😳Israel’s unethical AI operation

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Today we will discuss-

• 📜White House sets policies for federal AI use

• 🎦Israel deploys facial recognition AI in Gaza

• 👨‍🔬The next big thing in AI—LAMs

• ⚙️9 amazing AI tools you might not have heard of

All this and more - Let's dive in!

👩‍🍳What’s cooking in the newsroom?

White House establishes guidelines for the use of AI in federal operations

🏛️News - On Thursday, the White House announced that federal agencies using AI must implement "concrete safeguards" by 1 December to protect the rights of Americans and guarantee safety, as AI is being increasingly integrated into various government functions.

This new guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) also requires agencies to set up AI governance boards to coordinate how AI is used within their operations.

📖What other rules does the guidance lay out?

• The guidance mandates all U.S. federal agencies to appoint a chief AI officer within 60 days to oversee AI technologies, ensuring their safe use in public service. 

• Agencies have to conduct individual safety evaluations for each AI platform they use.

• Agencies must submit an annual report to the OMB listing all AI systems they use, any risks associated with their use, and mitigation strategies for the risks. 

• They also have to disclose an inventory of AI products used, justifying any sensitive exclusions. 

• Federal agencies are required to ensure that any AI they deploy includes measures to minimize the chances of algorithmic discrimination and provide transparency about the government's AI usage to the public. For example, at airports, travelers should be informed of and able to opt out of TSA facial recognition without delays or losing their position in line.

• Additionally, government-owned AI assets, such as models, code, and data, should be publicly released unless doing so poses a risk to government operations. 

Israel sneakily rolls out mass facial recognition AI in the Gaza Strip

👨‍💻News - According to a recent report, Israel has deployed a mass facial recognition program in the Gaza Strip, compiling a database of Palestinians without their awareness or consent.

😧When and why did they do this? Israel deployed the facial recognition program following the 7 October attack. The program, employing technology from Google Photos and a custom AI tool by Corsight, a company based in Tel Aviv, aimed to identify Hamas-affiliated individuals. 

Corsight, which claimed that its technology can accurately identify people even if less than 50% of their face is visible, used these photos to build a facial recognition tool Israeli officers could use in Gaza. The goal was to create a "hit list" of individuals involved in the 7 October attack.

🙃Why is this problematic? Besides the obvious invasion of privacy, soldiers reported that Corsight’s technology wasn’t always accurate, particularly when it relied on grainy footage or photos where people’s faces were obscured. In some instances, the tool even mistakenly identified people as being connected to Hamas.

AI industry shifts focus to Large Action Models (LAMs)

🤩News - While Large Language Models (LLMs) have dominated the conversation around AI, the spotlight is now shifting towards Large Action Models (LAMs), hinting at the next major breakthrough and bringing forth new possibilities for what AI can achieve.

🕵️‍♂️But what exactly are LAMs? LAMs, unlike Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, rely on demonstrations and actions rather than vast content training to comprehend and anticipate user requests. This approach allows them to execute "function calls" for specific tasks, resulting in a more efficient user interaction.

🤓Do LAMs exist today? They do. The first device powered by Large Action Models (LAMs), R1, developed by Los Angeles-based startup Rabbit, is set to be shipped to initial users within the week. Rabbit’s R1, trained on human interactions with popular apps like Spotify and Uber, employs neuro-symbolic programming to comprehend and perform tasks across different applications. With voice command support and a range of functions including messaging, calling, and booking services, the device aims to simplify users' daily tasks.

Moreover, industry giants like Microsoft and Salesforce are actively investing in LAMs to enhance their predictive and action-executing capabilities across various domains, from gaming to operating systems usage, marking the next stage of AI development. 

🙄Are there any concerns though? Yes, although LAMs offer significant potential for industries like consumer banking, travel, and healthcare management, challenges remain in defining clear use cases and addressing ethical considerations. 

🙆🏻‍♀️What else is happening?

• OpenAI is experimenting usage-based revenue sharing with builders in its GPT store

• Amazon doubles down on Anthropic, completing its planned $4B investment

• Fetch.ai, Ocean Protocol and SingularityNET to partner on decentralized AI

• California looks to Europe to rein in AI

• New AI benchmark tests speed of responses to user queries

📔AI book recommendation

• Artificial You by Susan Schneider explores the profound philosophical implications of artificial intelligence on consciousness and personal identity. Schneider delves into the nature of selfhood, consciousness, and the potential merging of human minds with AI, raising thought-provoking questions about the future of humanity in the era of advancing technology.

• Behind Deep Blue by Feng-Hsiung Hsu is a captivating account of the creation of the chess-playing computer that famously defeated world champion Garry Kasparov in 1997. Hsu, a key figure in the development of Deep Blue, provides insights into the technical challenges, strategic decisions, and the human drama that went on behind the scenes, offering a fascinating glimpse into the historic man vs. machine chess showdown.

• Machines Like Me is a novel written by British author Ian McEwan. Set in an alternate 1980s London, the story revolves around the creation of humanoid robots. The central character, Charlie, purchases one of these robots, Adam, leading to complex moral and ethical dilemmas as the boundaries between man and machine are blurred. McEwan explores themes of love, consciousness, and the implications of AI on society.

👩🏼‍🚒Discover mind-blowing AI tools

1. Honesty Meter - Provides an "objectivity score" that can be used to tell if a piece of content is more or less biased (Free)

2. AIPhotoeditor - An AI-powered photo editing tool that allows users to remove unwanted objects, people, blemishes, or text from images with ease (Free for images up to 720px)

3. Cleanvoice - A tool that removes filler sounds, background noise and mouth sounds from your podcast or audio recording ($10.79/ 10 hours processed audio per month)

4. Pix2Pix Video - A tool that allows users to upload a short video clip and provide text instructions of how they'd like to see that video changed (Free) 

5. Bad Cook Club - A tool that provides easy-to-follow recipes for people who suck at cooking (Free)

6. HitPaw - A real-time AI voice changer that allows users to modify their voices with over 100 voice-changing effects ($35.95/year) 

7. Convenient Hairstyle - An AI-powered hairstyling tool that allows users to try out different hairstyles virtually (Free)

8. Taskade - A collaborative productivity tool for teams to plan, organize, and execute projects ($12/month upto 10 users included)

9. AdCreative.ai - A platform that helps users generate conversion-focused ad creatives in seconds ($29/10 credits a month) 

🎙️AI-based podcast

• A.I. Nation by WHYY and Princeton University. The podcast explores the current impact of A.I., machine learning, and predictive analytics on our daily lives. Some of the topics covered include  "Biased Intelligence," "The Next Pandemic," and "A.I. in the Driver's Seat."

• Let's Talk AI by Skynet Today. It is a weekly podcast that features insightful discussions and interviews with real AI researchers and is popular for decoding genuine and authentic AI news from clickbait headlines through short and engaging episodes.

• AI in Business by Daniel Faggella. This podcast provides valuable insights to business professionals without technical backgrounds, helping them understand AI and manage their companies better. The topics covered revolve around AI and machine learning trends and strategies for integrating AI into business planning.