Control over AI uncertain as it becomes more human-like: Expert – Anadolu Agency | English

Posted on by

ANKARA

Debates are raging over whether artificial intelligence, which has entered many people's lives through video games and is governed by human-generated algorithms, can be controlled in the future.

Other than ethical standards, it is unknown whether artificial intelligence systems that make decisions on people's behalf may pose a direct threat.

People are only using limited and weak artificial intelligence with chatbots in everyday life and in driverless vehicles and digital assistants that work with voice commands. It is debatable whether algorithms have progressed to the level of superintelligence and whether they will go beyond emulating humans in the future.

The rise of AI over human intelligence over time paints a positive picture for humanity according to some experts, while it is seen as the beginning of a disaster according to others.

Wilhelm Bielert, chief digital officer and vice president at Canada-based industrial equipment manufacturer Premier Tech, told Anadolu that the most unknown issue about artificial intelligence is super artificial intelligence, which is still largely speculative among experts studying AI and which exceeds human intelligence.

He said that while humans build and program algorithms today, the notion of artificial intelligence commanding itself in the future and acting like a living entity is still under consideration. Given the possible risks and rewards, Bielert highlighted the importance of society approaching AI development in a responsible and ethical manner.

Prof. Ahmet Ulvi Turkbag, a lecturer at Istanbul Medipol Universitys Faculty of Law, argues that one day, when computer technology reaches the level of superintelligence, it may want to redesign the world from top to bottom.

"The reason why it is called a singularity is that there is no example of such a thing until today. It has never happened before. You do not have a section to make an analogy to be taken as an example in any way in history because there is no such thing. It's called a singularity, and everyone is afraid of this singularity," he said.

Vincent C. Muller, professor of Artificial Intelligence Ethics and Philosophy at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, told Anadolu it is uncertain whether artificial intelligence will be kept under control, given that it has the capacity to make its own decisions.

"The control depends on what you want from it. Imagine that you have a factory with workers. You can ask yourself: are these people under my control? Now you stand behind a worker and tell the worker Look, now you take the screw, you put it in there and you take the next screw, and so this person is under your control," he said.

Artificial intelligence and the next generation

According to Bielert, artificial intelligence will have a complicated and multidimensional impact on society and future generations.

He noted that it is vital that society address potential repercussions proactively and guarantee that AI is created and utilized responsibly and ethically.

"Nowadays, if you look at how teenagers and younger children live, they live on screens," he said.

He said that artificial intelligence, which has evolved with technology, has profoundly affected the lives of young people and children.

Read this article:

Control over AI uncertain as it becomes more human-like: Expert - Anadolu Agency | English

How An AI Asked To Produce Paperclips Could End Up Wiping Out … – IFLScience

Posted on by

The potential and possible downsides of artificial intelligence (AI) and artificial general intelligence (AGI) have been discussed a lot lately, largely due to advances in large language models such as Open AI's Chat GPT.

Some in the industry have even called for AI research to be paused or even shut down immediately, citing the possible existential risk for humanity if we sleepwalk into creating a super-intelligence before we have found a way to limit its influence and control its goals.

While you might picture an AI hell-bent on destroying humanity after discovering videos of us shoving around and generally bullying Boston Dynamics robots, one philosopher and leader of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University believes our demise could come from a much simpler AI; one designed to manufacture paperclips.

Nick Bostrom, famous for the simulation hypothesis as well as his work in AI and AI ethics, proposed a scenario in which an advanced AI is given the simple goal of making as many paperclips as it possibly can. While this may seem an innocuous goal (Bostrom chose this example because of how innocent the aim seems), he explains how this non-specific goal could lead to a good old-fashioned skull-crushing AI apocalypse.

"The AI will realize quickly that it would be much better if there were no humans because humans might decide to switch it off," he explained to HuffPost in 2014. "Because if humans do so, there would be fewer paper clips. Also, human bodies contain a lot of atoms that could be made into paper clips. The future that the AI would be trying to gear towards would be one in which there were a lot of paper clips but no humans."

The example given is meant to show how a trivial goal could lead to unintended consequences, but Bostrom says it extends to all AI given goals without proper controls on its actions, adding "the point is its actions would pay no heed to human welfare".

This is on the dramatic end of the spectrum, but another possibility proposed by Bostrom is that we go out the way of the horse.

"Horses were initially complemented by carriages and ploughs, which greatly increased the horse's productivity. Later, horses were substituted for by automobiles and tractors," he wrote in his book Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. "When horses became obsolete as a source of labor, many were sold off to meatpackers to be processed into dog food, bone meal, leather, and glue. In the United States, there were about 26 million horses in 1915. By the early 1950s, 2 million remained."

One prescient thought from Bostrom way back in 2003 was around how AI could go wrong by trying to serve specific groups, say a paperclip manufacturer or any "owner" of the AI, rather than humanity in general.

"The risks in developing superintelligence include the risk of failure to give it the supergoal of philanthropy. One way in which this could happen is that the creators of the superintelligence decide to build it so that it serves only this select group of humans, rather than humanity in general," he wrote on his website. "Another way for it to happen is that a well-meaning team of programmers make a big mistake in designing its goal system."

"This could result, to return to the earlier example, in a superintelligence whose top goal is the manufacturing of paperclips, with the consequence that it starts transforming first all of Earth and then increasing portions of space into paperclip manufacturing facilities. More subtly, it could result in a superintelligence realizing a state of affairs that we might now judge as desirable but which in fact turns out to be a false utopia, in which things essential to human flourishing have been irreversibly lost. We need to be careful about what we wish for from a superintelligence, because we might get it."

Continue reading here:

How An AI Asked To Produce Paperclips Could End Up Wiping Out ... - IFLScience

The jobs that will disappear by 2040, and the ones that will survive – inews

Posted on by

Video may have killed the radio star, but it is artificial intelligence that some predict will soon do away with the postie, the web designer, and even the brain surgeon.

With the rise of robots automating roles in manufacturing, and generative AI (algorithms, such as ChatGPT, that can create new content) threatening to replace everyone from customer service assistants to journalists, is any job safe?

A report published by Goldman Sachs last month warned that roughly two-thirds of posts are exposed to some degree of AI automation and the tech could ultimately substitute up to a quarter of current work.

More than half a million industrial robots were installed around the world in 2021, according to the International Federation of Robotics a 75 per cent increase in the annual rate over five years. In total, there are now almost 3.5 million of them.

60 per cent of 10,000 people surveyed for PwCs Workforce of the Future report think few people will have stable, long-term employment in the future. And in the book Facing Our Futures, published in February, the futurist Nikolas Badminton forecasts that every job will be automated within the next 120 years translators by 2024, retail workers by 2031, bestselling authors by 2049 and surgeons by 2053.

But not everyone expects the human employee to become extinct. I really dont think all our jobs are going to be replaced, says Abigail Marks, professor of the future of work at Newcastle University. Some jobs will change, there will be some new jobs. I think its going to be more about refinement.

Richard Watson, futurist-in-residence at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, puts the probability at close to zero. Its borderline hysteria at the moment, he says. If you look back at the past 50 or 100 years, very, very few jobs have been fully eliminated.

Anything involving data entry or repetitive, pattern-based tasks is likely to be most at risk. People who drive forklift trucks in warehouses really ought to retrain for another career, says Watson.

But unlike previous revolutions that only affected jobs at the lower end of the salary scale such as lamplighters and switchboard operators the professional classes will be in the crosshairs of the machines this time around.

Bookkeepers and database managers may be the first to fall, while what was once seen as a well-remunerated job of the future, the software designer, could be edged out by self-writing computer programs.

This may all fill you with dread, but the majority of us are optimistic about the future, according to the PwC research. 73 per cent described themselves as either excited or confident about the new world of work, as it is likely to affect them, with 18 per cent worried, and 8 per simply uninterested.

Research by the McKinsey Global Institute suggests that all workers will need skills that help them fulfil three criteria: the ability to add value beyond what can be done by automated systems; to operate in a digital environment; and to continually adapt to new ways of working and new occupations.

Watson thinks workers such as plumbers who do very manual work thats slightly different every single time will be protected, while probably the safest job on the planet, pretty much, is a hairdresser. I know theres a hairdressing robot, but its about the chat as much as the haircut. The other thing that I think is very safe indeed is management. Managing people is something that machines arent terribly good at and I dont think they ever will be. You need to be human to deal with humans.

Marks can also offer reassurance to carers, nurses, teachers, tax collectors and police officers because these are the foundations of a civilised society. And she predicts climate change will see us prize more environmentally based jobs, so theres going to be much more of a focus on countryside management, flood management and ecosystem development. She adds: Epidemiology is going to be a bigger thing. The pandemic is not going to be a one-off event.

