Researchers at University College London’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience have shown how Artificial Intelligence can help explain the way memories enable humans to learn about the world, re-live old experiences, and construct new experiences for imagination and planning.

The study was published in Nature Human Behaviour journal.&nbsp;

"Recent advances in the generative networks used in AI show how information can be extracted from experience so that we can both recollect a specific experience and also flexibly imagine what new experiences might be like," the lead author Eleanor Spens, a doctoral student at University College London’s (UCL) Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience said in an official statement.

Also watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Is AI going to replace your brain?

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"We think of remembering as imagining the past based on concepts, combining some stored details with our expectations about what might have happened,” Spens said.

<h2>What the study is about?</h2>

The study focussed on networks representing the hippocampus and neocortex, crucial components of the brain that collaborate in&nbsp;memory, imagination, and planning.&nbsp;

Spens highlighted the parallel between remembering and imagining the past based on concepts, a cognitive process that combines stored details in the brain with expectations about what event might have occurred.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/brainoware-this-happened-when-scientists-combined-real-human-brain-tissue-with-electronics-668968">Brainoware: This happened when scientists combined real human brain tissue with electronics</a>

The AI model was exposed to 10,000 images of simple scenes, with the activity in the hippocampus region of the brain rapidly encoding each scene as it was experienced. This encoded information was then replayed to train the generative neural network in the neocortex.

The neocortical network learned to efficiently represent scenes conceptually.

This process mirrors exactly how humans pick up on patterns from past experiences to make predictions, a crucial skill for survival.

<h2>What does it mean?&nbsp;</h2>

The study sheds light on the role of the hippocampus in encoding the meaning of new scenes, allowing it to focus on unique features that the neocortex cannot reproduce. This dynamic interaction explains how the neocortex gradually acquires conceptual knowledge and collaborates with the hippocampus to reconstruct events in our minds, facilitating the ability to "re-experience" past events.

Furthermore, the research unveils insights into how the brain generates new events during imagination and planning for the future. It shows why existing memories often exhibit "gist-like" distortions, wherein unique features are generalised and remembered as more similar to features in previous events.

<h2>What is the bottom line?&nbsp;</h2>

This groundbreaking study not only deepens our understanding of the intricate interplay between memory and imagination but also highlights the potential of generative AI to unravel the mysteries of cognitive processes in the human brain.

(With inputs from agencies)

Researchers at University College London’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience have shown how Artificial Intelligence can help explain the way memories enable humans to learn about the world, re-live old experiences, and construct new experiences for imagination and planning.

Researchers at University College London’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience have shown how Artificial Intelligence can help explain the way memories enable humans to learn about the world, re-live old experiences, and construct new experiences for imagination and planning. The study was published in Nature Human Behaviour journal. "Recent advances in the generative networks used in AI show how information can be extracted from experience so that we can both recollect a specific experience and also flexibly imagine what new experiences might be like," the lead author Eleanor Spens, a doctoral student at University College London’s (UCL) Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience said in an official statement. Also watch | Gravitas: Is AI going to replace your brain? × "We think of remembering as imagining the past based on concepts, combining some stored details with our expectations about what might have happened,” Spens said. What the study is about? The study focussed on networks representing the hippocampus and neocortex, crucial components of the brain that collaborate in memory, imagination, and planning. Spens highlighted the parallel between remembering and imagining the past based on concepts, a cognitive process that combines stored details in the brain with expectations about what event might have occurred. Also read | Brainoware: This happened when scientists combined real human brain tissue with electronics The AI model was exposed to 10,000 images of simple scenes, with the activity in the hippocampus region of the brain rapidly encoding each scene as it was experienced. This encoded information was then replayed to train the generative neural network in the neocortex. The neocortical network learned to efficiently represent scenes conceptually. This process mirrors exactly how humans pick up on patterns from past experiences to make predictions, a crucial skill for survival. What does it mean? The study sheds light on the role of the hippocampus in encoding the meaning of new scenes, allowing it to focus on unique features that the neocortex cannot reproduce. This dynamic interaction explains how the neocortex gradually acquires conceptual knowledge and collaborates with the hippocampus to reconstruct events in our minds, facilitating the ability to "re-experience" past events. Furthermore, the research unveils insights into how the brain generates new events during imagination and planning for the future. It shows why existing memories often exhibit "gist-like" distortions, wherein unique features are generalised and remembered as more similar to features in previous events. What is the bottom line? This groundbreaking study not only deepens our understanding of the intricate interplay between memory and imagination but also highlights the potential of generative AI to unravel the mysteries of cognitive processes in the human brain. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists unveil secrets of imagination, memory formation with Artificial Intelligence

The recent revelations from a recent EY survey offers a closer look at how Gen AI, the next frontier in artificial intelligence, is reshaping the retail experience right here in India.

Challenges & opportunities in the retail renaissance with Gen AI

Day 4 discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos unfolded against the backdrop of global challenges. The focus was on key themes of security, the future of artificial intelligence, advancing the energy transition, and the pivotal role of trade in driving economic growth.

Day 4 at Davos: AI governance takes center stage

Google, Meta, Amazon set to cut jobs this year.

Google, Meta, Amazon set to cut jobs this year

Artificial Intelligence model can hide unsafe behaviour. Watch the video to know more.

Artificial Intelligence model can hide unsafe behaviour

In a digital era marked by technological leaps, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) comes with both opportunities and challenges. On Tuesday, in a stark warning, top US law enforcement and intelligence officials raised concerns about the dark potential of AI. Speaking at the International Conference on Cyber Security at Fordham University in Manhattan they suggested that artificial intelligence's evolution could amplify the risks associated with hacking, scamming, and money laundering.&nbsp;

<h2>AI can help scams</h2>

Speaking at the cyber security conference, Rob Joyce, the Director of Cybersecurity at the National Security Agency, said that AI is now being employed by less technically savvy individuals to execute hacking operations that would have been beyond their reach otherwise.&nbsp;

Joyce, as reported by Reuters,&nbsp;emphasised the worrisome development and said, "It's going to make those that use AI more effective and more dangerous."&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/terror-beasts-scientists-unearth-500-million-year-old-giant-predator-worms-in-greenland-676493">Terror Beasts: 500-million-year old 'giant' predator worms unearthed in Greenland&nbsp;</a>

However, on a somewhat optimistic note, he acknowledged that AI advancements are aiding US authorities in uncovering malicious activities.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is already witnessing a surge in cyber intrusions attributed to the diminished technical barriers facilitated by AI, revealed James Smith, the Assistant Director in charge of the FBI's New York field office, during the conference.

<h2>More than just hacking</h2>

The potential implications extend beyond hacking, reaching into the realm of financial crimes, according to top federal prosecutors. Damian Williams, the US Attorney in Manhattan, pointed out that AI could empower individuals who do not speak English to craft convincing messages, to scam unsuspecting victims.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-announces-13-ideas-that-won-175000-under-prestigious-niac-programme-676847">NASA announces 13 ideas that won $175,000 under prestigious NIAC programme</a>

Breon Peace, the US Attorney in Brooklyn, delved into the unsettling territory of AI-generated "deepfake" images and videos. He expressed concern that such sophisticated content could deceive banks' identity verification systems, that are designed to prevent money laundering. Peace cautioned that this could enable criminals and terrorists to exploit the financial system at scale, "undermining the system of controls that we have developed for decades".

(With inputs from agencies)

In a digital era marked by technological leaps, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) comes with both opportunities and challenges. On Tuesday, in a stark warning, top US law enforcement and intelligence officials raised concerns about the dark potential of AI.

In a digital era marked by technological leaps, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) comes with both opportunities and challenges. On Tuesday, in a stark warning, top US law enforcement and intelligence officials raised concerns about the dark potential of AI. Speaking at the International Conference on Cyber Security at Fordham University in Manhattan they suggested that artificial intelligence's evolution could amplify the risks associated with hacking, scamming, and money laundering. AI can help scams Speaking at the cyber security conference, Rob Joyce, the Director of Cybersecurity at the National Security Agency, said that AI is now being employed by less technically savvy individuals to execute hacking operations that would have been beyond their reach otherwise. Joyce, as reported by Reuters, emphasised the worrisome development and said, "It's going to make those that use AI more effective and more dangerous." Also read | Terror Beasts: 500-million-year old 'giant' predator worms unearthed in Greenland However, on a somewhat optimistic note, he acknowledged that AI advancements are aiding US authorities in uncovering malicious activities. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is already witnessing a surge in cyber intrusions attributed to the diminished technical barriers facilitated by AI, revealed James Smith, the Assistant Director in charge of the FBI's New York field office, during the conference. More than just hacking The potential implications extend beyond hacking, reaching into the realm of financial crimes, according to top federal prosecutors. Damian Williams, the US Attorney in Manhattan, pointed out that AI could empower individuals who do not speak English to craft convincing messages, to scam unsuspecting victims. Also read | NASA announces 13 ideas that won $175,000 under prestigious NIAC programme Breon Peace, the US Attorney in Brooklyn, delved into the unsettling territory of AI-generated "deepfake" images and videos. He expressed concern that such sophisticated content could deceive banks' identity verification systems, that are designed to prevent money laundering. Peace cautioned that this could enable criminals and terrorists to exploit the financial system at scale, "undermining the system of controls that we have developed for decades". (With inputs from agencies)

AI's double-edged sword: Technology making hacking easy for non-tech-savvy people, warn US officials

The World Economic Forum (WEF) warned on Wednesday (Jan&nbsp;10) that artificial intelligence (AI) driven misinformation and disinformation will pose great global risk this year and the next, especially, with elections lined-up in major countries and economies. In its Global Risks Report 2024, the WEF has also warned of challenges and threats due to war, climate change and cost-of-living crisis. The report has been released ahead of annual meeting of political and business elites in Davos which is due to take place next week.

"Misinformation and disinformation are biggest short-term risks, while extreme weather and critical change to Earth systems are greatest long-term concern," the report said.

"Concerns over a persistent cost-of-living crisis and the intertwined risks of AI-driven misinformation and disinformation, and societal polarization dominated the risks outlook for 2024," it added.&nbsp;

Misinformation is incorrect information while disinformation is false information spread with an aim of deceiving people.

Watch | Israel-Hamas War: Israel ramps up attacks despite mounting pressure

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In its report, WEF also noted that "with several live conflicts under way, underlying geopolitical tensions and corroding societal resilience risk are creating conflict contagion".

For the WEF survey, more than 1400 global risk experts, industry leaders and policymakers were surveyed in September.

The report said that "emerging as the most severe global risk anticipated over the next two years, foreign and domestic actors alike will leverage misinformation and disinformation to further widen societal and political divides".

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-in-favour-of-tangible-steps-for-palestinian-state-blinken-tells-abbas-678690">US in favour of 'tangible steps' for Palestinian state, Blinken tells Abbas</a>

National elections are due in major economies like the United States, India, the United Kingdom, Indonesia and Mexico which will cumulatively see three billion people casting their votes.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-zelensky-arrives-in-lithuania-on-visit-to-baltic-allies-with-focus-on-war-eu-integration-678656">Ukraine’s Zelensky arrives in Lithuania on visit to Baltic allies with focus on war, EU integration</a>

With this in mind the WEF has warned that &nbsp;"the widespread use of misinformation and disinformation, and tools to disseminate it, may undermine the legitimacy of newly elected governments".

