How China’s gun-toting robodogs are looking to change combat forever
From man’s best friend to a killing machine, robodogs with automatic rifles went through drills for a 15-day exercise between Chinese and Cambodian troops. Despite having guns mounted on their backs, these dogs didn’t bite, not firing a single shot during the drills that started on May 16.
The exercise between the two militaries in Cambodia is known as Golden Dragon. This year’s iteration is reportedly the largest between the two countries.
During the training mission, the dystopian-looking K-9s demonstrated their master of leaping, walking and lying down. The Chinese military said that the robodogs will replace some humans in combat, identifying threats, conducting reconnaissance and striking targets with the automatic rifles mounted to their backs.
The robodogs are meant to take point for infantry, sniffing out dangers before they can hurt friendly troops.
The desire by China’s People Liberation Army to show off the new tech on its heavily restricted social media could signal a breakthrough in the technology or more propaganda. Chinese state-run media said that the presence of the robodogs alongside foreign militaries shows it may be in the advanced stages of development.
China is not alone in its efforts to develop these robotic killing machines. The U.S. Air Force also demonstrated the ability of its robodogs to quickly detect enemy threats and for scouting.
This year’s Golden Dragon exercise between China and Cambodia consisted of 2,000 troops using 14 warships, two choppers and 69 armored vehicles, as well as the powerful pooches.
OpenAI forms safety committee ahead its next model release
Just weeks after OpenAI got rid of a team focused on AI safety, the company established a new committee aimed at enhancing safety and security. The company also announced on Tuesday, May 28, that it has begun training its next AI model.
In a blog post, OpenAI said the new committee will be led by CEO Sam Altman, Chair Bret Taylor, Adam D’Angelo, and Nicole Seligman.
One of the first things the Safety and Security Committee will do is evaluate and further develop OpenAI’s processes and safeguards over the next 90 days. After that, the group will share recommendations with OpenAI’s full board, which will then decide how to move forward with those recommendations.
This follows May’s earlier exits of OpenAI safety executive Jan Leike and company co-founder Ilya Sutskever, who were both on the company’s Superalignment team, which was dedicated to foreseeing and stemming potential issues caused by advanced AI.
In a thread on X about his departure, Leike criticized the company, saying he “reached a breaking point” and “over the past years, safety culture and processes have taken a backseat to shiny products.”
OpenAI said the Safety and Security Committee will also work with the company’s technical and policy experts and other cybersecurity officials.
Also in Tuesday’s blog post, OpenAI confirmed it has started training its next big language model, which will be the successor to its current GPT-4. That is expected to be unveiled later this year.
“While we are proud to build and release models that are industry-leading on both capabilities and safety,” OpenAI’s post said, “we welcome a robust debate at this important moment.”
Closing arguments to begin in Donald Trump’s criminal trial
As former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial winds down, both sides are set to deliver their closing arguments to the jury. And, a still-active situation prompts evacuations in Papua New Guinea after a landslide buries more than 2,000 people. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, May 28, 2024.
Closing arguments to begin in Donald Trump’s criminal trial
Trump’s attorneys will deliver their closing arguments first to the 12-person jury, attempting to undermine the Manhattan District Attorney’s allegations against the former president.
Following this, the prosecution will try to convince the jury that Trump falsified business records related to payments his former lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and any relationship with Daniels.
Once closing arguments are completed, the judge will instruct the jury for about an hour on the charges they must consider before beginning deliberations.
The judge expects deliberations to begin on Wednesday, May 29. The case then moves to the jury as it evaluates all 34 counts against Trump. It remains to be seen how long it will take the jury to reach a verdict in this historic case.
Biden administration ‘actively engaging’ with Israel after deadly strike in Rafah
The Biden administration says it is “actively engaging” with the Israeli army to determine what happened during an airstrike on the Gaza City of Rafah Sunday, May 26, that killed dozens of people and injured about 250 more at a tent camp for displaced Palestinians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the killings as a “tragic mishap” and told Parliament Monday, May 27, that the military has opened an investigation into the deaths.
“In Rafah we already evacuated about one million non-combatant residents and despite our utmost effort not to harm non-combatants, something unfortunately went tragically wrong,” Netanyahu said. “We are investigating the incident and will reach conclusions because this is our policy.”
Israel said the attack targeted a Hamas compound, killing two of the group’s top senior officials.
Hamas officials have called the strike a “war crime,” saying Israel is in defiance of the recent decision by the United Nations’ World Court which called on Israel to halt its operations in Rafah.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson said the images coming from Rafah were “heartbreaking” and added that while Israel has “a right to go after” Hamas, it needs to take “every precaution possible to protect civilians.”
Severe storms kill 22 over Memorial Day weekend
Severe storms killed at least 22 people across five states over Memorial Day weekend, with at least 25 tornadoes being reported.
