February 10, 2023

environment

The Generative AI Race Has a Dirty Secret

WIRED, 02/10/23. There’s a “dirty secret” behind the race to develop Generative AI systems: the massive amounts of carbon emissions generated by the computational power required to train these models.

The carbon footprint of the AI industry is rapidly growing and could potentially undermine the efforts to combat climate change. The energy consumption of AI systems during training, which requires running massive computations, is responsible for a significant portion of this emissions.

The AI industry should address this issue and find ways to reduce its carbon footprint. READ MORE

technology

Understanding and Debugging Deep Learning Models: Exploring AI Interpretability Methods

InfoQ, 02/10/23. Lack of interpretability in Deep Learning Models raises concerns about the accuracy and fairness of these models in applications with serious implications, such as medical diagnosis, criminal justice, and financial services.

To address this issue, several methods for improving interpretability have been proposed including saliency maps, layer-wise relevance propagation, and model distillation. Incorporating interpretability into the design of deep learning models is crucial for building trust in AI systems and ensuring that they are used in an ethical and responsible manner. READ ARTICLE

people

Who is Sam Altman? From college dropout to creator of AI chatbot phenomenon ChatGPT

Euronews, 02/10/23. Sam Altman is a tech entrepreneur and investor best known for his work in the field of artificial intelligence. He is the co-founder of OpenAI and has also been involved in several successful startups as an investor and advisor. Altman was named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” in the tech industry and serves as the CEO of Y Combinator, a leading startup accelerator. Despite dropping out of college, Altman has achieved remarkable success. READ MORE

technology

IBM says it’s been running ‘AI supercomputer’ since May but chose now to tell the world

The Register, 02/10/23. IBM has launched Vela, a supercomputer that uses AI and simulation tech for oil and gas data analysis. Vela boasts 2.5 exaflops processing power, making it a top supercomputer for reducing costs and improving decision-making in the industry.

IBM is developing new AI applications for Vela with oil and gas companies and aims to expand its capabilities. The launch underscores the significance of AI in industries and the need for systems like Vela to support their decision-making. READ ARTICLE

deception

New AI voice-cloning tools ‘add fuel’ to misinformation fire

ABC News, 02/10/23. AI voice cloning tools are fueling concerns about the spread of misinformation. These tools use deep learning algorithms to generate synthetic voices that can imitate an individual’s speech patterns and mannerisms with remarkable accuracy. This has raised alarm bells as they could be utilized to create fake audio recordings and spread false information, leading to confusion and distrust.

One such example is the deepfake audio clip of President Biden discussing transgender rights, which was recently posted on the internet and highlights the dangers these new tools can pose. READ FULL ARTICLE