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Top AI & Tech News and Trends (Through August 25th)

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The AI Citizen
August 25, 2024

Hello AI Citizens,

This week's edition of The AI Citizen newsletter has been sent to subscribers. Make sure to subscribe to receive future editions straight to your email inbox.

Here is the summary of this edition:

#1 Top AI & Tech News and Trends
(Through August 25th, 2024)

  • The Turing Test and Our Evolving Understanding of AI Intelligence

  • Generative AI: From Hype to Practical Usefulness

  • An ‘AI Scientist’ Conducts and Manages Its Own Experiments

  • Boston Dynamics’ Electric Atlas Can Do Pushups Now

  • Silicon Valley Opposes AI-Safety Legislation

  • Waymo Considers New Services for Youth

  • DNA-Based Computers Can Solve Complex Puzzles

  • Progress in Asteroid Mining

  • and more!

Also, check out: #2 The Geek Zone, #3 Top AI Tools, #4 AI 2071 Episode #8: {Elon Musk} & the Rise of Humanoids, #5 Announcement: The Chief AI Officer (CAIO) program - Starting September 23rd, #6 Free Resources, and more!

Announcement
The CAIO Program - September 23rd, 2024

Join a transformative 2-week journey that could change your career forever. You'll be among top executives from around the globe, receiving personalized training and coaching to become an AI leader in your field. Don’t miss this chance to shape your future! Details in section #5.

Let’s dive in!

Victor Miller (and VIC’s listening device around his neck) at a campaign event in Cheyenne. Courtesy of Victor Miller

World’s First AI Mayor: A Bold Experiment Falls Short

In a recent Cheyenne, Wyoming mayoral race, an AI named "Vic," developed by candidate Victor Miller using ChatGPT, ran for office. The pair promoted a "hybrid" model combining AI’s capabilities with human oversight, but voters were not convinced; Vic garnered just 327 out of 11,036 votes. While AI leadership has found some footing in business, its role in governance remains controversial, reflecting both its potential and the public's hesitation to fully trust AI in decision-making roles. Source: Fortune

Alan Turing. By Adam’s Creations

The Turing Test and Our Evolving Understanding of AI Intelligence

This article explores the enduring impact of Alan Turing's 1950 thought experiment, known as the Turing Test, on our understanding of machine intelligence. Turing suggested that if a machine could convincingly imitate a human in conversation, it might be considered intelligent. However, the article argues that modern chatbots like ChatGPT and Google's LaMDA, which some claim have "passed" the Turing Test, do not necessarily demonstrate true intelligence. The test's focus on mimicking human conversation may lead to misleading interpretations about a machine's cognitive abilities, as fluency in language is not synonymous with understanding or reasoning. This distinction challenges our assumptions about what constitutes "thinking" and suggests that intelligence is far more complex than Turing initially proposed. Source: Science.org

Generative AI: From Hype to Practical Usefulness

The initial excitement around generative AI, fueled by tools like ChatGPT and bold predictions of widespread job displacement, is giving way to a more tempered understanding of its capabilities. While early projects often failed to meet inflated expectations—such as McDonald’s unsuccessful drive-through automation—generative AI is now progressing along the Gartner hype cycle toward a “plateau of productivity.” Challenges such as high costs, infrastructure needs, and the unpredictable performance of AI models have tempered initial enthusiasm. However, advancements continue as companies refine their strategies, focusing on smaller, more specialized models, human-AI collaboration, and enhancing AI literacy. As the hype subsides, generative AI is poised to evolve into a more practical and integrated tool in various industries. Source: The Conversation

An ‘AI Scientist’ Conducts and Manages Its Own Experiments

A series of recent research papers from a prominent AI lab at the University of British Columbia may initially appear unremarkable, showing only minor advancements on existing algorithms. However, these studies are noteworthy because they were entirely generated by an 'AI scientist'—a system developed collaboratively by the lab, the University of Oxford, and the startup Sakana AI. This AI system autonomously conducts its own research, highlighting a significant step forward in artificial intelligence capabilities. Source: Wired

Boston Dynamics’ new electric Atlas can do pushups. TechCrunch on Youtube

Boston Dynamics’ Electric Atlas Can Do Pushups Now

Boston Dynamics has unveiled its new electric Atlas robot, capable of performing exercises like push-ups. Although still in the early phases of commercialization for industrial use, the robot has gained significant attention through viral videos that showcase its capabilities, maintaining Boston Dynamics' reputation for creating visually impressive robotic demonstrations. Source: TechCrunch

Illustration by The Atlantic. Sources: SKLA / Getty; Russell Yip / Associated Press.

Silicon Valley Opposes AI-Safety Legislation

A debate is unfolding in California over a proposed AI safety bill that could have widespread implications across the U.S. State Senator Scott Wiener, a key figure in this debate, discusses his aggressive approach to passing the legislation amidst concerns about the potential existential risks posed by AI, including fears of AI systems going rogue. Source: The Atlantic

Waymo wants to chauffeur your kids. Credit: Waymo

Waymo Considers New Services for Youth

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet, is exploring a subscription model that would allow teenagers to use its robotaxi services independently. Parents would be notified of pick-up and drop-off events, potentially transforming how families manage transportation for after-school activities and daily commutes. Source: TechCrunch.