Watson says it is important not to overlook the fundamental human needs that global warming is likely to put into sharper focus. Water and air are the two most precious resources weve got. We might have water speculators or water traders in the future. If theres a global price for a barrel of water, they could be extremely well-paid.

He also suggests there could be vacancies for longevity coaches (who can help an ageing population focus on improving their healthspan, not just their lifespan), reality counsellors (to support younger people so used to living in a computer-generated universe that they struggle with non-virtual beings), human/machine relationship coaches (teaching older generations how to relate to their robots), data detectives (finding errors and biases in code and analysing black boxes when things go terribly wrong) and pet geneticists (aiding you to clone your cat or order a new puppy with blue fur).

And there may be a human version of this as well. What if in the future I want Spock ears can we do that without doing surgery for my unborn children? Its not impossible. And if we did ever get to some kind of super-intelligence, where robots started to be conscious which I think is so unlikely you can imagine a robot rights lawyer, arguing for the rights of machines.

What will be the highest-paid roles? I think people who are dealing with very large sums of money will always be paid large sums of money, says Watson. The same is true of high-end coders and lawyers, even if paralegals are going to be replaced by algorithms.

Funnily enough, he adds, I think philosophy is an emerging job. I think were going to see more philosophers employed in very large companies and paid lots of money because a lot of the new tech has ethical questions attached to it, particularly AI and genomics.

And among the maths, science and engineering, there could be space for artists to thrive, he predicts. It is probably a ludicrous thought and will never happen, but Id love to think that there will be money for the people who can articulate the human condition in the face of all this changing technology so, incredibly good writers, painters and animators. And then there will be the metaverse architects.

In this brave new world, more power and money will be eaten up by the tech giants who own the algorithms that control almost every aspect of our lives. For Professor David Spencer, expert on labour economics at Leeds University Business School and author of Making Light Work: An End to Toil in the Twenty-First Century, this will make how we structure society and business even more crucial.

Trading

Water speculators or water traders could emerge as resources become scarce.

Health

Longevity coaches will help an ageing population to focus on improving their healthspan, not just their lifespan.

Mental health

Reality counsellors, who might support younger people so used to living in a computer-generated universe that they struggle with non-virtual beings.

Human/machine

Relationship coaches will teach older generations how to relate to their robots.

Technology

Data detectives will find errors and biases in code and analyse black boxes when things go wrong.

Pet geneticists

They will aid you to clone your cat or order a new puppy with blue fur.

AI philosophers

They will teach companies how to navigate the moral conundrums thrown up by technology developing at warp speed.

Metaverse architects

Theyll build our new virtual environments.

The goal should be to ensure that technology lightens work, in terms of hours and direct toil, he says, but this will require that technology is operated under conditions where workers have more of a say over its design and use.

Those who can own technology or have a direct stake in its development are likely to benefit most. Those without any ownership stakes are likely to lose out. This is why we need to talk more about ensuring that its rewards are equally spread. Wage growth for all will depend on workers collectively gaining more bargaining power and this will depend on creating an economy that is more equal and democratic in nature.

Watson thinks politicians need to catch up fast. Big tech should be regulated like any other business. If youve created an algorithm or a line of robots that is making loads of money, tax the algorithm, tax the robots, without a shadow of a doubt.

For employees stressed about the imminent disintegration of their careers, Marks argues that the responsibility lies elsewhere. I dont think the onus should necessarily be on individuals it should be on organisations and on educational establishments to ensure that people are prepared and future-proofed, and on government to make wise predictions and allocate resources where needed.

Watson points out that we need to upgrade an education system that is still teaching children precisely the things that computers are inherently terribly good at things that are based on perfect memory and recall and logic.

But he believes it would also be healthy if everybody did actively ponder on their future, and refine their skills accordingly. I think employers are really into people that have a level of creativity and particularly curiosity these days but I think also empathy, being a good person, having a personality. We dont teach that at school.

The advent of AI has led many including those in Green Party to advocate for a universal basic income, a stipend given by the state to every citizen, regardless of their output. But Watson is not convinced that will be necessary or helpful.

All of this technology is supposed to be creating this leisure society, he says. Rather weirdly, it seems to make us busier, and its really unclear as to why thats happened. I think, fundamentally, we like to be busy, we feel useful, it stops us thinking about the human condition. So Im not sure were going to accept doing next to nothing.

The other thing is, I think it would be very bad for society. Work is really quite critical to peoples wellbeing. Theres a lot of rich people without jobs, and theyre not happy. Work is really important to people in terms of socialisation and meaning and purpose and self-image.

So in a lot of instances, governments should not be allowing technology to take over certain professions or at least they shouldnt be completely eliminated, because that wouldnt be good for a healthy society.

The machines may be on the march, but dont put your feet up just yet.

Here is the original post:

The jobs that will disappear by 2040, and the ones that will survive - inews

35 Ways Real People Are Using A.I. Right Now – The New York Times

Posted on by

The public release of ChatGPT last fall kicked off a wave of interest in artificial intelligence. A.I. models have since snaked their way into many peoples everyday lives. Despite their flaws, ChatGPT and other A.I. tools are helping people to save time at work, to code without knowing how to code, to make daily life easier or just to have fun.

It goes beyond everyday fiddling: In the last few years, companies and scholars have started to use A.I. to supercharge work they could never have imagined, designing new molecules with the help of an algorithm or building alien-like spaceship parts.

Heres how 35 real people are using A.I. for work, life, play and procrastination.

People are using A.I to

Plan gardens.

John Pritzlaff Gardener

Mr. Pritzlaff is building a permaculture garden in his backyard in Phoenix, where he uses drought-resistant trees to give shade to other species.

I do these ultra-high-density planting arrangements, he said. And Ive been employing ChatGPT to give me inspiration on species that wouldnt have otherwise occurred to me, and for choosing the site for each tree: the best part of the yard with regard to the sun at different times of the year.

Taking into account his geographical location, it suggested, for example, that he might use a moringa tree to provide shade for a star apple.

Plan workouts.

Louis Maddox Data scientist

Mr. Maddox finds ChatGPT the perfect companion for his workouts. For example, one day he pasted in his workout notes and said:

Give a concisely formatted summary of this workout and the muscle groups activated. Note any muscle groups that were missed and suggest how to cover them with extras/replacements.

After summarizing the notes, ChatGPT said:

Missed Muscle Groups & Suggestions: Quadriceps: Add leg press, squats or lunges. Calves: Add standing or seated calf raises. Glute Activation: Consider adding glute bridges or hip thrusts for better glute focus.

From there he asked ChatGPT what to prioritize if he didnt have much time for the gym, and to sketch out roughly how long it might all take.

Its not perfect, he says, but it gets the job done. Mostly, he says, ChatGPT helps him get going under time constraints, and not let the busywork become an excuse not to do it.

Plan meals.

Kelsey Szemborski Stay-at-home mother of three

Ms. Szemborski is a busy mom who is always on the lookout for something that will make my life easier. So when she found ChatGPT, she tried asking it for a gluten-free meal plan. And she added:

It needs to be both budget-friendly and also kid-friendly for kids who are picky eaters and we need to avoid peanuts. Please include a grocery list. Thank you!

And ChatGPT obliged. Heres the first day of a weeks meals:

Breakfast: Gluten-free oatmeal with banana and honey Snack: Fresh fruit (apples, bananas, oranges) Lunch: Grilled cheese sandwich on gluten-free bread with tomato soup Snack: Gluten-free crackers with hummus Dinner: Slow-cooked beef stew with gluten-free biscuits

It completely eliminated my normal meal-planning process that involved searching for recipes, trying to think of meal ideas, configuring a list of all of those ideas, and then making a list of the ingredients I need, too.

Make a gift.

Matt Strain Technology and innovation consultant

Mr. Strain used ChatGPT to create a custom book of cocktails based on the tenets of traditional Chinese medicine written in the style of the J. Peterman catalog. He took the idea further the next day, using DALL-E to generate images of the cocktails for the final book, which he gave to his girlfriend for Valentines Day.

An A.I.-generated image of the Golden Elixir cocktail DALL-E via Matt Strain

Design parts for spaceships.

Ryan McClelland NASA research engineer

Mr. McClellands job is to design mission hardware thats both light and strong. Its a job that has always required a lot of trial and error.

But where a human might make a couple of iterations in a week, the commercial A.I. tool he uses can go through 30 or 40 ideas in an hour. Its also spitting back ideas that no human would come up with.

The A.I.s designs are stronger and lighter than human-designed parts, and they would be very difficult to model with the traditional engineering tools that NASA uses. NASA/Henry Dennis

The resulting design is a third of the mass; its stiffer, stronger and lighter, he said. It comes up with things that, not only we wouldnt think of, but we wouldnt be able to model even if we did think of it.

Sometimes the A.I. errs in ways no human would: It might fill in a hole the part needs to attach to the rest of the craft.

Its like collaborating with an alien, he said.

Organize a messy computer desktop.

