Nigel Farage has announced that he will accept donations via Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
He made his appearance at the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, where he was introduced as a “British presidential candidate.” Farage stated:
He mentioned that the reforms are set to introduce crypto assets and digital finance legislation, aiming to reduce the tax on cryptocurrency transactions from 24% to 10%, thereby transforming the UK into a “crypto powerhouse.” He further noted that the cryptocurrency framework established by his party includes the “Bank of England’s Bitcoin Digital Reserve.”
Farage asserted that the new bill would prohibit banks from criticizing customers who engage in cryptocurrency trading.
On Thursday, the reform website underwent updates to facilitate cryptocurrency donations, with a disclaimer specifying that all contributions must comply with Election Commission regulations, and anonymous donations are prohibited.
During the conference, Farage referred to the acceptance of political donations in digital currencies as “innovative” and later commended the United States for being a “pioneer” in its approach to digital assets.
“My message to the British public, especially the youth, is to help guide our nation into the 21st century,” he said. “We must acknowledge that cryptocurrency and digital assets are here to stay.”
In his address, Farage criticized the inaction of previous Conservative governments concerning the current Labour government and the cryptocurrency landscape. He remarked: “Rishi Sunak delivered one speech about cryptocurrency when he was briefly Prime Minister. What has changed regarding London’s status as a global financial hub? Just one speech and nothing more.”
A spokesman for Reform UK confirmed that the party will accept cryptocurrency donations, with further details anticipated to be disclosed on Friday.
Reform UK is categorized under corporate governance as a private entity led by individuals, rather than functioning as a member-driven association like other political parties. The organization overseeing Reform UK is identified as Reform 2025, a nonprofit with just two members and two directors.
The Trump administration wants to streamline the US government to use AI to increase efficiency
Greggory Disalvo/Getty Images
What is artificial intelligence? This is a question scientists wrestled in the 1950s when Alan Turing asked, “Can you think of a machine?” With large-scale language models (LLMs) like ChatGpt unlocking around the world, finding the answer is more pressing than ever before.
Although their use is already widespread, the social norms around these new AI tools are still evolving rapidly. Should students use them to write essays? Will they replace your therapist? And can they turbocharge the government?
That last question is being asked in both the US and the UK. Under the new Trump administration, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) task force is eliminating federal workers and deploying chatbots with those who have left GSAIs behind. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer calls it a “money opportunity” that will help rebuild the nation.
Certainly there are government jobs that can benefit from automation, but is LLMS a suitable tool for the job? Part of the problem is that they don’t agree with what they actually are. This was properly demonstrated this week New Scientist Using the Freedom of Information (FOI) law, we acquired the ChatGPT interaction of Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology. Politicians, data privacy experts, journalists, and in particular we were amazed at how a request was recognized.
The release of the records suggests that the UK government considers ChatGpt to be similar to ministerial conversations with civil servants via email or WhatsApp. Both are subject to the FOI Act. Kyle’s interactions with ChatGpt show no strong reliance on AI to form serious policies. One of his questions was about which podcasts they should appear on. However, the fact that the FOI request has been granted suggests that some governments seem to believe that AI can speak like humans.
As New Scientist LLM is currently responsible for spitting out the inaccuracies of sound that are as compelling as they provide useful advice, rather than intelligent in a meaningful sense. Furthermore, their answers reflect the inherent bias in the information they ingested.
In fact, many AI scientists are increasingly seeing the view that LLMS is not the route to the lofty goals of artificial general information (AGI). We can match or surpass what humans can do. For example, in a recent survey of AI researchers, around 76% of respondents said that it is “impossible” or “very unlikely” that current approaches will succeed in achieving AGI.
Instead, perhaps we need to think of these AIs in new ways. Write in a journal Science this weeka team of AI researchers stated that “it should not be seen primarily as intelligent agents, but as a new kind of cultural and social technology, allowing humans to access information accumulated by other humans.” Researchers compare LLM to “past technologies such as writing, printing, markets, bureaucracy, and representative democracy” that changed the way information was accessed and processed.
