The newsletter further delves into the ethical implications of AI consciousness, with the risk of either subjugating a conscious AI or compromising human safety for an unconscious AI. It also mentions the use of AI in seeking out critical minerals to reduce reliance on China and Russia, the ability of Apple's AirTags to share their location with airlines, and a new mathematics benchmark being kept secret to prevent AI models from training against it.
Key takeaways:
- Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk to help streamline the government, with Musk expected to treat the US government like his loss-making social network.
- Ben Zhao and his colleagues have developed tools called Glaze and Nightshade to protect artists' work from nonconsensual AI scraping, aiming to shift the balance of power from large corporations back to individual creators.
- Gene-editing technologies could revolutionize plant engineering, potentially speeding up the process of creating new plant varieties and increasing agricultural yield.
- AI consciousness is a complex and morally significant issue. Failing to identify a conscious AI could lead to the subjugation of a sentient being, while mistaking an unconscious AI for a conscious one could compromise human safety.