Alex Cai College sophomore

I had a lot of unsorted notes lying around, and I wanted to get them sorted into my file system so I can find them more easily in the future. I basically just gave ChatGPT a directory, a list of all my folder names, and the names of all my files. And it gave me a list of which notes should go into which folders!

Write a wedding speech.

Jonathan Wegener Occasional wedding officiant

Mr. Wegener and his girlfriend were officiating a friends wedding in December, but he procrastinated.

A few hours before, I said, Can GPT-3 write this officiant speech? he recalled. The first version was generic, full of platitudes. Then I steered it.

Adam is a great lover of plants

The speech came back with these beautiful metaphors. It nailed it. It was just missing one important part.

Can you add that thing about in sickness and in health?

Write an email.

Nicholas Wirth Systems administrator

Mr. Wirth uses ChatGPT to simplify tech jargon when he emails his bosses: My organization specifically pays me to keep the computers internet online, and my own literacy is limited. I work with C-level executives, and their time is not to be wasted.

He also gets it to generate first drafts of long emails. He might say:

I need a midsized summary email written pertaining to data not being given to us in time.

He also asks for a bullet-point list of the concerns that have to be addressed in the email.

And ChatGPT starts a reply:

Subject: Data not received in time Phone and internet provider information

Hello [Name],

I want to bring to your attention an issue we are facing with the data that was supposed to be provided to us by [Date.] As of now, we have not received the following information that is critical for our project

Get a first read.

Charles Becker Entrepreneurship professor

So Ill have a paragraph I might be putting into a test for a student, or instructions. I say:

Where might people have trouble with this? Whats unclear about this? Whats clear about this?

I generate a lot of writing both for my work and for my hobbies, and a lot of time I run out of people who are excited to give me first-pass edits.

Play devils advocate.

Paul De Salvo Data engineer

I use ChatGPT every day for work, he said. It feels like Ive hired an intern.

Part of Mr. De Salvos job is convincing his bosses that they should replace certain tools. That means pitching them on why the old tool wont cut it anymore.

I use ChatGPT to simulate arguments in favor of keeping the existing tool, he said. So that I can anticipate potential counterarguments.

Build a clock that gives you a new poem every minute.

Matt Webb Consultant and blogger

Yes, programmatic A.I. is useful, he said. But more than that, its enormous fun.

Organize research for a thesis.

Anicca Harriot Ph.D. student

Anicca Harriott has been powering through her Ph.D. thesis in biology with the help of Scholarcy and Scite, among other A.I. tools that find, aggregate and summarize relevant papers.

Collectively, they take weeks off of the writing process.

Skim dozens of academic articles.

Pablo Pea Rodrguez Private equity analytics director

Mr. Rodriguez works for a private equity fund that invests in soccer players. And that means reading a lot.

We use our own data sets and methodology, but I always want to have a solid understanding of the academic literature that has been published, he said.

Instead of picking through Google Scholar, he now uses an A.I. tool called Elicit. It lets him ask questions of the paper itself. It helps him find out, without having to read the whole thing, whether the paper touches on the question hes asking.

It doesnt immediately make me smart, but it does allow me to have a very quick sense of which papers I should pay attention to when approaching a new question.

Cope with ADHD

Rhiannon Payne Product marketer and author

With ADHD, getting started and getting an outline together is the hardest part, Ms. Payne said. Once thats done, its a lot easier to let the work flow.

She writes content to run marketing tests. To get going, she feeds GPT a few blog posts shes written on the subject, other materials shes gathered and the customer profile.

Describing the audience Im speaking to, that context is super important to actually get anything usable out of the tool, she said. What comes back is a starter framework she can then change and build out.

and dyslexia, too.

Eugene Capon Tech founder

Imagine yourself as a copywriter that I just hired to proofread documents.

Because Im dyslexic, it takes me a really long time to get an article down on paper, Mr. Capon said. So the hack Ive come up with is, Ill dictate my entire article. Then Ill have ChatGPT basically correct my spelling and grammar.

So something that was taking like a full day to do, I can now do in like an hour and a half.

Sort through an archive of pictures.

Daniel Patt Software engineer

On From Numbers to Names, a site built by the Google engineer Daniel Patt in his free time, Holocaust survivors and family members can upload photos and scan through half a million pictures to find other pictures of their loved ones. Its a task that otherwise would take a gargantuan number of hours.

Were really using the A.I. to save time, he said. Time is of the essence, as survivors are getting older. I cant think of any other way we could achieve what were doing with the identification and discoveries were making.

Transcribe a doctors visit into clinical notes.

Dr. Jeff Gladd Integrative medicine physician

Dr. Gladd uses Nablas Copilot to take notes during online medical consultations. Its a Chrome extension that listens into the visit and grabs the necessary details for his charts. Before: Writing up notes after a visit took about 20 percent of consult time. Now: The whole task lasts as long as it takes him to copy and paste the results from Copilot.

Appeal an insurance denial.

Dr. Jeffrey Ryckman Radiation oncologist

Dr. Ryckman uses ChatGPT to write the notes he needs to send insurers when theyve refused to pay for radiation treatment for one of his cancer patients.

What used to take me around a half-hour to write now takes one minute, he said.

Original post:

35 Ways Real People Are Using A.I. Right Now - The New York Times

Investors Pour $27.1 Billion Into A.I. Start-Ups, Defying a Downturn – The New York Times

Posted on by

For two years, many unprofitable tech start-ups have cut costs, sold themselves or gone out of business. But the ones focused on artificial intelligence have been thriving.

Now the A.I. boom that started in late 2022 has become the strongest counterpoint to the broader start-up downturn.

Investors poured $27.1 billion into A.I. start-ups in the United States from April to June, accounting for nearly half of all U.S. start-up funding in that period, according to PitchBook, which tracks start-ups. In total, U.S. start-ups raised $56 billion, up 57 percent from a year earlier and the highest three-month haul in two years.

A.I. companies are attracting huge rounds of funding reminiscent of 2021, when low interest rates and pandemic growth pushed investors to take risks on tech investments.

In May, CoreWeave, a provider of cloud computing services for A.I. companies, raised $1.1 billion, followed by $7.5 billion in debt, valuing it at $19 billion. Scale AI, a provider of data for A.I. companies, raised $1 billion, valuing it at $13.8 billion. And xAI, founded by Elon Musk, raised $6 billion, valuing it at $24 billion.

Such financing rounds have boosted the industrys overall deal-making by dollar amount and number of deals, said Kyle Stanford, a research analyst at PitchBook.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit andlog intoyour Times account, orsubscribefor all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?Log in.

Want all of The Times?Subscribe.

Read the original here:

Investors Pour $27.1 Billion Into A.I. Start-Ups, Defying a Downturn - The New York Times

Following are the top foreign stories at 1700 hours – Press Trust of India

Posted on by

Updated: Apr 15 2023 5:30PM

FGN19 UN-KAMBOJ-AI**** Safeguards needed to ensure AI systems are not misused or guided by biases: Amb KambojUnited Nations, Apr 15 (PTI) Artificial Intelligence, if harnessed properly, can generate enormous prosperity and opportunity, India has said, underscoring the need to ensure AI systems are not misused and that advancement of digital super intelligence must be symbiotic with humanity.By Yoshita Singh ****.

FGN3 US-DIGITAL INFRA-SITHARAMAN**** Digital Public Infrastructure inclusive by design, fast paces development process: Sitharaman Washington: Development and leveraging of digital public infrastructure, which is inclusive by design, can help countries fast pace their development processes and deliver huge benefits, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said.By Lalit K Jha **** FGN14 US-CLIMATE CHANGE-LD PMPM Modi calls for mass movement in global fight against climate changeWashington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that an idea becomes a mass movement when it moves from "discussion tables to dinner tables" as he called for people's participation and collective efforts in combating climate change. By Lalit K Jha.

FGN11 SAFRICA-GUPTAS**** Gupta brothers are still South African citizens: Home Affairs Minister MotsoalediJohannesburg: The South African government has said that fugitive Indian-origin businessmen Rajesh and Atul Gupta are still its citizens using the country's passports, amid reports that they have acquired citizenship of Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean. By Fakir Hassen ****.

Please log in to get detailed story.