The upcoming Davos talks are expected to be dominated by military conflict such as Israel-Hamas War and Ukraine war. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Israeli President Isaac Herzog and leaders from West Asian countries are expected to attend the gathering.

(With inputs from agencies)

The World Economic Forum (WEF) warned on Wednesday (Jan 10) that artificial intelligence (AI) driven misinformation and disinformation will pose great global risk this year and the next, especially, with elections lined-up in major countries and economies.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) warned on Wednesday (Jan 10) that artificial intelligence (AI) driven misinformation and disinformation will pose great global risk this year and the next, especially, with elections lined-up in major countries and economies. In its Global Risks Report 2024, the WEF has also warned of challenges and threats due to war, climate change and cost-of-living crisis. The report has been released ahead of annual meeting of political and business elites in Davos which is due to take place next week. "Misinformation and disinformation are biggest short-term risks, while extreme weather and critical change to Earth systems are greatest long-term concern," the report said. "Concerns over a persistent cost-of-living crisis and the intertwined risks of AI-driven misinformation and disinformation, and societal polarization dominated the risks outlook for 2024," it added. Misinformation is incorrect information while disinformation is false information spread with an aim of deceiving people. Watch | Israel-Hamas War: Israel ramps up attacks despite mounting pressure × In its report, WEF also noted that "with several live conflicts under way, underlying geopolitical tensions and corroding societal resilience risk are creating conflict contagion". For the WEF survey, more than 1400 global risk experts, industry leaders and policymakers were surveyed in September. The report said that "emerging as the most severe global risk anticipated over the next two years, foreign and domestic actors alike will leverage misinformation and disinformation to further widen societal and political divides". Also Read | US in favour of 'tangible steps' for Palestinian state, Blinken tells Abbas National elections are due in major economies like the United States, India, the United Kingdom, Indonesia and Mexico which will cumulatively see three billion people casting their votes. Also Read | Ukraine’s Zelensky arrives in Lithuania on visit to Baltic allies with focus on war, EU integration With this in mind the WEF has warned that "the widespread use of misinformation and disinformation, and tools to disseminate it, may undermine the legitimacy of newly elected governments". The upcoming Davos talks are expected to be dominated by military conflict such as Israel-Hamas War and Ukraine war. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Israeli President Isaac Herzog and leaders from West Asian countries are expected to attend the gathering. (With inputs from agencies)

WEF warns AI-driven disinformation may pose risk to elections around the world

Microsoft on Thursday (Jan&nbsp;4) announced first major change to Windows keyboard in last three decades as it said that a new AI button, linked to Microsoft Copilot, will be added in laptops and other devices that will roll out in near future. The button will be called the Copilot key and will be placed to the right of the space bar. When pressed, it will activate the Copilot service which Microsoft released recently.

The AI service will help people in variety of tasks like summarising information in a document, answering your queries which you would ask a search engine, recommending music and much more.

"We believe it will empower people to participate in the AI transformation more easily," Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer, wrote in a blog post published Thursday. "The new key will invoke the Copilot in Windows experience to make it seamless to engage Copilot in your day to day."&nbsp;

Watch | The New York times takes legal action against OpenAI &amp; Microsoft

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Microsoft has been gung-ho about artificial intelligence. It is a major backer of OpenAI, the tech firm behind the blockbuster ChatGPT chatbot which started the AI fascination of the masses in the first place.

Addition of a dedicated AI key is likely to be seen as Microsoft's greater commitment in moving towards the tech.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/scientists-solve-mystery-of-how-diamonds-erupt-from-earths-surface-heres-what-they-found-676568">Scientists solve mystery of how diamonds erupt from Earth's surface. Here's what they found</a>

The tech giant has also incorporated generative AI in some of its products. Windows 11 and Microsoft's search engine Bing already have this aspect.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-fired-employees-for-criticising-musk-calling-him-distraction-and-embarrassment-676510">SpaceX fired employees for criticising Musk as 'distraction and embarrassment', US labour agency</a>

The Copilot button is expected to be present in first wave of upcoming Windows 11 laptops and PCs of companies Microsoft has partnered with. Microsoft has hinted that February and following months will see greater release of devices with the Copilot button.

"This [new button] will not only simplify people's computing experience but also amplify it, making 2024 the year of the AI PC," Mehdi wrote.

(With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft on Thursday (Jan 4) announced first major change to Windows keyboard in last three decades as it said that a new AI button, linked to Microsoft Copilot, will be added in laptops and other devices that will roll out in near future.

Microsoft on Thursday (Jan 4) announced first major change to Windows keyboard in last three decades as it said that a new AI button, linked to Microsoft Copilot, will be added in laptops and other devices that will roll out in near future. The button will be called the Copilot key and will be placed to the right of the space bar. When pressed, it will activate the Copilot service which Microsoft released recently. The AI service will help people in variety of tasks like summarising information in a document, answering your queries which you would ask a search engine, recommending music and much more. "We believe it will empower people to participate in the AI transformation more easily," Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer, wrote in a blog post published Thursday. "The new key will invoke the Copilot in Windows experience to make it seamless to engage Copilot in your day to day." Watch | The New York times takes legal action against OpenAI & Microsoft × Microsoft has been gung-ho about artificial intelligence. It is a major backer of OpenAI, the tech firm behind the blockbuster ChatGPT chatbot which started the AI fascination of the masses in the first place. Addition of a dedicated AI key is likely to be seen as Microsoft's greater commitment in moving towards the tech. Also Read | Scientists solve mystery of how diamonds erupt from Earth's surface. Here's what they found The tech giant has also incorporated generative AI in some of its products. Windows 11 and Microsoft's search engine Bing already have this aspect. Also Read | SpaceX fired employees for criticising Musk as 'distraction and embarrassment', US labour agency The Copilot button is expected to be present in first wave of upcoming Windows 11 laptops and PCs of companies Microsoft has partnered with. Microsoft has hinted that February and following months will see greater release of devices with the Copilot button. "This [new button] will not only simplify people's computing experience but also amplify it, making 2024 the year of the AI PC," Mehdi wrote. (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft to add Copilot AI button to Windows keyboards in first such move in decades

Michael Cohen, the former fixer and lawyer for ex-US president Donald Trump, said on Friday (Dec 29) that he mistakenly gave his attorney David Schwartz fake case citations generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) program that made their way into an official court filing, the news agency Reuters reported.

Michael Cohen, the former fixer and lawyer for ex-US president Donald Trump, said on Friday (Dec 29) that he mistakenly gave his attorney David Schwartz fake case citations generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) program that made their way into an official court filing, the news agency Reuters reported. Cohen said in a sworn declaration in a federal court in Manhattan that he did not realise that the citations by Google's AI chatbot Bard were fictitious. "Mr. Cohen provided Mr. Schwartz with citations (and case summaries) he had found online and believed to be real. Mr. Schwartz added them to the motion but failed to check those citations or summaries. As a result, Mr. Schwartz mistakenly filed a motion with three citations that—unbeknownst to either Mr. Schwartz or Mr. Cohen at the time—referred to nonexistent cases," the declaration said. "To be clear, Mr. Cohen did not know that the cases he identified were not real and, unlike his attorney, had no obligation to confirm as much. While there has been no implication to the contrary, it must be emphasised that Mr. Cohen did not engage in any misconduct," it added. 'Had not kept up with emerging trends...' Cohen said on Friday that those citations came from his online research and he had not expected Schwartz to "drop the cases wholesale into his submission without even confirming they existed." The former Trump lawyer pointed out that he had not kept up with emerging trends and related risks in legal technology and did not realise that Bard "was a generative text service that, like ChatGPT, could show citations and descriptions that looked real but actually were not." "I deeply regret any problems Mr. Schwartz's filing may have caused," he further said. In an order, US District Judge Jesse Furman gave Schwartz and prosecutors time until Jan 3 to respond to Cohen's filing. Courts grappling with AI's rapid rise Reuters reported that courts across the United States are grappling with the rapid rise of AI programs and how to regulate their use in court proceedings. In June this year, two lawyers in New York were sanctioned for submitting a legal brief that included six fictitious case citations generated by ChatGPT. District Judge P. Kevin Castel in Manhattan ordered lawyers Steven Schwartz, Peter LoDuca and their law firm Levidow, Levidow & Oberman to pay a $5,000 fine in total. Judge Castel found that Schwartz and LoDuca acted in bad faith and made "acts of conscious avoidance and false and misleading statements to the court." (With inputs from agencies)

Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen ‘mistakenly’ gave fake AI-generated case citations to his attorney

China's spy agency has reportedly taken help of&nbsp;artificial intelligence (AI) to challenge the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in&nbsp;tracking spies from the United States and other adversaries of China, New York Times reported.

With more resources at its disposal under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, China's primary intelligence agency Ministry of State Security (MSS) now adopts AI and facial recognition technology to compile profiles on individuals of interest, monitoring their movements, contacts, and identifying potential vulnerabilities, the New York Times reported while citing US officials.

<h2>China's use of AI to track spies: What the row is about?</h2>

The United States and China are entangled in a geo-economic tussle over development of advanced technologies — including the semiconductor chips — that have military and civilian applications.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-chip-war-intensify-amid-calls-for-small-yard-high-fence-approach-to-contain-china-618392">US-China chip war intensifies amid calls for 'small yard, high fence' approach to contain Beijing</a>

The MSS has been reportedly recruiting informants in the United States by exploiting advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to gather intelligence on American companies developing emerging technologies with military and civilian applications.&nbsp;

<h2>China's alleged technological espionage: What does it mean?</h2>

Beijing's focus on technological espionage reflects Xi Jinping-led country's desire to outfox the United States in emerging technologies, such as AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology.&nbsp;

The MSS is reportedly tasked with acquiring information on these technologies to support China’s economic and military goals.

<h2>The US' response</h2>

The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has established a China Mission Centre as well as a Technology Intelligence Centre to categorically focus on collecting intelligence on Chinese firms and their advancements in emerging technologies' domain.&nbsp;

China, however, has denounced Washington's accusations of technological espionage. The Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin referred to the US as "biggest hacking empire and global cyber thief" worldwide.

<h2>Why it matters?</h2>

The Chinese efforts to edge out the US in the development of advanced technologies remained in spotlight throughout 2023.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/us-china-chip-wars-biden-administration-imposes-new-curbs-on-chip-exports-to-china-651149">US-China chip war: Biden administration imposes new curbs on exports to China</a>

In June 2023, the Biden administration took steps to restrict China exports of chips that enable rapid AI development.

In July, China had put curbs on the exports of germanium and gallium, two rare metals used in the manufacturing of semiconductors and electronics. Prior to that,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/chip-war-intensifies-us-and-netherlands-impose-stricter-controls-on-chipmaking-equipment-sales-to-china-610417">the Netherlands had imposed, in consultation with the United States</a>, new restrictions on the export of the Dutch manufacturer ASML’s advanced chips machinery to China.

