That is at this time’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a every day dose of what’s occurring on the earth of expertise.
Geoffrey Hinton talks concerning the “existential menace” of AI
Deep studying pioneer Geoffrey Hinton introduced on Monday that he was stepping down from his position as an AI researcher at Google after a decade with the corporate. He says he desires to talk freely as he grows more and more nervous concerning the potential harms of synthetic intelligence.
Previous to the announcement, Will Douglas Heaven, MIT Expertise Overview’s senior editor for AI, interviewed Hinton about his considerations—learn the complete story right here.
Quickly after, the 2 spoke at EmTech Digital, MIT Expertise Overview’s signature AI occasion, discussing all the things from why humanity may very well be only a passing part within the evolution of intelligence, to why he thinks computer systems are higher at studying than people. Watch their dialog in full.
The within scoop on photo voltaic geoengineering
Over the previous few weeks, it’s felt like photo voltaic geoengineering has instantly change into an enormous a part of the general public dialog across the local weather. Geoengineering is an umbrella time period that covers a variety of efforts to change the Earth, often not directly associated to holding again local weather change.
Photo voltaic geoengineering includes reflecting a few of the solar’s radiation again into area, which may, in principle, assist cool the planet, counteracting the warming attributable to greenhouse-gas emissions.
The issue is that no person can actually agree whether or not we should always even be learning photo voltaic geoengineering, a lot much less doing it. But a handful of scientists are throwing warning to the wind and doing it anyway. Learn the complete story.
—Casey Crownhart
Casey’s story is from The Spark, her weekly e-newsletter providing you with the within monitor on all issues local weather and power. Join to obtain it in your inbox each Wednesday.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to seek out you at this time’s most enjoyable/essential/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.
1 Placing TV writers need to cease AI-written scripts
It’s the primary time they’ve formally pushed again towards studios’ use of generative instruments. (Motherboard)
+ The final writers’ strike value LA’s economic system greater than $2 billion. (Insider $)
+ The within story of how ChatGPT was constructed from the individuals who made it. (MIT Expertise Overview)
2 The FTC is contemplating barring Meta from monetizing childrens’ knowledge
An unbiased evaluation discovered its privateness program nonetheless poses ‘substantial dangers to the general public.’ (CNBC)
three Google is edging nearer to ditching passwords for good
Cryptographic passkeys are each simpler and safer. (The Verge)
+ The top of passwords. (MIT Expertise Overview)
four Bing’s AI chatbot will allow you to seek for photographs
That means you received’t should sort out such sophisticated prompts. (Bloomberg $)
+ Microsoft is tinkering with a personal model of ChatGPT. (The Data $)
5 How a controversial gunshot detection agency wooed Portland Police
Shotspotter aggressively marketed its companies within the wake of devastating gun violence. (The Guardian)
+ A non-public safety group often despatched Minnesota police misinformation about protestors. (MIT Expertise Overview)
6 Chinese language procuring big Temu is shifting to Eire
It’s in a bid to guard itself as relations between the US and China proceed to bitter. (FT $)
+ This obscure procuring app is now America’s most downloaded. (MIT Expertise Overview)
7 Our underwater kelp forests are dying
And that’s not excellent news for the local weather. (Vox)
+ Working Tide is dealing with scientist departures and rising considerations over seaweed sinking for carbon elimination. (MIT Expertise Overview)
eight On-line communities are buying and selling recommendations on easy methods to skip Ozempic doses
They need to get pleasure from their meals—for a few of the time, at the least. (The Atlantic $)
+ Weight-loss injections have taken over the web. However what does this imply for folks IRL? (MIT Expertise Overview)
9 There’s no straightforward cash left in Silicon Valley anymore
This time, it’s China’s VCs who’re struggling. (Wired $)
10 We nonetheless haven’t arrived at a holographic description of the universe
However loads of scientists try their finest. (New Scientist $)
Quote of the day
“All of it went south. But it surely occurred and all we are able to do now’s construct one thing to keep away from that ever taking place once more.”
—Jack Dorsey displays on what’s occurred to Twitter since Elon Musk took over, and why he’s backing a brand new, related platform referred to as BlueSky, the New York Instances experiences.
The large story
The FBI accused him of spying for China. It ruined his life.
June 2021
In April 2018, Anming Hu, a Chinese language-Canadian affiliate professor on the College of Tennessee, obtained an surprising go to from the FBI. The brokers needed to know whether or not he’d been concerned in a Chinese language authorities “expertise program,” providing abroad researchers incentives to convey their work again to Chinese language universities.
Not too way back, American universities inspired their lecturers to construct ties with Chinese language establishments, however the US authorities is now suspicious of those applications, seeing them as a spy recruitment instrument. Regardless of Hu’s denial he was concerned in such applications, rather less than two years later, they confirmed up once more—this time to arrest him. Learn the complete story.
—Karen Hao & Eileen Guo
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction in these bizarre instances. (Received any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ This adventurous moose is aware of there’s nothing fairly like cinema popcorn.
+ Colombian scorching chocolate with cheese sounds prefer it shouldn’t work—so I’ll should take your phrase that it does.
+ I loved this puppet rendition of A Thousand Miles (thanks Mark!)
+ A visit to probably the most distant spot on Earth sounds fairly good to me proper now.
+ Cheese doesn’t provide you with dangerous desires in spite of everything, and different well being myths you must both ignore or take to coronary heart.