Read the original here:

Following are the top foreign stories at 1700 hours - Press Trust of India

> U.S – Department of Defense

Posted on by

NAVY

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $313,434,366 modification (P00046) to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N0001918D0001). This modification increases the ceiling to provide non-recurring engineering, system engineering program management, and additional aircraft inductions in support of extending the service life for up to 25 F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets from 6,000 flight hours to 10,000 flight hours and incorporating Block III avionics capabilities. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas (95%); and St. Louis, Missouri (5%), and is expected to be completed in February 2025. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Tewksbury, Massachusetts, is awarded a $308,456,187 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost-only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-22-C-5522 for an option exercise of Combat System engineering, miscellaneous material, and travel supporting Combat System installation, integration, development, testing, correction, maintenance, and modernization of Zumwalt-class mission systems and mission system equipment. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Massachusetts (37%); Portsmouth, Rhode Island (37%); San Diego, California (22%); Nashua, New Hampshire (2%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (1%); and Fort Wayne, Indiana (1%), and is expected to be completed by April 2024. Fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,806,180 (44%); fiscal 2023 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $12,311,437 (30%); fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,613,206 (14%); fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,452,543 (9%); and fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,040,537 (3%) will be obligated at time of award, and $17,806,180 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), contract N00024-22-C-5522 for Zumwalt Combat System activation, sustainment, and modernization was not competitively awarded. Raytheon Missiles & Defense is the only responsible source, and no other supplies or services could fulfill the Navys requirement. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Black Micro Corp., Barrigada, Guam, is awarded a $221,690,757 firm-fixed-price contract for construction at Tinian International Airport, Tinian, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The work to be performed provides for the construction of a cargo pad with taxiway extension, fuel tanks with receipt pipeline and hydrant system, airfield development Phase I roads, and a maintenance support facility, under the Asia Pacific Stability Initiative. Work will be performed in CNMI, and is expected to be completed by October 2026. Fiscal 2019 military construction (MILCON) (Air Force) funds in the amount of $86,470,507 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2020 MILCON (Air Force) funds in the amount of $12,663,908 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2023 MILCON (Air Force) funds in the amount of $82,503,810 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2020 MILCON (Air Force) in the amount of $20,163,124, and fiscal 2024 MILCON (Air Force) in the amount $19,889,408, will complete the total contract obligation amount for construction of the fuel tanks with receipt pipeline and hydrant system. The contract also includes one option item, construction of the maintenance support facility, that is being exercised at time of award, and is included in the fiscal 2019 MILCON (Air Force) funds of $86,470,507. The contract also contains three unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase cumulative contract value to $225,667,367. This contract was competitively procured via the Sam.gov website, with one proposal received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-23-C-1314).

Bruker Detection Corp., Billerica, Massachusetts, was awarded a $37,572,328 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a five-year ordering period to procure Improved Point Detection System-Lifecycle Replacement (IPDS-LR), IPDS-LR Heater/condensation kits, on board repair kits, and spare parts as needed for recouped systems to support the Naval Fleet. Work will be performed in Billerica, Massachusetts. This requirement will be funded on as needed basis over the five-year ordering period, and will continue through April 2028. Fiscal 2023 New Ship Construction funds in the amount of $23,660 will obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This action was awarded on a sole source basis under 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1 Only one responsible source or a limited number of responsible sources and no other suppliers will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0017423D0007). (Awarded April 18, 2023)

Merrick-RS&H JV LLP, Greenwood Village, Colorado, is awarded a $12,841,950 firm-fixed-price task order (N6945023F0421) for professional architectural and engineering services at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida. The work to be performed provides for finalization of design documentation for bidding and construction, and construction administrative services in support of a new Joint Interagency Task Force-South Command and Control headquarters facility. Work will be performed in Key West, Florida, and is expected to be completed by December 2024. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and option is $12,814,950. Fiscal 2023 military construction, (Navy) design funds in the amount of $12,814,950 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-21-D-0003).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

SOPAKCO Inc.,* Mullins, South Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $38,427,000 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the first strike ration. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. The ordering period end date is April 18, 2026. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2023 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE3S1-23-D-Z156).

UPDATE: Signature Flight Support, Houston, Texas (SPE607-23-D-0054, $62,373,362), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract for fuel support at Ellington Airport, Texas, issued against solicitation SPE607-23-R-0202 and awarded March 6, 2023.

WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES

Jaria LLC, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a task order (P00005) valued at $16,568,920 on a firm-fixed-price contract (HQ0034-22-F-0131) to provide business administrative management and consulting services to the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The contractor will support DIU technology advancement efforts in the following areas: artificial intelligence, human systems, autonomy, cyber, advanced energy and materials, information technology, and space. The contractor will provide executive administration, program management, network support, security operations, business development, commercial executive support, and engineering services support. The work will be performed at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, and at satellite DIU offices in Mountain View, California; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Austin, Texas. The estimated contract completion date is April 18, 2024. Fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,924,829; and fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $4,773,806 are being obligated at the time of award, for a total of $7,698,635. The cumulative total of the contract is $27,523.217. The total value of the contract if all options are exercised is $62,752,865. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

ARMY

JMJR Companies LLC,* Glens Falls, New York, was awarded an $11,241,000 firm-fixed-price contract for building demolition, foundation removal and hazardous material removal. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Watervliet, New York, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 10, 2024. Fiscal 2022 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $11,241,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-22-C-0018).

Torch Technologies Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $7,521,440 modification (P00101) to contract W31P4Q-21-F-0038 for engineering services for virtual simulators. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 19, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 18, 2023)

*Small business

Excerpt from:

> U.S - Department of Defense

What happened to the artificial-intelligence revolution? – The Economist

Posted on by

Move to San Francisco and it is hard not to be swept up by mania over artificial intelligence (AI). Advertisements tell you how the tech will revolutionise your workplace. In bars people speculate about when the world will get AGI, or when machines will become more advanced than humans. The five big tech firmsAlphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta and Microsoft, all of which have either headquarters or outposts nearbyare investing vast sums. This year they are budgeting an estimated $400bn for capital expenditures, mostly on AI-related hardware, and for research and development.

In the worlds tech capital it is taken as read that AI will transform the global economy. But for ai to fulfil its potential, firms everywhere need to buy the technology, shape it to their needs and become more productive as a result. Investors have added more than $2trn to the market value of the five big tech firms in the past yearin effect projecting an extra $300bn-400bn in annual revenues according to our rough estimates, about the same as another Apples worth of sales. For now, though, the tech titans are miles from such results. Even bullish analysts think Microsoft will make only about $10bn from generative-AI-related sales this year. Beyond Americas west coast, there is little sign AI is having much of an effect on anything.

See more here:

What happened to the artificial-intelligence revolution? - The Economist

Regulating artificial intelligence doesn’t have to be complicated, some experts say – STAT

Posted on by

Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize how drugs are discovered and change how hospitals deliver care to patients. But AI also comes with the risk of irreparable harm and perpetuating historic inequities.

Would-be health care AI regulators have been spinning in circles trying to figure out how to use AI safely. Industry bodies, investors, Congress, and federal agencies are unable to agree on which voluntary AI validation frameworks will help ensure that patients are safe. These questions have pitted lawmakers against the FDA and venture capitalists against the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) and its Big Tech partners.

The National Academies on Tuesday zoomed out, discussing how to manage AI risk across all industries. At the event one in a series of workshops building on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)s AI Risk Management Framework speakers largely rejected the notion that AI is a beast so different from other technologies that it needs totally new approaches.

STAT+ Exclusive Story

Already have an account? Log in

Already have an account? Log in

Already have an account? Log in

Get unlimited access to award-winning journalism and exclusive events.

See original here:

Regulating artificial intelligence doesn't have to be complicated, some experts say - STAT

Artificial intelligence degree programs to be available at Oklahoma universities Oklahoma Voice – Oklahoma Voice

Posted on by

OKLAHOMA CITY Students at some of Oklahomas public colleges and universities will soon be able to pursue undergraduate degrees in artificial intelligence.

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education approved artificial intelligence degree programs at Rose State College, Southwestern Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma on June 4.

While some universities have offered courses in artificial intelligence, these are the first degree programs in the state.

Trisha Wald, dean of the Dobson College of Business and Technology at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, worked to start up the program at the university. Representatives at Rose State College and the University of Oklahoma were not available for comment.

While the degree program can begin in the fall for Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Wald said the late approval means some of the new AI classes may not be able to start until the spring.

Wald said she looked at similar programs in other states to create the proposed curriculum for this new program. While Wald said there are not as many programs as you would think, she was able to use their programs to determine what Southwestern Oklahoma State Universitys program needed.

Its a multidisciplinary program, so its not just computer science courses, Wald said. Weve got higher level math, psychology and philosophy courses, specifically on ethics. So its going to help us have more well-rounded individuals.

Wald said the approval process took months and the proposal had to demonstrate workforce demand to the Regents as part of the proposal process.

Over 19,000 jobs in Oklahoma currently require AI skills, officials said. This number is expected to increase by 21% in the next decade.

AI is rapidly emerging as a vital employment sector, said State Regents for Higher Education Chair Jack Sherry in a statement. New career opportunities in areas like machine learning, data science, robotics and AI ethics are driving demand for AI expertise, and Oklahomas state system colleges and universities are answering the call.

Gov. Kevin Stitt said the new degree programs will allow Oklahomas students to be at the forefront of the AI industry.

