Tag Archives: Initiatives

OpenAI Leaders and Ministers Discuss UK-Wide ChatGPT Plus Initiatives | Peter Kyle

Posted on by
Reply

The leader of the organization behind ChatGpt and the UK’s tech secretary recently engaged in discussions about a multi-billion-pound initiative to offer premium AI tool access across the nation, as reported by The Guardian.

Sam Altman, OpenAI’s co-founder, had conversations with Peter Kyle regarding a potential arrangement that would enable UK residents to utilize its sophisticated products.

Informed sources indicate that this concept emerged during a broader dialogue about the collaborative opportunities between OpenAI and the UK while in San Francisco.

Individuals familiar with the talks noted that Kyle was somewhat skeptical about the proposal, largely due to the estimated £2 billion cost. Nonetheless, the exchange reflects the Technology Secretary’s willingness to engage with the AI sector, despite prevailing concerns regarding the accuracy of various chatbots and issues surrounding privacy and copyright.

OpenAI provides both free and subscription versions of ChatGPT, with the paid ChatGPT Plus version costing $20 per month. This subscription offers quicker response times and priority access to new features for its users.

According to transparency data from the UK government, Kyle dined with Altman in March and April. In July, he formalized an agreement with OpenAI to incorporate AI into public services throughout the UK. These non-binding agreements could grant OpenAI access to government data and potential applications in education, defense, security, and justice sectors.

Secretary of State Peter Kyle for Science, Innovation and Technology. Photo: Thomas Krych/Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock

Kyle is a prominent advocate for AI within the government and incorporates its use into his role. In March, it was revealed he consulted ChatGPT for insights on job-related inquiries, including barriers to AI adoption among British companies and his podcast appearances.

The minister expressed in January to Politicshome:

The UK stands among OpenAI’s top five markets for paid ChatGPT subscriptions. An OpenAI spokesperson mentioned: [a memorandum of understanding] aims to assess how the government can facilitate AI growth in the UK.

“In line with the government’s vision of leveraging this technology to create economic opportunities for everyday individuals, our shared objective is to democratize AI access. The wider the reach, the greater the benefits for everyone.”

Recently, the company has been in talks with several governments, securing a contract with the UAE for using technology in public sectors like transportation, healthcare, and education to enable nationwide ChatGPT adoption.

The UK government is eager to draw AI investment from the USA, having established a deal with OpenAI’s competitor Google earlier this year.

Kyle stated that in the next ten years, the establishment of a new UN Security Council will be significantly influenced by technology, especially AI, which he believes will play a fundamental role in determining global power dynamics.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Similar to other generative AI tools, ChatGPT is capable of generating text, images, videos, and music upon receiving user prompts. This functionality raises concerns about potential copyright violations, and the technology has faced criticism for disseminating false information and offering poor advice.

The minister has expressed support for planned amendments to copyright law that would permit AI companies to utilize copyrighted materials for model training, unless the copyright holder explicitly opts out.

The consultations and reviews by the government have sparked claims from creative sectors that the current administration is too aligned with major tech companies.

Ukai, the UK’s foremost trade organization for the AI industry, has repeatedly contended that the government’s strategy is overly concentrated on large tech players, neglecting smaller entities.

A government representative stated, “We are not aware of these allegations. We are collaborating with OpenAI and other leading AI firms to explore investment in UK infrastructure, enhancing public services, and rigorously testing the security of emerging technologies before their introduction.”

The Science and Technology Division clarified that discussions regarding the accessibility of ChatGPT Plus to UK residents have not advanced, nor have they conferred with other departments on the matter.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Aamir Khan: The Indian Film Icon Taking Budget-Friendly Initiatives to Revitalize Bollywood

Posted on by
Reply

A decade ago, Aamir Khan found himself in a challenging position. Despite being a reliable superstar of Bollywood for over 30 years, he noticed a significant drop in the number of Indians who were eager to watch him in theaters.

While Indian cinema holds a revered place and greatly influences society, only about 2-3% of the 1.4 billion populace attends movie theaters.

A major long-standing challenge has been access, especially in rural areas. With his involvement in iconic films such as Lagaan and Three Idiots, Khan has dedicated years to creating thousands of affordable cinemas in remote regions of India, utilizing satellite technology to screen films. Unfortunately, this vision faced numerous bureaucratic hurdles.

Financial barriers also play a considerable role. The cinema experience had once been vibrant and lively, where families would come together, cheer, and enjoy single-screen theaters for just a few rupees. However, the rise of multiplexes has transformed it into a more luxurious affair, with tickets now often costing over Rs 500 (£4.30), making it less accessible for many Indian families.




Aamir Khan and Gracie Singh from Lagaan (previously in India). Photo: AJ’s photo/Aramie

“When I released my first film, tickets were just 10 rupees, and families from all walks of life could afford to fill the cinema halls,” Khan, 60, remarked. “Today, however, the cinema has transitioned into an upper-class medium. As filmmakers, we are not doing enough to connect with the remaining 97% of the populace.”

People are now turning to other platforms to watch films, he stated.

