Chaos & Amazement #2344 The Bletchley Declaration, Schwarzenegger’s Deepreal AI, and The Beatles’ Ultimate Song

Buckle up for a global AI rollercoaster with executive orders, quirky applications, and creative ventures. Your weekly dose of tech thrills, ethical chuckles, and surprising AI plot twists has arrived

Tech News

• Leaders at the UK summit express concerns about AI's "catastrophic harm." The Bletchley Declaration calls for global cooperation on AI risks without specific goals. Urgency in addressing risks is emphasized, with follow-up meetings in South Korea & France. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/countries-agree-to-safe-and-responsible-development-of-frontier-ai-in-landmark-bletchley-declaration

  • Biden’s AI Executive Order showcases efforts across federal agencies to harness benefits and mitigate risks. The focus on building a talented AI workforce and encouraging public input reflects a commitment to safe and innovative AI development. https://ai.gov

• A U.S. federal judge recently sided with A.I. companies Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and Dream Up in a copyright dispute against artists Sarah Anderson, Kelly McKernan, and Karla Ortiz. The judge, William H. Orrick, allowed the core claim of direct copyright infringement to proceed but dismissed several other claims made by the artists. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/federal-judge-sides-with-ai-companies-in-artists-copyright-dispute-2387654

• Tech giants like Amazon and Meta are using AI to create ads and product images, aiming to improve ad performance and reduce costs. AI-generated images may lack context and mislead customers. This raises questions about responsible AI use in advertising. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/10/what-happens-when-amazon-and-meta-ads-generate-themselves.html

  

• Binghamton University engineers unveil a quadruped robot guide for the visually impaired, integrating computer vision and quick reinforcement learning. Future plans include voice commands and "intelligent disobedience." https://techxplore.com/news/2023-10-scientists-robotic-seeing-eye-dog-visually.html

  • Disney’s new walking robot is impressive, not just for its balance but also its ability to mimic various movements using procedural animation and reinforcement learning. Remarkably, this takes only months, not years, as highlighted in the video comments.

Fresh AI

1. air.ai's AI tool blurs the line between cool and eerie. It mimics real human voices for sales calls, boasting up to 40-minute durations with a variety of representative voices. What's your take?

2. Runway ML’s Gen-2, an innovative text to video concept that seemed far-fetched just five months ago, has undergone a substantial transformation with its latest update. This isn't just about a camera; it's a leap for storytellers everywhere, offering new possibilities for capturing narratives with depth and precision. https://venturebeat.com/ai/runways-gen-2-update-is-blowing-peoples-minds-with-incredible-ai-video/

3. Arnold Schwarzenegger surprises gymgoers with a twist – pretending to be an AI chatbot dispensing advice. The former governor and action star blurs the line between "deepfake" and "deepreal" in a staged stunt by Orchard Creative.

From my blog

• Nosferatu: A Silent Horror Classic https://bnox.be/2023/10/nosferatu-silent-horror-classic.html

Weird and Wonderful

• Hat tip to @soren_iverson ’s 300 days of consistently sharing imaginative product design concepts. From witty Instagram unfollow notifications to clever LinkedIn skill dispute tools, his creativity shines. Excited for more ingenious ideas in the next 300 days! My favorite: LinkedIn option to dispute someone's skills

• The Beatles drop their last single, "Now And Then", blending posthumous inputs from departed members John Lennon and George Harrison.

• • The surviving duo, aided by AI audio tech, unveils this final track just months before the 60th anniversary of their Ed Sullivan appearances. Explore the creation process in this ten minute film from The Beatles.