Also watch |&nbsp;China's semiconductor win, chip breakthrough a big blow to US sanctions

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In October 2023, Washington directed one of the world's top chipmakers, the Santa Clara, California-headquartered Nvidia, to enforce new curbs on the export of its high-end Artificial Intelligence chips to China.

The&nbsp;semiconductor chips, especially the ones instrumental in the development of Artificial Intelligence technologies,&nbsp;are increasingly emerging as pivots of global economy.

China's spy agency has reportedly taken help of artificial intelligence (AI) to challenge the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in tracking spies from the United States and other adversaries of China, New York Times reported.

China's spy agency has reportedly taken help of artificial intelligence (AI) to challenge the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in tracking spies from the United States and other adversaries of China, New York Times reported. With more resources at its disposal under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, China's primary intelligence agency Ministry of State Security (MSS) now adopts AI and facial recognition technology to compile profiles on individuals of interest, monitoring their movements, contacts, and identifying potential vulnerabilities, the New York Times reported while citing US officials. China's use of AI to track spies: What the row is about? The United States and China are entangled in a geo-economic tussle over development of advanced technologies — including the semiconductor chips — that have military and civilian applications. Also read | US-China chip war intensifies amid calls for 'small yard, high fence' approach to contain Beijing The MSS has been reportedly recruiting informants in the United States by exploiting advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to gather intelligence on American companies developing emerging technologies with military and civilian applications. China's alleged technological espionage: What does it mean? Beijing's focus on technological espionage reflects Xi Jinping-led country's desire to outfox the United States in emerging technologies, such as AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology. The MSS is reportedly tasked with acquiring information on these technologies to support China’s economic and military goals. The US' response The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has established a China Mission Centre as well as a Technology Intelligence Centre to categorically focus on collecting intelligence on Chinese firms and their advancements in emerging technologies' domain. China, however, has denounced Washington's accusations of technological espionage. The Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin referred to the US as "biggest hacking empire and global cyber thief" worldwide. Why it matters? The Chinese efforts to edge out the US in the development of advanced technologies remained in spotlight throughout 2023. Also read | US-China chip war: Biden administration imposes new curbs on exports to China In June 2023, the Biden administration took steps to restrict China exports of chips that enable rapid AI development. In July, China had put curbs on the exports of germanium and gallium, two rare metals used in the manufacturing of semiconductors and electronics. Prior to that, the Netherlands had imposed, in consultation with the United States, new restrictions on the export of the Dutch manufacturer ASML’s advanced chips machinery to China. Also watch | China's semiconductor win, chip breakthrough a big blow to US sanctions × In October 2023, Washington directed one of the world's top chipmakers, the Santa Clara, California-headquartered Nvidia, to enforce new curbs on the export of its high-end Artificial Intelligence chips to China. The semiconductor chips, especially the ones instrumental in the development of Artificial Intelligence technologies, are increasingly emerging as pivots of global economy.

China adopts Artificial Intelligence to outfox Washington in 'spying game'

AI-driven avatars and virtual reality therapy improve medication adherence and offer therapeutic interventions.

Can AI improve mental healthcare?

A seismic shift is underway in the tech industry as two giants, Google and Paytm, grapple with the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence. Both companies are in the midst of significant layoffs, with over a thousand employees impacted, shedding light on the evolving landscape where technology meets the workforce.

Google & Paytm navigate layoffs in the AI era | World Business Watch

Google is undergoing a major transformation in its ad sales unit, driven by recent advancements in artificial intelligence. The company's introduction of AI-based tools, particularly performance max, has rendered many jobs redundant as it can automatically suggest and create high-performing ads with minimal human intervention. This restructuring follows google's historic job cut of 12,000 employees earlier this year.

Google's shift to AI automation sparks ad sales reorganisation | World Business Watch

India is all set to make use of Artificial Intelligence in a bid to make better weather forecast. The country has been facing climate challenges resulting in a surge of severe weather conditions.

India adopts AI amid climate concerns | Can AI revolutionise weather forecast? | World DNA

AI is playing Santa's helper, providing a technological boost to enhance the festive shopping experience and streamline processes for retailers and consumers. From personalized recommendations to behind-the-scenes efficiency, artificial intelligence is spreading holiday cheer in shopping.

Retailers leverage AI for streamlining the whole process

AI has the potential to replace a quarter of all labor duties in the United States and Europe while also creating new jobs and increasing productivity. Furthermore, it has the potential to boost the overall annual value of products and services produced globally by 7%.

Artificial Intelligence: Job killer or job creator? | 82% professionals fear job loss due to AI

Although oceans cover 70 percent of the planet’s surface, much of this vast realm has remained unexplored on account of it being too challenging of an environment for humans to survive in.

Is AI the future of ocean exploration?

Artificial Intelligence-based image generators are very popular across the internet. Throughout 2023, AI-generated images went viral, entertaining people. However, in a startling revelation, a study by the Stanford Internet Observatory uncovered&nbsp;thousands of child sexual abuse images hidden inside a depository used to train these AI generators.&nbsp;

The discovery was made among the dataset of the LAION AI database. Researchers reportedly found over 3,200 images of suspected child sexual abuse hidden within the AI database, and more than 1,000 images were confirmed as child sexual abuse material.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/european-research-flags-ai-chatbots-for-providing-false-answers-particularly-on-elections-670063">European research flags AI chatbots for providing false answers, particularly on elections</a>

The analysis was done in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and other anti-abuse charities.&nbsp;

"We find that having possession of a LAION‐5B dataset populated even in late 2023 implies the possession of thousands of illegal images," said the researchers.&nbsp;

<h2>Which AI image generators used this database?</h2>

As per The Guardian, the database was used to train&nbsp;leading AI image-makers like Stable Diffusion.&nbsp;

The report states that many text-to-image generators are in some way derived from the LAION database. However, it goes on to say that exactly which ones use&nbsp;it isn't always clear.

Popular Artificial Intelligence maker OpenAI — behind DALL-E and ChatGPT, denied the use of LAION and said that it had fine-tuned its models to refuse any requests that may involve sexual content involving minors.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/alphabet-says-will-restrict-election-related-queries-on-bard-and-ai-based-search-671759">Alphabet says will restrict election-related queries on Bard and AI-based search</a>

Imagen, a text-to-image model built by Tech giant Google, was built using LAION dataset, however, the company decided against making it public in 2022. This was because an audit of the dataset "uncovered a wide range of inappropriate content, including pornographic imagery, racist slurs, and harmful social stereotypes," reports the publication.&nbsp;

<h2>LAION's response</h2>

LAION, or Large-scale Artificial Intelligence Open Network, a non-profit, swiftly responded by temporarily removing its datasets, emphasising it&nbsp;"has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal content."&nbsp;

It said that "in an abundance of caution, we have taken down the LAION datasets to ensure they are safe before republishing them."&nbsp;

The more than 3,200 images make up merely a fraction of the 5.8 billion images contained in the dataset. However, as per the Stanford researchers, their presence probably influences AI generators' ability to generate harmful outputs.&nbsp;

Such images, they say, facilitate the creation of realistic, explicit imagery, and enable the transformation of social media photos of clothed teens into nudes. In recent days, the latter has been a cause of concern among schools and law enforcement globally.

The Stanford Internet Observatory has advocated for drastic measures, urging those using LAION-5B datasets (containing over 5 billion image-text pairs) to delete or cleanse the material. Additionally, they suggest making older versions, like Stable Diffusion, less accessible, especially if used to generate abusive images without adequate safeguards.

(With inputs from agencies)

Artificial Intelligence-based image generators are very popular across the internet. Throughout 2023, AI-generated images went viral, entertaining people. However, in a startling revelation, a study by the Stanford Internet Observatory uncovered thousands of child sexual abuse images hidden inside a depository used to train these AI generators.

Artificial Intelligence-based image generators are very popular across the internet. Throughout 2023, AI-generated images went viral, entertaining people. However, in a startling revelation, a study by the Stanford Internet Observatory uncovered thousands of child sexual abuse images hidden inside a depository used to train these AI generators. The discovery was made among the dataset of the LAION AI database. Researchers reportedly found over 3,200 images of suspected child sexual abuse hidden within the AI database, and more than 1,000 images were confirmed as child sexual abuse material. Also read | European research flags AI chatbots for providing false answers, particularly on elections The analysis was done in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and other anti-abuse charities. "We find that having possession of a LAION‐5B dataset populated even in late 2023 implies the possession of thousands of illegal images," said the researchers. Which AI image generators used this database? As per The Guardian, the database was used to train leading AI image-makers like Stable Diffusion. The report states that many text-to-image generators are in some way derived from the LAION database. However, it goes on to say that exactly which ones use it isn't always clear. Popular Artificial Intelligence maker OpenAI — behind DALL-E and ChatGPT, denied the use of LAION and said that it had fine-tuned its models to refuse any requests that may involve sexual content involving minors. Also read | Alphabet says will restrict election-related queries on Bard and AI-based search Imagen, a text-to-image model built by Tech giant Google, was built using LAION dataset, however, the company decided against making it public in 2022. This was because an audit of the dataset "uncovered a wide range of inappropriate content, including pornographic imagery, racist slurs, and harmful social stereotypes," reports the publication. LAION's response LAION, or Large-scale Artificial Intelligence Open Network, a non-profit, swiftly responded by temporarily removing its datasets, emphasising it "has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal content." It said that "in an abundance of caution, we have taken down the LAION datasets to ensure they are safe before republishing them." The more than 3,200 images make up merely a fraction of the 5.8 billion images contained in the dataset. However, as per the Stanford researchers, their presence probably influences AI generators' ability to generate harmful outputs. Such images, they say, facilitate the creation of realistic, explicit imagery, and enable the transformation of social media photos of clothed teens into nudes. In recent days, the latter has been a cause of concern among schools and law enforcement globally. The Stanford Internet Observatory has advocated for drastic measures, urging those using LAION-5B datasets (containing over 5 billion image-text pairs) to delete or cleanse the material. Additionally, they suggest making older versions, like Stable Diffusion, less accessible, especially if used to generate abusive images without adequate safeguards. (With inputs from agencies)

Database behind AI-image generators found hiding a dark secret: Child sexual abuse content

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, said on Tuesday (Dec 19) it would restrict some types of queries related to elections which can be answered by its chatbot Bard and also the generative search. The company has said that the restrictions will come into effect in early 2024.

Some major elections are going to take place next year. Other than US Presidential Election 2024, the year would also see India, the world's largest democracy, choose who will be its prime minister. In addition to this, elections are to be held in South Africa as well.

Alphabet has said that it will "work with an increased focus on the role artificial intelligence (AI) might play".

There already is a global concern about role social media plays to sway opinion of voters during elections. The US has even repeatedly lashed out at Russia and China saying there were attempts from within these countries to influence last two elections.

The arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has further complicated things just as it has fundamentally affected the direction the tech industry would be headed towards.

Watch | Google agrees to $700 mn settlement

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Last year, OpenAI released its blockbuster AI chatbot ChatGPT which made other tech giants hastily launch their own AI products. The ability of these generative tools to create convincing content has raised fears of their misuse, especially in context of elections.

<h2>What are other tech giants doing as election year approaches?</h2>

Facebook owner Meta has said in November that it was barring political campaigns and advertisers in other regulated industries from making use of its generative AI advertising tools.

