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This week in AI: Experiments, retirements, and extinction events on August 5, 2023 at 2:02 pm

Published

2 years ago

August 5, 2023

Keeping up with an industry as fast-moving as AI is a tall order. So until an AI can do it for you, here’s a handy roundup of the last week’s stories in the world of machine learning, along with notable research and experiments we didn’t cover on their own.

YouTube has begun experimenting with AI-generated summaries for videos on the watch and search pages, though only for a limited number of English-language videos and viewers.

Certainly, the summaries could be useful for discovery — and accessibility. Not every video creator can be bothered to write a description. But I worry about the potential for mistakes and biases embedded by the AI.

Even the best AI models today tend to “hallucinate.” OpenAI freely admits that its latest text-generating-and-summarizing model, GPT-4, makes major errors in reasoning and invents “facts.” Patrick Hymel, an entrepreneur in the health tech industry, wrote about the ways in which GPT-4 makes up references, facts and figures without any identifiable link to real sources. And Fast Company tested ChatGPT’s ability to summarize articles, finding it… quite bad.

One can imagine AI-generated video summaries going off the deep end, given the added challenge of analyzing the content contained within the videos. It’s tough to evaluate the quality of YouTube’s AI-generated summaries. But it’s well established that AI isn’t all that great at summarizing text content.

YouTube subtly acknowledges that AI-generated descriptions are no substitute for the real thing. On the support page, it writes: “While we hope these summaries are helpful and give you a quick overview of what a video is about, they do not replace video descriptions (which are written by creators!).”

Here’s hoping the platform doesn’t roll out the feature too hastily. But considering Google’s half-baked AI product launches lately (see its attempt at a ChatGPT rival, Bard), I’m not too confident.

Here are some other AI stories of note from the past few days:

Dario Amodei is coming to Disrupt: We’ll be interviewing the Anthropic co-founder about what it’s like to have so much money. And AI stuff too.

Google Search gains new AI features: Google is adding contextual images and videos to its AI-powered Search Generative Experiment, the generative AI-powered search feature announced at May’s I/O conference. With the updates, SGE now shows images or videos related to the search query. The company also reportedly is pivoting its Assistant project to a Bard-like generative AI.

Microsoft kills Cortana: Echoing the events of the Halo series of games from which the name was plucked, Cortana has been destroyed. Fortunately this was not a rogue general AI but an also-ran digital assistant whose time had come.

Meta embraces generative AI music: Meta this week announced AudioCraft, a framework to generate what it describes as “high-quality,” “realistic” audio and music from short text descriptions, or prompts.

Google pulls AI Test Kitchen: Google has pulled its AI Test Kitchen app from the Play Store and the App Store to focus solely on the web platform. The company launched the AI Test Kitchen experience last year to let users interact with projects powered by different AI models such as LaMDA 2.

Robots learn from small amounts of data: On the subject of Google, DeepMind, the tech giant’s AI-focused research lab, has developed a system that it claims allows robots to effectively transfer concepts learned on relatively small data sets to different scenarios.

Kickstarter enacts new rules around generative AI: Kickstarter this week announced that projects on its platform using AI tools to generate content will be required to disclose how the project owner plans to use the AI content in their work. In addition, Kickstarter is mandating that new projects involving the development of AI tech detail info about the sources of training data the project owner intends to use.

China cracks down on generative AI: Multiple generative AI apps have been removed from Apple’s China App Store this week, thanks to new rules that’ll require AI apps operating in China to obtain an administrative license.

Inworld, a generative AI platform for creating NPCs, lands fresh investment

Stable Diffusion releases new model: Stability AI launched Stable Diffusion XL 1.0, a text-to-image model that the company describes as its “most advanced” release to date. Stability claims that the model’s images are “more vibrant” and “accurate” colors and have better contrast, shadows and lighting compared to artwork from its predecessor.

The future of AI is video: Or at least a big part of the generative AI business is, as Haje has it.

AI.com has switched from OpenAI to X.ai: It’s extremely unclear whether it was sold, rented, or is part of some kind of ongoing scheme, but the coveted two-letter domain (likely worth $5-10 million) now points to Elon Musk’s X.ai research outfit rather than the ChatGPT interface.

Other machine learnings

AI is working its way into countless scientific domains, as I have occasion to document here regularly, but you could be forgiven for not being able to list more than a few specific applications offhand. This literature review at Nature is as comprehensive an accounting of areas and methods where AI is taking effect as you’re likely to find anywhere, as well as the advances that have made them possible. Unfortunately it’s paywalled, but you can probably find a way to get a copy.