This way, the answers to many questions are clearer. Can the government use LLM to increase efficiency? It’s almost certainly true, but only when used by people who understand their strengths and limitations. Should interactions with chatbots be subject to the Freedom of Information Act? Perhaps existing sculptures designed to give the minister a “safe space” for internal deliberations should be applied. And, as Turing asked, can the machine think? no. still.
The recent gathering between Elon Musk, Nigel Farage, and Reform UK treasurer Nick Candy was not just a meeting of Donald Trump supporters but a meeting of minds.
Their political agenda, developed under President Trump’s MAGA Vision, focuses on immigration, culture wars, and public sector cuts.
Farage emphasized the importance of saving the West, stating, “We only have one chance. Together, we can achieve great things.”
Speculation arose about Musk potentially donating up to $100m to the reforms, despite potential objections from voters.
A ban on wealthy foreigners donating to British political parties received 55% support, with 66% saying Musk should not have any influence on British politics.
Although they share ideological similarities, the public opinion on Musk’s influence remains divided.
Immigration
Musk’s stance on U.S. immigration aligns with the reformers’ goals, emphasizing the need for secure borders and boosting legal immigration to meet labor demands in the tech industry.
Farage and Reform prioritize freezing “non-essential” immigration and deporting illegal immigrants, echoing Musk’s concerns.
Shrinking Government
Musk’s anti-government sentiments stem from regulatory challenges in his industries and support from Trump to slash the U.S. federal budget.
Farage endorses Musk’s efforts in reducing public sector size, aligning with Reform’s vision for the UK.
Political science professor Tim Bale highlights Musk’s appeal to disruptors like Reform, citing their shared values in shaking up the establishment.
Rights and “Woke War”
Musk’s criticisms of woke culture and diversity regulations resonate with Reform’s agenda to combat “transgender ideology” and abolish equality provisions.
Support for Musk’s anti-woke stance aligns with Reform’s cultural war priorities.
Net Zero
Musk’s environmental credentials contrast with Reform’s rollback of eco-friendly policies, advocating for revoking the UK’s net zero target and boosting oil and gas licenses.
While Musk prioritizes environmental concerns, Reform focuses on economic implications of green policies.
Russia
Musk’s shifting views on Ukraine, from supporting to more ambiguous stances, reflect his complex relations with geopolitical issues.
Farage’s past remarks on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticisms of NATO align with Musk’s involvement in aiding Ukraine through Starlink.
Both Musk and Farage’s views on Russia highlight their divergent paths in addressing international conflicts.
SNine years ago today, Joaquin Oliver was murdered in the hallway outside his Florida classroom. He was one of 17 students and staff killed in America's deadliest high school shooting. On Wednesday, lawmakers in Washington, D.C., will hear his voice recreated by artificial intelligence on the phone, asking them why they haven't done more about the gun violence epidemic.
“It's been six years and you haven't done anything. You can't stop the shootings that have happened since then,” he said of the Valentine's Day 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. A message from Oliver, who was 17 at the time of his tragic death, reads:
“I came back today because my parents used AI to recreate my voice and call you. Other victims like me have also received countless calls demanding action. How many calls will it take to care? How many dead voices will I hear before I finally hear it?”
Oliver is one of six people who lost their lives to firearms, and his voice is about to be heard again. He's issuing a call to action in an innovative online gun reform campaign launched today. shot line.
Parkland victim Joaquin Oliver
“How many dead voices will we hear before we finally hear it?”
Sorry, your browser does not support audio. However, you can download and listen here $https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2024/02/13/TheShotline_AI_JoaquinOliver_Call_to_Congress.mp3
A project by two activist groups formed in the wake of the Parkland shooting and creative communications agency MullenLowe, it leverages AI technology to generate direct messages from shooting victims themselves.
The voices are “trained” using deep machine learning from audio clips provided by family members. The resulting recordings are ready to go directly to the people in Congress who have the power to take action against gun violence. Website visitors enter their zip code and choose the message they want to send to their elected representatives.
“We all hear children's voices in our heads. Why don't lawmakers need to hear them too?” said Mike Song, whose 15-year-old son Ethan died in an accident involving a missing gun.