The tech giant has also said that advertisers will have to disclose information in case they use AI to create or modify advertisements on its platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-to-cough-700mn-as-part-of-antitrust-settlement-week-after-defeat-against-epic-games-671324">Google to cough up $700mn as part of Play Store antitrust settlement, week after defeat against Epic Games</a>

Another major social media platform X (formerly Twitter) said in August this year that candidates in US election and political &nbsp;parties will not be able to post political ads on the platform. The Elon Musk-owned platform also said that it will expand its safety and elections team.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-googles-legal-defeat-against-epic-why-2024-could-be-worst-year-for-us-tech-giant-668904">Explained | Google’s legal defeat against Epic: Why 2024 could be worst year for US tech giant</a>

X, when it was Twitter, had previously banned all political ads in 2019.

AI has been topic of debate in regulatory circles across the world too. Governments are attempting to regulate AI to prevent its misuse and spread of misinformation.

(With inputs from agencies)

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, said on Tuesday (Dec 19) it would restrict some types of queries related to elections which can be answered by its chatbot Bard and also the generative search.

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, said on Tuesday (Dec 19) it would restrict some types of queries related to elections which can be answered by its chatbot Bard and also the generative search. The company has said that the restrictions will come into effect in early 2024. Some major elections are going to take place next year. Other than US Presidential Election 2024, the year would also see India, the world's largest democracy, choose who will be its prime minister. In addition to this, elections are to be held in South Africa as well. Alphabet has said that it will "work with an increased focus on the role artificial intelligence (AI) might play". There already is a global concern about role social media plays to sway opinion of voters during elections. The US has even repeatedly lashed out at Russia and China saying there were attempts from within these countries to influence last two elections. The arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has further complicated things just as it has fundamentally affected the direction the tech industry would be headed towards. Watch | Google agrees to $700 mn settlement × Last year, OpenAI released its blockbuster AI chatbot ChatGPT which made other tech giants hastily launch their own AI products. The ability of these generative tools to create convincing content has raised fears of their misuse, especially in context of elections. What are other tech giants doing as election year approaches? Facebook owner Meta has said in November that it was barring political campaigns and advertisers in other regulated industries from making use of its generative AI advertising tools. The tech giant has also said that advertisers will have to disclose information in case they use AI to create or modify advertisements on its platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Also Read | Google to cough up $700mn as part of Play Store antitrust settlement, week after defeat against Epic Games Another major social media platform X (formerly Twitter) said in August this year that candidates in US election and political parties will not be able to post political ads on the platform. The Elon Musk-owned platform also said that it will expand its safety and elections team. Explained | Google’s legal defeat against Epic: Why 2024 could be worst year for US tech giant X, when it was Twitter, had previously banned all political ads in 2019. AI has been topic of debate in regulatory circles across the world too. Governments are attempting to regulate AI to prevent its misuse and spread of misinformation. (With inputs from agencies)

Alphabet says will restrict election-related queries on Bard and AI-based search

Are we facing a job revolution or simply adapting to a new era of work? From staggering layoff statistics to the evolving nature of job roles, let’s unravel the real impact of ai on employment.

From layoffs to learning: adapting in the age of ai | World Business Watch

It is the season of summits in the Indian capital. New Delhi hosted the 2023 summit of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) on 12–14 December. It resulted in the finalisation of the New Delhi Declaration, although its text has not been placed in the public domain.&nbsp;

<h2>What is GPAI?&nbsp;</h2>

GPAI is an organisation of 29 countries from the Americas (North and South), Europe and Asia. It has important players such as the US, France, Japan and India, but it excludes China.

The last summit was held in Japan. India will chair GPAI in 2024.

A forum created in 2020, its mission is to bring government representatives and experts together to support and guide the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, gender equity, innovation, economic growth, environment and social benefit, while seeking to contribute concretely to the 2030 Agenda and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-general-assembly-2023-what-is-stalling-the-progress-of-sustainable-development-goals-explained-637192">UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)</a>.&nbsp;

The summit in New Delhi drew special attention as rapid and dramatic strides have been made in the field of AI in the past year. They have generated both excitement about its potential benefits as well as fears about its misuse.&nbsp;

While researching for this article, this author was introduced to 'Pi, your personal AI', by an IITian visiting India from the Bay Area in California.

When asked to define Artificial Intelligence, my Pi responded instantly that it is the ability of a computer programme to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence such as understanding language, recognising objects, and solving problems.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/features/ai-in-2023-top-7-technology-reads-of-the-year-1700786538795">AI in 2023: Top Technology reads of this year</a>

AI systems use algorithms and enormous amounts of data to learn how to perform these tasks. It is a new and fast-developing technology that can be used widely and is also liable to be misused. Indeed, many ethical and societal questions surround the development, deployment and use of AI today.&nbsp;

<h2>The GPAI summit in New Delhi</h2>

The GPAI summit deliberations took place in the backdrop of the G20 summit, hosted by India in September 2023. There, consensus was reached among the members of this premier international economic forum on the means to harness AI responsibly for "Good and for All."

Member nations agreed to solve AI-related challenges "in a responsible, inclusive and human-centric manner while protecting people’s rights and safety."

The essential strategy developed is to share equitably AI’s benefits and mitigate its risks. The path to achieving this goal is to promote international cooperation and dialogue on international governance for AI.&nbsp;

The GPAI summit was a major step in that direction.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, easily one of the most tech-savvy and tech-conscious world leaders, set the tone for the dialogue on AI.

To make any system sustainable, he observed, it should be made transformative, transparent and trusted. 
 
"There is no doubt that AI is transformative, but it is up to us to make it more and more transparent."

As to trust, this would grow, he added, when related ethical, economic, and social aspects are addressed suitably.

Also watch |&nbsp;How AI is changing the future of work

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AI could be both a tool for development, but also a weapon for destruction in the hands of terrorists. The latter scenario requires effective counter-measures. There is a pressing need to make AI more inclusive and more reliable. "The direction of AI’s future development will depend on human and democratic values," he stressed.&nbsp;

Following detailed deliberations, the summit participants unanimously agreed on a plan to forge international cooperation on several aspects of AI. According to Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for electronics and Information and Technology, the declaration promised to promote GPAI at the forefront of shaping AI in terms of innovation and collaboration, increasing applications of AI in healthcare, agriculture and other areas of interest.&nbsp;

Multiple concerns regarding misinformation, unemployment, bias, personal data protection and threats to human rights were discussed frankly. Participants reiterated their commitment to nurturing safe, secure and trustworthy AI within their jurisdictions.

This overarching vision will be realised through a cluster of measures ranging from the development of regulations, policies, standards and other important initiatives. The declaration, pointed out an expert, “has attempted to find a balance between innovation and the risks associated with AI systems.”&nbsp;

<h2>AI regulation: Could India be a global leader?</h2>

When viewed in the larger context, AI has thrown up several critical issues that demand close attention and scrutiny.&nbsp;

First, there is the question of regulation. Three different approaches are in operation. The UK government prefers a soft approach to regulation – 'the less, the better' – so that innovation is fostered optimally. The European Union (EU), on the other hand, has taken a tough line, intending to introduce a new AI Act that may classify Artificial Intelligence &nbsp;'according to use-case scenarios based broadly on the degree of invasiveness and risk'.

The third approach is followed by the US which, through its executive order issued at the end of October, has shown a preference for a middle path between the UK and the EU.

India's position was clearly articulated by Union Minister for Electronics &amp; Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar at the recent conference at Bletchley Park, UK, who stressed that steps should be taken to ensure AI represents safety and trust. India views AI as a big opportunity. “We look at AI and indeed technology in general,” he said, “through the prism of openness, safety, trust and accountability.”&nbsp;

Second, in the middle of global conversations on AI, experts suggest that India could be a global leader. For instance, Markham Erickson, of Google’s Centres for Excellence, maintained that India's workforce, the university system, the technology stack and the population gave it a leading position on the table where AI is discussed. But he expressed the hope that regulations devised by India would be “interoperable” with those of other nations so that the country’s small and medium businesses can derive optimal benefit.&nbsp;

Third, the likely impact of AI on employment is a widespread apprehension, much like the earlier decades when the Internet began to bloom. The consensus seems to be that many jobs will not be affected, but some jobs may be disrupted as AI grows more and becomes smarter. The way to deal with the emerging situation will be to have “a more AI-skilled workforce,” as Erickson argued.&nbsp;

Finally, a major concern relates to deepfakes defined as 'digital media, video, audio and images, edited and manipulated, using Artificial Intelligence (AI).'

This seeped into public consciousness in India when a video featuring Rashmika Mandanna, a popular actor, became viral on social media in November. The danger of deepfakes can spread, given the Parliamentary elections due next year. The government maintains that the existing laws are enough to deal with the challenge, but perhaps more counter-measures may be required in the coming months.&nbsp;

<h2>Every company now needs 'an AI strategy'&nbsp;</h2>

Two more observations are in order here.

First, enlightened or on-the-go business leaders like Shailendra Singh, managing director at Peak XV Partners, believe that every company now needs to have 'an AI strategy'.

Second, the study of International Relations (IR), foreign policy and diplomacy can no longer be separated from the impact of digital technology and AI. Scholars have already begun reflecting and writing on 'the geopolitics of AI'.

In this sense, what the GPAI summit discussed and achieved in New Delhi this week is of wider significance.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

It is the season of summits in the Indian capital. New Delhi hosted the 2023 summit of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) on 12–14 December.

