Podcast Summary
Google deploys Alphabet robots for custodial tasks: Google deploys Alphabet's Everyday Robots, equipped with one arm, base, and camera head, to perform custodial tasks in their offices using reinforcement learning and simulation. This marks a shift from lab learning to operating among humans, a significant milestone in creating general-purpose learning robots.
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is putting its prototype robots to work, marking an important step in robotics research as they are now being deployed inside Google's offices to perform custodian-like tasks. These robots, which are part of Alphabet's Everyday Robots project, are equipped with one arm, a base, and a camera head, and are designed to learn and perform mundane tasks autonomously using reinforcement learning and simulation. This development signifies a significant shift from learning in a lab environment to operating among humans, and it's an exciting development for the field of robotics. The robots, which are about 100 or more in number, are currently cleaning up Google's offices in the Bay Area. This deployment marks an important milestone in the effort to create general-purpose learning robots and could pave the way for more advanced uses of robots in human spaces. It's a cool and exciting development to see these robots in action, and it's a significant step forward in the field of robotics.
Robots Expanding Capabilities, AI-Assisted Writing Tools Raise Funding: Robots are evolving to perform more tasks, AI-writing tools like Grammarly and Rider gain funding, Facebook AI introduces mass auto encoders for learning from incomplete data, potentially advancing computer vision and machine learning.
Robots, initially designed for recycling sorting, are now expanding their capabilities to perform more general tasks. This evolution started around 2015 and gained significant momentum in 2019. In the business world, AI-assisted writing tools like Grammarly and Rider are making waves, with Grammarly raising $200 million at a $13 billion valuation. Grammarly's success lies in its vast user base and the growing trend of Natural Language Processing (NLP). This funding round signals Grammarly's intent to make their tool even more sophisticated using NLP and other technologies. Rider, a smaller competitor, focuses on marketing teams and creating effective marketing copy. Grammarly's reach extends to over 500,000 applications and websites, making it a valuable asset for both consumers and businesses. In the realm of computer vision, Facebook AI's recent paper on mass auto encoders marks a significant leap forward. Mass auto encoders, an extension of traditional auto encoders, are designed to decode masked inputs to their original state. This approach is particularly useful in image processing but can also be applied to language domains by masking tokens. The potential of mass auto encoders lies in their ability to learn from incomplete data, making them scalable vision learners. This research could pave the way for advancements in computer vision and machine learning.
Advancements in AI image recognition and diversity in academia: Facebook AI researchers scaled up visual transformer models, using them as encoders and decoders, and discovered masking 75% of images prevents easy reconstruction. Princeton University welcomed its first black female faculty member in engineering and computer science, focusing on probabilistic modeling and certainty in automated systems.
Researchers at Facebook AI have made strides in scaling up visual transformer models for image recognition tasks. They achieved this by using these models as encoders and decoders, and discovered that masking a large portion (75%) of the image is necessary to prevent easy reconstruction. This builds on prior ideas and is a simple yet effective framework. Elsewhere, a groundbreaking development at Princeton University saw IG Dying become the first black female faculty member in their engineering and computer science departments. Her focus on probabilistic modeling of unlabeled data and incorporating certainty into automated decision-making systems is an important addition to the field. Lastly, a Utah company, Converis, claims to have revolutionized truth-telling technology with their Eye Detect product, which purports to detect lies based on eye behavior. However, experts are highly skeptical of its effectiveness. These stories highlight advancements in AI research, diversity in academia, and the ongoing debate surrounding AI-driven truth detection.
Lie Detection and Ethical Dilemmas: Controversial techs like lie detection and mass data collection raise ethical concerns. IS Act's eye movement lie detection system lacks scientific backing, while selling foreigners' photos for facial recognition breaches privacy.
The use of controversial technologies like lie detection and mass data collection raises significant ethical concerns. During the discussion, it was mentioned that a company called IS Act claims to have developed a lie detection system using eye movements, but the scientific community has largely discredited polygraphs and there's no concrete evidence supporting the effectiveness of this method. Furthermore, the South Korean Ministry of Justice was criticized for selling millions of photos of foreign nationals to facial recognition companies without their consent, which was described as a human rights disaster. On a lighter note, AWS made headlines for commissioning a major art piece called "Me Plus You" for the Smithsonian's Futures exhibit, which uses AI to respond to people's sentiments. However, the conversation also highlighted the potential dangers and ethical dilemmas posed by these technologies and the importance of transparency and consent in their use.
AI enhances art experiences through interactive installations: AI technology is revolutionizing art by creating immersive and interactive installations that respond to viewer input, sparking excitement for future developments in the field.
AI technology is increasingly being integrated into art installations, creating interactive and immersive experiences for viewers. The first example discussed was a fiber optic mandala installation where people could share their thoughts, and the AI would respond by changing the color of the lights based on sentiment analysis. This simple use of AI sparks excitement for more physical and digital, interactive art pieces. The second example featured GOGAN AI, which allows users to paint colors onto an image, and the AI generates corresponding elements based on the colors. Now, with the addition of words, users can create descriptions, and the AI generates images accordingly. This next generation of GOGAN is an attractive and powerful tool, making it easy for anyone to use and create impressive results. Both installations demonstrate the potential of AI in art, creating engaging experiences that acknowledge the presence and input of viewers. These developments show that AI is not just a tool for creating art but also a means of enhancing the overall art experience. As these installations become more common, we can look forward to a future where art is not only visually stimulating but also interactive and responsive.
Discussing the latest AI news and trends: Listeners can subscribe to Last Week in AI's newsletter or podcast for insightful discussions on the latest AI news and trends. They are encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions.
This week's episode of Skinda Today's Last Week in AI podcast covered various topics in the field of artificial intelligence. The hosts discussed several articles and encouraged listeners to check them out through their weekly newsletter or website, lastweekin.ai. They also mentioned that they have two domains for the newsletter and podcast, which might seem a bit confusing but assured listeners that they can subscribe and write to them through either platform. The hosts emphasized the importance of feedback and invited listeners to rate, review, and email them with any thoughts or suggestions. They concluded by promising new content in the upcoming episode. So, stay tuned to Last Week in AI for insightful discussions on the latest trends and developments in AI.
