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☆ Opinion: Google’s AI blunder over images reveals a much bigger problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Rizwan Virk | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

When asked, Gemini politely refused in some instances to generate images of historically White people, such as the Vikings. In the image space, if you asked previous AI image generators for an image of a CEO or a doctor, they initially almost always showed images of White males. Google announced its Gemini AI chatbot was pausing the generation of people in images after concerns were raised that it was creating historically inaccurate images. What makes censorship and manipulation worse with AI is that today’s AI already has a well-known hallucination problem. It may be a portent of what’s to come with AI and Big Tech leading us into Orwellian territory.

Persons: Rizwan Virk, X, Dave, I’m, OpenAI’s, Gemini, Google’s, Pope, Sundar Pichai, we’ve, ”, didn’t, Michael M, George Orwell’s “, “ Organizations: Labs, MIT, Physics, Eastern, Arizona State University’s College of Global Futures, Center for Science, CNN, HAL, Google, Vikings, Fox News Digital, Gemini, Getty, Big Tech, Microsoft, Apple Locations: zenentrepreneur.com, White, German

☆ A Harvard professor is risking his reputation to search for aliens. Tech tycoons are bankrolling his quest.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

The Harvard professor's research is bankrolled by tech tycoons "pissed off" at academia's dogma. But this boundary-pushing is exactly why he's backed Loeb's research. AdvertisementDesch, the astrophysicist from Arizona University, posted a critique of Loeb's work on arXiv alleging "multiple fatal flaws with the manuscript's arguments." Asked whether he no longer believes in a possible technological origin for the meteor, Loeb said they need to investigate further. As he plans more extravagant expeditions to prove the origin of the interstellar meteor, Loeb likens his critics to crows pecking at the neck of an eagle.

Persons: Avi Loeb, Loeb, —, Steven Desch, they're, Loeb's, they've, Charles Hoskinson, that's, Anibal Martel, Mark Zuckerberg, Stephen Hawking, Lucas Jackson, Oumuamua, Desch, It's, Meech, Hoskinson, Rather, Lane Turner, James Webb, Bill Diamond, Stenzel, AARO, UAPs, Loeb hasn't, Joe Rogan's, Eugene Jhong, Galileo, ", Frank Laukien, Laukien, Charles Alcock, Seth Shostak, Stephen Wolfram, Richard Branson's, Vera, Rubin, Avi Loeb Loeb, what's, Rob McCallum, Mariana Trench, James Cameron, Avi Loeb Hoskinson, spherules, Harvard's Stein Jacobsen, Loeb didn't, Monica Grady, Patricio Gallardo, it's, Diamond, That's Avi, Adam Glanzman Organizations: Harvard, Service, Arizona State University, Netflix, Galileo, Anadolu Agency, Reuters, University of Hawaii, Boston Globe, James Webb Telescope, NASA, SETI Institute, Pew Research Center, Department of Defense, UAP Department of Defense, Jhong, Bruker Corporation, Smithsonian's, for Astrophysics, MIT, Wolfram Research, Harvard University, Survey, US Space Command, Hoskinson, UK's Open University, University of Chicago, Arizona University, U.S . Government, The Washington, Getty, Loeb, Astronomy, Astrophysics Locations: Lexington , Massachusetts, United States, Getty, Loeb's, New York, Cambridge, Massachussetts, UAPs, Colorado, Chile, Papua New Guinea, 2401.09882, IM1

☆ Opinion: 25 years later, ‘The Matrix’ is less sci-fi than tech reality
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Opinion Rizwan Virk | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

In 2003, Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom imagined a “technologically mature” civilization could easily create a simulated world. With simulated worlds far outnumbering the “real” world, the likelihood that we are in a simulation would be significantly higher than not. Remember, the simulations would be so good that you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a physical and a simulated world. Either the signals are being beamed directly into your brain, or we are simply AI characters inside the simulation. Already, millions of humans are chatting with AI characters, and millions of dollars are pouring into making AI characters more realistic.