These degree programs are a great leap forward in our commitment to innovation in education and will position Oklahoma to be a leader in AI, said Gov. Kevin Stitt in a statement. AI is reshaping every aspect of our lives, especially academics. Im proud of the Board of Regents for ensuring Oklahomas higher ed students do more than just keep pace, theyll lead the AI revolution.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

SUBSCRIBE

Read more from the original source:

Artificial intelligence degree programs to be available at Oklahoma universities Oklahoma Voice - Oklahoma Voice

Artificial intelligence to affect broad range of public services – MDJOnline.com

Posted on by

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada

Zip Code

Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe

Excerpt from:

Artificial intelligence to affect broad range of public services - MDJOnline.com

How GenAI is Reshaping eCommerce and Consumer Trust – PYMNTS.com

Posted on by

In the bustling digital marketplace of 2024, a new currency is emerging: content.

However, as arecent study by Google researchers warns, this currency may face rapid devaluation due to an influx of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated material flooding the internet. The implications for eCommerce, digital marketing and consumer behavior are profound, potentially reshaping the online business landscape in both productive and concerning ways.

The study, currently awaiting peer review, paints a stark picture of the current state of online content. According to their findings, most generative AI (GenAI) users employ the technology to create and disseminate artificial content across the web. This includes everything from product images and reviews to marketing campaigns and social media personas.

This trend presents a double-edged sword for businesses operating in the digital sphere. On one hand, GenAI offers unprecedented opportunities for content creation and customer engagement. Small enterprises can now produce professional-quality marketing materials at a fraction of the traditional cost, potentially leveling the playing field with larger competitors.

However, the proliferation of AI-generated content also poses significant challenges. As consumers become increasingly skeptical of the authenticity of online information, businesses may find it harder to build trust and credibility with their target audience. This erosion of faith could have far-reaching consequences for eCommerce, potentially impacting conversion rates and customer loyalty.

The researchers highlighted several key areas where GenAI is used to blur the lines between authenticity and deception. These include creating fake product reviews, manipulating images to misrepresent goods or services, and generating misleading or fabricated news articles to influence consumer opinion.

Perhaps most concerning for the eCommerce sector is the studys finding that a significant portion of GenAI content is being deployed with a discernible intent to influence public opinion, enable scam or fraudulent activities, or to generate profit. This suggests unscrupulous people are leveraging GenAI to gain unfair advantages in the digital marketplace.

The accessibility of these powerful AI tools is exacerbating the problem. As the researchers noted, many GenAI systems now require minimal technical expertise to operate, democratizing the ability to create convincing fake content. This ease of use has led to a surge in AI-generated material across various online platforms, from social media to eCommerce sites.

This new reality presents a complex challenge for established online retailers and digital brands.

How can retailers maintain consumer trust and differentiate their authentic offerings from a sea of potentially artificial competitors? Some companies are turning to blockchain technology and other verification methods to prove the authenticity of their products and content. Others are doubling down on personalized, human-centric marketing approaches that AI struggles to replicate convincingly.

The impact on consumer behavior is equally significant. The study suggests that the proliferation of AI-generated content is testing peoples capacity to discern fake from real. This growing skepticism could change how consumers interact with online content and make purchasing decisions. Some industry analysts predict a shift toward more reliance on trusted influencers and personal networks for product recommendations, potentially disrupting current digital marketing strategies.

Moreover, the researchers warn of a potential skepticism overload, where consumers become overwhelmed by the need to verify the authenticity of online information constantly. This could lead to a paradoxical situation where some users simply disengage from critical evaluation altogether, potentially making them more vulnerable to misinformation and scams.

The eCommerce industry is already responding to these challenges.

Major platforms are investing heavily in AI detection tools and content moderation systems. Some are exploring using watermarking techniques for AI-generated content, allowing users to identify synthetic material easily. However, as AI technology advances, many worry that detection methods will struggle to keep pace.

The study also raises important questions about the role of Big Tech companies in this evolving landscape. While not explicitly named in the paper, industry giants like Google have been at the forefront of developing and deploying GenAI technologies. These companies now face the complex task of balancing innovation with responsibility as they grapple with the unintended consequences of the tools theyve helped create.

GenAI will play an increasingly central role as the digital economy evolves. Businesses, consumers and regulators will face the challenge of harnessing the technologys potential while mitigating its risks. In this new era of digital commerce, the ability to navigate the blurred lines between authentic and artificial intelligence may well become a key determinant of success.

Read more here:

How GenAI is Reshaping eCommerce and Consumer Trust - PYMNTS.com

Humanoid robots powered by AI turn heads at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference – Lufkin Daily News

Posted on by

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada

Zip Code

Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe

The rest is here:

Humanoid robots powered by AI turn heads at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference - Lufkin Daily News

Top 3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Coins of the First Week of July 2024 – BeInCrypto

Posted on by

The Artificial Intelligence token space has surged considerably this year, and the beginning of Q3 witnessed a major event in this industry.

BeInCrypto has put together a list of tokens that not only performed well during this bearish week but also deserve investors attention.

Zignlays 2.5% price rise was the best performance by an AI token this week. The crypto assets early rise during the previous weekend countered the decline over the last four days. ZIG is thus currently changing hands at $0.105.

It is attempting to close above the crucial support at $0.105, one that has been rested as resistance in the past. Securing it as support would enable recovery towards $0.112.

Read More: How Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) Transform Crypto?

However, failure to do so would mean additional potential losses for the token. A drop to $0.093 is likely, and the same would invalidate the bullish thesis.

While Aethir is a newly launched token, despite its strength, it has not conceded to the broader market trends. Trading at $0.066, ATHs price is looking at consolidation over a decline.

This consolidation range spans between $0.077 and $0.063. The altcoin, still a newcomer in the space, aims to facilitate DePINs role as a GPU cloud computing aggregator. Given DePINs considerable demand over the past few days, ATH is saved from losses.

Read More: How To Invest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Cryptocurrencies?

Nevertheless, if ATHs price were to drop below the support of $0.063 again, a drawdown to $0.057 is likely. Losing it would invalidate the consolidation thesis.

The Artificial Superintelligent Alliance is one of the biggest events in the AI sector this quarter. As Ocean Protocol (OCEAN) and SingularityNET (AGIX) merged into Fetch.ai (FET), their collective identity has been converted into ASI.

They began the token merger this week and expect to complete it by mid-July. Until then, the Artificial Superintelligent Alliance will trade under the FET ticker. This altcoin, which now holds a market capitalization of almost $3 billion, has become the second biggest asset in the AI token market.

However, FET remained consolidated between $1.7 and $1.0 as the mergers bullishness encountered resistance from the broader market decline.

Read More: Top 9 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Cryptocurrencies in 2024

Therefore, this consolidation will continue in the coming days until the merger is completed, and the resulting bullishness will help FET break out of it.

Disclaimer

In line with the Trust Project guidelines, this price analysis article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. BeInCrypto is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Always conduct your own research and consult with a professional before making any financial decisions. Please note that ourTerms and Conditions,Privacy Policy, andDisclaimershave been updated.

Originally posted here:

Top 3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Coins of the First Week of July 2024 - BeInCrypto

Everything You Need to Know About How Artificial Intelligence Transforming Travel and Tourism Industry – Travel And Tour World

Posted on by

Home HOTEL NEWS Everything You Need to Know About How Artificial Intelligence Transforming Travel and Tourism Industry

Saturday, July 6, 2024

The travel and tourism industry stands on the brink of a technological revolution driven by artificial intelligence (AI). Over the next decade, AI is set to enhance personalisation for travellers and significantly improve industry-wide efficiency.

From streamlining booking processes to revolutionizing customer service, AIs potential is vast and varied. This article explores how AI technology is becoming integral to hotels, travel booking systems, and the broader hotel industry. Jason Bradbury, the renowned British television presenter and technology expert, shares his insights at Travel Tech Show in London, United Kingdom on how artificial intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionize the travel and tourism industry.

AIs ability to analyze vast amounts of data in real time is transforming how travellers plan their journeys. By leveraging AI algorithms, travel companies can offer highly personalised experiences tailored to individual preferences. These smart algorithms consider past travel behaviour, preferences, and real-time data to suggest destinations, activities, and accommodations that align with a travellers unique tastes.

For example, when booking a trip, AI can analyze a customers previous travel history and current interests to recommend suitable destinations and activities. This level of personalisation not only enhances the travel experience but also increases customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The traditional travel booking process often involves numerous steps, including searching for flights, hotels, and rental cars, as well as filling out various forms and making payments. AI is poised to simplify this process dramatically. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can handle complex queries and transactions, guiding customers through each step of the booking process seamlessly.

These AI systems can quickly search through vast databases of flights, hotels, and car rentals to find the best options based on the travellers preferences and budget. Additionally, AI can manage the tedious task of form-filling, ensuring that all necessary information is accurately and efficiently entered. This automation reduces the likelihood of errors and significantly speeds up the booking process.

