H+ Weekly - Issue #265
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This week - how to start a robot revolution; MIT deletes database that taught AI to be racists and sexist; an in-depth look at GPT-3; and more!
How quantum computers could make future humans immortal
Here is another idea how to achieve immortality - using quantum entanglement, teleport your consciousness to a new body and carry on like nothing happened. The science behind this technique will require some work but it could be a nice idea for a sci-fi world.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
DeepMind's AtHomeWithAI
DeepMind's scientists and engineers created this curated list of educational resources for students interested in learning more about artificial intelligence, machine learning and other related topics. It is six pages in total full of links to book, courses and videos to start learning how to make machines think.
Generating cooking recipes using TensorFlow and LSTM Recurrent Neural Network: A step-by-step guide
Cool idea but I am disappointed that 1) those AI-generated recipes don't work as recipes (you can't make them) and 2) the guide is not written as a recipe.
MIT Deletes Database That Taught AI to Be Racist, Sexist
MIT has decided to completely delete 80 Million Tiny Images. The reason is that some of the images were offensive and others were labelled with derogatory terms as categories. The database was used t train AIs which then learned to use those terms. The database was too big to manually remove problematic images so MIT decided to completely delete the database.
Inside China’s plan to lead the world in AI
China is treating AI as a top priority and this article explores the broad spectrum of AI activity in China – the good, the bad and the unexpected.
► GPT3: An Even Bigger Language Model (25:56)
Rob Miles goes in-depth with Computerphille about GPT-3 - the bigger version of GPT-2 - OpenAI's (in)famous text generator.
ROBOTICS
Jellyfish robot outswims the real thing
Researchers have built a soft robotic jellyfish that swims almost twice faster than natural jellyfish. Not bad.
MIT robot disinfects Greater Boston Food Bank
MIT researchers designed a new robotic system that powerfully disinfects surfaces and neutralizes aerosolized forms of the coronavirus. The approach uses a custom UV-C light fixture designed at CSAIL that is integrated with Ava Robotics' mobile robot base. The results were encouraging enough that researchers say that the approach could be useful for autonomous UV disinfection in other environments, such as factories, restaurants, and supermarkets.
How to Start a Robot Revolution
How to Start a Robot Revolution is a 5-part documentary about ROS, Willow Garage, and the people behind the robot revolution. Right now only the first part is available. It's about ROS (Robot Operating System) and the people that turned this open-source software into a global phenomenon.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
A Renaissance of Genomics and Drugs Is Extending Human Longevity
With the dramatic demonetization of genome reading and editing over the past decade, and Big Pharma, startups, and the FDA starting to face aging as a disease, we are starting to turn those answers into practical ways to extend our healthspan. This article explores how genome sequencing and editing, along with new classes of anti-aging drugs, are augmenting our biology to further extend our healthy lives.
CLOSING NOTES
There are two interesting events happening soon.
The first one is on Wednesday, July 8th, where Luke Robert Mason from FUTURES Podcast will discuss with Lord Martin Rees how the existential threats facing humanity might be avoided through the wise application of powerful new technologies. The interview will the streamed on YouTube from 7pm UK time and you can register here.
The second event is Adventures at the Frontier of Birth, Food, Sex & Death. Topic - what if we could have babies without having to bear children, eat meat without killing animals, have the perfect sexual relationship without compromise, or choose the time of our painless death? David Wood from London Futurists will explore these topics with Jenny Kleeman, Rohit Talwar and Gemma Milne. The webinar is free to attend and will start from 6pm UK time on Monday 13th July. You can register here.
If you happen to know any interesting events happening elsewhere in the world, feel free to contact and share the details.
Thank you for subscribing,
Conrad Gray (@conradthegray)
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