Persons: Virk, X, CNN — It’s, ”, Lana, Lilly Wachowski, Philip K, Dick, Tessa, Morpheus, Laurence Fishburne, Keanu Reeves, Nick Bostrom, Elon Musk, Smith, Hugo Weaving, Carrie Ann, Moss, Musk, OpenAI, it’s, Reeves ’ Organizations: Labs, MIT, Physics, Eastern, Arizona State University’s College of Global Futures, Center for Science, CNN, Apple, Trinity Locations: zenentrepreneur.com, Oxford, Silicon, Silicon Valley

☆ Opinion: Donald Trump wins against Nikki Haley, but loses it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Opinion Cnn Contributors | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +24 min

The problem with this approach is that most Republican voters do not want an alternative to Trump; they overwhelmingly back him. At least that’s what the Nikki Haley campaign said after finishing second to former President Donald Trump in the New Hampshire primaries on Tuesday. Democratic nominee Bill Clinton and third-party candidate Ross Perot exploited that division in the Republican Party against Bush in the fall. The Republican Party is united behind Trump, and with optimal conditions for an opponent like Haley, Trump was still unstoppable. “Democrats deserve options, and it’s not clear at all that President Biden can beat Donald Trump.

Persons: Raul A, Reyes, Nikki Haley’s, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, bode, Reyes CNN Haley, Trump, Haley, “, CNN’s Dana Bash, That’s, it’s, Trump …, Nikki, –, She’s, Paul Begala, Donald Trump’s, Paul Begala CNN Trump, Joe Biden, Reagan, Bush, Bill Clinton’s, Clinton, Ana Marie Cox, Ana Marie Cox Faith Fonseca, ” Trump, Biden, Jamal Simmons, Biden’s, he’s, Dean Phillips, Jimmy Carter, Edward Kennedy, Kennedy, Carter, Republican Ronald Reagan, George H.W, Pat Buchanan, Bill Clinton, Ross Perot, Eugene McCarthy’s, Lyndon Johnson, Marianne Williamson, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Pramila, Kamala Harris, Daniel McCarthy, John McCain, George W, Ron DeSantis, Biden —, ”, Rizwan Virk, Williamson, Sanders, Andrew Yang, Dean Philips, Yang, ” Rizwan Virk, Patrick T, Brown, Barack Obama, Dozens, Scott Walker, Jeb Bush, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Texas Sen, Ted Cruz, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Cruz, Sophia A, DeSantis, Nelson Stephanie Honikel, Harris, Nelson, Tuesday’s, Phillips ’, Phillips, Arick, Michael Bloomberg Organizations: CNN, GOP, South Carolina Gov, Republican, Reyes CNN, Trump, Independents, Polling, White, USA, Twitter, New, South, Biden, diehard Republicans, New Hampshire, Republican Party, Bush Republicans, NATO, Republicans, Democratic, Minnesota Rep, Hamas, Washington Rep, Former South Carolina Gov, mavericks, New Hampshire Democratic, Florida Gov, The, Syndicate, Democratic Party, Democrat, Labs, MIT, Physics, Eastern, Arizona State University’s College of Global Futures, Wisconsin Gov, Ohio Gov, Public Policy Center, Economic, Florida’s, America, Trump Party, Congressional, UN, Tuesday’s New, Tuesday’s New Hampshire Democratic, Democratic National, Biden –, Medicare, New York Locations: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, America, Granite, Trump, Michigan, New Hampshire , Iowa, Austin, Israel, Vietnam, Granite State . South Carolina, Gaza, Yemen, Ukraine, Vermont, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, Ohio, New York, Washington , DC, Virginia, Minnesota, Tuesday’s New Hampshire, Hampshire

