Lifeboat Foundation

The rise in capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) systems has led to the view that these systems might soon be conscious. However, we might be underestimating the neurobiological mechanisms underlying human consciousness.

Modern AI systems are capable of many amazing behaviors. For instance, when one uses systems like ChatGPT, the responses are (sometimes) quite human-like and intelligent. When we, humans, are interacting with ChatGPT, we consciously perceive the text the language model generates, just as you are currently consciously perceiving this text here.

The question is whether the language model also perceives our text when we prompt it. Or is it just a zombie, working based on clever pattern-matching algorithms? Based on the text it generates, it is easy to be swayed that the system might be conscious.

In a world first, artificial intelligence demonstrated the ability to negotiate a contract autonomously with another artificial intelligence without any human involvement.

British AI firm Luminance developed an AI system based on its own proprietary large language model (LLM) to automatically analyze and make changes to contracts. LLMs are a type of AI algorithm that can achieve general-purpose language processing and generation.

Jaeger Glucina, chief of staff and managing director of Luminance, said the company’s new AI aimed to eliminate much of the paperwork that lawyers typically need to complete on a day-to-day basis.

So-called neuromorphic networks could be a much more efficient way to train and run machine learning algorithms.

The future of smart glasses is about to change drastically with the upcoming release of DigiLens ARGO range next year. These innovative smart glasses will be powered by Phantom Technology’s cutting-edge spatial AI assistant, CASSI. This partnership between DigiLens, based in Silicon Valley, and Phantom Technology, located at St John’s Innovation Centre, brings together the expertise of both companies to create a game-changing wearable device.

Phantom Technology, an AI start-up founded by a group of brilliant minds, has been working diligently over the years to develop advanced human interface technologies for AI wearables. Their breakthrough 3D imaging technology allows users to identify objects in their environment, enhancing their overall experience. With DigiLens incorporating Phantom’s patented optical platform into their consumer product, customers can expect a new era of smart glasses with unparalleled features.

CASSI, the novel spatial AI assistant designed by Phantom Technology, aims to boost productivity and awareness in enterprise settings. This innovative assistant combines computer vision algorithms with a large language model, enabling users to receive step-by-step instructions and assistance for various tasks. Imagine effortlessly locating any physical object or destination in the real world with 3D precision, using your voice to generate instructions, and seamlessly managing tasks using augmented reality.

In recent years, the field of artificial intelligence has witnessed remarkable advancements, with researchers exploring innovative ways to utilize existing technology in groundbreaking applications. One such intriguing concept is the use of WiFi routers as virtual cameras to map a home and detect the presence and locations of individuals, akin to an MRI machine. This revolutionary technology harnesses the power of AI algorithms and WiFi signals to create a unique, non-intrusive way of monitoring human presence within indoor spaces. In this article, we will delve into the workings of this technology, its potential capabilities, and the implications it may have on the future of smart homes and security.

The Foundation of WiFi Imaging: WiFi imaging, also known as radio frequency (RF) sensing, revolves around leveraging the signals emitted by WiFi routers. These signals interact with the surrounding environment, reflecting off objects and people within their range. AI algorithms then process the alterations in these signals to form an image of the indoor space, thus providing a representation of the occupants and their movements. Unlike traditional cameras, WiFi imaging is capable of penetrating walls and obstructions, making it particularly valuable for monitoring people without compromising their privacy.

AI Algorithms in WiFi Imaging: The heart of this technology lies in the powerful AI algorithms that interpret the fluctuations in WiFi signals and translate them into meaningful data. Machine learning techniques, such as neural networks, play a pivotal role in recognizing patterns, identifying individuals, and discerning between static objects and moving entities. As the AI model continuously learns from the WiFi data, it enhances its accuracy and adaptability, making it more proficient in detecting and tracking people over time.

A scientist claims to have developed an inexpensive system for using quantum computing to crack RSA, which is the world’s most commonly used public key algorithm.

See Also: Live Webinar | Generative AI: Myths, Realities and Practical Use Cases

The response from multiple cryptographers and security experts is: Sounds great if true, but can you prove it? “I would be very surprised if RSA-2048 had been broken,” Alan Woodward, a professor of computer science at England’s University of Surrey, told me.

New research from a consortium of quantum physicists, led by Trinity College Dublin’s Dr. Mark Mitchison, shows that imperfect timekeeping places a fundamental limit to quantum computers and their applications. The team claims that even tiny timing errors add up to place a significant impact on any large-scale algorithm, posing another problem that must eventually be solved if quantum computers are to fulfill the lofty aspirations that society has for them.

The paper is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

It is difficult to imagine modern life without clocks to help organize our daily schedules; with a digital clock in every person’s smartphone or watch, we take precise timekeeping for granted—although that doesn’t stop people from being late.

Even as toddlers, we have an uncanny ability to turn what we learn about the world into concepts. With just a few examples, we form an idea of what makes a “dog” or what it means to “jump” or “skip.” These concepts are effortlessly mixed and matched inside our heads, resulting in a toddler pointing at a prairie dog and screaming, “But that’s not a dog!”

Last week, a team from New York University created an AI model that mimics a toddler’s ability to generalize language learning. In a nutshell, generalization is a sort of flexible thinking that lets us use newly learned words in new contexts—like an older millennial struggling to catch up with Gen Z lingo.

When pitted against adult humans in a language task for generalization, the model matched their performance. It also beat GPT-4, the AI algorithm behind ChatGPT.

75 years ago Claude Shannon, the “father of information theory,” showed how information transmission can be quantified mathematically, namely via the so-called information transmission rate.

Yet, until now this quantity could only be computed approximately. AMOLF researchers Manuel Reinhardt and Pieter Rein ten Wolde, together with a collaborator from Vienna, have now developed a simulation technique that—for the first time—makes it possible to compute the information rate exactly for any system. The researchers have published their results in the journal Physical Review X.

To calculate the information rate exactly, the AMOLF researchers developed a novel simulation algorithm. It works by representing a complex physical system as an interconnected network that transmits the information via connections between its nodes. The researchers hypothesized that by looking at all the different paths the information can take through this network, it should be possible to obtain the information rate exactly.