In Texas, seven people, including two young children, were killed and more than 100 were injured as the storms swept across the state.
The governor of Kentucky confirmed five people were killed in the storms. Teams from the National Weather Service are being sent to survey tornado damage.
Possible tornadoes are being blamed for at least two deaths in both Oklahoma and Arkansas.
President Joe Biden offered condolences to the families of the victims. He said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is on the ground assessing damage and that he has contacted governors to determine what federal support is needed.
Over 2,000 feared buried alive in Papua New Guinea landslide
Thousands are being forced to evacuate Tuesday in Papua New Guinea with officials declaring a state of emergency as a landslide is still-active following the deadly incident over the week of May 19.
Launched in summer 2023, his company is now valued at $24 billion.
In a blog post, the company stated that the funding will be used to bring xAI’s first products to market, build advanced infrastructure, and accelerate research and development of future technologies.
Currently, xAI’s chatbot is available only to premium subscribers of the social media platform X.
Musk noted that there will be “more to announce in the coming weeks.”
Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton remembered as ‘one of a kind’
FCC pushes for transparency in AI-driven ads ahead of 2024 elections
With the 2024 U.S. presidential elections just six months away, how serious a threat is artificial intelligence when it comes to politics and disinformation? AI is taking a more visible role in political campaigns and it is transforming campaign strategies.
The federal government is pushing for greater accountability. Jessica Rosenworcel, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), pressed for heightened transparency in how AI is used in campaign materials.
As artificial intelligence tools become more accessible, the Commission wants to make sure consumers are fully informed when the technology is used.
Jessica Rosenworcel, Federal Communications Commission Chair.
Both major U.S. political parties are utilizing AI, from deploying AI-voiced advertisements to analyzing voter data. The increasing awareness of potential technology misuse — especially in creating persuasive deepfakes — is spurring discussions about the need for more stringent regulations.
The proposed FCC regulations would require political advertisements on radio, TV and cable to clearly disclose any AI-generated content. The FCC, however, does not have authority to regulate internet or social media ads.
This comes as the FCC fined Steve Kramer $6 million for his role in the AI-generated robocalls that mimicked President Joe Biden’s voice ahead of the New Hampshire primaries to discourage voter turnout.
https://twitter.com/AP/status/1793672267945181484
Kramer, a political consultant for Democratic presidential long-shot Dean Phillips, also faces two dozen criminal charges in New Hampshire.
In an interview with local media, Kramer said that he sent out the calls to highlight the urgent need for stricter AI regulations.
“It’s exceeded what my initial thoughts were when doing this,” Kramer said in March. “I think that regulators realize this is a problem and I think legislators realize this is a problem. Now there is real impact and it’s going to keep happening so that we have real regulations that protect those same people who thought they were duped.”
The Biden and Trump campaigns said they’ve limited the use of generative AI to behind-the-scenes productivity tools for data analysis.
At least 9 dead after stage collapses at campaign rally in Mexico
A stage collapsed during a campaign event in Mexico, leaving at least nine people dead and dozens injured, and Nikki Haley makes her election plans known — giving her reasons why she’ll be voting for Donald Trump. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, May 23, 2024.
At least 9 dead after stage collapses at campaign rally in Mexico
Several people were killed and dozens injured when a stage collapsed during a campaign rally in Mexico on Wednesday, May 22. At least nine people were confirmed dead after high winds caused the stage to collapse at the campaign event in northern Mexico.
The victims included eight adults and one child. Officials said about 50 others were injured. Videos from the scene showed politicians, including a Mexican presidential candidate, on the stage as it began to fall.
People were seen rushing off the stage while those in the crowd ran for cover. Residents in the area were warned to stay indoors due to strong thunderstorms. The tragedy occurs as Mexico prepares for its presidential election on June 2.
Haley says she plans to vote for Trump for president
Nikki Haley has announced she plans to vote for former President Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election, despite her previous criticisms of him during the primary season.
When asked who would handle these issues better, the former United Nations ambassador said she would choose Trump over Biden, but emphasized she still does not agree with Trump on all issues.
“As a voter, I put my priorities on a president who’s going to have the backs of our allies and hold our enemies to account,” Haley said. “Who would secure the border, no more excuses. A president who would support capitalism and freedom. A president who understands we need less debt, not more debt. Trump has not been perfect on these policies. I’ve made that clear many, many times. But Biden has been a catastrophe. So I will be voting for Trump.”
Even though Haley suspended her campaign months ago, she has still been receiving a significant share of votes in Republican primaries, including 20% in Indiana earlier in May.
In her comments Wednesday, Haley repeated her call to Trump from her campaign suspension speech, hoping he will reach out to her supporters and not assume they’ll just vote for him in her absence.
The Biden campaign quickly responded to Haley’s decision, saying this changes nothing for the millions of Republicans who have cast their ballots against Trump.