A DNA computer can solve simplified chess and sudoku puzzles. Kevin Lin

A new type of DNA-based computer, capable of both storing and processing information, has been developed to solve basic chess and Sudoku puzzles. This innovation could, if scaled up, provide a highly energy-efficient alternative for tasks like training AI models, potentially reducing the environmental impact of computing. Source: New Scientist

The Odin spacecraft passed vibration testing.

Progress in Asteroid Mining

AstroForge’s Odin mission is set to join the Intuitive Machines-2 mission as a rideshare payload later this year. If successful, this mission will mark a significant achievement in asteroid mining, aiming to explore a metallic-rich asteroid near Earth, capturing images and gathering data to enhance our understanding of these celestial bodies. Source: Ars Technica

#2 The Geek Zone

Automate Design of Agentic Systems

Introducing Meta Agent Search, a meta-agent designed to iteratively program and test new agents by building on a continuously expanding archive of previous discoveries. This approach claims to enable the learning of any agentic system, including prompts, tool usage, control flows, and more. Meta Agent Search accomplishes this by concentrating on three core components: the search space (defining agents), the search algorithm (exploring the search space), and the evaluation function (assessing candidate agents). Source: Arxiv

Open-Endedness and the Future of "Agentic AI"

This article explores "agentic AI," which refers to AI systems that can autonomously perform tasks and make decisions. Despite the excitement, these systems often struggle with complex tasks, revealing their limitations in reasoning. Experiments with models like GPT-4V and Gemini 1.5 Pro show low success rates in real-world applications, highlighting the gap between expectations and reality. Progress will depend on addressing these challenges and improving AI's autonomous abilities. Source: Air Street Press


Do you find these insights valuable? Are there other topics you think we should cover? Share your thoughts with us. 

Email us at [email protected].

#3 AI Tool of the Week 

  • Speechify: the #1 rated AI text to speech app in its category with over 250,000 5 star reviews.

  • STORI: creates and manages personalized marketing strategies for branding, content creation, and social media tasks. 

  • Evidently: evaluates, tests, and monitors AI-products, offering tools for LLM observability, ML model assessment, and data pipeline quality control.

  • Motion: Use AI to plan your work, automatically

  • Seven24.ai: captures user feedback during interactions with your product and uses AI to convert it into actionable tasks.

AI 2071 - Episode #8: {Elon Musk} & The Rise of Humanoids. By AI 2071

#4 AI 2071 Series

Episode #8: {Elon Musk} & The Rise of Humanoids

At Neuralx Industries’ 2032 summit, Elon Musk introduced "Eve," a groundbreaking humanoid with Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Eve, with lifelike skin and self-healing abilities, represents a major leap in AI, capable of learning and early consciousness. Musk highlighted Eve's potential to revolutionize industries by working alongside humans, but also warned of the ethical and societal challenges as AGI evolves. The event left attendees considering the implications of humanoids potentially surpassing human intelligence and how society will adapt to this new era.

#5 Announcement

The Chief AI Officer (CAIO) Program - September Cohort

Next Kickoff: September 23, 2024

World AI is excited to launch The Chief AI Officer (CAIO) Program, an exclusive 2-week program designed to immerse professionals and executives in the future of their industries. This unique experience offers a chance to step into a simulation, where you can glimpse the future of your domain and apply these insights to your current organization. You'll connect with the top 1% of experts in your field and see how they are already integrating AI and exponential technologies within their organizations.

Program Highlights:

  • 2-Week Immersive Journey: Engage in an intensive experience that simulates the future of your industry, providing firsthand insights into how AI and exponential technologies are transforming the way we work, lead, and innovate.

  • Guidance from Top Experts: Connect with the top 1% of global industry leaders who have successfully integrated AI into their personal and professional lives. These experts will mentor you, offering strategies and insights that you can apply directly to your organization.

  • Industry-Specific Focus: Tailored to professionals in government, education, healthcare, banking and finance, and other sectors, this program ensures that the knowledge and skills you gain are directly relevant to your field.

  • Collaborative Innovation: Collaborate with peers and mentors on real-world case studies, developing strategic reports that contribute to the ongoing evolution of your industry.

  • Exclusive Membership and Leadership Opportunities: Graduates of the program will be invited to join the prestigious World AI Council (WAIC), where they can influence future initiatives. Additionally, graduates will have the opportunity to become guest speakers, panelists, and ambassadors at the World AI Forum, sharing their insights with a global audience.

Who Should Apply? The CAIO Program is designed for seasoned professionals and executives with 10+ years of experience in their field, who are eager to explore how AI will shape their industry’s future and prepare to lead in this new landscape.

Limited Seats Available To maintain a high-impact, personalized experience, seats are limited. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this transformative journey.

Join our September Cohort Secure your ticket to the future and become a Future Leader in your domain. Join us. Seats are limited!

Gif by xponentialdesign on Giph

#6 Free Resources

AI Basics in 60 Minutes

Are you curious about AI? Jump into our free 60-minute AI Basics course! It's perfect for beginners and a great way to start chatting about AI like a pro. Join us, learn quickly, and enjoy the conversation—sign up now and explore AI with friends!

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