A deeper dive into the potential for AI to improve the global fight against infectious diseases can be found here at Science, and a few takeaways at UPenn’s summary. One interesting part is that models built to predict drug interactions could also help “unravel intricate interactions between infectious organisms and the host immune system.” Disease pathology can be ridiculously complicated so epidemiologists and doctors will probably take any help they can get.

Asteroid spotted, ma’am.

Another interesting example, with the caveat that not every algorithm should be called AI, is this multi-institutional work algorithmically identifying “potentially hazardous” asteroids. Sky surveys generate a ton of data and sorting through it for faint signals like asteroids’ is tough work that’s highly susceptible to automation. The 600-foot 2022 SF289 was found during a test of the algorithm on ATLAS data. “This is just a small taste of what to expect with the Rubin Observatory in less than two years, when HelioLinc3D will be discovering an object like this every night,” said UW’s Mario Jurić. Can’t wait!

A sort of halo around the AI research world is research being done on AI — how it works and why. Usually these studies are pretty difficult for non-experts to parse, and this one from ETHZ researchers is no exception. But lead author Johannes von Oswald also did an interview explaining some of the concepts in plain English. It’s worth a read if you’re curious about the “learning” process that happens inside models like ChatGPT.

Improving the learning process is also important, and as these Duke researchers find, the answer is not always “more data.” In fact, more data can hinder a machine learning model, said Duke professor Daniel Reker: “It’s like if you trained an algorithm to distinguish pictures of dogs and cats, but you gave it one billion photos of dogs to learn from and only one hundred photos of cats. The algorithm will get so good at identifying dogs that everything will start to look like a dog, and it will forget everything else in the world.” Their approach used an “active learning” technique that identified such weaknesses in the dataset, and proved more effective while using just 1/10 of the data.

A University College London study found that people were only able to discern real from synthetic speech 73 percent of the time, in both English and Mandarin. Probably we’ll all get better at this, but in the near term the tech will probably outstrip our ability to detect it. Stay frosty out there.

News

Pope Francis is Now in Stable Condition

Published

2 weeks ago

February 22, 2025

Bolanle Media Staff

Pope Francis, the 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church, remains in critical condition at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he has been receiving treatment for over a week. The pontiff’s health has taken a turn for the worse, raising concerns among the faithful worldwide.

Current Status

As of Saturday, February 22, 2025, Pope Francis experienced a prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis that required high-flow oxygen treatment. The Vatican reported that his condition had deteriorated since Friday, emphasizing that “the pope is not out of danger”.

The Holy Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair, although he is experiencing more discomfort than the previous day. His prognosis remains guarded, indicating the seriousness of his condition.

Medical Challenges

Pope Francis is battling a complex set of medical issues:

The pope’s medical team faces the challenge of balancing various medications to combat these issues while monitoring for potential complications, such as sepsis.

Treatment and Outlook

The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis will remain hospitalized for at least another week. He is receiving targeted drug therapy and high-flow oxygen as needed. While he is not on a ventilator and can breathe independently, his condition requires close monitoring.

Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope’s personal physician, stated, “He is not out of danger,” highlighting the delicate nature of the pontiff’s health.

Impact on Vatican Activities

In light of the pope’s condition, all public engagements on his schedule have been suspended through Sunday. The Vatican is carrying on with its Holy Year celebrations without the pope’s presence.

As the Catholic world watches and prays for Pope Francis’s recovery, the Vatican continues to provide updates on his condition. The situation remains fluid, and both positive and negative outcomes are possible given the complexity of the pope’s health issues.

Bolanle Media covers a wide range of topics, including film, technology, and culture. Our team creates easy-to-understand articles and news pieces that keep readers informed about the latest trends and events. If you’re looking for press coverage or want to share your story with a wider audience, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us today to discuss how we can help bring your news to life

Business

HRM Queen Shanta Lana Hereford Delivers Powerful Speech on Global Peace

Published

3 weeks ago

February 20, 2025

Bolanle Media Staff

New Delhi, India – February 16, 2025 – Her Royal Majesty Queen Shanta Lana Hereford, a distinguished global leader and advocate for peace and economic empowerment, was a special
guest speaker at an international event hosted by the EurAsia Afro Chamber of Commerce. The
hybrid event, aired live from New Delhi, India, gathered influential leaders, policymakers, and business executives from around the world to discuss global cooperation, economic diplomacy, and sustainable peace.

Queen Shanta delivered a compelling speech titled “Creating a Framework for a Global Peace Charter,” emphasizing the need for a justice-centered, faith-driven approach to global peace. She outlined a transformative vision, calling for governments, businesses, and faith leaders to unite to draft policies integrating equity, economic accountability, and environmental stewardship into global governance.