It is the season of summits in the Indian capital. New Delhi hosted the 2023 summit of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) on 12–14 December. It resulted in the finalisation of the New Delhi Declaration, although its text has not been placed in the public domain. What is GPAI? GPAI is an organisation of 29 countries from the Americas (North and South), Europe and Asia. It has important players such as the US, France, Japan and India, but it excludes China. The last summit was held in Japan. India will chair GPAI in 2024. A forum created in 2020, its mission is to bring government representatives and experts together to support and guide the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, gender equity, innovation, economic growth, environment and social benefit, while seeking to contribute concretely to the 2030 Agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The summit in New Delhi drew special attention as rapid and dramatic strides have been made in the field of AI in the past year. They have generated both excitement about its potential benefits as well as fears about its misuse. While researching for this article, this author was introduced to 'Pi, your personal AI', by an IITian visiting India from the Bay Area in California. When asked to define Artificial Intelligence, my Pi responded instantly that it is the ability of a computer programme to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence such as understanding language, recognising objects, and solving problems. Also read | AI in 2023: Top Technology reads of this year AI systems use algorithms and enormous amounts of data to learn how to perform these tasks. It is a new and fast-developing technology that can be used widely and is also liable to be misused. Indeed, many ethical and societal questions surround the development, deployment and use of AI today. The GPAI summit in New Delhi The GPAI summit deliberations took place in the backdrop of the G20 summit, hosted by India in September 2023. There, consensus was reached among the members of this premier international economic forum on the means to harness AI responsibly for "Good and for All." Member nations agreed to solve AI-related challenges "in a responsible, inclusive and human-centric manner while protecting people’s rights and safety." The essential strategy developed is to share equitably AI’s benefits and mitigate its risks. The path to achieving this goal is to promote international cooperation and dialogue on international governance for AI. The GPAI summit was a major step in that direction. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, easily one of the most tech-savvy and tech-conscious world leaders, set the tone for the dialogue on AI. To make any system sustainable, he observed, it should be made transformative, transparent and trusted. "There is no doubt that AI is transformative, but it is up to us to make it more and more transparent." As to trust, this would grow, he added, when related ethical, economic, and social aspects are addressed suitably. Also watch | How AI is changing the future of work × AI could be both a tool for development, but also a weapon for destruction in the hands of terrorists. The latter scenario requires effective counter-measures. There is a pressing need to make AI more inclusive and more reliable. "The direction of AI’s future development will depend on human and democratic values," he stressed. Following detailed deliberations, the summit participants unanimously agreed on a plan to forge international cooperation on several aspects of AI. According to Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for electronics and Information and Technology, the declaration promised to promote GPAI at the forefront of shaping AI in terms of innovation and collaboration, increasing applications of AI in healthcare, agriculture and other areas of interest. Multiple concerns regarding misinformation, unemployment, bias, personal data protection and threats to human rights were discussed frankly. Participants reiterated their commitment to nurturing safe, secure and trustworthy AI within their jurisdictions. This overarching vision will be realised through a cluster of measures ranging from the development of regulations, policies, standards and other important initiatives. The declaration, pointed out an expert, “has attempted to find a balance between innovation and the risks associated with AI systems.” AI regulation: Could India be a global leader? When viewed in the larger context, AI has thrown up several critical issues that demand close attention and scrutiny. First, there is the question of regulation. Three different approaches are in operation. The UK government prefers a soft approach to regulation – 'the less, the better' – so that innovation is fostered optimally. The European Union (EU), on the other hand, has taken a tough line, intending to introduce a new AI Act that may classify Artificial Intelligence 'according to use-case scenarios based broadly on the degree of invasiveness and risk'. The third approach is followed by the US which, through its executive order issued at the end of October, has shown a preference for a middle path between the UK and the EU. India's position was clearly articulated by Union Minister for Electronics & Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar at the recent conference at Bletchley Park, UK, who stressed that steps should be taken to ensure AI represents safety and trust. India views AI as a big opportunity. “We look at AI and indeed technology in general,” he said, “through the prism of openness, safety, trust and accountability.” Second, in the middle of global conversations on AI, experts suggest that India could be a global leader. For instance, Markham Erickson, of Google’s Centres for Excellence, maintained that India's workforce, the university system, the technology stack and the population gave it a leading position on the table where AI is discussed. But he expressed the hope that regulations devised by India would be “interoperable” with those of other nations so that the country’s small and medium businesses can derive optimal benefit. Third, the likely impact of AI on employment is a widespread apprehension, much like the earlier decades when the Internet began to bloom. The consensus seems to be that many jobs will not be affected, but some jobs may be disrupted as AI grows more and becomes smarter. The way to deal with the emerging situation will be to have “a more AI-skilled workforce,” as Erickson argued. Finally, a major concern relates to deepfakes defined as 'digital media, video, audio and images, edited and manipulated, using Artificial Intelligence (AI).' This seeped into public consciousness in India when a video featuring Rashmika Mandanna, a popular actor, became viral on social media in November. The danger of deepfakes can spread, given the Parliamentary elections due next year. The government maintains that the existing laws are enough to deal with the challenge, but perhaps more counter-measures may be required in the coming months. Every company now needs 'an AI strategy' Two more observations are in order here. First, enlightened or on-the-go business leaders like Shailendra Singh, managing director at Peak XV Partners, believe that every company now needs to have 'an AI strategy'. Second, the study of International Relations (IR), foreign policy and diplomacy can no longer be separated from the impact of digital technology and AI. Scholars have already begun reflecting and writing on 'the geopolitics of AI'. In this sense, what the GPAI summit discussed and achieved in New Delhi this week is of wider significance. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

New Delhi summit on Artificial Intelligence, a quest for international collaboration

What if you can bring back the dead? Would you want AI to digitally resurrect your loved ones? Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas | How AI is resurrecting the dead

Researchers from the GrapheneX-UTS Human-centric Artificial Intelligence Centre at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have come up with a unique concept as they have developed an AI-equipped cap (or helmet) that can apparently read thoughts. The revolutionary AI system is capable of translating silent thoughts into text by using electroencephalography (EEG). &nbsp;

The system, termed as DeWave, isn't perfect, but its capability of roughly translating internal thought processes into text&nbsp;is remarkable.&nbsp;

The researchers stated that the system has an accuracy of around 40 per cent. Meanwhile, more recent data, being peer-reviewed, reveals an enhanced accuracy of more than 60 per cent. Hence, further improvement is expected.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/which-social-media-platforms-are-popular-among-teens-in-us-and-which-are-not-survey-669446">US teens actively using several social media platforms despite concerns, finds survey</a>&nbsp;

The research was led by professor Chin-Teng Lin, first author Yiqun Duan, and PhD candidate Jinzhou Zhou, and the findings can be significant for those who can't speak due to stroke or paralysis.&nbsp;

DeWave consists of two major components - an EEG-reading cap and a large language model (LLM).&nbsp;

Participants of the study read passages of text while wearing a cap that recorded electrical brain activity through their scalp. These EEG recordings were then converted into text using the AI model.&nbsp;

As quoted by NewsScitist, Chin-Teng Lin at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), said that the technology is non-invasive. He claimed that it is relatively inexpensive and easily transportable.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/chinese-mourners-use-ai-to-digitally-resurrect-the-dead-669686">Chinese mourners use AI to digitally resurrect the dead</a>&nbsp;

The study was presented at the NeurIPS conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, where participants read the sentences aloud, despite the fact that the DeWave system doesn't use spoken words. However, the participants read the sentences silently in the team's latest research.&nbsp;

According to team member Charles Zhou at UTS, the DeWave system was trained by looking at a large number of examples. They studied brain signals and how they match up with certain texts.&nbsp;

As quoted, Zhou said, "For instance, when you think about saying 'hello', your brain sends out certain signals." He said that the AI system learns how these signals "relate to the word 'hello' by seeing many examples of these signals for different words or sentences".&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Researchers from the GrapheneX-UTS Human-centric Artificial Intelligence Centre at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have come up with a unique concept as they have developed an AI-equipped cap (or helmet) that can apparently read thoughts.

Researchers from the GrapheneX-UTS Human-centric Artificial Intelligence Centre at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have come up with a unique concept as they have developed an AI-equipped cap (or helmet) that can apparently read thoughts. The revolutionary AI system is capable of translating silent thoughts into text by using electroencephalography (EEG). The system, termed as DeWave, isn't perfect, but its capability of roughly translating internal thought processes into text is remarkable. The researchers stated that the system has an accuracy of around 40 per cent. Meanwhile, more recent data, being peer-reviewed, reveals an enhanced accuracy of more than 60 per cent. Hence, further improvement is expected. Also read: US teens actively using several social media platforms despite concerns, finds survey The research was led by professor Chin-Teng Lin, first author Yiqun Duan, and PhD candidate Jinzhou Zhou, and the findings can be significant for those who can't speak due to stroke or paralysis. DeWave consists of two major components - an EEG-reading cap and a large language model (LLM). Participants of the study read passages of text while wearing a cap that recorded electrical brain activity through their scalp. These EEG recordings were then converted into text using the AI model. As quoted by NewsScitist, Chin-Teng Lin at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), said that the technology is non-invasive. He claimed that it is relatively inexpensive and easily transportable. Also read: Chinese mourners use AI to digitally resurrect the dead The study was presented at the NeurIPS conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, where participants read the sentences aloud, despite the fact that the DeWave system doesn't use spoken words. However, the participants read the sentences silently in the team's latest research. According to team member Charles Zhou at UTS, the DeWave system was trained by looking at a large number of examples. They studied brain signals and how they match up with certain texts. As quoted, Zhou said, "For instance, when you think about saying 'hello', your brain sends out certain signals." He said that the AI system learns how these signals "relate to the word 'hello' by seeing many examples of these signals for different words or sentences". (With inputs from agencies)

Mind reader: This revolutionary AI system can translate silent thoughts into text

Amid the surge in popularity of AI chatbots, European non-profits AI Forensics and AlgorithmWatch has&nbsp;warned that the technology gives inaccurate answers to one of every three questions.

Research conducted by the European non-profit organisation&nbsp;found that AI chatbots gave false answers to basic questions, particularly while providing information related to elections.

<h2>Inaccuracies galore</h2>

The study focused on Microsoft’s Bing AI chatbot, now known as Microsoft Copilot, revealing that it provided inaccurate answers to one in three basic questions about candidates, polls, scandals, and voting in recent election cycles in Germany and Switzerland.&nbsp;

Similar inaccuracies were observed for questions about the 2024 US elections.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/explained-beginning-of-an-end-human-activity-on-moon-shows-sign-of-lunar-anthropocene-669613">Explained | Humans are on the Moon and it might be the beginning of the end for our satellite</a>

Sharing their findings with The Washington Post, researchers stressed that these findings don't assert that Bing's misinformation influenced election outcomes. However, they said it does highlight concerns that AI chatbots could potentially contribute to confusion and misinformation around future elections.&nbsp;

Especially, as tech giants like Microsoft integrate chatbots into various products, including internet search, concerns rise about their impact on public access to reliable and transparent information.

"As generative AI becomes more widespread, this could affect one of the cornerstones of democracy: the access to reliable and transparent public information," says the researchers, as quoted by The Washington Post.

<h2>Is big tech doing anything about this?</h2>

Despite efforts by companies like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google to enhance reliability by allowing chatbots to search the web and cite sources, issues persist.&nbsp;

Bing, even after providing sources, frequently gave answers that deviated from the information in the cited links, as per Salvatore Romano, head of research for AI Forensics.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/jeff-bezos-says-space-colonisation-ultimately-means-to-preserve-the-planet-669969">Bezos wants humans to colonise the solar system, while Musk has his sight set on Mars</a>

The study focused on Bing because it was among the first to include sources and is widely integrated into services available in Europe.&nbsp;

Preliminary testing on OpenAI’s GPT-4 revealed similar inaccuracies. Notably, errors in Bing's answers were more common in languages other than English, raising concerns about the performance of US-based AI tools globally.

The researchers discovered factual errors in responses to questions asked in German 37 per cent of the time, compared to a 20 per cent error rate for the same questions in English.&nbsp;

<h2>What's the solution?</h2>

While Microsoft is working to address these issues ahead of the 2024 US elections, the researchers emphasise the need for users to verify information obtained from chatbots.&nbsp;

"The problem is systemic, and they do not have very good tools to fix it," said Romano.

Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s head of communications, said: "We are continuing to address issues and prepare our tools to perform to our expectations for the 2024 elections."

"As we continue to make progress, we encourage people to use Copilot with their best judgment when viewing results. This includes verifying source materials and checking web links to learn more."

However, the impact of these AI chatbots on democracy, if any, is unclear. These AI chatbots all carry disclaimers, noting that they can make mistakes and encouraging users to double-check the answers.