☆ Opinion: This Trump indictment will change history. The question is how
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Jane Carr | Opinion Jane Greenway Carr | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. “Big Brother” is a fierce indictment of a power structure that surveils and oppresses while poverty and suffering proliferate. Clay Jones“Next year will mark 50 years since President Richard Nixon resigned as a result of the Watergate scandal. And yet, “Trump denies any and all wrongdoing and continues to remain the leader of the pack. “When former President Donald Trump took office in 2017, he left the rules in place.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Philippe Petit, Henri Matisse, Petit, Stevie Wonder, Jackson, Richard Nixon, —, interjected, “, Donald Trump, Clay Jones “, Julian Zelizer, “ Trump, Trump, Norman Eisen, Jack Smith, Eisen, Barack Obama’s, ” Eisen, Jennifer Rodgers, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Cornel West, Cupp, –, John Avlon, …, Avlon, Pence, televangelist Pat Robertson, Nicole Hemmer, “ Long, Robertson, Robertson “, David Mark, Geoff Duncan, Jason Lancaster, Kirsi Goldynia, Virginia Sole, Smith, ’, demonize fatness, Nick Anderson, Tess Taylor, Laura Schifter, Taylor, Marc Eichenbaum, Michael Nichols, “ Houston, Lawrence Downes, ” Eric Adams, ” —, ” Downes, Ellis, Evgeniy, it’s, Frida Ghitis, Reinhold Matay, Aaron David Miller, LIV, ” Miller, Octavio Jones, Jill Filipovic, ” Filipovic, Allison Hope, Justin Sullivan, Peter Bergen, Biden, Afghanistan Ana Homayoun, Amy Bass, Rose Zhang, Marty Irby, I’m, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Hannah McKay, Reuters Prince Harry, Queen Victoria’s, King Edward VII, Harry, Prince Harry, Holly Thomas –, Thomas Organizations: CNN, GOP, Republican, Trump, Florida Gov, New, New Jersey Gov, Getty, Former New Jersey Gov, Adobe, Tribune, East Coasters, …, The, Democratic, Ukraine Ukrainian, Orange County National, USA, Sports, PGA, Saudi, Hillsborough High School, Reuters, Human Rights, Apple Vision, Apple Worldwide Developers, Court, Daily Locations: Manhattan, Florida, New Jersey, Pence’s, Washington ,, ” Houston, “, Texas, Chicago , New York, Sacramento, New York, New York City, White, Ukraine, Kherson, Russia, Nova, Orlando , Florida, USA, Saudi Arabia, Tampa , Florida, U.S, United States, Cupertino , California, Afghanistan, London, England, British, Botswana

☆ Opinion: Apple Vision Pro augmented reality could change the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Opinion Rizwan Virk | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —It’s not surprising that Apple’s debut Monday of its $3,499 Vision Pro headset integrating virtual and augmented reality was greeted with mixed reactions, including skepticism, criticism and even lampooning. Each previous incarnation of a headset that immerses the wearer in a virtual world (called virtual reality, or VR) or lets wearers see their surroundings with virtual objects overlaid on them (augmented reality, or AR) started with overhyped expectations only to flame out. I am also doing my doctoral research on the history of virtual and augmented reality (known together as “extended reality”). These apps will be available to Vision Pro users as well. It’ll do anything your Mac or iPhone can do — and more.”And that’s why I believe that over time Apple’s Vision Pro will actually make science fiction scenarios of ubiquitous computing a reality.

Persons: Rizwan Virk, CNN — It’s, Rizwan, Tom Cruise’s, ’, Mark Zuckerberg’s, Tiago Amorim, Adrees Latif, I’m, Cathy Hackl, Samantha Kelly, I’d, Bob Iger, Tim Cook, CNN’s Kelly, Ivan Sutherland, Apple, ”, Cook, “, you’ll, Tom Cruise Organizations: Labs, MIT, Physics, Eastern, Arizona State University’s College of Global Futures, Twitter, CNN, Meta, Google, Microsoft, HTC, Samsung, Sony, Reuters, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Apple, VR, Vision, Disney, Facebook Locations: Brazil, Manhattan , New York

That hearing discussed an unclassified report issued by a Department of Defense task force in 2021. There is precedent for the Defense Department, scientists and the media playing down reports of UFOs rather than prioritizing truly open scientific inquiry. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Air Force established a UFO task force named Project Blue Book and commissioned an independent scientific study of the phenomena. There is now a danger that the NASA study, which is also supposed to be objective, may not live up to this scientific ideal. If government and academia don’t do so with UFOs, we may end up with another independent scientific panel in another 50 years, but be no closer to the truth.

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