“The pursuit of peace is not just the absence of war; it is the presence of justice, dignity, and
opportunity for all, ” Queen Shanta stated. “We must move beyond just talking and establish
actionable frameworks that empower nations and communities to achieve lasting prosperity and peace.”

The EurAsia Afro Chamber of Commerce, under the leadership of its founder and chairman, Dr. Rohit Gupta, is dedicated to fostering economic and cultural collaboration between Africa, Asia, and Europe. The organization aims to create a strong, interconnected business network
bridging these regions, facilitating pathways for economic prosperity and diplomatic relations.
As a prolific leader within the African American diaspora and a global advocate for its
advancement, HRM Queen Shanta Lana Hereford is actively exploring opportunities for trade
and commerce between Africa, Asia, Europe, and other international communities.

Through her affiliations with organizations such as The African Diaspora Collective, The Atlanta Black Chambers, The Black Achievement Fund, The National Business League, The 10K Project, and many others, she is championing economic initiatives that build sustainable supply chains and foster strategic partnerships.

Her mission is to create economic opportunities for Black entrepreneurs and business leaders in America, who have historically been excluded from global trade discussions. By forging these international connections, Queen Hereford is working to ensure that Black communities in the U.S. not only have a seat at the table but play a key role in shaping the future of international commerce, economic empowerment, and global policy.

The event featured several other distinguished guests, including:
● Dr. Rohit Gupta: Founder and Chairman of the EurAsia Afro Chamber of Commerce,
Dr. Gupta has been instrumental in promoting cross-continental business relationships
and trade.
● H.E. Bishop Dr. Samsher Khan: Founder of the BSK Prayer Tower and IRKT, Bishop
Dr. Khan serves as a Peace Ambassador for the International Human Rights
Commission (IHRC) and holds the position of Asia’s Social Media Editor. He is dedicated
to promoting peace and spiritual well-being across communities.
● Madam Sadhvi Pragya Bharti: Sadhvi Pragya Bharti is a spiritual leader, humanitarian,
and national media panelist known for her advocacy of social and educational reforms
rooted in spirituality and justice.

The event underscored the importance of strategic economic partnerships as a tool for
peacebuilding, aligning with Queen Hereford’s global mission of self-determination and
economic sovereignty for Black and Indigenous communities worldwide.

As part of her continued advocacy, Queen Hereford urged global stakeholders to collaborate on
drafting a Global Peace Charter, organizing annual Global Peace Assemblies, and
implementing economic policies that uplift marginalized communities.

This event marks a significant milestone in international diplomacy, reinforcing the role of
economic and cultural cooperation in shaping a peaceful and prosperous future for all.

For media inquiries, interviews, or further information, please contact:
H.E. Roselyn Omaka
National Press Secretary, Nation of Cherut
Email: nps@nationofcherut.org
Phone: 281.301.5535

News

Terror Attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas Linked

Published

2 months ago

January 2, 2025

Bolanle Media Staff

The start of 2025 has been marred by two horrific terror attacks in the United States, one in New Orleans and another in Las Vegas, both occurring on New Year’s Day. These incidents have left communities reeling and have raised concerns about potential connections between the suspects involved.

In New Orleans, a truck driven by 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed into a crowd celebrating on Bourbon Street, resulting in at least 15 deaths and over 30 injuries. Eyewitnesses reported that Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran from Texas, deliberately targeted pedestrians while flying an ISIS flag from his vehicle. Following the attack, he exited the truck armed with an assault rifle and opened fire on police officers before being killed in the ensuing confrontation. Authorities discovered improvised explosive devices (IEDs) within his vehicle and in the vicinity of the attack site, further confirming the premeditated nature of this act of terrorism.

Simultaneously, a separate incident unfolded in Las Vegas when a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel. The driver, identified as Matthew Livelsberger, also had a military background and was reported to have detonated the vehicle packed with firework mortars and fuel, resulting in his death and injuring seven others. Investigators are exploring whether Livelsberger and Jabbar had any prior connection, as both men served at the same military base at different times.

While the FBI has confirmed that they are investigating both attacks as acts of terrorism, they have not established a definitive link between the two incidents. However, similarities in their execution—both suspects rented vehicles from the same company—have prompted further scrutiny into their backgrounds and any potential accomplices.

As investigations continue, authorities are urging anyone with information about either suspect to come forward. The tragic events have sparked discussions about security measures in public spaces, particularly as cities prepare for large gatherings in the coming months.

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