Second US bird flu case emerges in Michigan dairy worker
The worker developed pinkeye but no respiratory symptoms and has fully recovered. Health officials emphasize that while the risk to the general public remains low, they are recommending protective measures for those who come in contact with dairy cattle.
“The risk to the general public remains low,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the chief medical executive for the state of Michigan, said. “We know that with our current understanding of H5 influenza, and H5 influenza particularly in livestock, that there is the risk for sporadic human cases. And that’s what we’ve seen at this time. What we have not seen is any sort of sustained human-to-human transmission.”
This case follows a similar instance in Texas and is under close monitoring by the CDC, which is preparing genetic analyses to better understand the virus’s transmission capabilities.
DOJ antitrust lawsuit targets Live Nation
The Justice Department is expected to file an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, as early as Thursday, May 23, in a New York federal court. The DOJ’s actions could range from demanding the company halt any illegal practices to pursuing a more drastic measure of asking a court to break up the company.
Nvidia reports record revenue powered by rise of AI
Chipmaker Nvidia is experiencing significant success, thanks in part to the surge in artificial intelligence. The company, which manufactures microchips powering most AI applications, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, reported record revenue of $26 billion in its latest quarterly earnings. This represents a 262% increase from last year, surpassing Wall Street predictions.
The company’s shares have increased by more than 90% this year. Following the earnings report, a single share of Nvidia surpassed $1,000 on Wednesday, May 22.
Just five years ago, a share in Nvidia would have cost less than $50.
Lauryn Hill tops Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums list
After a 10-day countdown, Apple Music has named “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” as the No. 1 album in its ranking of the 100 best albums of all time. Upon receiving the news, Lauryn Hill said, “The award is mine,” but noted that her 1998 solo album is a “deep narrative” that “involves so many people.”
Other albums in the top five include “Blond” by Frank Ocean, “Purple Rain” by Prince and “Abbey Road” by The Beatles. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” came in at No. 2.
New Microsoft AI PCs will be tracking everything users do, if they want
Microsoft unveiled a new Windows 11 feature on Monday, May 20, which uses the power of artificial intelligence to take snapshots of all the activities a user does on their computer. The new AI feature, known as “Recall,” takes continuous screenshots of activity, tracking what one sees and does on their computer.
The feature will be part of a new line of AI computers that is rolling out on June 18. Recall will create a database of every action, search performed or live meeting a user attended.
Users can simply perform a Recall action and get a snapshot of the their past activity with added context. The goal is to make research and documentation more seamless by using an AI-enhanced search engine.
Microsoft promised the company will protect users’ privacy. Additionally, the feature can be restricted on sensitive sites, such as banking websites, or any site the user chooses. The feature can also be completely disabled.
Microsoft’s announcement comes on the heels of a major announcement by Google, which unveiled Astra, an AI-powered feature that can converse with users through a Smartphone camera lens. Astra can observe human emotions and even the clothes someone wears.
The project is still in the developmental phases.
Microsoft’s efforts with AI also seem to have the company joining the race between Apple and Google in a bid to ramp up the competition.
Recall will be available on select computers by June 18. The company predicts that 50 million AI computers will be sold in the next 12 months.
Group helps veterans adjust to life after service: Weapons and Warfare
Some veterans make the transition to civilian life with little difficulty, however, that’s not true for all. In this episode of Weapons and Warfare, host Ryan Robertson connects with Warriors Ethos to learn more about its mission to help veterans, and introduces us to one of its success stories.
Schumer hopes to pass AI legislation ahead of elections
The United States Senate has a utopian view of what artificial intelligence can bring, as long as it is properly regulated by the government. Senators said the possibilities include a cure for cancer in years instead of decades, treatments for Alzheimer’s, every child having individualized tutors and the elimination of traffic.
To ensure that the U.S. reaches that utopia, a bipartisan working group released what it calls a roadmap for artificial intelligence policy. The plan is something members hope Congress will follow as it creates AI regulation. Members of the working group are: Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.; Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.; and Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind.
The comprehensive package covers everything from the workforce, national security, intellectual property, privacy, deepfakes, sexual abuse and more. It also encourages Congress to spend $32 billion over the next three years on development.
The senators hope their plan will ultimately make America a friendly place for businesses developing AI technology so they do not move overseas.
“If they are creating items that are copyrightable, patentable or simply having intellectual property rights that they want protected, we want them to recognize that this is the place in the world that will provide them the most opportunity to see their successes rewarded appropriately,” Rounds said.
Lawmakers created the roadmap after conducting nine forums in which they heard from tech executives like ChatGPT’s Sam Altman, Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, national security experts, civil rights groups and privacy advocates. Participants in those forums said it was clear the government needs to make the rules and that the private sector should not police itself.