This week, Khan unveiled what he promises could be a solution, referring to it as the “future of Indian cinema.” After the traditional theatrical release, his upcoming film, Sitaare Zameen Par (Stars on Earth), will be available to viewers on YouTube for just Rs 100, which is less than a pound. His previous works, along with future releases, will follow this model.

Choosing YouTube, traditionally a site for trailers rather than full films, was a deliberate choice. With an astonishing 491 million users, India’s YouTube vastly outstrips conventional streaming services like Netflix, which only boasts about 12 million Indian subscribers. Khan noted, “Given its vast reach, it’s an obvious choice.”

“The penetration of the internet in India has skyrocketed, eliminating the need for physical theaters to engage audiences,” Khan mentioned. “I believe this model can reach a wider audience and also benefit the creative community in the film industry. Naturally, theaters should remain our primary focus, but films need to be accessible to most regions at fair prices.”

While Khan prefers to view his films on the big screen, the reality remains that theaters no longer align with the audience he seeks to connect with.

He added, “The idea of paying Rs 100 per household to watch a film together will significantly lower the cost per individual.”




Aamir Khan alongside Gunjan Soni, Managing Director of YouTube India. Photo: Divyakant Solanki/EPA

Khan’s move to provide alternatives is also a reaction to the detrimental effects he believes streaming has on the Indian cinema crisis.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Instead of increasing viewership, streaming has proven to be “counterproductive,” leading to a “cannibalization” of Indian films. The chance for films to be showcased in theaters before being inundated on platforms was significantly reduced.

“I see that cinemas are currently struggling, and I’m contributing in any way I can to help revive them,” Khan shared.

This disruption in the industry has also resulted in considerable losses at the box office. Over the last decade, as right-wing Hindu national politics took precedence in India, many filmmakers have accused Indian film censors of being overly stringent and prohibiting politically sensitive topics.

The top male figures in Bollywood, including Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Salman Khan—often dubbed the “Khan Trinity”—are Muslims and have faced targeted campaigns and boycotts from nationalists accusing them of being “anti-Indian.” Khan expressed ongoing concerns regarding comments he made a decade ago, feeling unsafe amidst “growing intolerance” and endorsing protests.

Khan noted that many in the industry believe their creative freedoms are constrained by decision-makers who lack an understanding of mass communication. “They feel they aren’t free to express their thoughts as they wish,” he explained.

Nevertheless, Khan mentioned that the censorship and other challenges affecting Indian films are not new, dating back to the 1940s. “Every society has a segment with negative attitudes, and that won’t change.”

Despite musings about retirement, including a brief hiatus during the pandemic where he “secretly retired for six months,” Khan says he remains optimistic about the potential of Indian cinema. “I genuinely hope this new model succeeds,” he stated. “If it fails, we could all be in jeopardy.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

OpenAI Secures $200 Million Contract with US Military for “Warfighting” Initiatives

Posted on by
Reply

On Monday, the US Department of Defense awarded OpenAI a contract worth $200 million to implement artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for military use.

The San Francisco-based firm is tasked with “developing prototype frontier AI capabilities to tackle critical national security challenges in both combat and enterprise areas,” as outlined in the Department of Defense award agreement.

As stated by OpenAI, this program marks the company’s inaugural partnership under a startup initiative aimed at integrating AI within government functions. In a blog entry, the organization intends to demonstrate how advanced AI can significantly enhance various administrative tasks, such as healthcare for service members and cyber defense.

The startup assures that all military applications of AI are in accordance with usage guidelines established by OpenAI.

Skip past newsletter promotions

The major tech company is, predictably, promoting its tools to the US military alongside Palantir, an AI defense firm established by Peter Thiel, a conservative tech billionaire influential in Silicon Valley’s rightward shift.

OpenAI and defense tech startup Anduril Industries announced a collaboration late last year to create and implement AI solutions “for security missions.” This partnership merges OpenAI’s models with Anduril’s military technologies to bolster defenses against drones and other “unmanned aerial vehicle systems.”

“OpenAI develops AI with the aim of benefiting as many individuals as possible and endorses US-led initiatives to ensure technology upholds democratic values,” stated Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Senators Challenge Government AI Initiatives

Posted on by
Reply

The government is facing another challenge in the House of Representatives regarding proposals that would permit artificial intelligence firms to utilize copyrighted materials without authorization.

An amendment to the data bill, which required AI companies to specify which copyrighted content is used in their models, received support from peers despite government resistance.

This marks the second instance in Congress where a Senator has requested that a tech firm clarify whether it has used copyrighted material.

The vote took place shortly after a coalition of artists and organizations, including Paul McCartney, Janet Winterson, Dua Lipa, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, urged the Prime Minister to “not sacrifice our work for the benefit of a few powerful foreign tech companies.”

The amendment, represented by Crossbench Peer Baroness Kidron, garnered 125 votes, achieving a total of 272 votes.

The bill is now poised to return to the House of Representatives. Should the government eliminate Kidron’s amendments, it will create yet another point of contention for the Lords next week.

Baroness Kidron stated: “We aim to refute the idea that those opposing government initiatives are against technology. Creators acknowledge the creative and economic benefits of AI, but we dispute the notion that AI should be developed for free using works that were appropriated.”

“My Lords, this poses a substantial threat to the British economy, impacting sectors worth £120 billion. The UK thrives in industries central to our industrial strategy and significant cultural contributions.”

The government’s copyright proposal is currently under reviews in this year’s report, but opponents are using the data bill as a platform to voice their objections.

The primary government proposal would allow AI companies to incorporate copyrighted works into model development without prior permission. Critics argue that this is neither practical nor feasible, unless copyright holders indicate they prefer not to use their works in the process.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Nevertheless, the government contends that the existing framework hinders both the creative and technical sectors and necessitates legislative resolutions. They have already made one concession by agreeing to an economic impact assessment of their proposals.

Peter Kyle, a close aide to the technical secretary, mentioned this month that the “opt-out” scenario is no longer his favored path, and various alternatives are being evaluated.

A spokesperson from the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology stated that the government would not rush into copyright decisions or introduce relevant legislation hastily.

Source: www.theguardian.com

African Reforestation Initiatives May Harm Grasslands and Savannahs

Posted on by
Reply

Introducing too many trees into the African savannah can prevent small plants from accessing sunlight, which can affect the animals that eat them

Karine Boukey/Alamy

Ambitious tree-planting projects aimed at restoring Africa's forests could inadvertently harm grasslands and savannahs by providing too much shade. This can interfere with photosynthesis in small plants, which can have knock-on effects on other parts of the ecosystem.

In 2011, the German government and the International Union for Conservation of Nature launched the Bonn Challenge to restore 350 million hectares of degraded or deforested land around the world by 2030. As part of this effort, the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) was formed, with 34 countries across the continent pledging to reforest his 133.6 million hectares of land.

However, this has raised concerns about how Africa's other major ecosystems will be affected. You can learn more about kate parr Researchers at the University of Liverpool in the UK compared the area of ​​forest restoration efforts in the AFR100 countries with the area of ​​naturally forested areas.

In 18 of these countries, the pledged area was found to exceed the actual forest area, so non-forest habitats must also be included in the pledged area.

Of the 133.6 million hectares committed to reforestation across Africa, 70.1 million hectares are comprised primarily of non-forest ecosystems such as grasslands and savannahs. “It's the size of France, it's huge,” Parr said.

The researchers also found that 52 per cent of projects already underway are located in grasslands or savannahs. Approximately half of these are agroforestry projects. These include planting trees on agricultural land, which tends to be non-forest areas consisting of non-native species with low overall species diversity.

“Trees are great individually, but when you get a lot of them together, they can really change the ecosystem,” Parr says.

In open, grassy ecosystems, trees typically grow in a sparse pattern. Crowding of trees through mass planting can greatly reduce access to sunlight and can damage small plants. This has a knock-on effect on animals such as zebras that eat these plants.

Many of the countries involved receive funding to carry out afforestation projects, so there is an economic incentive to plant more trees, Parr said. “There is also a lack of awareness that these ecosystems are being harmed by tree planting,” she says.

Mr Parr hopes those responsible for tree-planting operations will consider the broader impacts of where they are planted, working with local communities to ensure people's livelihoods are not affected.

Jessica Gurevich A professor at Purdue University in Indiana said: “This is a worrying wake-up call for NGOs.” [non-governmental organisations], national and international restoration efforts, and a misguided “let's plant a tree” public reassured that these efforts must be more tightly controlled and evidence-based. Masu. ”

AFR100 had not commented at the time of publication.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Workplace welfare initiatives have no impact on employee mental health

Posted on by
Reply

Employer-provided benefits initiatives generally do not improve workers’ mental health, but volunteering may be an exception

Nuva frame/shutterstock

A study of more than 46,000 workers found that the benefits initiatives offered by many companies do little to improve the mental health of their employees.

In England, More than half of employers have a formal employee benefits strategy. These include employee assistance programs that provide support for work or personal issues, as well as counseling, online life coaching, mindfulness workshops, stress management training, and more.

“Employers are increasingly offering a variety of strategies, practices and programs to improve wellbeing and mental health,” he says. William Fleming at Oxford University. “Their fundamental purpose is to change people's psychological capacities and coping mechanisms,” he says.

To investigate whether these interventions are useful, Fleming and other researchers conducted the UK’s healthiest workplace survey in 2017 and 2018. He examined responses from more than 46,000 individuals in 233 organizations, the majority of whom were office and service industry employees. Approximately 5,000 people have participated in at least one welfare initiative in the past year. The researchers found that there was no difference in the self-reported mental health of those who participated in these programs compared to those who did not participate. The result was consistent regardless of different types of workers and sectors.

“The program doesn’t seem to be providing any benefits,” Fleming said.

However, volunteer work may be an exception. Employees who participated in company-sponsored volunteer programs reported better mental health on average than those who did not participate. Fleming notes that it’s important to consider that people who are willing to volunteer for a cause may have relatively good mental health to begin with.

Instead of proposing these initiatives, Fleming suggests that employers focus on improving working conditions. For example, they can assess whether someone’s workload is too demanding, whether they’re working too many hours, and whether management strategies can be improved, he said.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com