Why 2024 Might See the AI Bubble Burst (and why I think it won't)
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As much of the world gets back to work, New Year’s resolutions in tow, the AI industry is beginning to pick up steam.
In today’s report, we begin with a recent article by MIT professor Daron Acemoglu.
In it, he claims that 2024 will bring a harsh reality check for AI proponents. Acemoglu believes that many will be disappointed by AI this coming year, as apps and platforms promise users magic, only to deliver mediocrity thanks to AI’s inherent limitations.
Among other factors, he mentions the increasingly negative impact of generative AI hallucinations and its tendency to produce false information. He also claims that efforts to mitigate damages will fall short and are largely optimistic. Regulation, Acemoglu says, is severely lagging, and he doesn’t see any meaningful progress in sight.
Meanwhile, Acemoglu also predicts that AI will lead to people using technology more, with the collateral damage being negative impacts on the mental health of users.
While it is not necessarily an optimistic opinion, there are some bright spots to be revealed by scraping the soot off of Acemoglu’s ideas.
To begin with, he is correct in pointing out many of the downfalls of current generative AI models. He might be right about pointing out that there is no quick fix regarding some of the inherent issues with hallucination and other errors.
Even so, I would not underestimate the determination of AI developers. This is especially true for those in the open-source arena. Acemoglu mentions many serious issues that go down to the root of AI. But it is short-sighted to think that developers won’t go that deep and try and work on new frameworks that don’t have these issues.
Essentially the groundwork has been laid, and we are seeing some incredible AI applications. AI is streamlining work, making scientific discoveries, and revolutionizing industries. At the same time, it is making deepfakes, providing bad information, and (as in my case) using up much of our precious time on Earth.
Today’s headlines reflect this dual nature of AI. Enjoy the recap of today’s news, and share it with a friend if you enjoyed it!
Joaquin
AI-Powered Misinformation: A Global Economic Hazard, Says Davos Report
It’s an election year, and the misinformation in the air is so thick you could stare at it all night!
The latest Global Risks Report from the World Economic Forum claims that AI-driven misinformation is the most significant short-term threat to the global economy.
One factor in this alarming statement is the increasing accessibility of AI-powered tools that allow anyone to create deepfakes and similar AI-generated content. As a result, the WEF is a bit worried about the erosion of democratic processes and societal polarization that troublemakers might attempt using AI.
At the same time, the rise of AI presents challenges like cyberattacks and the potential to embed biases in AI models. As numerous countries, including major economies, prepare for elections, the impact of AI-powered misinformation and disinformation is on the radar of many.
Meanwhile, skeptics such as myself stop and ask: which misinformation is more powerful? The kind generated by AI or the traditional kind made by humans? History has shown us that it doesn’t take ChatGPT to pull a fast one over the masses.
Read More: The Hill
Rabbit R1: An AI Device to Replace Your Smartphone?
This new AI-powered device is so powerful, claims its creator, that it will replace your smartphone one day.
For the moment, the Rabbit R1 is claiming to be a groundbreaking AI assistant, distinct from smartphones and conventional AI models.
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Half the size of an iPhone, the R1 has a proprietary Large Action Model (LAM) that collaborates with a Large Language Model (LLM) to understand and execute complex tasks, going beyond most consumer AI platforms.
Priced at an accessible $199, the Rabbit R1 combines a playful design with powerful AI capabilities and affordability. The distinguishing factor of this device is that it acts as a virtual assistant, such as Alexa or Siri, but is much more capable of actually doing things for you. For example, beyond merely telling you the weather or putting on music, if you tell it to buy something or send a message for you, it will do it.
This is the first new, big AI device of 2024, and could be the beginning of a tide of AI-powered devices. There is no doubt that some will be revolutionary, while others will be junk. So far, the Rabbit R1 sounds promising.
Read More: Tom's Guide
AI Makes Another Ground-Breaking Scientific Discovery
Microsoft and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) (part of the US Dept. of Energy, announced a remarkable feat this week. Their researchers claim to have used AI to discover a new material that could drastically reduce lithium usage in batteries by up to 70%.
This innovation, which took less than nine months from concept to prototype, could be a keystone moment for AI-powered scientific discovery. The new material, a solid-state electrolyte named N2116, could lead to more sustainable and energy-dense batteries.
Considering the increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries and the environmental impact of mining, this is exciting news.
While scientists continue to achieve previously unthinkable discoveries using AI, I continue to spend hours using these civilization-altering tools to make ridiculous anime versions of myself to send to my friends in hopes of a laugh. Alas, AI cannot remove our need for social validation.
Read More: BBC
Duolingo's Newly AI-Powered Bird is Firing Human Workers
And now, here’s some more news about AI taking away human jobs.
It has just been reported that language learning app Duolingo has replaced about 10% of its translation contractors with AI-powered content generators. This signals a broader trend in the job market. As AI becomes more integrated into business operations for efficiency and cost reduction, many jobs traditionally done by people are being sourced to artificial intelligence.
The popular language app has 24.2 million daily active users and plans on relying even more on AI in the coming months.
I suppose that the poetically just outcome for Duolingo would be their learning platform itself being put out of business by real-time AI translating devices (brain chips, anyone?) that remove the need for people to learn languages.
Read More: The Street
MagicOS 8.0: Honor's New Intent-Based UI
Chinese smartphone brand Honor has released a new iteration of its Android-based, AI-enhanced mobile phone operating system.
Honor's MagicOS 8.0 introduces the world's first intent-based user interface (IUI), and it just might represent a paradigm shift in human-device interaction.
Integrating AI at a platform level, MagicOS 8.0 can interpret language, images, gestures, and eye movements, proactively offering services based on learned user intentions.
Honor claims this OS will natively integrate AI features, such as image and app integration and user recognition. The software even includes its own 7-billion-parameter AI model. The company suggests that phones with this OS will eventually be able to understand your manner of speaking and even your facial gestures, allowing you to control every aspect of your phone with minimal effort.
Read More: PhoneArena