The Morning After: Industry leaders say AI presents 'risk of extinction' on par with nuclear war

With the rise of AI language models and tools like ChatGPT and Bard, we've heard warnings from people involved, like Elon Musk, about the risks posed by AI. Now, a group of high-profile industry leaders has issued a one-sentence statement: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.”That’s… heavy. It was posted to the Center for AI Safety, an organization with the mission "to reduce societal-scale risks from artificial intelligence," according to its website. Signatories include OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Google DeepMind head Demis Hassabis. Turing Award-winning researchers Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, the godfathers of modern AI, also put their names to it. Hinton recently left Google over ethical concerns.It’s not the first statement like this. In March, Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak and more than 1,000 others called for a six-month pause on AI to allow industry and the public to effectively catch up to the technology. "Recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one – not even their creators – can understand, predict or reliably control," the letter stated. No specific scenarios elaborate on how AI could threaten humanity, but there’s been more than enough science fiction to make me think of worst cases. Thanks, The Matrix.– Mat SmithThe Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – ... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2023-05-31 11:15:45 UTC ]

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October’s 8 Best SF and Fantasy Books

The hits just keep coming: As autumn descends with blessedly cooler temperatures and falling leaves, so too drop some excellent science fiction and fantasy books. We already sung the praises of Elijah Kinch Spector’s clever debut Kalyna the Soothsayer in August, but that’s moved to October, so... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-10-03 08:56:32 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: What the wearables of tomorrow might look like

Apple's Watch Ultra, with its 2000-nit digital display and GPS capabilities, is a far cry from its Revolutionary War-era self-winding forebears. What sorts of wondrous body-mounted technologies might we see another hundred years hence? In his new book, The Skeptic's Guide to the Future, Dr.... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-10-01 14:30:47 UTC ]
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NASA is slamming a spacecraft into an asteroid on Monday to test planetary defence

On Monday, in what seems like a scene out of a science fiction movie, NASA will slam a spacecraft into a distant asteroid to see whether it can nudge its orbit — all in an effort to test a way to protect Earth from any potential future threats. ... Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2022-09-24 08:00:00 UTC ]
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Marketing in the metaverse—what science fiction can teach brands about Web3

With marketing ploys that are just transaction schemes extended into a digital space, marketers are falling behind the innovation pack. Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2022-09-22 09:30:00 UTC ]
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4 witchy books from the world of science fiction and fantasy

Megan Giddings, Emily Lloyd Jones, Sangu Mandanna and Desideria Mesa add new twists to a popular subgenre. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-09-17 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Who Was Ursula K. Le Guin?

Ursula K. Le Guin was a highly influential and prolific writer of science fiction and fantasy with an interesting upbringing. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-09-07 10:38:00 UTC ]
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Here are the winners of the 2022 Hugo Awards.

The winners of the 2022 Hugo Awards—one of science fiction and fantasy’s most prestigious awards, decided by the popular vote of WorldCon members—were presented on Sunday night at the 80th WorldCon in Chicago, in a ceremony hosted by Charlie Jane Anders and Annalee Newitz. Here are the winners... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-09-05 12:28:16 UTC ]
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Humans want to mine the moon. Here's what space law experts say the rules are

Mining the moon might sound like a concept that belongs in a science fiction novel, but it's likely to be a part of reality in the not-so-distant future. That's made it a hot topic of discussion among space lawyers — yes, there are space lawyers... Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2022-09-01 08:00:00 UTC ]
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One of the Earliest Science Fiction Utopias Was a Protest Against Patriarchy

Solar power. The end of war. Gender role reversal. Dirigibles. First published in 1905, Rokeya Hossain’s short story “Sultana’s Dream” is steampunk avant la lettre, strikingly advanced in its critique of patriarchy, conflict, conventional kinship structures, industrialization, and the... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-08-08 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Tom Doherty Associates Rebranded as Tor Publishing Group

The rebranding of Tom Doherty Associates is designed to show the growth of the company beyond its science fiction and fantasy titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Let’s talk about science fiction and horror by new, promising writers

In our final column for The Post, we revisit books we have savored and many more we hope to read. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-08-04 12:00:00 UTC ]
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What’s the point of Saudi Arabia’s giant sideways desert skyscraper? ‘A big, long symbol of power’

A linear city in the desert is a provocative vision of the city of the future—but it’s been tried before. Saudi Arabia’s proposal for a 105-mile-long building called the Line has all the stuff of a science fiction paperback. The stark desert setting. The kingdom in control of vast amounts of one... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2022-08-04 04:30:19 UTC ]
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New Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels

Three new books, from epic fantasy to biological thriller, consider an age-old question. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-08-01 18:00:06 UTC ]
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Alan Tudyk on His Favorite Sci-Fi to Watch Right Now

The Resident Alien star—and science fiction fan—gave WIRED his picks for the best shows on TV, from Severance to Peacemaker. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2022-07-28 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Fun, Feel-Good, & Empowering Middle Grade and YA Science Fiction and Fantasy

These middle grade and young adult science fiction and fantasy books are empowering and fun, and will provide the best light-hearted escape, like The Lost Ryū by Emi Watanabe Cohen. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-07-20 10:33:00 UTC ]
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The Layer Cake of Science Fiction: A Sub-Genre Primer

Like our universe, the science fiction genre is constantly expanding. Here is a sampling of the seemingly endless list of its subgenres. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-07-18 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Astra Publishing House Acquires DAW Books

Astra Publishing House has acquired DAW Books, bringing a list of 2,000 science fiction and fantasy titles to the burgeoning New York–based, Chinese-owned publisher. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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SFF Books Coming Out in July to Keep On Your Radar

The best science fiction and fantasy books hitting shelves in July. Grab 'em while they're hot! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-07-08 10:37:00 UTC ]
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How Costumes and Conventions Brought Sci-Fi Fans Together in the Early 20th Century

Science fiction has a deep, rich past—one that sees its roots stretch back to ancient times. Fans and scholars often point to Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus as its most recognizable origin point, followed by the works of authors like Jules Verne, H. G. Wells,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-06-29 08:57:17 UTC ]
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Children's Institute 10: Charlie Jane Anders Says ‘Magical Portals Exist, and Adults Aren’t Real’

The science fiction author drew a standing ovation from the Ci10 audience as she discussed her childhood and start as a writer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
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