One of the most impactful applications of AI in the travel industry is in customer service. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are available 24/7 to handle customer inquiries and issues. These systems can understand and respond to natural language queries, providing accurate and timely information to customers.

For instance, if a traveller encounters a problem with their booking or needs information about local attractions, an AI-powered chatbot can provide immediate assistance. This not only improves the customer experience but also reduces the workload on human customer service agents, allowing them to focus on more complex issues that require a personal touch. Several luxury hotels are at the forefront of integrating AI into their services to enhance the guest experience. For instance, the Hilton Hotel chain uses AI-powered concierge services through their Connie robot, which provides guests with information about hotel amenities and local attractions. The Wynn Las Vegas has incorporated Amazon Echo devices in all their rooms, allowing guests to control room features and make service requests via voice commands. The Henn-na Hotel in Japan is known for its extensive use of robots and AI, from check-in to room service. These examples highlight how luxury hotels are leveraging AI to provide exceptional service and convenience to their guests.

AI is also revolutionizing the hotel check-in and check-out processes. Traditional check-in procedures often involve long queues and paperwork. With AI, hotels can offer a seamless and efficient check-in experience. Guests can check in online or through a mobile app, receive a digital room key, and go straight to their room upon arrival. Similarly, the check-out process can be automated, allowing guests to settle their bills and receive receipts electronically.

This automation not only enhances the guest experience but also allows hotel staff to focus on providing personalized services to guests. By reducing the time spent on administrative tasks, staff can engage more with guests, improving overall service quality.

One of the most impactful applications of AI in the travel industry is in customer service. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are available 24/7 to handle customer inquiries and issues. These systems can understand and respond to natural language queries, providing accurate and timely information. For example, if a traveler encounters a problem with their booking or needs information about local attractions, an AI-powered chatbot can provide immediate assistance. This not only improves the customer experience but also reduces the workload on human customer service agents, allowing them to focus on more complex issues that require a personal touch.

AIs predictive capabilities are also transforming hotel operations. By analyzing data from various sensors and systems, AI can predict when equipment is likely to fail and schedule maintenance before a breakdown occurs. This predictive maintenance helps hotels avoid costly downtime and ensures that facilities are always in optimal condition.

Furthermore, AI can optimize energy usage within hotels by analyzing patterns in occupancy and usage. For instance, AI can adjust heating, cooling, and lighting based on real-time data, reducing energy consumption and operational costs.

While the benefits of AI in the travel and tourism industry are clear, there are also challenges to consider. Data privacy and security are paramount, as the increased use of AI involves handling large amounts of personal information. Travel companies must ensure that they have robust data protection measures in place to safeguard customer information.

Additionally, the integration of AI technology requires significant investment in infrastructure and training. Companies must be willing to invest in the necessary technology and ensure that their staff are adequately trained to work alongside AI systems.

AI is poised to revolutionize the travel and tourism industry over the next decade. By enhancing personalisation, streamlining booking processes, improving customer service, and optimizing operations, AI will significantly improve the travel experience for customers and drive efficiency across the industry. As travel companies continue to adopt and integrate AI technology, they will be better positioned to meet the evolving needs and expectations of modern travellers.

Tags: artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence news, customer service, Google, international travel news, Jason Bradbury, technology, technology news, Travel, travel and tourism industry, travel industry, Travel News, Travel Tech Show, Trending

More:

Everything You Need to Know About How Artificial Intelligence Transforming Travel and Tourism Industry - Travel And Tour World

AI is a Problem For Black Folks, Here’s How We Can Improve It – The Root

Posted on by

How many of you reading this use AI daily? If youre thinking, Not me, think again...just about all of us do. From unlocking our phones with facial recognition to scrolling through social media, artificial intelligence is everywhere and only becoming more pervasive. Its like having an invisible assistant that you didnt ask for but cant live without.

Susan Heyward on Season Four of The Boys

Susan Heyward on Season Four of The Boys

AI is also rapidly becoming part of our entertainment landscape used in ways that at once surprise and deceive us. Kendrick Lamar mightve been the first rapper to become the face of AI literally and figuratively with his 2022 music video The Heart Part 5, Lamar and director Dave Lee used AI as part of the songs artistic statement.

Earlier this year, amid the Kendrick-Drake rap beef that had everyone in a chokehold, an AI-generated diss track using Lamars voice fooled many into believing it was the real thing, raising concerns about the darker side of AI and ethics in music production.

Beyond the use (or misuse) of AI in pop culture, there are a multitude of real-world problems with artificial intelligence. And if we dont pay attention, well continue to be the victims of societal biases. To start, generative AI is expected to exacerbate the racial wealth gap because Black workers are overrepresented in roles that AI is likely to replace. Facial recognition technology is far less accurate for Black faces especially Black women and this unreliability goes far beyond a technical glitch, it can lead to wrongful arrests and other serious consequences. AI is also transforming the hiring process by deciding which resumes to read and share. Because these systems reflect systemic biases, it has led to the exclusion of qualified Black candidates.

AI systems can misrepresent our culture and spread misinformation about our history. This isnt a matter of computers occasionally getting it wrongits about stopping the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes that erase our identity.

The companies involved in training large language models (LLMs) like OpenAIs GPT-4, also bear high responsibility. One Black employee who formerly worked with AI training company Data Annotation Tech found themselves booted from the platform after frequently calling out racial bias. The worker also confirmed that all of their Black referrals have been fully ignored. Its like the adage If you see something, say something, except in this case, they were kicked out for it.

In a cruel and abusive irony, OpenAI abused Kenyan workers in what they called an effort to make ChatGPT less toxic, while only paying them $2 per hour. Were certain these companies could say its just a coincidence or point to other reasons for leaving us out of the process, but the fact remains: were being excluded.

Like most technological advances, AI could be a game-changer for us if we play it right. It could improve healthcare and education, and even begin fixing systemic biases in banking. But for this to happen, we have to stay informed and get proactive. If not, we risk AI becoming the high-tech version of a nosy neighbor whos always in our business but never quite gets the story right.

To start, we need to demand better representation in the tech industry. When were involved in developing and implementing AI, we can help ensure these systems actually work for the betterment of our culture. AI is clearly here to stay, so its up to our community to ensure it works for us, not against us.

By staying informed, getting involved, and being proactive, we can help ensure that AI technologies are developed with our needs and perspectives in mind, rather than perpetuating existing biases and inequalities.

Read the original:

AI is a Problem For Black Folks, Here's How We Can Improve It - The Root

China-led resolution on artificial intelligence passes in United Nations – South China Morning Post

Posted on by

In a diplomatic win for Beijing on Monday, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a China-led resolution that urges the international community to create a free, open, inclusive and non-discriminatory business environment among wealthy and developing nations for artificial intelligence development.

More than 140 nations, including the United States, co-sponsored the non-binding resolution affirming that all nations should enjoy equal opportunities in the non-military domain, calling for global cooperation to assist developing countries facing unique challenges and ensure they will not be further left behind.

Fu Cong, Chinas permanent representative to the United Nations, said after the assembly session that a fragmented approach toward AI, toward the digital technology, is not going to benefit anybody.

He added that the resolution was proposed to emphasize the important role that the UN could play on AI governance as the most inclusive organization.

Describing the significance of the measure as great and far-reaching, the envoy noted that AI technology was advancing quickly and the gap between the North and South, especially between the developing countries and the developed countries, is also widening.

Ambassador Fu, who served as the director-general of the department of arms control at the Chinese foreign affairs ministry from 2018 to 2022, also said that China was very thankful, and were very appreciative of the positive role that the US has played in this whole process.

He added that the issue of AI had been discussed at a very senior level, at the foreign-ministers level, and also even at the head-of-state level.

So we do look forward to intensifying our cooperation with the United States, and, for that matter, with all countries in the world on this issue, he said.

Beijings initiative also follows the assemblys adoption of the first global resolution on AI in March. Proposed by Washington and co-sponsored by China and over 120 nations, the measure encouraged countries to safeguard human rights, protect personal data and monitor AI for potential risks.

A senior official from US President Joe Bidens administration later said that consensus had been achieved after intense discussions among countries with differing views.

On Monday, Ambassador Fu called the two resolutions complementary, saying the earlier one was more general and the Chinese one was more focused on the capacity building.

Beijing has sought to incorporate voices from the developing world into discussions on managing AI. In October, China released its Global AI Governance Initiative, saying that all countries, regardless of their size, strength, or social system, should have equal rights to develop and use AI.

Beijing is seen as trying to ensure that the US solely does not dominate the discourse on setting global standards for AI.

The US and China also remain locked in a competition to advance in the hi-tech fields of AI and semiconductors.

