Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology
By Rhiannon Williams • 1.9.24
Hello! Today: AI is everywhere and being embedded in everything, which is why it's one of MIT Technology Review's 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2024. Plus: what the next 12 months are likely to hold for the rapidly-changing field.
AI for everything: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024
When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November 2022, nobody knew what was coming. But that low-key release changed everything, and by January, ChatGPT had become the fastest-growing web app ever.
That was only the beginning. In February, Microsoft and Google revealed rival plans to combine chatbots with search—plans that reimagined our daily interactions with the internet. And while early demos weren't great, the genie wasn't going back in its bottle.
Never has such radical new technology gone from experimental prototype to consumer product so fast and at such scale. And what's clear is that we haven't even begun to make sense of it all, let alone reckon with its impact. Read the full story.
Looking to the year ahead, all signs point to there being immense pressure on AI companies to show that generative AI can make money and that Silicon Valley can produce the "killer app" for AI.
This year will also be another huge year for AI regulation around the world. In 2023 the first sweeping AI law was agreed upon in the European Union, Senate hearings and executive orders unfolded in the US, and China introduced specific rules for algorithms. If last year lawmakers agreed on a vision, 2024 will be the year policies start to morph into concrete action.
But even as the generative-AI revolution unfolds at a breakneck pace, there are still some big unresolved questions that urgently need answering. Read the full story.
—Melissa Heikkilä
This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter covering the latest AI developments. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday.
As AI, data and digital take center stage across life sciences, we break down what approaches CDIOs and analytics leaders need to consider. Join ZS and an industry expert on March 14 where we'll dive into newly released research on these 100 leaders' priorities, what these priorities mean in practical terms and tips for balancing gen AI with near-term cost, risk and return.
I've combed the internet to find you today's most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 We've finally got a release date for Apple's Vision Pro headset If you've got $3,499 spare, mark February 2 in your diary. (The Verge) + Apple is training its retail staff on how to demo the headset correctly. (Bloomberg $) + These minuscule pixels are poised to take augmented reality by storm. (MIT Technology Review)
2 Things aren't looking great for the Peregrine lunar lander A fuel leak means it's highly unlikely to make it to the moon after all. (WP $) + It started experiencing difficulty just hours after launch. (FT $) + The US company in charge is worried it won't be able to control it much longer. (BBC)
3 The OpenAI and New York Times lawsuit is getting ugly The AI company accused the newspaper of not "telling the full story." (FT $) + The Times is the first major US media organization to sue OpenAI. (NYT $) + How judges, not politicians, could dictate America's AI rules. (MIT Technology Review)
4 China claims to have cracked Apple's AirDrop feature To reveal the phone numbers and email addresses of previously-anonymous senders. (Bloomberg $)
5 Our skies are chock-full of satellites And they're both a blessing and burden to astronomers back on Earth. (NYT $) + Amazon and SpaceX are head to head in a battle for satellite internet dominance. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Your body's cells communicate with each other about aging When they no longer talk to each other, the body starts to decline. (Quanta Magazine) + The debate over whether aging is a disease rages on. (MIT Technology Review)
7 What isn't plant-based these days? Cynics might say it's an easy way for companies to bump up prices. (The Atlantic $)
8 A fantasy games publisher was caught using AI-generated content 🔮 The Magic: The Gathering maker had originally denied any generative involvement. (Motherboard) + This artist is dominating AI-generated art. And he's not happy about it. (MIT Technology Review)
9 It's not just you—dating apps really are getting worse And users are ditching them in favor of IRL serendipity. (Bustle) + Looking for love on the apps is getting more and more expensive. (FT $)
10 Vinted wants to make secondhand clothing our first choice 👚 No seller fees and fiddling around with postage, for starters. (The Guardian)
Quote of the day
"We can be confident we haven't seen a warmer year globally since the birth of Christ."
—Professor Piers Forster, interim chair of the UK's Climate Change Committee, reflects on 2023 being named as the hottest year on record, Sky News reports.
The big story
Computer scientists designing the future can't agree on what privacy means
April 2023
When computer science students and faculty at Carnegie Mellon University's Institute for Software Research returned to campus in the summer of 2020, there was a lot to adjust to.
The department had moved into a brand-new building, complete with experimental devices called Mites. Embedded in more than 300 locations throughout the building, these light-switch-size devices measure 12 types of data—including motion and sound.
The Mites had been installed as part of a research project on smart buildings, and were quickly met with resistance from students and faculty who felt the devices would subject them to experimental surveillance without their consent.
The conflict has deteriorated into a bitter dispute, complete with accusations of bullying, vandalism, misinformation, and workplace retaliation. Read the full story.
—Eileen Guo & Tate Ryan-Mosley
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.)
Our most coveted list of the year, the 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2024, is now live. Learn which technological innovations will have the biggest impact on our lives. Subscribe & save 25%for full access + get a FREE tote.
Subscribe & save 25% for access to our subscriber-only virtual event series, Roundtables. Don't miss our next session on Jan. 16 at 12:30pm ET as we dive deep into the 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024 list and what you need to know about the innovations.
Comments
Post a Comment