Tag Archives: risks

AI Industry Faces Risks, Employees from OpenAI and Google DeepMind Sound Alarm

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A group of current and former employees from prominent artificial intelligence companies has published an open letter. The committee warned of inadequate safety oversight within the industry and called for better protection for whistleblowers.

The letter, advocating for a “right to warn about artificial intelligence,” is a rare public statement about the risks of AI from employees in a usually secretive industry. It was signed by 11 current and former employees of OpenAI and two current and former Google DeepMind employees, one of whom previously worked at Anthropic.

“AI companies have valuable non-public information about their systems’ capabilities, limitations, safeguards, and risk of harm. However, they have minimal obligations to share this information with governments and none with the public. We cannot rely on companies to share this information voluntarily,” the letter stated.

OpenAI defended its practices, stating that they have hotlines and mechanisms for issue reporting, and they do not release new technology without proper safeguards. Google did not respond immediately to a comment request.

Concerns about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence have been around for years, but the recent AI boom has heightened these concerns, leading regulators to struggle to keep up with technological advancements. While AI companies claim to be developing their technology safely, researchers and employees warn about a lack of oversight to prevent AI tools from exacerbating existing societal harms or creating new ones.

The letter also mentions a bill seeking to enhance protections for AI company employees who raise safety concerns. The bill calls for transparency and accountability principles, including not forcing employees to sign agreements that prevent them from discussing risk-related AI issues publicly.

In a recent report, it was revealed that companies like OpenAI have tactics to discourage employees from freely discussing their work, with consequences for those who speak out. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologized for these practices and promised changes to exit procedures.

The open letter echoes concerns raised by former top OpenAI employees about the company’s lack of transparency in its operations. It comes after recent resignations of key OpenAI employees over disagreements about the company’s safety culture.

Source: www.theguardian.com

US corporations will be required to disclose climate-related risks to the public

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Companies will now be required to disclose information on how climate change could impact their financial performance, although not as detailed as initially proposed.

The Securities and Exchange Commission recently approved new climate risk disclosure rules, a significant change that mandates companies to include details about their emissions and other important risks they face in their public disclosures.

While some critics argue that the rules have been diluted due to pressure from business leaders, others believe this is an opportunity for investors to better understand the economic risks associated with climate change.

The new rules, approved by a 3-2 vote, require large publicly traded companies to disclose some aspects of their carbon footprint and how climate change could impact their business. Compared to the initial draft, the final rules apply to fewer companies and do not require disclosure of most indirect carbon emissions.

Many large companies already voluntarily disclose this information, and experts believe that the new rules could help reduce greenwashing, establish a common disclosure standard, and improve transparency for investors.

The adoption of these rules reflects a growing recognition within the business community about the economic risks of climate change, shifting from a previously abstract issue to a tangible threat that requires regulatory attention.

According to Cynthia Hanawalt, from Columbia University’s Sabin Center on Climate Change Law, the rules represent a significant step towards standardizing information for investors and enhancing transparency regarding the risks posed by climate change.

The rules were proposed in 2022 and have faced significant scrutiny, resulting in a final version that excludes the disclosure of Scope 3 emissions, which are indirect emissions associated with a company’s supply chain and product use.

As the rules are phased in, only large companies with a market value of at least $75 million will be required to disclose their emissions information, potentially impacting sectors such as automotive, agriculture, and cement.

Despite the limitations of the final rules, experts believe that they will set a new standard for climate risk disclosure globally and influence expectations in capital markets.

While the rules have been praised for promoting transparency and accountability, they may face legal and political challenges from groups seeking stricter disclosure requirements and opponents of such regulations.

Overall, the new rules aim to help companies manage their climate and emissions goals, prevent greenwashing, and provide investors with crucial information about the risks associated with climate change.

Legal challenges are anticipated, and resolution could take years, as the SEC works to address concerns from both sides of the debate.

evan bush

Evan Bush is a science reporter for NBC News. Contact him at Evan.Bush@nbcuni.com.

brian chan contributed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Unveiling the unexpected potential and serious risks of AI feigning empathy

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It has been 100 days since the war in Gaza began, and it has become increasingly difficult to read the news. Her husband told me it might be time to talk to a therapist. Instead, on a cold winter morning, after fighting back tears as I read another tale of human tragedy, I turned to artificial intelligence.

“I’m pretty depressed about the state of the world,” I typed into ChatGPT. “It’s natural to feel overwhelmed,” the magazine responded, offering a list of practical advice, including limiting media exposure, focusing on the positive and practicing self-care.

I closed the chat. I was sure that I would benefit from doing all this, but at that moment I didn’t feel much better.

It may seem strange that an AI would even try to provide this kind of assistance. But millions of people have already turned to his ChatGPT, a professional therapy chatbot that provides convenient and inexpensive mental health support. Even doctors are said to be using AI to create more empathetic notes for patients.

Some experts say this is a boon. After all, AI may be able to express empathy more openly and tirelessly than humans, unhindered by shame or burnout. “We admire empathetic AI” by a group of psychological researchers I wrote recently.

But others are not so sure. Many people question the idea that AI can be empathetic and worry about the consequences if people seek emotional support from machines that can only pretend to care. Some even wonder if the rise of so-called empathic AI might change the way we think…

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Risks and Health Benefits of Cold Water Swimming

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Immersing your body in cold water stimulates the release of an invigorating cocktail of chemicals.

Jacob Staedler/EyeEm/Getty Images

“It's like pressing Control-Alt-Del on your computer,” says Cath Pendleton. “When I'm in the water, I get so focused on my body that my brain switches off. It's just swimming with me.”

Pendleton, an ice swimmer based in Merthyr Tydfil, England, is as tough as anyone. In 2020, five years after she realized she didn't mind swimming in very cold water, she became the first person to swim one mile inside the Antarctic Circle. Part of her training included sitting in a freezer in a shed.

But she's not the only one passionate about cold water. Rivers, lakes, and oceans that were once home to a handful of serious year-round swimmers are now on the verge of extinction, thanks to media reports about the mental health impact of frigid dips and pool closures due to COVID-19. The number of people visiting is rapidly increasing. An estimated 7.5 million people swim outdoors in the UK alone, and more and more people swim outdoors during the winter. Global numbers are hard to come by, but the International Winter Swimming Association is seeing a boom in winter swimmer registrations around the world, including in China, Russia and Finland, where water temperatures can drop below 0C.

But what could be better than the joy of being in nature and the perverted feeling of happiness that defies the cold? According to the latest research, the answer is probably: Recent studies are beginning to uncover evidence that cold water immersion can reduce stress and depression, and may help deal with autoimmune diseases.

Source: www.newscientist.com