(With inputs from agencies)

Amid the surge in popularity of AI chatbots, European non-profits AI Forensics and AlgorithmWatch has warned that the technology gives inaccurate answers to one of every three questions.

Amid the surge in popularity of AI chatbots, European non-profits AI Forensics and AlgorithmWatch has warned that the technology gives inaccurate answers to one of every three questions. Research conducted by the European non-profit organisation found that AI chatbots gave false answers to basic questions, particularly while providing information related to elections. Inaccuracies galore The study focused on Microsoft’s Bing AI chatbot, now known as Microsoft Copilot, revealing that it provided inaccurate answers to one in three basic questions about candidates, polls, scandals, and voting in recent election cycles in Germany and Switzerland. Similar inaccuracies were observed for questions about the 2024 US elections. Also read | Explained | Humans are on the Moon and it might be the beginning of the end for our satellite Sharing their findings with The Washington Post, researchers stressed that these findings don't assert that Bing's misinformation influenced election outcomes. However, they said it does highlight concerns that AI chatbots could potentially contribute to confusion and misinformation around future elections. Especially, as tech giants like Microsoft integrate chatbots into various products, including internet search, concerns rise about their impact on public access to reliable and transparent information. "As generative AI becomes more widespread, this could affect one of the cornerstones of democracy: the access to reliable and transparent public information," says the researchers, as quoted by The Washington Post. Is big tech doing anything about this? Despite efforts by companies like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google to enhance reliability by allowing chatbots to search the web and cite sources, issues persist. Bing, even after providing sources, frequently gave answers that deviated from the information in the cited links, as per Salvatore Romano, head of research for AI Forensics. Also read | Bezos wants humans to colonise the solar system, while Musk has his sight set on Mars The study focused on Bing because it was among the first to include sources and is widely integrated into services available in Europe. Preliminary testing on OpenAI’s GPT-4 revealed similar inaccuracies. Notably, errors in Bing's answers were more common in languages other than English, raising concerns about the performance of US-based AI tools globally. The researchers discovered factual errors in responses to questions asked in German 37 per cent of the time, compared to a 20 per cent error rate for the same questions in English. What's the solution? While Microsoft is working to address these issues ahead of the 2024 US elections, the researchers emphasise the need for users to verify information obtained from chatbots. "The problem is systemic, and they do not have very good tools to fix it," said Romano. Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s head of communications, said: "We are continuing to address issues and prepare our tools to perform to our expectations for the 2024 elections." "As we continue to make progress, we encourage people to use Copilot with their best judgment when viewing results. This includes verifying source materials and checking web links to learn more." However, the impact of these AI chatbots on democracy, if any, is unclear. These AI chatbots all carry disclaimers, noting that they can make mistakes and encouraging users to double-check the answers. (With inputs from agencies)

European research flags AI chatbots for providing false answers, particularly on elections

As technology progresses, generating fake videos and images has become effortless. While it might seem harmless for entertainment, the misuse of artificial intelligence poses a serious threat. Unfortunately, some individuals are using AI tools to target and threaten women. Find out more in our report.

Apps are using AI to undress women

E-commerce brands are leveraging customer data to create highly personalised experiences by delving into purchasing patterns and understanding consumer data.

AI transforms e-commerce by decoding buying behaviours

At a quiet cemetery in eastern China, bereaved father Seakoo Wu pulls out his phone, places it on a gravestone and plays a recording of his son.

They are words that the late student never spoke, but brought into being with artificial intelligence.

"I know you're in great pain every day because of me, and feel guilty and helpless," intones Xuanmo in a slightly robotic voice.

"Even though I can't be by your side ever again, my soul is still in this world, accompanying you through life."

Stricken by grief, Wu and his wife have joined a growing number of Chinese people turning to AI technology to create lifelike avatars of their departed.

WATCH |&nbsp;Chinese mourners use AI to make digital versions of the deceased

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/chinese-mourners-use-ai-to-make-digital-versions-of-the-deceased-669627/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Ultimately Wu wants to build a fully realistic replica that behaves just like his dead son but dwells in virtual reality.

"Once we synchronise reality and the metaverse, I'll have my son with me again," Wu said.

"I can train him... so that when he sees me, he knows I'm his father."

Some Chinese firms claim to have created thousands of "digital people" from as little as 30 seconds of audiovisual material of the deceased.

Experts say they can offer much-needed comfort for people devastated by the loss of loved ones.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/ai-dominates-conversations-in-2023-named-word-of-the-year-by-collins-dictionary-653747">Artificial Intelligence dominates conversations in 2023, named 'Word of the Year' by Collins Dictionary</a>

But they also evoke an unsettling theme from the British sci-fi series "Black Mirror" in which people rely on advanced AI for bereavement support.

<h2>- 'Needs are growing' -&nbsp;</h2>

Wu and his wife were devastated when Xuanmo, their only child, died of a sudden stroke last year at the age of 22 while attending Exeter University in Britain.

The accounting and finance student, keen sportsman and posthumous organ donor "had such a rich and varied life", said Wu.

"He always carried in him this desire to help people and a sense of right and wrong," he told AFP.

Following a boom in deep learning technologies like ChatGPT in China, Wu began researching ways to resurrect him.

He gathered photos, videos and audio recordings of his son, and spent thousands of dollars hiring AI firms that cloned Xuanmo's face and voice.

The results so far are rudimentary, but he has also set up a work team to create a database containing vast amounts of information on his son.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-first-ai-powered-campaign-caller-ashley-deployed-ahead-of-2024-elections-in-us-669250">World’s first AI-powered campaign caller ‘Ashley’ deployed ahead of 2024 elections in US</a>

Wu hopes to feed it into powerful algorithms to create an avatar capable of copying his son's thinking and speech patterns with extreme precision.

Several companies specialising in so-called "ghost bots" have emerged in the United States in recent years.

But the industry is booming in China, according to Zhang Zewei, the founder of the AI firm Super Brain and a former collaborator with Wu.

"On AI technology, China is in the highest class worldwide," said Zhang from a workspace in the eastern city of Jingjiang.

"And there are so many people in China, many with emotional needs, which gives us an advantage when it comes to market demand."

Super Brain charges between 10,000 and 20,000 yuan ($1,400-$2,800) to create a basic avatar within about 20 days, said Zhang.

They range from those who have died to living parents unable to spend time with their children and -- controversially -- a heartbroken woman's ex-boyfriend.

Clients can even hold video calls with a staff member whose face and voice are digitally overlaid with those of the person they have lost.

"The significance for... the whole world is huge," Zhang said.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-to-ban-use-of-ai-biometric-surveillance-by-police-without-judicial-authorisation-report-668888">EU to ban use of AI biometric surveillance by police without judicial authorisation: Report</a> 
 
"A digital version of someone (can) exist forever, even after their body has been lost."

<h2>- 'New humanism' -&nbsp;</h2>

Sima Huapeng, who founded Nanjing-based Silicon Intelligence, said the technology would "bring about a new kind of humanism".

He likened it to portraiture and photography, which helped people commemorate the dead in revolutionary ways.

Tal Morse, a visiting research fellow at the Centre for Death and Society at Britain's University of Bath, said ghost bots may offer comfort.

But he cautioned that more research was needed to understand their psychological and ethical implications.

"A key question here is... how 'loyal' are the ghost bots to the personality they were designed to mimic," Morse told AFP.

"What happens if they do things that will 'contaminate' the memory of the person they are supposed to represent?"

Another quandary arises from the inability of dead people to consent, experts said.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/chinese-scientists-let-ai-control-satellite-it-takes-closer-look-at-india-japanese-regions-582686">Chinese scientists let AI control satellite, it takes ‘closer look’ at specific spots in India, Japan</a>

While permission was probably unnecessary to mimic speech or behaviour, it might be needed to "do certain other things with that simulacrum", said Nate Sharadin, a philosopher at the University of Hong Kong specialising in AI and its social effects.

For Super Brain's Zhang, all new technology is "a double-edged sword".&nbsp;

"As long as we're helping those who need it, I see no problem".

He doesn't work with those for whom it could have negative impacts, he said, citing a woman who had attempted suicide after her daughter's death.

Bereaved father Wu said Xuanmo "probably would have been willing" to be digitally revived.

"One day, son, we will all reunite in the metaverse," he said as his wife dissolved into tears before his grave.

"The technology is getting better every day... it's just a matter of time."

At a quiet cemetery in eastern China, bereaved father Seakoo Wu pulls out his phone, places it on a gravestone and plays a recording of his son. They are words that the late student never spoke, but brought into being with artificial intelligence.

At a quiet cemetery in eastern China, bereaved father Seakoo Wu pulls out his phone, places it on a gravestone and plays a recording of his son. They are words that the late student never spoke, but brought into being with artificial intelligence. "I know you're in great pain every day because of me, and feel guilty and helpless," intones Xuanmo in a slightly robotic voice. "Even though I can't be by your side ever again, my soul is still in this world, accompanying you through life." Stricken by grief, Wu and his wife have joined a growing number of Chinese people turning to AI technology to create lifelike avatars of their departed. WATCH | Chinese mourners use AI to make digital versions of the deceased Ultimately Wu wants to build a fully realistic replica that behaves just like his dead son but dwells in virtual reality. "Once we synchronise reality and the metaverse, I'll have my son with me again," Wu said. "I can train him... so that when he sees me, he knows I'm his father." Some Chinese firms claim to have created thousands of "digital people" from as little as 30 seconds of audiovisual material of the deceased. Experts say they can offer much-needed comfort for people devastated by the loss of loved ones. ALSO READ | Artificial Intelligence dominates conversations in 2023, named 'Word of the Year' by Collins Dictionary But they also evoke an unsettling theme from the British sci-fi series "Black Mirror" in which people rely on advanced AI for bereavement support. - 'Needs are growing' - Wu and his wife were devastated when Xuanmo, their only child, died of a sudden stroke last year at the age of 22 while attending Exeter University in Britain. The accounting and finance student, keen sportsman and posthumous organ donor "had such a rich and varied life", said Wu. "He always carried in him this desire to help people and a sense of right and wrong," he told AFP. Following a boom in deep learning technologies like ChatGPT in China, Wu began researching ways to resurrect him. He gathered photos, videos and audio recordings of his son, and spent thousands of dollars hiring AI firms that cloned Xuanmo's face and voice. The results so far are rudimentary, but he has also set up a work team to create a database containing vast amounts of information on his son. ALSO READ | World’s first AI-powered campaign caller ‘Ashley’ deployed ahead of 2024 elections in US Wu hopes to feed it into powerful algorithms to create an avatar capable of copying his son's thinking and speech patterns with extreme precision. Several companies specialising in so-called "ghost bots" have emerged in the United States in recent years. But the industry is booming in China, according to Zhang Zewei, the founder of the AI firm Super Brain and a former collaborator with Wu. "On AI technology, China is in the highest class worldwide," said Zhang from a workspace in the eastern city of Jingjiang. "And there are so many people in China, many with emotional needs, which gives us an advantage when it comes to market demand." Super Brain charges between 10,000 and 20,000 yuan ($1,400-$2,800) to create a basic avatar within about 20 days, said Zhang. They range from those who have died to living parents unable to spend time with their children and -- controversially -- a heartbroken woman's ex-boyfriend. Clients can even hold video calls with a staff member whose face and voice are digitally overlaid with those of the person they have lost. "The significance for... the whole world is huge," Zhang said. ALSO READ | EU to ban use of AI biometric surveillance by police without judicial authorisation: Report "A digital version of someone (can) exist forever, even after their body has been lost." - 'New humanism' - Sima Huapeng, who founded Nanjing-based Silicon Intelligence, said the technology would "bring about a new kind of humanism". He likened it to portraiture and photography, which helped people commemorate the dead in revolutionary ways. Tal Morse, a visiting research fellow at the Centre for Death and Society at Britain's University of Bath, said ghost bots may offer comfort. But he cautioned that more research was needed to understand their psychological and ethical implications. "A key question here is... how 'loyal' are the ghost bots to the personality they were designed to mimic," Morse told AFP. "What happens if they do things that will 'contaminate' the memory of the person they are supposed to represent?" Another quandary arises from the inability of dead people to consent, experts said. ALSO READ | Chinese scientists let AI control satellite, it takes ‘closer look’ at specific spots in India, Japan While permission was probably unnecessary to mimic speech or behaviour, it might be needed to "do certain other things with that simulacrum", said Nate Sharadin, a philosopher at the University of Hong Kong specialising in AI and its social effects. For Super Brain's Zhang, all new technology is "a double-edged sword". "As long as we're helping those who need it, I see no problem". He doesn't work with those for whom it could have negative impacts, he said, citing a woman who had attempted suicide after her daughter's death. Bereaved father Wu said Xuanmo "probably would have been willing" to be digitally revived. "One day, son, we will all reunite in the metaverse," he said as his wife dissolved into tears before his grave. "The technology is getting better every day... it's just a matter of time."

