🤔 Wiser! #133: AI Safety | WorldCoin | RIP TwitterX
AI safety is a huge topic, and not getting enough attention. But then it is battling for attention against the appeal of massive productivity gains and making more money! Plus: WorldCoin launches
What's In Wiser! This Week?
The big story for me was Meta's decision to release its AI model as open source. It's a bold move that shouldn't be underestimated. Just look at how the use of open source deepfake technology has gone astray.
Despite my best efforts to leave Twitter out of Wiser! I couldn't ignore Musk's delusions over the rebrand to X. Plus, the leading AI companies have signed up to a "play nicely" deal with the US Gov. It's a token gesture, albeit well intended.
Speaking of AI (which is an everyday occurrence now!), I've changed my POV on Claude, which I'm now using more than ChatGPT. I feel another book coming on! And Microsoft have added an AI powered beauty filter using augmented reality from Maybelline to Teams. Unfortunately it can not add a full head of hair to my bald pate!
Finally, deepfake has been my topic of research this week as the feature for next's member's article. Shaun and I discuss it in the latest podcast show that will be published any day now. I've made a video for YouTube too.
ATB, Rick
P.S. REMEMBER: Insight and Information Gives You Leverage!
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WiserPLUS! members get an exclusive article every week, unlimited access to the Emerging Technologies Index and free copies of all my eBooks. Here is the latest article...
AI Safety: How Meta's Open Source AI Threatens the Future of Trust in AI
When Mark Zuckerberg unveiled public access to Meta's large language AI model, Llama 2, he did something different to the other tech firms around him. He announced that Llama 2 would be open source.
Unlike ChatGPT, Google's Bard or Anthropic's Claude, which are all closed systems controlled by their elite, tech developers, Meta's Llama is now in the hands of anyone to do whatever they want with it.
And given that it was only a few months back that leading experts were calling for a pause on AI development due to the inherent risks of unpredictable and, frankly, uncontrollable AI systems, it could be considered irresponsible to let such power loose without any guardrails or controls.
And let's face it, we've seen with deepfake technology how an open source approach to technology development has the ability to attract the worst in human nature.
For this week's WiserPLUS! member's article, I take a closer look at Meta's approach and contrast it with Anthropic and their constitutional approach to AI safety.
WorldCoin’s Iris Scanning Identity Crypto Has Launched
The story of WorldCoin, which I first wrote about in 2021, needs more space than I have here. So I’ve written an article about it here. But in a nutshell, Sam Altman, the boss of OpenAI, has his fingers in another pie called WorldCoin. The idea is simple, scan everyone’s irises into a blockchain database and you have a global, trusted, digital identity system. Perfect for a digital 21st century.
Here’s The Thing: I think there’s more to this story than just crypto and digital identity management. I think we’re about see the convergence of crypto, web3 and AI. The common denominator is Sam Altman. Read all about it here.
Leading AI Firms Agree To Safety Measures With US Gov
Seven of the leading artificial intelligence companies, including Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI, have committed to being more transparent about their models and taking measures to reduce their potential harm, as per the request of the Biden administration.
These measures include allowing outside experts to test their models before release, creating a system to indicate when content is AI-generated, and prioritising research to avoid bias and discrimination in their technology. President Joe Biden announced these commitments during a press conference on Friday.
Here’s The Thing: Make no bones about it, the global race to AI dominance is underway. We can talk all we like about the harm, safety and risks of AI systems in the wrong hands or used for nefarious purposes, but the fear of losing out to the Chinese weights much heavier for the United States. So, whilst the move should be welcomed, IMHO, it’s a waste of time. Just as we’re seeing now with climate change, where business interests have outweighed public safety for decades, the same is about to happen in AI. Mark my words!
Twitter Is Gone, Long Live The X
In a bizarre and inexplicable turn of events, Elon Musk has killed off the only valuable asset left at Twitter. The name itself. Tweets are now X’’s and Twitter is now X. The promise is for a new future for the rebranded Twitter as a super app, like WeChat. This involves adding payments and e-commerce to the social media news app so that it becomes the only app anyone needs. It’s of course, complete pie in the sky. The deluded fantasy of a deluded mind, IMHO.
Here’s The Thing: Twitter always punched above its weight in brand recognition. As a significantly smaller player Twitter was always mentioned in the same breath as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Go around the world and everyone’s heard of Twitter. Firms spend billions to get that level of brand recognition.
But that doesn’t mean that X can ever be like WeChat. The environment, the circumstances, the ubiquitous use of WeChat in a Chinese economy that’s driven by a cashless agenda from the CCP is entirely different to the economy that Twitter operate in. Add to that the fundamental question of TRUST. Would you trust Twitter, aka X, with your payment and card details? This ain’t Apple!
As I predicted in January, Elon Musk will walk away from Twitter with nothing (and I never even mentioned Threads!)
MY BAD: Anthropic’s Claude Isn’t So Bad After ALL
In Wiser! #130 a couple weeks ago, I wrote that I was disappointed with Claude. To be fair, I was at the time. However, I’ve persevered with Claude and have turned 180 degrees in my opinion. In fact, I’m using Claude more now than ChatGPT. Not because ChatGPT has gotten worse (I didn’t buy into the Stanford report) but because Claude can do things ChatGPT can’t.
Here is an excerpt from chapter 4 of my book "The Ultimate Beginner's Guide To ChatGPT."
Chapter 4: Maximising ChatGPT's Potential
Harnessing the Power of Conditional Prompts
To maximise the potential of ChatGPT and obtain high-quality output, it's essential to employ effective strategies. Consider the following techniques:
Start with a Clear and Specific Prompt: Begin your conversation with a prompt that clearly articulates your question or desired outcome. The more specific and concise your prompt is, the better chance you have of receiving accurate and relevant responses.
Experiment with Different Prompt Variations: If you're not satisfied with the initial response, don't hesitate to iterate and experiment with different prompt variations. Adjust the wording, provide additional context, or ask the question from a different angle to see if it elicits a more desirable response.
Provide Examples and Clarifications: If you're seeking a specific type of response, it can be helpful to provide examples or clarifications in your prompt. This helps the model understand the desired format, tone, or content, increasing the likelihood of generating output that meets your expectations.
The Beginner's Guide to ChatGPT is written in an easy to understand and non-technical (as much as I could make it) format. It's intended for anyone who wants to use ChatGPT, is not super technical, and wants to know the basics of how to go about it. The book is free to all WiserPLUS! members.
Here's The Thing: most of the principles and approaches outlined in the book can be used on any of AI systems. There are differences in the way the AI large language models handle prompts, but in the main, what you learn can be applied across them all.
What Else Is Going On In Tech?
Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon team up on maps project to crack Apple-Google duopoly
Facebook surpasses 3 billion monthly active users as revenues grow 11%, but the firm lost $7.7 billion on the VR business in last 6 months.
FTC investigates OpenAI over data leak and ChatGPT’s inaccuracy
Microsoft is adding Maybelline's AI-powered beauty filters to Teams.
McKinsey Partner With Cohere Who Announce Their Enterprise AI Platform Coral
Putin Says ‘Yes’ to a Russian CBDC, Creating a Digital Ruble
Louis Vuitton has launched a ‘Speedy’ bag NFT that comes with a physical incarnation.
Chart Of The Week
Almost The Entire Population Of China Uses WeChat
To put this chart into context, the current population of China is 1.42 billion and the number of monthly active users of WeChat is 1.32 billion. Almost everyone in China is using WeChat. When Elon Musk says he wants to make Twitter/X just like WeChat, this is what he has in mind. Get more insights from Chartr.
Tech Insights Shaping Tomorrow's World.
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