“Even if a few companies do it, if you have some outlier company, some bottom feeder companies that don’t do it, they put all the rest at a competitive disadvantage,” Schumer said. “So everyone agreed that to deal with the liabilities, we need some government guardrails.”
Senators are excited for what AI can do for quality of life. However, they are not ready to let AI take over legislating.
“It may be used for research purposes, but I don’t think in the near term, we’re looking at drafting laws with it,” Young said.
“I think the large language models are very good at drafting initial drafts, but you have to still have a human in the loop to make sure that, you know, the intent that was designed is actually what comes out the other end,” Heinrich said.
There are dozens of bills and proposals in Congress related to AI. Schumer said Congress will pass some of them this year, including legislation that would prevent AI from influencing elections.
DOJ cracks down on AI threats ahead of 2024 election
Federal prosecutors are increasing efforts to combat election-related crimes involving artificial intelligence. Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced that the Justice Department will seek tougher sentences for crimes using AI, including threats against election workers and voter suppression.
Artificial intelligence continues to be a significant concern as the 2024 election approaches. According to a new Elon University Poll, more than three-quarters of Americans believe AI abuses will impact the election’s outcome.
About 73% of Americans believe it’s “very” or “somewhat” likely AI will infiltrate and manipulate social media, including through the use of fake accounts and bots to spread misinformation.
Seventy percent suspect that AI-generated fake video and audio information will blur the lines between truth and deception. Meanwhile, 62% say AI will be used to convince certain voters to skip voting. Overall, 78% say at least one of these AI abuses will be used and over half think all of them are likely to happen.
Federal prosecutors are stepping up their efforts. Monaco announced on Monday, May 13, that a Justice Department task force will seek tougher sentences for crimes where AI is used, including threats against election workers and voter suppression.
“These advanced tools are providing new avenues for bad actors to hide their identities and obscure sources of violent threats,” Monaco said. “They’re providing new avenues to misinform and threaten voters through deepfakes, spreading altered video or cloned audio impersonating trusted voices. And they’re providing new avenues to recruit and radicalize with incendiary social media content that accelerates online hate and harassment.”
The policy change aims to address the growing challenges posed by AI tools in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election. These tools can easily mimic politicians’ voices and likenesses, spreading false information more effectively. The new guidelines will target cases where AI makes these crimes more dangerous and impactful.
U.S. officials are also concerned about foreign adversaries using AI to spread election disinformation. In December, senior officials simulated a scenario in which Chinese operatives created an AI-generated video showing a Senate candidate destroying ballots.
“Fulfilling that charge means confronting the full range of threats to our elections,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “That includes continuing our work through this task force, our U.S. Attorney’s Offices and our FBI offices across the country to investigate, disrupt and combat unlawful threats against those who administer our elections.”
The Justice Department faces pressure from election officials to investigate the surge of threats and harassment they have received, many of which stem from false claims of fraud in the 2020 election. In March, an Ohio man was sentenced to over two years in prison for making death threats to an Arizona election official.
Bumble founder: Future of dating could be one AI talking to another
The dating world is evolving. The only option used to be meeting people in person, but then came the internet and the ability to meet people virtually. Now, there is artificial intelligence, where an “AI concierge” could soon do it all for dating app users. One person’s AI bot could meet other AI bots to find someone’s best match, according to Bumble’s founder.
“There is a world out there where your dating concierge could go and date for you with other dating concierges, then you don’t have to talk to 600 people,” Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd said at the Bloomberg Technology Summit. “We would scan all of San Francisco for you, and be like, ‘These are the three people you should really meet.’”
Bumble dominates in the dating app space, being the second most downloaded dating app behind Tinder. Dating apps across the board have seen a significant drop in stock since the pandemic. Bumble’s shares are down 80% compared to 2021.
Dating apps are reinventing the space to attract more people since 80% of app users currently say they “often feel emotionally, mentally, or physically exhausted by dating apps,” according to a new Forbes survey.
To address this dating app fatigue, Bumble is rolling out a new plan.
Since its origin in 2014, Bumble’s biggest difference from its competitors was allowing women to make the first move and send the first message. Men wanting to message women had to wait for a woman to show interest first.
Now, that feature has changed and anyone can start up the conversation. Bumble is also making that part of the process easier for its users, including AI-generated messages to send new matches.
For now, the AI-generated “concierge” is just a concept but an example of what the future of Bumble could soon look like.
At the same Bloomberg Technology Summit, Herd went on about the impacts AI could have in the industry. While the idea of an AI concierge doing the work for users may seem like its removing human interaction, the founder said this is just the beginning of using artificial intelligence to bring more people together.
“We will not be a dating app in a few years,” Herd said. “Dating will be a component. We will be a true human connection platform. This is where you’ll meet anyone you want to meet — a hiking buddy, a Mahjong buddy, whatever you’re looking for. Our focus with AI is to build more healthy and equitable relationships.”