News/Society
AI Breakthroughs Are Unlocking Independence for The Disabled
AI is advancing assistive technology to help disabled people in new and surprising ways. AI's potential to enhance independence for people with disabilities: AI-powered tools are making everyday tasks more accessible and enabling greater autonomy for those with visual, hearing, speech, motor, and cognitive impairments. Be My Eyes, an app that pairs visually impaired users with sighted volunteers, has partnered with OpenAI to enable AI models to see and describe what's in front of a user, removing the need for human assistance. Google's "Lookout" app offers a similar AI-powered feature to help visually impaired users navigate their surroundings. Accelerating possibilities...
read Jul 7, 2024AI Revolution: Navigating Economic Shifts, Existential Questions, and Regulatory Gaps
The rise of AI is leading to significant shifts in tech investment and economic sentiment, but challenges remain in realizing its full potential. A few key points emerge: AI's gold rush leaves a massive revenue gap: Sequoia Capital estimates a $500 billion annual shortfall between AI infrastructure investments and earnings, as companies grapple with overcapacity and underperforming growth expectations. Despite this, AI stock valuations continue to climb, with economic sentiment increasingly tied to the sector's performance. Substantial overcapacity in computing build-out is likely, mirroring past infrastructure waves, but medium-term demand is expected to vastly exceed current investments. Aligning superintelligent institutions...
read Jul 7, 2024Google’s AI Breakthrough Slashes Disaster Response Times, Saving Lives
Alphabet's moonshot lab X has developed an AI breakthrough that dramatically speeds up disaster response times, potentially saving lives in the aftermath of catastrophic events like wildfires and floods. The challenge: Tagging thousands of aerial photos is a critical but time-consuming task for first responders: After a disaster, drones and aircraft capture numerous images of affected areas, but these photos lack metadata about their precise locations, making it difficult to quickly determine where help is most needed. Manually tagging the photos has been necessary but can delay the National Guard's response by up to 12 hours, precious time when lives...
read Jul 5, 2024AI Lie Detectors Promise Accuracy, but Trust Issues Loom
AI lie detectors show promise in detecting deception more accurately than humans, but their widespread use could erode trust and social bonds. Key study findings: A recent study by researchers at the University of Würzburg in Germany developed an AI-based lie detection tool that outperformed humans in spotting lies: The AI tool, trained on a dataset of true and false statements, correctly identified lies 67% of the time, significantly better than the typical human accuracy of around 50%. When given the option to use the AI tool for a small fee, only one-third of study participants chose to do so,...
read Jul 5, 2024AI Fear Could Limit Benefits to Privileged Few, Warns AI Equity Leader
Despite growing enthusiasm for AI, many people remain fearful of the technology, which could limit its benefits to a small, homogenous group, according to Miriam Vogel, president and CEO of EqualAI. The potential consequences of AI fear: Vogel believes that if people avoid engaging with and using AI due to fear, it could lead to several negative outcomes: The benefits of AI may only reach a narrow segment of the population, rather than being widely accessible and inclusive. Fears about AI replacing humans, leaving people behind, or even threatening human survival could become self-fulfilling prophecies if not addressed. Vogel emphasizes...
read Jul 4, 2024AI-Powered Search Revolution: Transforming User Experience and Enterprise Strategies
The rise of generative AI is transforming the landscape of online search, with significant implications for both users and enterprises. By enabling natural language queries and providing direct answers, AI-powered search is reshaping how people seek information and how companies can deliver it. Natural language search revolutionizes user experience: Generative AI chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT have changed the way users interact with search engines, allowing them to ask questions in natural language instead of relying on keyword-based queries: Users can now ask questions directly and receive answers in a conversational manner, eliminating the need to sift through numerous search results....
read Jul 3, 2024UN and China Lead Global Push for Equitable AI Access and Benefits
The UN General Assembly has adopted a Chinese-sponsored resolution, with US support, aimed at closing the gap between wealthy and poorer nations in access to and benefits from artificial intelligence (AI). Key details of the resolution: The non-binding resolution calls on the international community to ensure a fair, open, and inclusive business environment for AI development and use, and to bridge the digital divide between developed and developing countries: It follows a US-led resolution adopted in March that gave global support to ensuring AI is "safe, secure and trustworthy" and accessible to all nations. The adoption of both resolutions by...
read Jun 29, 2024AI Adoption Upends Digital Divide: Non-White Families Embrace Technology Faster
The rapid adoption of AI technology by non-white American families is challenging the traditional narrative of the digital divide, where non-white communities have historically lagged behind in access to and use of technology. Disrupting the digital divide: AI's widespread availability and ease of use are enabling non-white families to embrace the technology faster than their white counterparts, potentially giving them an edge: Historically, non-white families in America have been slower to adopt new technologies like landline telephones, computers, and broadband internet, creating a "digital divide" that was particularly evident during the pandemic-driven shift to remote learning. The release of user-friendly...
read Jun 25, 2024Deepfakes Threaten Democracy: Google Study Reveals AI’s Role in Swaying Public Opinion
A new study from Google's DeepMind reveals that the most common misuse of AI is creating political deepfakes to sway public opinion, raising concerns about the impact on elections and the spread of misinformation. Key findings: The research, conducted in collaboration with Google's Jigsaw unit, analyzed around 200 incidents of AI misuse and found that: Creating realistic fake images, videos, and audio of politicians and celebrities was the most prevalent misuse, nearly twice as common as the next highest category. Shaping public opinion was the primary goal, accounting for 27% of misuse cases, followed by financial gain through services like...
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