During his frequent picturesque walks around Vancouver, Marcus often shares his thoughts about the latest developments in the field of artificial intelligence on Twitter. Melissa Heikkilä, a senior reporter focusing on AI, chose to accompany him on one such excursion while she was in the city. Here is a quick look at their conversation.
There are some noteworthy articles about technology today. These articles range from fun to serious, and even a bit alarming as they shed light on various dimensions of the tech world.
1. There’s a new breed of satellites on the horizon that have the capacity to revolutionize everything. They are endowed with highly advanced cameras capable of capturing individual human features (New York Times).
In addition, a major European satellite is forecasted to re-enter Earth’s orbit soon (Ars Technica). Also, an emerging satellite will use Google’s AI to detect and map methane emissions from the cosmos (MIT Technology Review).
2. AI has become a prodigious consumer of electricity. However, calculating the exact usage is far from being straightforward (The Verge). Moreover, creating an image with AI consumes as much power as charging a phone (MIT Technology Review).
3. Silicon Valley seems to be warming up to the idea of increased military involvement. As the global environment becomes more precarious, ethical dimensions start to fade (Washington Post).
Military AI startups are witnessing an upswing in their business (MIT Technology Review). Coupled with that, SpaceX is growing more affiliated with US intelligence and military bodies (Wall Street Journal). Ukraine is in dire need of more advanced methods to defuse land mines (Wired).
4. The EU is investigating TikTok on child safety grounds. The platform stands accused of not adequately verifying the ages of its users (Mashable).
5. Bluesky fails to generate much enthusiasm. It doesn’t offer anything different from existing social media platforms (Wired). There’s a growing call for improving the internet (MIT Technology Review). This desire for change is prompting many to explore decentralized social media services (MIT Technology Review).
6. Ozempic is getting popular in China. The unavailability of official approval isn’t proving to be a hindrance (Wall Street Journal). Our understanding of hunger might be on the verge of a significant transformation (MIT Technology Review).
7. A group of people is striving to develop ethical AI porn. The adult industry is already feeling the impact of AI technology (The Guardian).
8. DNA data drives might be the solution to our fast depleting storage space. They have emerged as a feasible alternative (IEEE Spectrum).
9. Constantly closing background apps on your phone may not improve your battery life. This practice could actually exacerbate the issue (Gizmodo). It’s also worth noting that you should not put a wet phone in rice (The Verge).
10. Mathematics is mystified by billiards (Quanta). So, if you find the game challenging, know you’re in good company.
