Last Week in AI

Discover BeachBot, the AI-driven robot cleaning up beaches by collecting cigarette butts. Uncover a fully autonomous beehive that aims to save dwindling bee populations. Learn about alarming research revealing malware risks hidden within AI models. Twitter's innovative bounty program tackles algorithmic bias, offering cash prizes for identifying issues. Finally, explore the fascinating role of robots at the Tokyo Olympics, serving as both playful mascots and functional helpers. It's a mix of innovation, ethics, and environmental solutions!

The hosts celebrate their 100th milestone by reflecting on their journey of podcasting, emphasizing the connection formed during the pandemic. They discuss the remarkable rise of generative AI, tackling both its innovative uses and the skepticism it often faces. There's a spotlight on AI's transformative role in healthcare, along with insights into legislative efforts like the EU Draft Artificial Intelligence Act. The path ahead is filled with excitement as they share how audience feedback has influenced their growth and future plans.

In this engaging conversation, Kathleen Walch and Ron Schmelzer, co-hosts of the AI Today podcast and analysts at Cognilytica, delve into the complexities of AI in government. They discuss significant obstacles to federal AI adoption and spotlight experts like Justin Marsico on data governance. The duo also highlights the AI Center of Excellence's role and shares insights about data initiatives in states like California and North Dakota, revealing the crucial impact of chief data officers in enhancing government operations.

Discover the future of self-driving technology through the lens of pizza delivery robots! Delve into DeepMind's AlphaFold, making AI-powered protein structure prediction accessible. Explore the ethical dilemmas of voice cloning, sparked by a synthetic version of Anthony Bourdain. Uncover the civil rights concerns around widespread facial recognition in retail spaces. Plus, hear a tech CEO’s bold claims about AI's impact, compared to the invention of fire. Join the conversation on AI’s rapidly evolving landscape!

Jeremie Harris, co-founder of ShapestMinds and host of the Towards Data Science Podcast, dives into the notable advancements in AI during 2021. The conversation explores the fascinating avocado armchair AI, the ethical dilemmas surrounding facial recognition after a false arrest in New Jersey, and even a new Nirvana song generated by AI. They discuss the transformative potential of multimodal models and the broader implications for creativity, copyright, and ethical practices in the fast-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.

Innovative AI projects are putting politicians in the hot seat with humorous art that critiques their inattentiveness. The explosion of AI-generated art showcases groundbreaking techniques blending text and visuals, while gender bias in machine translation raises industry alarms. A dark twist reveals how deepfakes are weaponized for phishing scams. Meanwhile, Elon Musk grapples with the challenges of self-driving technology as critiques pile up. The episode also highlights advancements in robotics and calls for better oversight of YouTube's recommendation algorithms.

Voice AI technology is advancing rapidly, raising concerns among video game actors as machines replicate their voices. The music industry is exploring AI's role in discovering new talent, sparking debates about creativity and ethics. Machine learning is now being harnessed to predict the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy. In a surprising twist, Google's algorithm mistakenly labeled an engineer as a serial killer. Meanwhile, Israel has made headlines with its use of AI-guided drones in military operations, showcasing both the power and peril of AI.

In this engaging discussion, Sean McGregor, ML architect at Syntiant and creator of the AI Incident Database, dives into the critical role of incident documentation in improving AI safety. He shares compelling case studies from Google and Tesla, emphasizing harm classification and prevention. McGregor also sheds light on the cultural aspects of AI through the XPRIZE initiative, illustrating its global impact. He balances the vibrant dualities of AI as a tool and a potential threat while sharing personal stories from his pandemic experiences.

This week, Abigail C, a Stanford PhD and friend of the hosts, shares insights on the latest AI news. They dive into why certain AI models for COVID detection are deemed unfit for clinical use and discuss GitHub’s new AI tool that can write code on its own. The conversation takes a fun turn with a look at GAN Theft Auto, where AI hilariously recreates elements of GTA 5. The team also critiques Amazon’s warehouse robots and the biases plaguing LinkedIn’s job-matching AI, emphasizing the need for ethical scrutiny in AI development.

Jordan Harrod, a PhD candidate at Harvard-MIT specializing in neuromodulation and AI, shares her insights on balancing graduate studies with a popular YouTube channel. She discusses the intersection of neuroscience and machine learning, showcasing her cutting-edge research on enhancing treatments for pain and consciousness. Harrod also reflects on her journey in science communication, making complex topics accessible, and emphasizes the importance of work-life balance, revealing how hobbies fuel her creativity.