denied supplying tech to Russia’s navy. (FT $) 

three Hackers are promoting logins to main information facilities
Together with credentials for Amazon, Apple and Microsoft. (Bloomberg $)

four How Berlin’s tech scene is turning into extra inclusive
A New Yorker helps feminine refugees to enter the town’s tech scene. (MIT Know-how Evaluation)
+ Why can’t tech repair its gender downside? (MIT Know-how Evaluation)
+ The voices of ladies in tech are nonetheless being erased. (MIT Know-how Evaluation)

5 These underwater cables can enhance tsunami detection
The challenge may save lives by alerting island residents when lethal waves are forming. (MIT Know-how Evaluation)

6 Telemedicine has made it simpler to pay money for ketamine
Advocates declare the drug can alleviate melancholy, however docs are involved. (NYT $)
+ Thoughts-altering substances are being overhyped as marvel medication. (MIT Know-how Evaluation)

7 Inside the harmful metropolis on the coronary heart of the EV business
Staff within the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park are risking their lives every day. (Wired $)
+ Nigeria has struck a take care of China over its lithium provides. (Remainder of World)+ Why ebike batteries maintain exploding. (Slate $)

eight We should always shield the Amazon in any respect prices
Its loss would have wide-ranging local weather repercussions. (Scientific American $)
+ We aren’t terrified sufficient about dropping the Amazon. (MIT Know-how Evaluation)

9 Methods to train AI to talk with an ideal Latino Spanish accent
Voice actors are more and more coaching the very know-how that can change them. (Remainder of World)
+ What it’s like to search out out you’re the voice of Siri. (Insider $)

10 Why you shouldn’t use your telephone quantity to log in
The hacking dangers are excessive. (Vox)

Quote of the day

“They’re killing civilians, ladies, kids… after which saying they got here right here to assist us and liberate us. Liberate us from what? Life.”

—Liudmila Zadnipriany, a Ukrainian lady whose son was killed within the battle, rubbishes Vladimir Putin’s claims that Ukraine and its western allies began the warfare to the BBC.

The massive story

This super-realistic digital world is a driving faculty for AI

February 2022

Constructing driverless vehicles is a sluggish and costly enterprise. After years of effort and billions of {dollars} of funding, the know-how remains to be caught within the pilot section.

Autonomous know-how firm Waabi thinks it might do higher. Final 12 months it revealed the controversial new shortcut to autonomous automobiles it’s betting on. The massive concept? Ditch the vehicles.

Wasabi has constructed a super-realistic digital atmosphere known as Waabi World. As an alternative of coaching an AI driver in actual automobiles, it plans to do it solely contained in the simulation. However simulation alone is a daring technique, and the way far it might go will depend on how reasonable Waabi World actually is. Learn the complete story. 

—Will Douglas Heaven

We will nonetheless have good issues

A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction in these bizarre instances. (Bought any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)

+ Lesley Paterson ought to win an Oscar purely for this inspirational story (thanks Charlotte!)
+ Are you defending your peace? 
+ This lovable fats cat is the Polish metropolis of Szczecin’s prime vacationer attraction.
+ Get pleasure from these well-known photographers’ footage of their companions.
+ Leonardo da Vinci, not content material with being a literal Renaissance man, had a remarkably correct understanding of gravity, too.

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