Chinese mourners use AI to digitally resurrect the dead

The discussions included the negative impact of generative AI driven by disinformation and labour force displacement. The panel looked at growing concern in the Global North about the threats to national security posed by generative AI. Apart from risks, the panel deep-dived into AI's use in military logistics and for planning and communication purposes.

Evolution of AI in defence | Global Technology Summit

Meta Platforms used thousands of pirated books to train its AI models, alleges a new copyright lawsuit filed on Monday (Dec 11) night.&nbsp;

The tech giant reportedly did this despite warnings from their lawyers about the legal peril of doing so. The lawsuit as per Reuters was initially brought this summer.

<h2>Skipping permissions</h2>

Monday's filing consolidates two separate lawsuits brought against Facebook and Instagram by comedian Sarah Silverman, Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon and other prominent authors. They allege that Meta has used their works to train its artificial intelligence language model, Llama, without permission.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/epic-games-epic-win-jury-finds-google-guilty-of-monopolistic-practices-in-antitrust-trial-668853">Epic Games' 'epic' win: Jury finds Google guilty of monopolistic practices in antitrust trial</a>

Previously, their claims also said that the AI model's output also violates their copyrights. However, in November, US District Judge Vince Chhabri criticised the claim that the text generated by Llama copies or resembles the author's work. Dismissing the claim, Chhabri allowed the authors to amend most of their claims.&nbsp;

As evidence, the authors have submitted Discord chat logs of a Meta-affiliated researcher, who can be seen discussing the procurement of the dataset. This, as per the news agency, can be a potentially significant piece of evidence that could prove that Meta knew that its use of the books may not be protected by US copyright law.

<h2>What is there in the chat logs?</h2>

In the chat logs, as quoted in the complaint, researcher Tim Dettmers, a doctoral student at the University of Washington, describes his back-and-forth with Meta's legal department. In it, he talks about whether the use of book files as training data would be "legally OK".

"At Facebook, there are a lot of people interested in working with (T)he (P)ile, including myself, but in its current form, we are unable to use it for legal reasons," Dettmers wrote in 2021.&nbsp;

Here, The Pile refers to an open-source language modelling data set Meta has acknowledged it was using to train its first version of Llama.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-to-ban-use-of-ai-biometric-surveillance-by-police-without-judicial-authorisation-report-668888">EU to ban use of AI biometric surveillance by police without judicial authorisation: Report</a>

According to the complaint, a month before this, Dettmers wrote that Meta lawyers told him "the data cannot be used or models cannot be published if they are trained on that data."

Here, the researcher refrains from describing the specific concerns voiced by lawyers, however, his counterpart makes mention of "books with active copyrights," and says they are the biggest likely source of worry. They also say that training on the data should "fall under fair use."

As per the US Copyright Office, the fair use doctrine allows for the use of "limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports".

<h2>Llama</h2>

Llama is Meta's large language model (LLM). The tech giant released its first version in February 2023. At the time, it published a list of datasets used to train the language model. The list included "the Books3 section of ThePile," which, as per the complaint quoting the person who assembled the dataset, contains 196,640 books.

A second version, dubbed Llama 2 was made available for commercial use this summer. It is free for use for companies with monthly active users of less than 700 million.

<h2>AI and copyrights</h2>

As Artificial Intelligence drives a craze, artists across art forms have come forward alleging unlawful use of their content. In 2023, big tech companies were met with a slew of lawsuits that accuse them of ripping-off copyright protected works. IF successful, these lawsuits would not only generate significant compensation for the content creators, but also drive up the cost of building the data dependent models, somewhat dampening the generative AI craze.

 
&nbsp;

Meta Platforms used thousands of pirated books to train its AI models, alleges a new copyright lawsuit filed on Monday (Dec 11) night. The tech giant reportedly did this despite warnings from their lawyers about the legal peril of doing so.

Meta Platforms used thousands of pirated books to train its AI models, alleges a new copyright lawsuit filed on Monday (Dec 11) night. The tech giant reportedly did this despite warnings from their lawyers about the legal peril of doing so. The lawsuit as per Reuters was initially brought this summer. Skipping permissions Monday's filing consolidates two separate lawsuits brought against Facebook and Instagram by comedian Sarah Silverman, Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon and other prominent authors. They allege that Meta has used their works to train its artificial intelligence language model, Llama, without permission. Also read | Epic Games' 'epic' win: Jury finds Google guilty of monopolistic practices in antitrust trial Previously, their claims also said that the AI model's output also violates their copyrights. However, in November, US District Judge Vince Chhabri criticised the claim that the text generated by Llama copies or resembles the author's work. Dismissing the claim, Chhabri allowed the authors to amend most of their claims. As evidence, the authors have submitted Discord chat logs of a Meta-affiliated researcher, who can be seen discussing the procurement of the dataset. This, as per the news agency, can be a potentially significant piece of evidence that could prove that Meta knew that its use of the books may not be protected by US copyright law. What is there in the chat logs? In the chat logs, as quoted in the complaint, researcher Tim Dettmers, a doctoral student at the University of Washington, describes his back-and-forth with Meta's legal department. In it, he talks about whether the use of book files as training data would be "legally OK". "At Facebook, there are a lot of people interested in working with (T)he (P)ile, including myself, but in its current form, we are unable to use it for legal reasons," Dettmers wrote in 2021. Here, The Pile refers to an open-source language modelling data set Meta has acknowledged it was using to train its first version of Llama. Also read | EU to ban use of AI biometric surveillance by police without judicial authorisation: Report According to the complaint, a month before this, Dettmers wrote that Meta lawyers told him "the data cannot be used or models cannot be published if they are trained on that data." Here, the researcher refrains from describing the specific concerns voiced by lawyers, however, his counterpart makes mention of "books with active copyrights," and says they are the biggest likely source of worry. They also say that training on the data should "fall under fair use." As per the US Copyright Office, the fair use doctrine allows for the use of "limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports". Llama Llama is Meta's large language model (LLM). The tech giant released its first version in February 2023. At the time, it published a list of datasets used to train the language model. The list included "the Books3 section of ThePile," which, as per the complaint quoting the person who assembled the dataset, contains 196,640 books. A second version, dubbed Llama 2 was made available for commercial use this summer. It is free for use for companies with monthly active users of less than 700 million. AI and copyrights As Artificial Intelligence drives a craze, artists across art forms have come forward alleging unlawful use of their content. In 2023, big tech companies were met with a slew of lawsuits that accuse them of ripping-off copyright protected works. IF successful, these lawsuits would not only generate significant compensation for the content creators, but also drive up the cost of building the data dependent models, somewhat dampening the generative AI craze.

Meta flouted copyrights to train its AI 'Llama' despite warning from lawyers, claims lawsuit by authors

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the intensity of impact artificial intelligence has on the present as well as future generations and also called for a global framework regulating the development of artificial intelligence tools as the annual Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit kicked off in New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam on Tuesday (Dec 12).

"AI is having a significant impact on both present and future generations. We must proceed with extreme caution. I believe that the suggestions and ideas emerging from this summit will help us safeguard the world from the potential risks and challenges posed by the darker aspects of AI," PM Modi said while addressing GPAI.

"AI has the potential to revolutionise India's tech landscape. India is committed to the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence," he added.

He also raised concerns about how tools like deep fake were being abused to spread false information by even terrorist organisations.

"Deepfake is a challenge for the whole world... AI tools going into the hands of terrorists are also a big threat. If terrorist organisations get AI weapons, this will have a huge impact on global security... We need to plan how to tackle this," PM Modi said during his address.

Further Modi stressed the need to formulate a global framework for AI technology at the world level.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canadian-pm-justin-trudeau-claims-he-made-allegations-over-nijjar-killing-public-to-put-a-chill-on-india-669334">Canadian PM Justin Trudeau claims he made allegations over Nijjar killing public to 'put a chill' on India</a>

“Just like we have treaties and protocols for international affairs, we need to prepare a global framework for AI at a global level," Modi said.

"AI is not just a new technology but has become a worldwide movement. Thus, we must all work together," he added.

<h2>'Make AI all-inclusive', says PM Modi</h2>

He also emphasised on the need for the development and regulation of artificial intelligence to be inclusive for its results to be more fair and just.

"The more inclusive the development journey of AI is, the better results society will achieve. Learning from past decades where there was inequality in access to technology, we must now safeguard society from such harm. When democratic values join technology, it acts as a multiplier for inclusivity," he noted.

“While AI increases our efficiency, it is up to us to keep space for emotions. It is up to us to maintain our ethics,” Modi said.

The summit, running from December 12 to 14, gathers influential minds from various sectors, marking a crucial moment for the collaborative advancement of artificial intelligence (AI).

(With inputs from agencies)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the intensity of impact artificial intelligence has on the present as well as future generations and also called for a global framework regulating the development of artificial intelligence tools as the annual Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit kicked off in New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam on Tuesday (Dec 12).