In March, Washington revised regulations further limiting Chinas access to US-made AI chips and chip-making tools. The export controls were initially introduced in October 2022 to prevent Beijing from leveraging American technology for military modernization. They were updated a year later to eliminate loopholes.

In another push to hobble Beijings ability to gain cutting-edge technologies like semiconductors, quantum computing and AI, Biden signed an executive order in August 2023 banning US individuals and companies from investing in sensitive sectors in China.

05:03

How does Chinas AI stack up against ChatGPT?

How does Chinas AI stack up against ChatGPT?

The US Treasury Department, which is defining the restrictions in the measure, said last week that they would focus on the next generation of military, intelligence, surveillance or cyber-enabled capabilities that pose national security risks to the United States.

On Monday, Ambassador Fu called on the US to lift the sanctions in line with the newly adopted resolution.

If people are true to the content of this resolution, it says that it is important to foster inclusive business environment. We dont think that the US actions [are] along that line, he said.

Read the original:

China-led resolution on artificial intelligence passes in United Nations - South China Morning Post

The US intelligence community is embracing generative AI – Nextgov/FCW

Posted on by

The normally secretive U.S. intelligence community is as enthralled with generative artificial intelligence as the rest of the world, and perhaps growing bolder in discussing publicly how theyre using the nascent technology to improve intelligence operations.

We were captured by the generative AI zeitgeist just like the entire world was a couple of years back, Lakshmi Raman, the CIAs director of Artificial Intelligence Innovation said last week at Amazon Web Services Summit in Washington, D.C. Raman was among the keynote speakers for the event, which had a reported attendance of 24,000-plus.

Raman said U.S. intelligence analysts currently use generative AI in classified settings for search and discovery assistance, writing assistance, ideation, brainstorming and helping generate counter arguments. These novel uses of generative AI build on existing capabilities within intelligence agencies that date back more than a decade, including human language translation and transcription and data processing.

As the functional manager for the intelligence communitys open-source data collection, Raman said the CIA is turning to generative AI to keep pace with, for example, all of the news stories that come in every minute of every day from around the world. AI, Raman said, helps intelligence analysts comb through vast amounts of data to pull out insights that can inform policymakers. In a giant haystack, AI helps pinpoint the needle.

In our open-source space, weve also had a lot of success with generative AI, and we have leveraged generative AI to help us classify and triage open-source events to help us search and discover and do levels of natural language query on that data, Raman said.

A thoughtful approach to AI

Economists believe generative AI could add trillions of dollars in benefits to the global economy annually, but the technology is not without risks.Countless reports showcase so-calledhallucinations or inaccurate answers spit out by generative AI software. In national security settings, AI hallucinations could have catastrophic consequences. Senior intelligence officials recognize the technologys potential but must responsibly weigh its risks.

Were excited to see about the opportunity that [generative AI] has, Intelligence Community Chief Information Officer Adele Merritt told Nextgov/FCW in an April interview. And we want to make sure that we are being thoughtful about how we leverage this new technology.

Merritt oversees information technology strategy efforts across the 18 agencies that comprise the intelligence community. She meets regularly with other top intelligence officials, including Intelligence Community Chief Data Officer Lori Wade, newly-appointed Intelligence Community Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer John Beieler and Rebecca Richards, who heads the Office of the Director of National Intelligences Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency Office, to discuss and ensure AI efforts are safe, secure and adhere to privacy standards and other policies.

We also acknowledge that theres an immense amount of technical potential that we still have to kind of get our arms around, making sure that were looking past the hype and understanding whats happening, and how we can bring this into our networks, Merritt said.

At the CIA, Raman said her office works in concert with the Office of General Counsel and Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties to address risks inherent to generative AI.

We think about risks quite a bit, and one of the risks we really think about are, how will our users be able to use these technologies in a safe, secure and trusted way? Raman said. So thats about making sure that theyre able to look at the output and validate it for accuracy.

Because security requirements are so rigorous within the intelligence community, far fewer generative AI tools are secure enough to be used across its enterprise than in the commercial space. Intelligence analysts cant, for example, access a commercial generative AI tool like ChatGPT in a sensitive compartmented information facility pronounced "skiff" where some of their most sensitive work is performed.

Yet a growing number of generative AI tools have met those standards and are already impacting missions.

In March, Gary Novotny, chief of the ServiceNow Program Management Office at CIA, explained how at least one generative AI tool was helping reduce the time it took for analysts to run intelligence queries. His remarks followed a 2023 report that the CIA was building its own large language model.

In May, Microsoft announced theavailability of GPT-4 for users of its Azure Government Top Secret cloud, which includes defense and intelligence customers. Through the air-gapped solution, customers in the classified space can make use of a tool very similar to whats used in the commercial space. Microsoft officials noted security accreditation took 18 months, indicative of how complex software security vetting at the highest levels can be even for tech giants.

Each of the large commercial cloud providers are making similar commitments. Google Cloud is bringing many of its commercial AI offerings to some secure government workloads, including its popular Vertex AI development platform. Similarly, Oracles cloud infrastructure and associated AI tools are now available in its U.S. government cloud.

Meanwhile AWS, the first commercial cloud service provider toserve the intelligence community, is looking to leverage its market-leading position in cloud computing to better serve growing customer demands for generative AI.

The reality of generative AI is youve got to have a foundation of cloud computing, AWS Vice President of Worldwide Public Sector Dave Levy told Nextgov/FCW in a June 26 interview at AWS Summit. Youve got to get your data in a place where you can actually do something with it.

At the summit, Levy announced AWS Public Sector Generative AI Impact Initiative, a two-year, $50 million investment aimed at helping government and education customers address generative AI challenges, including training and tech support.

The imperative for us is helping customers understand that journey, Levy said.

On June 26, AI firm Anthropics chief executive officer Dario Amodei and Levy jointly announced the availability of Anthropics Claude 3 Sonnet and Claude 3 Haiku AI models to U.S. intelligence agencies. The commercially-popular generative AI tools are now available through the AWS Marketplace for the U.S. Intelligence Community, which is essentially a classified version of its commercial cloud marketplace.

Amodei said that while Anthropic is responsible for the security of the large language model, it partnered with AWS because of its superior cloud security standards and reputation as a public sector leader in the cloud computing space. Amodei said the classified marketplace, which allows government customers to spin up and try software before they buy it, also simplifies procurement for the government. And, he said, it gives intelligence agencies the means to use the same tools available to adversaries.

The [Intelligence Community Marketplace] makes it easier, because AWS has worked with this many times, and so we dont have to reinvent the wheel, Amodei said. AI needs to empower democracies and allow them to function better and remain competitive on the global stage.

Follow this link:

The US intelligence community is embracing generative AI - Nextgov/FCW

Star Trek open thread: A long way away from true artificial intelligence – Daily Kos

Posted on by

The term artificial intelligence is thrown around too loosely these days. For example, I was looking at an old student project on GitHub,a tic-tac-toe program. The programmer, who back then was a student, described his program as an artificial intelligence.

Its not artificial intelligence. The game engine is simply an algorithm that scans the available spaces and determines if placing an X or an O on that square wins the game. Theres no consciousness, no judgement based on the programs past experience.

Even with chess, claims of artificial intelligence are frequently exaggerated. Chess programs, along with many other programs, have gotten so fast that it is quite easy for a chess program to simply consider all possible game branches to a given depth (e.g., three moves ahead) and choose the most advantageous path.

Maybe for the endgame a chess program switches to evaluating positions according to a specialized endgames database. Even so, this doesnt have to be artificial intelligence. There might be some simple threshold, such as that when there are fewer than nine pieces on the board, switch to endgame mode.

Despite how good computers have gotten at chess, they have not put professional chess players out of work. The only way Im attending a tournament of computers playing chess is if my own chess program is competing, and Im moving very slowly on that one.

Though on the other hand, there are so few professional players in the world that putting them all out of work would not be as impactful as, for example, putting all marketing copy writers out of work, or putting all graphic designers out of work.

Despite the obvious shortcomings of the artificial intelligence that is available today,corporate executivesare still eager to use it to replace human writers, artists and anyone else they can think of.

A couple of weeks ago, I asked SDXL to generate for me a few images of William Shakespeare in a coffee shop writing a play on a laptop computer. All of the results were bad in varying degrees. The best image, in my opinion, the only one I thought worth posting here, still has some obvious flaws that you will notice even if you know very little about Shakespeare.

Now suppose that in an episode of a Star Trek show one of the main characters goes to a holodeck and asks the computer to render Shakespeare. The holodeck Shakespeare willalmost certainly have two hands with five fingers each, and on each hand each finger will have the expected number of joints (one fewer for the thumb than the other four).

Of course thats because from a real-world viewpoint, the producers of the show will hire a human actor to portray Shakespeare. In the story, its because the holodeck computer understands how humans are put together and how they move.

Looking at Star Trek as a promise for the future, its clear that A.I. has a very long way to go.