Ethan's message, like Oliver's, is straightforward. “Children like me die every day. It's time to act. It's time to pass laws that protect children from unsafe guns. At the end of the day, it's about helping people. It’s your job to pass responsible gun control, or we’ll find someone to do it.”
Other voices recreated for the Shotline project include that of 10-year-old Ujiyah Garcia, a victim of the 2022 Uvalde Elementary School shooting in Texas. Akira DaSilva, 23, was killed in the 2018 Waffle House shooting in Tennessee. Jaycee Webster, 20, was shot and killed by an intruder in his Maryland home in 2017. And in 2014, Mike Bohan committed suicide with a gun he could buy in 15 minutes.
Vaughn's death, who suffered from depression, sparked a movement that led to passage of Maryland's first Red Flag gun control.
Six years after Oliver's murder, it is by design that Oliver's voice is at the forefront of the campaign. One of his two groups behind this effort is march for our livean activist group formed by Stoneman Douglas students that sparked global protests after Parkland.
The Shotline campaign uses AI to generate audio messages from gun violence victims. Photo: shot line
the other one is, Change references, was founded by the teenager's parents, Manny and Patricia Oliver. They have been relentlessly advocating for gun reform since his son was murdered.
“We wanted this to be a powerful message,” Patricia Oliver said. “Joaquin has his own energy, his own image, and that's what keeps him alive. I'm so proud of Joaquin, he's the driving force that drives us forward.”
She admits the process of recreating her son's voice for 56 seconds was mentally taxing. The Olivers searched their phones and computers for videos containing Joaquin's statements and asked her sister Andrea, other relatives and girlfriend Tori to do the same.
“It was difficult to make out his exact voice because of the noise in the background,” she said. “In one video, he was in the pool and we were talking and the sound of the water was distracting.”
Eventually, we assembled enough clips for our engineers to work with, and after a long period of fine-tuning, we received the final “draft.”
“When I played it, it was incredibly shocking and a lot of different emotions came up. We had been listening to videos of Joaquín talking about the past, and now he's in a situation where he is today, very emotional. We talk about recent things,” she said.
“I know this is just a fantasy and not the truth. But in that moment, you forget what you're listening to, why you're listening, and he just says, 'Hello, Mom, how are you?' I just hope from the bottom of my heart that you just say, “?”. once again. “
Ethan's mother, Christine Song, said she felt the same painful emotions when she heard her son “talk” again six years after his death.
“It brings you back to that day, the last words your child said to you before leaving your life,” she said.
“Honestly, I just sat there and sobbed, because I knew he would never come back. But the Olivers, and my husband, and people like us all have one thing in common: What we're saying is that we go out every day and fight for respect for our children, and we're actually fighting for your children and grandchildren.”
The Songs are pressuring federal lawmakers to pass the Connecticut bill. ethan's lawrequires safe storage of firearms in the home.
“We have promised that we will not stop until we can create a cultural shift in this country where gun owners make safe storage of their weapons second nature,” said Kristen Song. Ta. “You might think that's enough because the coffins of our dead children are piling up, but when it comes to Republicans in Congress, they just don't listen.”
To create voice and calls, MullenLowe talking baby For E*Trade's Super Bowl commercial, we partnered with AI specialist Edisen, with teams in the US and Sweden working on the project.
Snippets of audio “trained” on speech patterns and tonality were fed through Eleven Labs’ generative voice AI platform, and the reconstructed voices generated voice calls from text-to-speech scripts.
“There's a lot of talk about AI right now, but this is a beautiful example of what AI can actually achieve, and a very human achievement,” says Mirko, AI creative designer at Stockholm-based Edisen.・Mr. Lempert said.
“This project was very moving and showed me how different our world is, because in my country we are not exposed to it.” [gun violence] That's the situation. That was a wake-up call. ”
Last week, the Federal Communications Commission banned robocalls using AI-generated voices after Joe Biden's voice was imitated in a fake phone call to voters in New Hampshire.
MullenLowe said Shotline calls are exempt because they are not auto-dialed, are made to a landline and are provided with a callback number.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