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the intensity of impact artificial intelligence has on the present as well as future generations and also called for a global framework regulating the development of artificial intelligence tools as the annual Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit kicked off in New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam on Tuesday (Dec 12). "AI is having a significant impact on both present and future generations. We must proceed with extreme caution. I believe that the suggestions and ideas emerging from this summit will help us safeguard the world from the potential risks and challenges posed by the darker aspects of AI," PM Modi said while addressing GPAI. "AI has the potential to revolutionise India's tech landscape. India is committed to the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence," he added. He also raised concerns about how tools like deep fake were being abused to spread false information by even terrorist organisations. "Deepfake is a challenge for the whole world... AI tools going into the hands of terrorists are also a big threat. If terrorist organisations get AI weapons, this will have a huge impact on global security... We need to plan how to tackle this," PM Modi said during his address. Further Modi stressed the need to formulate a global framework for AI technology at the world level. Also read: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau claims he made allegations over Nijjar killing public to 'put a chill' on India “Just like we have treaties and protocols for international affairs, we need to prepare a global framework for AI at a global level," Modi said. "AI is not just a new technology but has become a worldwide movement. Thus, we must all work together," he added. 'Make AI all-inclusive', says PM Modi He also emphasised on the need for the development and regulation of artificial intelligence to be inclusive for its results to be more fair and just. "The more inclusive the development journey of AI is, the better results society will achieve. Learning from past decades where there was inequality in access to technology, we must now safeguard society from such harm. When democratic values join technology, it acts as a multiplier for inclusivity," he noted. “While AI increases our efficiency, it is up to us to keep space for emotions. It is up to us to maintain our ethics,” Modi said. The summit, running from December 12 to 14, gathers influential minds from various sectors, marking a crucial moment for the collaborative advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). (With inputs from agencies)

PM Modi stresses on need to prepare global framework for AI, raises concerns over deepfake abuse

2023 was a year of medical breakthroughs. As science progresses, scientists around the world are working hard to improve the quality of human life. This year, several notable, exciting medical advancements made headlines. From successful pig kidney transplant&nbsp;into humans to the world's first whole eye transplant, let's rewind to the year's most notable medical breakthroughs.

<h2>World's first whole eye transplant</h2>

In the United States, in November, surgeons performed the world's first transplant of an entire eye. The patient, a 46-year-old military veteran from Arkansas, had survived a work-related high-voltage electrical accident that destroyed the left side of his face, nose, mouth and left eye. In addition to the eye, a partial-face transplant was also done by the team from NYU Langone Health.&nbsp;

"The mere fact that we transplanted an eye is a huge step forward, something that for centuries has been thought about, but it's never been performed," the team lead Dr Eduardo Rodriguez, said at the time.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/entertainment/bollywood/yearender-2023-actors-who-made-their-ott-debut-this-year-1701022719315" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/entertainment/bollywood/yearender-2023-actors-who-made-their-ott-debut-this-year-1701022719315&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj0-N-S3omDAxUyR2wGHchDDjYQFnoECAcQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw3KT-rKPi5BeVr_3M1gLU7z" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/entertainment/bollywood/yearender-2023-actors-who-made-their-ott-debut-this-year-1701022719315" target="_blank">Yearender 2023: Actors Who Made Their OTT Debut This Year</a>

<h2>First no-rejection kidney transplant</h2>

In September, in the United Kingdom, an eight-year-old Indian-origin girl, Aditi Shankar, became the first child to have gone through a special type of kidney transplant. The transplant was a breakthrough, as it didn't require the little girl&nbsp;to take long-term drugs to stop the potential rejection of the newly transplanted&nbsp;organ.&nbsp;

The little girl's immune system was reprogrammed using stem cells from the donor, Aditi's mother Divya.

<h2>Genetically modified pig kidney survives one month in human body</h2>

In the United States, in August, surgeons transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a brain-dead patient. The organ worked for a record 32 days and could help bridge the significant organ donation gap.

<h2>A kill switch for cancer</h2>

Scientists from UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center in Sacramento in California discovered a "kill switch" that could be used to trigger the death of cancer cells. It is called the CAR T-cell therapy, and it involves genetically modifying T cells collected from a patient's blood.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/sports/rewind-2023-top-5-sporting-moments-for-india-1701707420309" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/sports/rewind-2023-top-5-sporting-moments-for-india-1701707420309&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjs2aWK3omDAxWPbGwGHZ-6CKwQFnoECAcQAQ&amp;usg=AOvVaw2alTY_0bw9Qkoru4aDySRl" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/sports/rewind-2023-top-5-sporting-moments-for-india-1701707420309" target="_blank">Rewind 2023: Top 5 Sporting Moments For India</a>

The therapy showed promising results in leukaemia and other 'liquid' cancers, but showed "meagre" success against solid tumours, and breast, bowel, and lung cancers.

<h2>Blood test for detecting depression</h2>

A study by McGill University in Canada analysed blood samples from more than 60 teenagers to identify specific molecules which can be used as markers for depression. This can help in the early detection of teenagers at risk of psychological diseases like depression.

<h2>World's first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine</h2>

In May, the US Foods and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the world's first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. The medicine that took 60 years to develop can safeguard patients 60 years of age and older from lower respiratory tract sickness brought on by RSV.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/yearender-2023-the-fabulous-year-that-taylor-swift-has-had-667924">Yearender 2023: The fabulous year that Taylor Swift has had</a>

<h2>New plant toxin-based antibiotic</h2>

As the world grapples with antibiotic resistance, a group of British, German and Polish scientists discovered a plant toxin that has a unique method of attacking bacteria. The potential new antibiotic has been named albicidin and works differently than existing antibiotic medicines.

<h2>3D printing to rid of invasive surgeries</h2>

In March, researchers from Australia announced that they had invented a snake-like soft robot that can print living cells from the inside of a patient's body. 3D bio-printing is already used for medical procedures. However, this can help eliminate the need for invasive surgeries.

<h2>World's first Alzheimer's treatment</h2>

In June, the US FDA approved Lecanemab (Leqembi), a drug that significantly helped combat the progression of Alzheimer's during clinical trials. It is the first drug that targets the underlying cause of Alzheimer's, slowing down the disease's progress.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/your-anxiety-is-lying-to-you-saying-no-to-plans-isnt-all-that-bad-finds-study-668806">Your anxiety is lying to you! Saying 'no' to plans isn't all that bad, finds study</a>

<h2>CRISPR gene editing for sickle cell disease</h2>

The world's first CRISPR-based gene therapy for sickle cell disease was given the green light in the UK (in November) and in the US (in December). The therapy called CASGEVY works by correcting faulty haemoglobin genes in a patient's bone marrow stem cells so that they can produce normal, functioning HB cells.

<h2>Artificial liver</h2>

In September, China made the headlines for reportedly developing a stem-cell-based 'artificial liver' that can work outside the human body. A boon for thousands suffering from liver failure, the bio-artificial liver can perform functions such as detoxification and protein synthesis typically carried out by the liver.&nbsp;

<h2>Tiny robot surgeon</h2>

The University of Leeds has developed a tiny robot that can travel deep into the lungs and detect early signs of cancer. It is only 2 millimetres in diameter and is transported into the smallest bronchial tubes using magnets. As per researchers, during testing on a cadaver, the magnetic tentacle robot travelled 37 per cent deeper than standard equipment, that too with significantly less tissue damage.

In 2024, the global community looks forward to many more significant medical advancements, many of which are expected to involve Artificial Intelligence (AI).&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

2023 was a year of medical breakthroughs. As science progresses, scientists around the world are working hard to improve the quality of human life. This year, several notable, exciting medical advancements made headlines.

2023 was a year of medical breakthroughs. As science progresses, scientists around the world are working hard to improve the quality of human life. This year, several notable, exciting medical advancements made headlines. From successful pig kidney transplant into humans to the world's first whole eye transplant, let's rewind to the year's most notable medical breakthroughs. World's first whole eye transplant In the United States, in November, surgeons performed the world's first transplant of an entire eye. The patient, a 46-year-old military veteran from Arkansas, had survived a work-related high-voltage electrical accident that destroyed the left side of his face, nose, mouth and left eye. In addition to the eye, a partial-face transplant was also done by the team from NYU Langone Health. "The mere fact that we transplanted an eye is a huge step forward, something that for centuries has been thought about, but it's never been performed," the team lead Dr Eduardo Rodriguez, said at the time. Also read | Yearender 2023: Actors Who Made Their OTT Debut This Year First no-rejection kidney transplant In September, in the United Kingdom, an eight-year-old Indian-origin girl, Aditi Shankar, became the first child to have gone through a special type of kidney transplant. The transplant was a breakthrough, as it didn't require the little girl to take long-term drugs to stop the potential rejection of the newly transplanted organ. The little girl's immune system was reprogrammed using stem cells from the donor, Aditi's mother Divya. Genetically modified pig kidney survives one month in human body In the United States, in August, surgeons transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a brain-dead patient. The organ worked for a record 32 days and could help bridge the significant organ donation gap. A kill switch for cancer Scientists from UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center in Sacramento in California discovered a "kill switch" that could be used to trigger the death of cancer cells. It is called the CAR T-cell therapy, and it involves genetically modifying T cells collected from a patient's blood. Also read | Rewind 2023: Top 5 Sporting Moments For India The therapy showed promising results in leukaemia and other 'liquid' cancers, but showed "meagre" success against solid tumours, and breast, bowel, and lung cancers. Blood test for detecting depression A study by McGill University in Canada analysed blood samples from more than 60 teenagers to identify specific molecules which can be used as markers for depression. This can help in the early detection of teenagers at risk of psychological diseases like depression. World's first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine In May, the US Foods and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the world's first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. The medicine that took 60 years to develop can safeguard patients 60 years of age and older from lower respiratory tract sickness brought on by RSV. Also read | Yearender 2023: The fabulous year that Taylor Swift has had New plant toxin-based antibiotic As the world grapples with antibiotic resistance, a group of British, German and Polish scientists discovered a plant toxin that has a unique method of attacking bacteria. The potential new antibiotic has been named albicidin and works differently than existing antibiotic medicines. 3D printing to rid of invasive surgeries In March, researchers from Australia announced that they had invented a snake-like soft robot that can print living cells from the inside of a patient's body. 3D bio-printing is already used for medical procedures. However, this can help eliminate the need for invasive surgeries. World's first Alzheimer's treatment In June, the US FDA approved Lecanemab (Leqembi), a drug that significantly helped combat the progression of Alzheimer's during clinical trials. It is the first drug that targets the underlying cause of Alzheimer's, slowing down the disease's progress. Also read | Your anxiety is lying to you! Saying 'no' to plans isn't all that bad, finds study CRISPR gene editing for sickle cell disease The world's first CRISPR-based gene therapy for sickle cell disease was given the green light in the UK (in November) and in the US (in December). The therapy called CASGEVY works by correcting faulty haemoglobin genes in a patient's bone marrow stem cells so that they can produce normal, functioning HB cells. Artificial liver In September, China made the headlines for reportedly developing a stem-cell-based 'artificial liver' that can work outside the human body. A boon for thousands suffering from liver failure, the bio-artificial liver can perform functions such as detoxification and protein synthesis typically carried out by the liver. Tiny robot surgeon The University of Leeds has developed a tiny robot that can travel deep into the lungs and detect early signs of cancer. It is only 2 millimetres in diameter and is transported into the smallest bronchial tubes using magnets. As per researchers, during testing on a cadaver, the magnetic tentacle robot travelled 37 per cent deeper than standard equipment, that too with significantly less tissue damage. In 2024, the global community looks forward to many more significant medical advancements, many of which are expected to involve Artificial Intelligence (AI). (With inputs from agencies)

Explained | Let's 'Rewind 2023' to medical breakthroughs that gave the world hope

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