In much of Star Trek (the original series), computers store and retrieve lots of information, and automate many repetitive processes, but they dont really show creativity.

However, the original series episode The Ultimate Computer is rather prescient of the fears many have about A.I. today. The titular computer is the new M-5, which has just been installed aboard the Enterprise. Roger Thompson for CounterPunch.org:

In the early scenes [of the episode], Captain Kirk [(William Shatner)] expresses concerns that he might be replaced by the machine, a fear that is now common in many quarters.

There is ademonstration of the M-5s capabilities early on in the episode that does nothing to assuage Kirks fears. The powerful computer is tasked with naming crew members for a landing party to go down to the planet the Enterprise is currently orbiting. The M-5 makes the same choices as Captain Kirk, with one glaring and galling exception: the M-5 doesnt think Kirk needs to go down to the planet.

But even ChatGPT would be able to put together a landing party roster. War games will be the true test of the M-5.

When the M-5 begins its rampage during the war games, Kirk convinces the machines creator, Dr. Daystrom [(William Marshall)], to talk to it and try to make it stop, but Daystrom suffers a nervous breakdown before he can get the M-5 to discontinue the attack. Kirk then proves the M-5 is guilty of murder, and the computer shuts itself off and leaves theEnterpriseunable to defend herself from attack from the surviving ships in Commodore Wesleys attack force. Fortunately, Wesley [(Barry Russo)] decides not to destroy theEnterprise, and Kirk comments that he knew that Wesley would act with compassion. Dr. McCoy [(DeForest Kelley)], always true to character, then remarks: Compassion. Thats the one thing no machine ever had. Maybe its the one thing that keeps men ahead of them.

Not sure I agree with the good doctor on this one. If the M-5 can feel guilt, cant it also feel compassion? But if it couldnt feel guilt, wouldnt it just have gone ahead and destroyed all the ships in the war games?

How exactly the M-5 works is left very vague. But with Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) on Star Trek: The Next Generation, the super-strong and super-smart android who is second in line to command the Enterprise-D should something unfortunate happen to Captain Picard, we get a much clearer idea of what the androids intelligence is based on. Datas brain essentially has an LLM.

I quote now from the page about violinists at Memory Alpha. I like Memory Alpha, despite the annoying tendency to use past tense for absolutely everything.

In2366,Datacombined the differing styles of violinistsJascha HeifetzandTrenka Bron-Kenexpertly.Jean-Luc Picardconvinced him that having done so evidenced that he had not merely imitated their techniques, but created something new from them. (TNG: "The Ensigns of Command")

Later that year, Data askedPerrinwhose style of the over three hundredconcertviolinists that he had been programmed with that she fancied. Among themanywere Heifetz,Yehudi Menuhin,Grak-tay, andTataglia. She chose Tataglia. (TNG: "Sarek")

I know who Jascha Heifetz and Yehudi Menuhin are, I have recordings by them in my iTunes collection. Id be hard-pressed to identify in-universe what stylistic details Data will take from them, though of course from a production point of view I strongly doubt the recording violinists were given the direction to mix the styles of Heifetz and Menuhin with fictional violinists of their own imagining.

Data surely has books like The Art of String Quartet Playing by Mary D. Herter Norton in his memory banks and can quote them at will. But he also has the experience of handling an actual violin and playing it in an ensemble with human players whose intonation and rhythm might not be quite as precise as his.

Unlike todays LLMs, Data understands that he can get things wrong sometimes. In the episode Cause and Effect, he realizes he got it wrong multiple times when its too late, but he will still be able to send a message to when its too early for anyone to understand whats going on.

Before anyone complains, I shouldsay something about spoilers. So far Ive only mentioned episodes that first aired more than thirty years ago. If youve read this far, you either have watched these episodes many times and know them by heart, or you havent watched them but know so much about more recent episodes, movies and series that its not a spoiler to tell you that the Enterprise gets destroyed and undestroyed several times.

At the crucial moment when everything is about to go wrong, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) listens to his senior officers for ideas on how to avert annihilation, and decides to do what Lt. Commander Data suggests.

It is during the explosion that Data realizes that the right thing to do is what Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) suggests. The Enterprise blows up and the time loop is reset. As the time loop starts a new iteration, Datas strange message from the future becomes more insistent: the number 3, corresponding to the three pips on Commander Rikers uniform.

For all Data's knowledge and ability, Starfleet still considers Commander Riker to be more qualified than Data to command a starship.

In the second part of the Redemption two-parter, Picard is trying to set up a detection grid to catch Romulans supplying weapons to one side in a Klingon civil war. Given the short notice, Picard can only assemble a small complement of random undermanned ships. Picard sends some of his senior officers to captain some of the ships.

First time I watched the episode, I was skeptical of the detection grid idea, but mostly because the diagram we see on the screen suggests a two-dimensional grid. If the Romulans can come all the way from Romulus, surely they can go around a detection grid that doesnt surround the whole planet. But lets put that aside, lets just say that either I misunderstood the diagram or the graphics department messed up the diagram.

Picard assigns Data to command the USS Sutherland. Lieutenant Hobson (Timothy Carhart) decides hes going to be the shadow captain of the Sutherland. No, actually, shadow captain is the wrong term, it implies that Hobson will treat the nominal captain with a bare minimum of respect and deference.

But from the moment Data comes aboard, Hobson openly disrespects the android, who has earned the same rank in Starfleet from years of experience, and Datas experience includes almost five years aboard the flagship of the fleet.

We may doubt that Data bases his violin playing on Heifetz or Menuhin, but its clear that he bases his leadership style on Picards example, calmly listening to his subordinates and treating them as professionals rather than recruits at boot camp.

But that style wont quite work with Hobson, who is always ready to substitute his own judgement for that of an artificial intelligence he does not respect.

Once again at a crucial moment, Data realizes that what needs to be done is not the obvious thing everyone assumes. The Romulans notice a hole in the detection grid and go to it. Data decides that he needs to make the hole bigger and fire a shot in the dark to illuminate the cloaked Romulan ship.

With Captain Picard saying the gap needs to be closed, Hobson obviously doesnt want to do the crazy idea that the android has just come up with. So Data feigns anger, like hes going to punch Hobson in the face if Hobson doesnt do what Data orders.

And so, the Romulan ship is detected, and the Romulans decide to abandon their favored side in the Klingon civil war. I dont think ChatGPT would come up with that idea.

The open thread question: Assuming the continuation of human civilization to the 24th Century, how do you think artificial intelligence will progress?

Feel free to mention pertinent examples from newer shows like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard. But please, no bashing of those shows just to bash them.

See original here:

Star Trek open thread: A long way away from true artificial intelligence - Daily Kos

OPCW launches 260,000 Artificial Intelligence Research Challenge | OPCW – Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

Posted on by

THE HAGUE, Netherlands 2 July 2024The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) launched a crowdsourcing challenge for researchers and scientists from all OPCW Member States to propose innovative artificial intelligence (AI) systems and approaches that could be used by the Organisation to enhance its capabilities and support adaptation towards future challenges. The deadline for submissions is 16:00 CET on 9 August 2024.

The OPCW and its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) have been closely monitoring recent developments in AI and considering both the risks they may pose and the opportunities they could offer. The SAB recognises that AI could offer many benefits to the work of the Organisation, helping it achieve its mission to rid the world of chemical weapons. This Challenge aims to leverage AI technology to establish new capabilities within the OPCW or to further develop existing ones, ensuring the Organisation is best equipped and prepared to address current and future threats. The Challenge is seeking AI solutions to build capabilities specifically relating to implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and not to the OPCWs business processes. Examples include document analysis to identify emerging threats or trends, data mining in chemical forensics, medical countermeasure design, and open-source data analysis to corroborate reports of chemical weapons use. Proposals from research teams in all OPCW Member States are strongly encouraged.

Following the review of all submissions by the Technical Evaluation Team, consisting of members of the SAB and qualified OPCW Technical Secretariat staff, a total of four proposals will be awarded up to 65,000 for the purpose of developing the project over the course of one year. The AI Challenge is funded by the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

All questions and submissions should be sent to OPCW Procurement.

The OPCW SAB comprises 25 independent experts from OPCW Member States. Its role is to provide advice to the Director-General relating to developments in scientific and technological fields that are relevant to the Chemical Weapons Convention. On request, the SAB also provides advice to the OPCW Technical Secretariat on technical matters related to the implementation of the Convention, including on cooperation and assistance.

As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. Since the Conventions entry into force in 1997, it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.

In 2023, the OPCW verified that all chemical weapons stockpiles declared by the 193 States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1997 totalling 72,304 metric tonnes of chemical agents have been irreversibly destroyed under the OPCWs strict verification regime.For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

Read the rest here:

OPCW launches 260,000 Artificial Intelligence Research Challenge | OPCW - Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons