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LinkedIn leans on AI to do the work of job hunting – TechCrunch

June 15, 2024 | Author: admin

The zeitgeist in technology today is all about artificial intelligence, so in an effort to drive more users and usage, LinkedIn is catering to the buzz. On Thursday, it took the wraps off a raft of new services powered by AI.

The company is betting big on AI and peoplesappetite to see it threaded through experiences on the platform, and is bringing out yet more tools using AI, specifically generative AI, to get things done on the site. New features include using more natural prompts to look for jobs or suitable candidates, and then providing generative AI tools to help people with their job applications (yes, theres a tool to write the whole application and cover letter for you); AI to surface relevant learning material (to learn more about AI, naturally); and generative AI to search all of LinkedIn to find what you need more quickly.

There are a few significant things to note about LinkedIns current focus on AI.

First, as we have pointed out before, this is not LinkedIns first AI rodeo. The company has been threading the tech into its products from its earliest days, and you could argue that there is very little that AI is not touching at the company.

Weve been building with AI since 2007, its head of product, Tomer Cohen, said in an interview with TechCrunch this week. Indeed, the companys connection suggestions, which have often felt very uncanny in what they surface, is one example of where that has played out. We use it heavily for connecting people for defense [security] and how we keep trust in the ecosystem. Its one of our most powerful tools.

The big change that LinkedIn does not want to miss is the one that has swept the rest of the tech world: The wave of AI-powered tools aimed at helping ordinary people do human-centric tasks.

LinkedIn has already been active in that area. It launched a suite of OpenAI-powered tools in October 2023, adding reading and writing tools one month later, as well as tools to help with writing profiles, recruitment ads and company pages.

Second, LinkedIn has different expectations to meet than some of its peers when it comes to the current wave of AI tools. Big social players like Meta or X have found themselves facing different degrees of existential crises over the explosion of interest in generative AI. How will they respond to it? How will they lead it? Should they? Perhaps more directly, how do they make sure that the new-new-thing doesnt cut their businesses out of the next stage of growth?

LinkedIn is a part of Microsoft, which has a 49% stake in OpenAI and a substantial raft of its own AI efforts. Effectively, this takes the pressure off LinkedIn itself of innovating or investing in innovators, leaving it to concentrate on how it can build or integrate tools for its own purposes.

Thats not to say that LinkedIn doesnt have its own metrics to hit, and that it wont be looking at tapping AI to stay current in the market. And it will still leave a lot of question marks around what LinkedIn chooses to explore to that end. The company is most certainly under the eye of regulators: just last week, it was dinged by regulators in Europe over how it targeted ads based on data from those users participation in different LinkedIn groups.

Third, there is something a little ironic about LinkedIn adding in so many more AI features in areas where its being used help users take their hands off the wheel when it comes to creating content on the site.

After many years of people joking about how LinkedIn feels somewhere between creepy and cheesy people get stalked on there for dealmaking, or jobs; people shamelessly self-promote and schmooze its suddenly found itself as an island of calm for working people from the algorithmic acrobatics of Facebook and Instagram spam and the Elonification of what was once Twitter.

LinkedIn touts the idea of presenting your authentic self on the platform: not only by boosting its new verified profile feature (40 million users have been verified now, just a small fraction, so theres some way to go); but through the many, many pieces of thought leadership you get on the site itself about the merits of being authentic.

Yet by introducing more ways to use AI to write resumes, update your profile, write letters and other posts, you have to ask just what authentic really means, or how much its really valued.

Below is a run-down of some of the new features:

Job searches and job applications. Were getting a new way to search for jobs using conversational prompts. It still relies on the data and the job actually existing, of course. For example, finding jobs in journalism in London that pay a salary of at least 100,000 may not turn up much, no matter how many ways you phrase it.

Once you have found jobs and want to apply, you can now generate a cover letter or a letter of introduction, and the AI will also give you a further review of your rsum and other work youre doing.

Learning personalisation. LinkedIn continues to be bullish on its video-based learning platform, and it appears to have found a strong current among users who need to skill up in AI. Cohen said that traffic for AI-related courses which include modules on technical skills as well as non-technical ones such as basic introductions to generative AI has increased by 160% over last year.

You can be sure that LinkedIn is pushing its search algorithms to tap into the interest, but its also boosting its content with AI in another way.

For Premium subscribers, it is piloting what it describes as expert advice, powered by AI. Tapping into expertise from well-known instructors such as Alicia Reece,Anil Gupta, Dr. Gemma Leigh Roberts andLisa Gates, LinkedIn says its AI-powered coaches will deliver responses personalized to users, as a starting point.

These will, in turn, also appear as personalized coaches that a user can tap while watching a LinkedIn Learning course.

The third big area LinkedIn is leaning heavily on AI is search. If you already use LinkedIn in any way, youll know that this is very long overdue, as search has been one of the most neglected parts of the experience on the platform, especially as the platform has grown.

LinkedIn says it will provide more detail on the new search experience in the coming weeks, but expect to see a lot more conversational search as a simpler alternative or replacement for its current search experience, which uses keywords, network distance, geography and other parameters but never feels like its giving you the complete answer.

Alongside all this, LinkedIn is expanding availability of Recruiter 2024, adding more tools for marketers, and introducing enhanced, premium company pages for small businesses.

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Tempus AI Surges in Nasdaq Debut Following IPO – Investopedia

June 15, 2024 | Author: admin

Key Takeaways

Shares of healthcare technology firm Tempus AI surged Friday as they began trading on the Nasdaq.

Trading under the ticker symbol TEM," Tempus AI shares opened at $40 each, $3 above their initial public offering (IPO) price. They jumped nearly 18% to $43.64 at one point before fading to $38.30 as of 2 p.m. ET, a rise of 3.5%.

The company sold 11.1 million shares in the IPO, and the $37-per-share price was at the high end of its target range of $35 to $37. Tempus said the sale raised $410.7 million.

The company uses AI to analyze medical tests to help doctors better treat their patients. Alphabets (GOOGL) Google is among the investors in the firm.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eric Lefkofsky, who was also the founder of e-commerce marketplace Groupon (GRPN), told CNBC that while Tempus is still a money-losing business, it expects "sometime in 2025 to turn the corner and be both cash flow positive and adjusted EBITDA positive.

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Pope to G7: AI a ‘cognitive-industrial revolution’ that could threaten human dignity – National Catholic Reporter

June 15, 2024 | Author: admin

Pope Francis on June 14 issued a stark warning to world leaders that artificial intelligence has led to a "cognitive-industrial revolution" that could undermine human dignity, in an historic speech where he became the first pontiff to ever address the annual "G7" summit.

Artificial intelligence (or "AI"), said the pope, is both "an exciting and fearsome tool" where the "benefits or harm it will bring will depend on its use. We need to ensure and safeguard a space for proper human control over the choices made by artificial intelligence programs."

"Human dignity itself depends on it," he cautioned.

The 20-minute speech took place in the southern Italian region of Puglia, where the "Group of Seven" leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States are gathered from June 13-15 for the intergovernmental political and economic forum known as the "G7."

"We are enthusiastic when we imagine the advances that can result from artificial intelligence," the pope told the world leaders, "but, at the same time, we are fearful when we acknowledge the dangers inherent in its use."

Characterizing AI as a "sui generis"tool, Francis who in 2023 was himself a victim of a "deep-fake"AI-generated image that went viral said that human freedom requires tremendous responsibility when navigating how to develop and use such technologies.

"When our ancestors sharpened flint stones to make knives, they used them both to cut hides for clothing and to kill each other," he said. "The same could be said of other more advanced technologies, such as the energy produced by the fusion of atoms, as occurs within the sun, which could be used to produce clean, renewable energy or to reduce our planet to a pile of ashes."

Francis wasinvited to address the G7 by its host, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said that she hoped global leaders would benefit from the Vatican's ongoing ethical reflections on the usage of AI.

The pope, along with a number of Vatican officials, have been sounding the alarm about both the possibilities and peril of AI since the launch of the"Rome Call for AI Ethics" in 2020.

The document identifies six core principles for AI ethics including transparency, inclusion and responsibility with a number of leading big tech firms such as Cisco, IBM and Microsoft, alongside a range of international organizations and religious leaders, signing onto the principles.

More recently, the pope dedicated his 2024 World Day of Peacemessage to the theme of AI, where he called for a binding international treaty to regulate its development andwarned that it could lead to a "technological dictatorship" if not properly regulated.

"We are enthusiastic when we imagine the advances that can result from artificial intelligence but, at the same time, we are fearful when we acknowledge the dangers inherent in its use."

Pope Francis

Last year, the European Union reached alandmark agreement that provided the first ever global framework for artificial intelligence regulation. While a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the United States has proposed similar legislation, the timeline for its consideration remains unclear.

During his June 14 address to the world leaders, Francis specifically identified lethal autonomous weapons (or "killer robots"), which can independently search for and engage targets, and called for a ban of their use.

"This starts from an effective and concrete commitment to introduce ever greater and proper human control," the pope said. "No machine should ever choose to take the life of a human being."

While the United States isnot known to currently possess such weapons, there are no U.S. laws banning their development or usage.

In his speech, the pope cited a number of specific examples where he said AI programs revealed their limitations: judges using computer programs to determine prison sentences, chatbots that mimic human interactions and students who use such technologies to prepare papers.

In each scenario, the pope noted that AI offered some utility, but ultimately offered diminished or flawed outcomes.

"Indeed, we seem to be losing the value and profound meaning of one of the fundamental concepts of the West: that of the human person," the pope lamented.

Along with the heads of state for the traditional G7 countries, a number of other world leaders were on hand for what was labeled an "outreach" session that also included Argentine President Javier Milei, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Lula da Silva, among others. Francis personally greeted each head of state individually before offering his remarks to the roundtable.

The pope, who traveled to the summit via helicopter and is spending less than 10 hours on the ground in Puglia before returning to Rome, is scheduled to have closed door bilateral meetings with at least 9 heads of state, including U.S. President Joe Biden, later today.

As he concluded his remarks, Francis pleaded with the politicians many of whom face upcoming elections and are managing fragile governing coalitions at home to use their power in service of the common good and to engage in a "healthy politics" to navigate the challenges artificial intelligence presents.

"It is up to everyone to make good use of it," the pope said, "but the onus is on politics to create the conditions for such good use to be possible and fruitful."

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How Apple and Google Are Overhauling Our Phones With AI – The New York Times

June 15, 2024 | Author: admin

Every year, Apple and Google announce major software updates that bring new features to our smartphones, like cosmetic overhauls to the home screen, stronger privacy protections and fun messaging tools. This year, the changes will feel more radical because the companies are focusing on reinventing our phones with artificial intelligence.

At its annual software developer conference on Monday, Apple showed a host of enhancements coming this fall to iOS 18, its operating system powering iPhones. The new tools include a revamped version of its voice assistant, Siri, that is easier to talk to and an A.I. system that will generate images, create summaries of web articles and craft responses to text messages and emails.

Apples news followed Googles Android announcements last month, which included an A.I. system that automatically summarizes audio transcripts, detects whether a phone conversation is likely a scam and helps students with homework.

Because A.I. tech is still new, its unclear whether these improvements will resonate with the masses. The change that will have a more immediate effect has to do with old-school text messages also known as the green bubble. Apple said its new software would adopt a messaging standard that would let iPhone users send higher-quality messages to Androids, addressing an issue that has made it more difficult for people to communicate for more than a decade.

Apple and Google are set to release their free software updates for iOS and Android this fall. Heres what to know about how our smartphones will change.

Apple said it had completely reworked Siri, its 13-year-old virtual assistant.

The assistant will soon be powered by Apple Intelligence, the companys version of a large language model. That type of A.I. technology uses statistics and complex algorithms to guess what words belong together, similar to the autocomplete feature on your phone. Its the same type of underlying technology weve seen powering chatbots like OpenAIs ChatGPT and Googles Gemini. Apple said its system was more private than others because peoples data would remain on their iPhones.

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Microsoft’s all-knowing Recall AI feature is being delayed – The Verge

June 15, 2024 | Author: admin

Microsoft is planning to launch its new Copilot Plus PCs next week without its controversial Recall feature that screenshots everything you do on these new laptops. The software maker is holding back Recall so it can test it with the Windows Insider program, after originally promising to ship Recall as an opt-in feature with additional security improvements.

We are adjusting the release model for Recall to leverage the expertise of the Windows Insider community to ensure the experience meets our high standards for quality and security, says Microsoft in an updated blog post. When Recall (preview) becomes available in the Windows Insider Program, we will publish a blog post with details on how to get the preview.

This means that Recall wont even be available initially to Windows Insiders or anyone who buys a Copilot Plus PC. I wrote in Notepad earlier today that Windows engineers were scrambling to get the security improvements tested and implemented in time for the June 18th launch date of Copilot Plus PCs. Now, Microsoft is essentially admitting here that it needs more time to test Recalls security improvements.

Microsoft firstunveiled the Recall featureas part of its upcoming Copilot Plus PCs last month, but since then, privacy advocates andsecurity experts have been warningthat Recall could be a disaster for cybersecurity without changes. Microsoft committed to three major updates to Recall last week, including making the AI-powered feature an opt-in experience instead of on by default, encrypting the database, and authenticating through Windows Hello.

Recall uses local AI models built into Windows 11 to screenshot mostly everything you see or do on your computer and then give you the ability to search and retrieve items youve seen. An explorable timeline lets you scroll through these snapshots to look back on what you did on a particular day on your PC. Everything in Recall is designed to remain local and private on-device, so no data is used to train Microsofts AI models.

Microsofts decision to delay Recall comes just after vice chair and president Brad Smith testified before the House Homeland Security Committee today. Smith said that Microsoft is putting security above everything, as part of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI). It is more important even than the companys work on artificial intelligence, says Smith.

Smith also revealed that Microsoft will make security a mandatory part of its bi-annual reviews process for all employees. With this change, cybersecurity will be considered in every employees annual bonus and compensation, Smith said.

I reported earlier today in Notepad that Recall was originally created before Microsofts big SFI overhaul begun. Recall was developed in secret at Microsoft, and it wasnt even tested publicly with Windows Insiders. Microsoft subsequently identified some of the security issues with Recall and started to develop and test changes to the experience in recent months. It clearly now needs more time to make sure these changes stand up to its promise of putting security above AI and everything else.

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Apples new artificial intelligence leaves out more than 90% of current iPhone users – EL PAS USA

June 15, 2024 | Author: admin

After nearly two years of waiting, Apple has finally jumped on the generative artificial intelligence (AI) bandwagon, with the big news announced by the companys CEO, Tim Cook, at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). Kicking off the keynote event, Cook announced: Im excited that well introduce profound new intelligence capabilities that we hope will inspire developers, delight users and make our platforms even smarter and more useful than ever.

However, the details that Apple later provided at the keynote and on its website qualified the scope of this technological leap, which will only be available to current iPhone users who have one of the two most powerful models the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max and, in 2024, it will be limited to users who speak and write in U.S. English.

The new Apple Intelligence system and the expected deep revamp of Siri coming in the fall, and in testing phase, with the new iOS 18 operating system will sideline well over 90% of current iPhone users, if they dont buy a new smartphone. In the absence of official data from Apple, estimates indicate that there are about 1.5 billion active iPhone users worldwide, and different analysts estimate that iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max the worlds best-selling phones could number close to 100 million units. This means that Apple Intelligence would not even reach 7% of Apples total cell phone users. Whats more, users outside the U.S. will also be excluded from that percentage for now.

Only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max out of the 24 models compatible with the new iOS 18 will be able to run Apple Intelligence. This system includes functions that are already offered by other technological giants such as summarizing documents, notes, audios and phone calls, suggesting answers to messages, reviewing texts and correcting style and tone, as well as new ones, such as creating new emojis and images from scratch with a few simple directions. The other iPhones will also not have access to the revamped Siri digital assistant, which will be able to understand requests much better, keep the thread of a conversation with the user and ask ChatGPT to solve any questions it cannot answer.

Beyond phones, Apple Intelligence and the new Siri will also be available on tablets and computers with Apple processors the M1 or higher. In the case of iPads, this will benefit five of the 15 models compatible with the iPadOS 18 operating system; and 13 of the 18 computer models compatible with macOS 15 Sequoia. Apple began selling Macs with Apple processors in 2020, iPads Pro in 2021 and iPads Air in 2022. All iPad minis and iPad models without these processors will not have the new smart features.

Nor will Apples leap to generative AI affect its Vision Pro mixed reality glasses, despite the fact that it is one of the companys most modern and sophisticated devices and is equipped with an M2 processor, with more than enough capacity.

The Siri revamp was also long awaited on Apple Watches where the digital assistant works worse than on iPhones and on HomePods which are only voice-controlled with Hey, Siri. Despite this, the new Siri will not be coming to smartwatches, smart speakers or the Apple TV video player for the time being either.

Apple has not provided any information on whether the current models of the different platforms that remain outside the new AI system will be able to access some of its functions in the future, either via the processor or by accessing the same private cloud computing network. This network launched on June 10 will be used to resolve the most sophisticated generative AI requests. There are also no details on when these features will be available in other languages, such as Spanish. The tech giant merely states that Apple Intelligence will be available in beta as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia this fall in U.S. English. Some features, software platforms, and additional languages will come over the course of the next year.

The fact that the revamped Siri will not be available on smartwatches or smart speakers has disappointed tech analysts. Before the keynote, former Macworld editor Jason Snell, posted on SixColors: When Im running or walking my dog, I generally use just AirPods and my Apple Watch. Theoretically, Im covered by Siri, but I generally avoid talking to it because its unreliable.

Bloombergs Mark Gurman, who received a detailed leak of all the keynote announcements days in advance, predicted that Apples AI would have the advantage of being available on all Apple devices. Now he warns that the companys push into AI will take years to pay off and complete, arguing that the new features probably wont do much to supercharge iPhone sales this year.

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After handling MSI’s new AI-infused 2-in-1 business laptop I can see the appeal – Laptop Mag

June 15, 2024 | Author: admin

MSI first announced the Summit business laptop series in 2020 to expand the company's non-gaming laptop offerings. Between the Prestige, Modern, and Summit series MSI has three different offerings in the consumer, business, and productivity sector.

Much like the Prestige lineup, MSI is updating the Summit series with the new Intel Lunar Lake and AMD Ryzen AI "Strix Point" processors. As we covered with the Prestige A16 AI+, these hardware updates come with a decent boost in performance and AI-powered productivity.

One of the big differences between the Prestige and Summit lines is that the Summit comes in a 2-in-1 form factor, while the Prestige line is more focused on portability.

I was able to get a look at the MSI Summit A16 AI+ in Taipei, Taiwan during Computex, the massive annual computer expo that ran from June 3-7 this year. The MSI Summit 16 AI+ Evo was trapped under glass with the Intel Lunar Lake products. While I've often wondered what the Summit line has to offer compared to the MSI Modern and MSI Prestige lines, I came away cautiously optimistic after my time with the Summit A16. But will it be good enough to earn it a spot among the best business laptops when it launches later this year?

Much like the Prestige, MSI is updating the Summit lineup with multiple configuration options. The only pricing and spec information we have at this point is for the AMD powered MSI Summit A16 AI+ with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor, integrated Radeon Graphics, 32 GB of memory, 1 TB of storage space, and a 16-inch QHD+ IPS touch display. That particular configuration will cost $1,699.

Based on the units available for perusal at Computex, it seems the MSI Summit 16 AI+ Evo with an Intel Core Ultra ("Lunar Lake") processor and MSI Summit A16 AI+ with an AMD Ryzen AI ("Strix Point") processor will retain the 16-inch design.

MSI will reveal additional configuration options closer to the launch of the laptops, though the MSI Summit A16 AI+ is expected to launch in Q3 of this year while the MSI Summit 16 AI+ Evo will launch in Q4.

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While the Prestige lineup is focused on delivering a light, portable chassis, the Summit is a little on the chunkier side to make up for the convertible 360-degree style hinge. But that isn't the only difference between the two laptops.

The MSI Summit also has a slightly flashier look with a contrast stripe on the sides of the keycaps and the edge of the trackpad. Those small details help give the Summit a more "premium" feel compared to the Prestige which is rather stripped down and minimalist.

While IPS displays arent generally as vibrant or bright as OLED panels, the MSI Summit A16 AI+ appeared to do well on both fronts, from what we could see at the expo. There was limited glare on the panel and the colors looked deep and expressive.

MSI claims a 100% DCI-P3 rating on the IPS panel, which is certainly at the top range for laptop displays. Well have to wait until we can run the Summit A16 AI+ through our test lab for full display analysis, but MSI has a strong track record for high-quality displays.

Naturally it's a touchscreen panel, though I didnt get a lot of time to test how reactive the touch controls are, but it's rare for touchscreens to have difficulty with inputs these days so thats unlikely to be an issue on the Summit.

This will vary based on the configuration, but any of the Summit A16 AI+ models will handle web browsing, photo and video editing, or any document management tasks youre likely to encounter during the workday.

As part of Microsofts Copilot+ program, it will also have access to a number of AI-powered tasks like intelligent document summaries, image generation, and live captions.

Of course, the final verdict on the Summits performance will have to wait until we can get the laptop into our test lab and run through our gamut of benchmarks and hands-on tests to make a full determination.

Whether you go for the AMD-powered A16 AI+ or the Intel-powered 16 AI+ Evo, there is plenty of power behind the Summit series of laptops. The biggest difference between the Summit and Prestige lines is the design of the two laptops. The Prestige is a minimalist clamshell laptop, while the Summit is a 2-in-1 convertible.

So if you dont mind a slightly thicker chassis to accommodate the hinge and you want the flexibility of a convertible design, the Summit is the way to go. Of course, you do have convertible laptop options from other makers, but for a fully accurate 2-in-1 on 2-in-1 comparison, well have to wait until we get our hands on a review unit for a proper determination on what laptop is the Best 2-in-1.

Travel to and from and accommodation at Computex Tapei was paid for by MSI. The company did not see the contents of this article before publication.

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I Want to Call Out My Friend For Using AI in Her Newsletter: Am I the Literary Asshole? – Literary Hub

June 15, 2024 | Author: admin

Hello again, gentle readers, and welcome back to another riveting episode of Am I the Literary Asshole?, the advice column thats interested in having a little cheese with that whine. Once again, Im traveling as I answer your most pressing questionsthis week to attend the Lambda Literary Awards in New York City! Thats right, they occasionally let me leave the state of Florida (but only for like one weekend at a timeI am the swamps gay ambassador, after all). Excited to report that they have beer here in New York, too. Fingers crossed I manage to roll into a 7-Eleven at some point tonight!

Theres a lot to see and a lot to do (and a lot to drink), so lets get this show on the road. Its Pride again, baby! Cheers from this Top, and Bottoms up!

*

1) My booksta is basically to gather an audience for when my book (whenever that may be) will be done. (I KNOW, Im already an assh*le). Anyway, I want to share my honest opinions about what Im reading, but Im worried if Im being negative about an authors work that it will bite me in the butt down the road. I also dont want to be entirely vanilla and claim everything is great. I also fully understand not everything is for everybody. So I feel like my reviews are turning out to be half hearted and stale. I want people to trust me but I tend to be on the critical side. WHAT TO DO?!?!

This is a particularly fascinating question because from the first sentence youve proudly proclaimed yourself the asshole! So thats one piece of advice I dont have to dole out this round, thank you for making my job easier, friend.

Im joking, of course. Im very much of the opinion that we all act like assholes every once in a while (myself very much included). Thats the reason I wanted to write this damn advice column in the first place! Well, that and the excuse to day-drink. Let he who is without mess cast the first stone when it comes to judging bad bookish behavior. If you know that youre the kind of person who can come across as a little abrasive and youre worried that your honest reviews might impact your own work down the road, I think thats a fair concern.

Will writing negatively about other artists work impact how people treat yours in the future? Friend, its completely possible. If you know that you lean toward the critical in your reviews, understand that people might read that criticism as unfair or overly harmful. They might take offense and very much remember that hurt and anger when your work eventually gets published. Much like those writers youre reviewing cant control how you write about their work, know that you cant control how people choose to take your reviews. Insert that meme here about excitedly reaping only to wake up the next day and realize you have also sown something terribly unwanted. It might help matters if you dont tag the author in anything thats going to be overly critical, but at the end of the day, you cant really control that, either. Its the internet, its everywhere.

I guess the question essentially boils down to a fairly simple one: do you care more about writing honest reviews or are you more concerned with it coming back to haunt you? Once you make that choice, then everything will get a lot easier. Maybe not nicer, but a little simpler.

Lets select another question from the grab bag as I slip into another beer.

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2) A friend of mine runs a small business and she is using ChatGPT to write her marketing newsletters. Kristen, the writing is not good. As a writer, Im appalled by how bad it is. Am I overstepping if I tell her this? Im worried shell be offended even though technically Im insulting an LLLM, not her.

The thing about AI writing all of this stuff recently is that writers can usually recognize when someone is using it. The reason for that? Its pretty bad.

I dont think your friend would be shocked to learn that her marketing newsletters arent reading as beautifully as a poem. I do think that she might be upset if you were the one who decided to point that fact out to her. The program might be technically creating the content, but shes the one whos collecting it and stuffing it into her newsletters. Shes seen it and thought, yes, this is what I will use.

If thats the case, then some part of her probably likes it and (*gulp*) thinks its good. This is her business, not just a hobby, and in all likelihood she takes it seriously. Butting into her work life when it doesnt have anything to do with your friendship might derail your good vibes altogether. Just saying.

However, if you wanted to approach this in a different way, I think its possible to get to the heart of the problem without telling your friend that her work straight up sucks. Youre a writerhave a conversation with this friend about AI and how it affects your own work. Talk with them about the ways that its harmful; how it steals from us. You can also talk about how its not very good at stealing, either. Maybe shell make the connection, maybe she wont. But at least youll have put it out there.

One more question and then Ive gotta get moving. The open bar at the big gay awards show waits for no one!

*

3) Whats the right frequency for a writers meetup? And by that I just mean drinks, no salon, no feedback group, just the margaritas please.

I love this because there is no right answer. The very best kind of question! Are you an extrovert and like to party? Buddy, you could meet up every night of the week! Should you do that? Probably notbut you could! Are you an introvert who prefers meeting only occasionally? Then you could probably get away with every other month (or even longer). Is this a large groupsay, ten or more? Then youre probably going to have more scheduling and calendar issues. If its just like two or three of you? Then it will be easy to plan and you can make it happen on the fly. Mostly I would say you should go with group consensus. And if theres gonna be margaritas, please make sure to send me an invite!

Okay, Im off to the awards! Join me next time when Ill probably still be hungover from this after party. And please keep sending me your anonymous questions! I truly live for them.

Drink responsibly, Dad

______________________________

Are you worried youre the literary asshole? Ask Kristen via email at AskKristen@lithub.com, or anonymously here.

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He has cancer so he made an AI version of himself for his wife after he dies : Consider This from NPR – NPR

June 13, 2024 | Author: admin

He has cancer so he made an AI version of himself for his wife after he dies : Consider This from NPR Michael Bommer likely only has a few weeks left to live. A couple years ago, he was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer.

Then, an opportunity arose to build an interactive artificial intelligence version of himself through a friend's company, Eternos.Life, so his wife, Anett, can interact with him after he dies.

More and more people are turning to artificial intelligence to create digital memorials of themselves.

Meanwhile Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basiska, a research assistant at the University of Cambridge, has been studying the field of "digital death" for nearly a decade, and says using artificial intelligence after death is one big "techno-cultural experiment" because we don't yet know how people will respond to it.

Artificial intelligence has opened the door for us to "live on" after we die. Just because we can, should we?

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Michael Bommer and his wife, Anett. Robert LoCascio hide caption

Michael Bommer and his wife, Anett.

Michael Bommer likely only has a few weeks left to live.

A couple of years ago, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. The doctors told him it was terminal.

"A year ago, I sat with my wife in one of these more teary-eyed exercises, talking about what comes. And my wife said, 'Hey, one of the things I will miss most is being able to come to you, ask you a question, and you will sit there and calmly explain the world to me,'" he said.

He posted online, telling his friends it was time to say goodbye. Then his friend called him up, saying he had an opportunity at his company Eternos.Life for Bommer to build an interactive AI version of himself.

Bommer immediately said yes, and his wife, Anett, was all in, too. They shared with Consider This host Mary Louise Kelly the journey they went on with this project.

You're reading the Consider This newsletter, which unpacks one major news story each day. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to more from the Consider This podcast.

AI has access to all sorts of knowledge, but his wife only wants to ask it questions that only Bommer would know the answers to. Normally, uploading this information would take weeks or months, but Bommer needed to put it together in just a few days.

He says there were two steps to programming it:

"Now, when the AI wants to answer a question, the question goes into... imagine it like a cloud. And in the cloud is all the knowledge which I left for the AI. And he picks parts of the things I talked [about] which fit for the answer and put them together into a strain, into an answer."

Bommer sees his AI as a digital memoir.

"And so if you write your memoir, that's not eternal life. So I see it more as a tool, right? I want to give my knowledge and experience. And then I'm gone... And I want the next generations to inherit my experience and my knowledge as much as possible," he says.

He doesn't care how they choose to use it. "If it's used or not, if they hang it as a picture... or they put it in a drawer, I don't care. I cannot influence that. But I can leave it, right? I can leave it behind."

And his wife, Anett, says she sees it as a tool, too. She's not afraid of it, and if she ever gets afraid she says she would simply not use it.

But when thinking about what questions she might end up asking this tool, once Bommer dies: "I assume perhaps to read me a poem. I could ask him when we met... Or I can ask him, OK, tell me about [how] he proposed... so remembering together all the nice things we had."

Listen to the full episode of Consider This to hear the rest of Michael and Anett's story, and hear from researchers studying this field of digital death about their potential concerns.

This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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He has cancer so he made an AI version of himself for his wife after he dies : Consider This from NPR - NPR

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Can Apple Intelligence break the pattern of half-baked AI? – The Washington Post

June 13, 2024 | Author: admin

On Monday, Apple outlined ways its new artificial intelligence features will let you ask a remodeled Siri to pull up the latest episode of your favorite podcast, use the Mac email app to rewrite your clunky message and generate an AI-customized image in your group chat.

It all sounded useful or fun, in theory. But there are two nagging realities that make it tough to trust AI features that Apple executives described in a prerecorded video and notably, did not demonstrate live or allow many journalists to try.

First, other companies including Google, Amazon and Microsoft have bragged about similarly useful AI features that have not worked nearly as well as they promised. Second, Apple has a rocky track record in AI, including having foisted on you the dimwitted Siri for more than a decade.

If 2023 was the year when AI mania went into hyperdrive, 2024 must be the prove it year.

Too many companies have promised magically useful AI that instead has often been rushed, barely functional, not very useful, insecure or error-prone, including Googles new AI-powered search that suggested people eat glue. All this half-baked technology is a drain on your time, energy and faith in new forms of AI.

Apples new AI-powered features might be great. Most people wont get their hands on the Apple AI features until September or later, and you might need to buy a new iPhone to use them.

Apple discussed what are essentially two tiers of AI coming to some newer iPhones, Macs and iPads: the companys own AI and that of OpenAIs ChatGPT that will step in for tasks that Siri or Apples apps cant handle.

Apple showed, for example, that if you wanted AI help to write a custom bedtime story for your child, your phone might ask for your permission to share your written prompt with ChatGPT.

It wasnt clear to me, however, why it wouldnt be simpler just to use the ChatGPT app or website to generate the bedtime story. (Apples own AI may not be capable of this task yet, or Apple didnt want to risk its AI botching a childrens story.)

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Apple also lowered the bar for itself by not promising an all-capable AI assistant that would let you skip the steps in planning your vacation or a grocery order.

No companys AI can do that, even the AI assistants from Microsoft, Google and OpenAI that say theyre all-capable. (AI cant even peer into all the places you have relevant information, including a Gmail message, Excel spreadsheet and travel invoice in Expedia.)

Instead, Apple said its AI will make what you already do with its apps and later, potentially other companies apps smarter and easier.

Several of the features Apple showed including AI writing helpers and AI for editing objects out of photos are now standard features from Google, Microsoft or Samsung.

Even with the lower bar, its not clear whether Apple can make solid and flawless AI. This is the company that made Siri, the clunky iTunes that even a top executive made fun of, unsuccessful driverless car software and auto-correct that thinks youre typing duck. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

So much AI promises magic and instead is wildly flawed or useful mostly for a small number of tasks.

I dont blame any of you who arent regular users of the new forms of AI and thats most people. Only about 7 percent of Americans are using ChatGPT daily, according to a recent survey conducted for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.

OpenAI announced a chattier version of its chatbot in May, but it didnt have most of the features the company discussed. Google this year scaled back both its AI image generator and the AI-powered search results after high-profile flubs. Meta AI is kind of dumb. Amazon showed an error-prone AI-upgraded Alexa last year and it hasnt been released yet. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

Those goofs arent Apples fault, and the company is usually wary of releasing products before theyre polished.

But the backdrop for Apples AI glow-up is that it and other companies are under so much pressure to show off their AI expertise to investors, employees and business partners. Its hard to know if any AI is really made for you, or if its mostly for corporate self-interest.

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Can Apple Intelligence break the pattern of half-baked AI? - The Washington Post

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