UN Launches AI Task Force
PLUS: Researchers from UBC and Honda have developed a sensor-laden skins with the potential to improve prosthetics and interactions, and more!
Alexander Brogan & Casey Clifton
October 30, 2023
Good morning. Today is Monday, October 30th, and we’re covering the UN launching an AI advisory body for global governance, companies being cautious on large AI investments, and Google introducing tools to verify image authenticity. New to The Intelligence Age? Sign up here.
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News & Insights
UN Launches International Advisory Body On AI Governance
The UN's freshly minted AI advisory board is on a mission to harness AI's potential for global betterment, while keeping its risks in check. This interdisciplinary taskforce unites government and private sector experts, researchers, and civil society. The UN's secretary-general, António Guterres, underscores AI's transformative power, but warns against its malicious use, which could erode institutional trust and potentially threaten democracy.
The advisory body's immediate to-dos include building global consensus on AI risks and opportunities, aligning AI with UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and bolstering international cooperation on AI governance. Preliminary recommendations are expected by year-end, with final guidelines slated for summer 2024. siliconrepublic
Why does this matter?
As the AI sector continues to evolve, efforts like this UN initiative highlight the pressing need for global collaborative governance. This sets a precedent for how we might approach oversight of other emerging technologies in the future.
Companies Aren't Spending Big On AI. Here's Why That Cautious Approach Makes Sense
According to a new survey, tech leaders are tiptoeing around large-scale AI implementations, with just 10% reporting such ventures. The focus remains on research rather than production. Roughly half (49%) of companies are piloting or conducting small-scale AI applications, while a third are exploring generative AI's potentials.
The hesitancy to invest hefty sums in AI is driven by a couple of reasons. First, many organizations, after making significant IT investments during the COVID-19 pandemic, find themselves in a cash crunch. As Bev White, CEO of Nash Squared, advised in an interview with ZDNET, "digital leaders are trying to balance the books -- they're thinking 'what's going to give me the greatest return for investment right now.'" Second, generative AI, though promising, is still in its infancy. Each new iteration of large language models brings new opportunities and risks. "You're accountable as a CIO or CTO of a big enterprise. You want to be sure about what you're doing with AI," White added. zdnet
Google's New Tools Help Users Verify The Authenticity Of Images Online Faster
Google's upping its game on image authenticity verification. With the proliferation of AI-generated images, misinformation is a real concern. Google's response? The "About this image" and "Fact Check Explorer" tools, aimed at arming users with crucial image metadata and fact-checking capabilities respectively.
Direct access to image history and usage via a single tap, and AI image markers are now in the hands of users. Google's not alone in this venture, Leica's also embedding authenticity details at point of image capture. The goal? Transparent image creation and usage that everyone can understand and trust. zdnet
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Research Review
Engineers Develop Breakthrough 'Robot Skin'
The power of touch is stepping into the robotic realm. Researchers from UBC and Honda have crafted a sensor skin capable of enhancing prosthetics and human-robot interaction. This stretchable, sensitive innovation mirrors human skin in texture and responsiveness, allowing for dexterous handling of delicate items, such as soft fruit or a glass of water, by robotic or prosthetic limbs.
The sensor's composition is ingenious. Using silicone rubber, it replicates human skin's ability to buckle and wrinkle. The team utilized weak electric fields to enable object sensing even at a distance, making it a perfect candidate for people-friendly robots. The sensor's fabrication simplicity also paves the way for easy scalability and mass production. techcrunch
Written by Isaac R. Ward, Casey Clifton, and Alex Brogan.
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