This piece is from 1843, our sister magazine of ideas, lifestyle and culture. It was published in the April/May 2019 issue. Get our daily newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks. ONE AFTERNOON in August 2010, in a conference hall perched on the edge of San Francisco Bay, a 34-year-old Londoner called Demis Hassabis took to the stage. Walking to the podium with the deliberate gait of a man trying to control his nerves, he pursed his lips into a brief smile and began to speak: “So today I’m going to be talking about different approaches to building…” He stalled, as though just realising that he was stating his momentous ambition out loud. And then he said it: “AGI”. AGI stands for artificial general intelligence, a hypothetical computer program that can perform intellectual tasks as well as, or better than, a human. AGI will be able to complete discrete tasks, such as recognising photos or translating languages, … [Read more...] about DeepMind and Google: the battle to control artificial intelligence
Facebook, Twitter & Google to testify before Senate panel on censorship of conservatives
Three tech and social media giants are scheduled to send their representatives to testify at a Senate hearing, following a string of accusations alleging that they foster a left-wing bias and routinely censor conservative voices. Facebook’s public policy director Neil Potts will attend the hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution next Wednesday, the company said. Twitter and Google are also expected to send their representatives to the event, entitled ‘Stifling Free Speech: Technological Censorship and the Public Discourse,’ The Hill reported, citing a source familiar with the issue. Also on rt.com Twitter to label ‘public interest’ tweets that violate rules: Will Trump be first to be targeted? The tech giants are likely to face some tough questions; the subcommittee’s panel is to be chaired by Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, who has already made his stance on the issue quite clear. “Big tech behaves like the … [Read more...] about Facebook, Twitter & Google to testify before Senate panel on censorship of conservatives
Google ethics board dropped over ‘AI not recognizing trans people’ (and conservative pick)
Within a week of Google announcing it brought in an external group to monitor the ethics of their AI program, employee outrage over a supposed “vocally anti-trans” conservative council member led the company to pull the plug. Google originally brought the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC) on board in order to keep the company from crossing any serious ethical lines in its pursuit of artificial intelligence – but Google employees have claimed that the company had acted unethically in choosing who would sit on the council. Read more The Silicon Valley giant has now confirmed the board is cancelled, telling Vox on Thursday “in the current environment” the ATEAC “can’t function as we wanted.” The company assured they would continue to look for a way to include “outside opinions” on the ethics of its AI research. What must have brought about the board’s demise was a Monday letter from “Googlers … [Read more...] about Google ethics board dropped over ‘AI not recognizing trans people’ (and conservative pick)
Google drops AI ethics council a week after it’s announced
News / UK and world by Press Association April 5, 2019, 4:28 pm Send us a story Sign up to our Daily newsletter Google has decided to end its short-lived AI council after controversy surrounding the appointment of a member accused of being anti-LGBT. Last week, the tech giant announced the formation of an external Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC) tasked with guiding the responsible development of artificial intelligence. Among the eight members recruited into the group was Kay Cole James, president of US think tank The Heritage Foundation, who previously served in the administration of George W Bush between 2001 and 2005. Ms James and her organisation are opposed to the US Equality Act designed to tackle discrimination, as well as advocating against recognition of transgender people. A petition was quickly launched, signed by almost 2,500 Google employees and other concerned parties, demanding that bosses remove Ms James from the panel. … [Read more...] about Google drops AI ethics council a week after it’s announced
Apple HomePod price slashed as it struggles against Amazon Echo and Google Home
Apple has quietly reduced the price of its HomePod smart speaker, amid reports that it is struggling to compete with rivals Amazon Echo and Google Home. The smart speaker is now available on the Apple Store for £279 - a £40 decrease from its original price of £319. The company has offered temporary discounts in the past, as an incentive for customers to subscribe to Apple Music for example. This time, however, Apple hasn't made any mention of a discount on its Store page, suggesting that the price reduction is permanent. The news follows a report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) in February, which suggested the HomePod was struggling to compete with its smart speaker rivals. Apple's HomePod makes up only 6% of the 66 million smart speakers in the United States, according to the report. By comparison, Google Home makes up 24% of the US installed base and Amazon's Alexa-enabled Echo accounts for 70%. That's largely because HomePod much more expensive … [Read more...] about Apple HomePod price slashed as it struggles against Amazon Echo and Google Home