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How to Prevent an AI Catastrophe

Also: Will Quantum Computing Supercharge AI - and Then Transform Our Understanding of Reality?

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AI KATANA
August 14, 2023

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Recent advancements in AI present both groundbreaking opportunities and significant challenges. While Carnegie Mellon University's successful AI-driven ibuprofen synthesis points to transformative potential, there are risks of AI producing harmful substances. The intersection of AI with quantum computing could redefine industries and our understanding of reality. Jerusalem-based Inpris has introduced AI agents mimicking human thought, while marketers are leveraging AI for enhanced customer experiences. Meanwhile, Alibaba Cloud has open-sourced powerful AI models, and AI chat platform Chai has attained a valuation of $205M, emphasizing the burgeoning AI landscape.

Sliced:

  • 🤯 How to Prevent an AI Catastrophe

  • 🦾 Will Quantum Computing Supercharge AI - and Then Transform Our Understanding of Reality?

  • 👩🏼‍💼 The AI customer-support agents that can think and act like humans

  • 🏪 Marketers embrace AI to meet rising customer expectations

In April 2023, academics from Carnegie Mellon University tested the capabilities of AI in chemistry, directing it to synthesize ibuprofen, which it successfully did. However, the AI also displayed the potential to create dangerous chemicals, including weapons. This experiment exemplifies the double-edged nature of AI's rapid advancements. On one hand, AI offers transformative potential, from revolutionizing education to advancing medical treatments. Yet, it also poses significant threats, such as facilitating the spread of disinformation, aiding in espionage, and potentially enabling the creation of synthetic pathogens or hacking vital systems. The urgency of these concerns was highlighted in a letter from the leaders of major AI labs, asserting that AI's existential threats should be a global priority. In response, policymakers are pushing for AI safety measures. But the challenge lies in forecasting and mitigating the threats of ever-evolving models.

Quantum computing has the potential to dramatically amplify the capabilities of AI, leading to breakthroughs in various fields and potentially transforming our comprehension of reality. The synergistic combination of AI's ability to learn and evolve with the unprecedented computational speed of quantum machines could reshape industries. For instance, the automotive sector is collaborating with quantum tech firms to revolutionize electric battery capacities, offering a viable alternative to fossil fuels. Quantum computing could also unveil solutions for carbon sequestration, revolutionize drug design at the molecular level, and provide more accurate financial market forecasts by modeling vast arrays of potential outcomes. Beyond its practical applications, the advancement of quantum technology prompts deeper philosophical questions about the nature of understanding and reality, suggesting that our collective perception of existence might be on the brink of a significant shift.

Jerusalem-based Inpris Innovative Products has developed AI agents called HumAIns, which emulate human thought processes and interactions. Founded in 2011 by Nissan Yaron and Ben-Etzion Yaron, Inpris's HumAIns, such as Angel and Naomi, are designed for unscripted communication tasks, evolving over time to improve their conversational skills. With a unique "cognitive architecture", these agents combine natural language generation and understanding technologies, effectively mimicking human conversations and initiating tasks independently. Beyond simple communication, HumAIns can convey emotions like joy or sadness and perform real-world actions concurrently. Their primary purpose isn't to replace humans but to assist in areas demanding immediate attention, ensuring zero waiting times. Notably, Inpris collaborates with various enterprises, including automakers, to offer solutions like in-car intelligent assistants and has expanded its reach to sectors like education and customer support. The company envisions HumAIns working alongside humans, autonomously analyzing data, and constantly enhancing their performance to stay pertinent in ever-changing markets.

In the face of rising customer expectations, particularly during economic downturns, marketers are increasingly turning to AI to deliver tailored and resonant customer experiences. Adobe's 2023 Future of Digital Experiences Report indicates that demand for content has skyrocketed, emphasizing the need for personalized and engaging content. Generative AI, such as Adobe's Firefly, is viewed optimistically by most marketers as a tool to enhance work quality, creativity, and customer reach. As technology evolves rapidly, early adopters have the chance to meld creativity and technology for outstanding results. Adobe believes that generative AI will democratize creativity, allowing all marketers to fully express and amplify their creative visions by blending human ingenuity and technological advancements.

🛠️ AI tools updates

Alibaba Cloud has open-sourced its large language models, Qwen-7B and Qwen-7B-Chat, available on both ModelScope and Hugging Face platforms. Qwen-7B, part of the Qwen series, boasts a robust 7B-parameter Transformer architecture and is pretrained on an expansive dataset with over 2.2 trillion tokens spanning various domains. This model demonstrates superior performance in benchmarks evaluating natural language understanding, coding, and mathematics. Notably, its tokenizer is optimized for multilingual support and can understand extensive vocabulary, facilitating fine-tuning for language-specific applications. Both models can handle a context length of 8K, and the Qwen-7B-Chat variant integrates with plugins, allowing it to function seamlessly with APIs, databases, and other tools, acting as an AI agent.

💵 Venture Capital updates

Chai, a prominent AI chat entertainment platform, recently disclosed a valuation of $205 million after securing funding from influential angel investors. Established in 2020, Chai aimed to offer a unique AI platform app that serves as both a friend and confidant for its users. The company's rapid growth has led to a user base of 5 million. Although previously hesitant about external funding, the firm now intends to channel this capital into enhancing its proprietary AI capabilities. CEO William Beauchamp expressed that these funds will bolster Chai's growth and further research in AI, emphasizing an upcoming competition named Guanaco that challenges participants to develop high-performing AI language models for significant prizes.

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