#23: Pausing AI development, 3D cheesecake, Arc, E3 and mobile alarms

Rick Huckstep and Shaun Weston discuss the open letter calling for a 6 month pause on AI development. Also: 3D-printed cheesecake, Arc browser, UK mobile alarm test and E3's demise.

Rick Huckstep

Apr 12, 2023

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00:00 Preamble

It’s Semana Santa in Spain, so Rick is enjoying the theatre and ceremony in what is a particularly nice week for weather. Shaun brings up the emergency siren that’s set to go off on 23 April on nearly every mobile phone in the country. It’s part of a government security and emergency initiative to warn of extreme weather, events, terror incidents or civil defence emergencies. He fondly remembers the Frankie Goes to Hollywood incident in the early 80s.

05:11 Tempting Tech

If you thought fake bacon looked suspiciously plastic, how about 3D-printed cheesecake? Rick explains the science behind it and the potential benefits.

Shaun is on the waitlist for a new browser called Arc. You may think, oh no, not another browser! Excitement levels are not usually high for internet browsers, but this one feels more like an app than another version of Internet Explorer or Chrome.

Rick thinks it’s Marmite.

11:37 Tech News

Italy has become the first Western country to block advanced chatbot ChatGPT. The Italian data-protection authority said there were privacy concerns relating to the model.

This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, the annual video game showcase known as E3, has been cancelled. Analysts say it has "struggled to remain relevant" and adapt to changes in the industry.

TikTok has been fined £12.7m by the UK's data watchdog for failing to protect the privacy of children. The ICO said many were able to access the site despite TikTok setting 13 as the minimum age to create an account.

The New York Times has lost its blue tick on Twitter after it said it would not pay to remain verified. It prompted Elon Musk to insult them. Big surprise.

Self-driving bus services will begin in Scotland on 15 May in what is believed to be a world first.

Also … Bob Lee of Cash App was killed in San Francisco, Virgin Orbit has filed for bankruptcy in the US, Tesla workers viewed and shared private videos from owners’ cars, Samsung Electronics will cut back on chip production.

13:43 Pausing AI development for the future of humanity

At the end of March, the Future of Life Institute published an open letter suggesting that AI labs “immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4”. Notable signatories include Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, Yuval Noah Harari, and there were nearly 6,000 signatures the last time we looked.

16:39 Two areas of risk stand out: jobs and misinformation.

21:06 Are we planning or competing?

24:56 Is a six-month pause realistic?

28:33 What will be the take-up of AI?

31:21 Criminal intent.

34:17 Don’t get left behind.

Summary of the open letter

36:17 TV shows, Tetris and footy

Rick has watched half of the first episode of The Playlist (Netflix), and Shaun is enjoying Night Sky (Prime Video, and recently cancelled), and Tetris (Apple TV+). The Big Door Prize on Apple TV+ is also interesting.

The big discussion to end the show? Arsenal vs Liverpool ⚽️

(PS It ended 2-2)

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