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Archive for the ‘ethics’ category: Page 5

Aug 31, 2023

The collective intelligence of cells during morphogenesis as a model for cognition beyond the brain

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, chemistry, ethics, evolution, neuroscience

Michael Levin talk for the Mind, Technology, and Society (MTS) talk series at UC Merced on January 23, 2023. Abstract: Each of us makes the remarkable journey from the physics and chemistry of a quiescentunfertilized egg to that of a complex human being. How can we understand the continuousprocesses that scale up minds from the tiny physiological competencies of single cells to the large-scale metacognitive capacities of large brains? Here, I will describe a framework known as TAME-Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere — which enables identifying, understanding, andrelating to unconventional cognitive agents. I will use the example of the collective intelligence ofcells during morphogenesis to illustrate how we can begin to widen the lessons of multiscale neuroscience well beyond neurons. This will be essential as we head into a future that will bepopulated by a wide range of evolved, designed, and hybrid beings with novel bodies and novelminds. I will conclude with a case study of our new synthetic biorobot (Xenobots) and a discussionof the implications of these ideas for evolution, biomedicine, and ethics.

Aug 30, 2023

USA Today Owner Pauses AI Articles After Butchering Sports Coverage

Posted by in categories: education, ethics, robotics/AI

That was fast.

The Columbus Dispatch, a newspaper serving the Columbus, Ohio area, has suspended its AI efforts after its AI-powered sports writing bot was caught churning out horrible, robotic articles about local sports, Axios reports.

The Dispatch — which is notably owned by USA Today publisher Gannett — only started publishing the AI-generated sports pieces on August 18, using the bot to drum up quick-hit stories about the winners and losers in regional high school football and soccer matches. And though the paper’s ethics disclosure states that all AI-spun content featured in its reporting “must be verified for accuracy and factuality before being used in reporting,” we’d be surprised if a single human eye was laid on these articles before publishing.

Aug 28, 2023

Scientists Dramatically Extend Cell Lifespan in Anti-Aging Breakthrough

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, biotech/medical, computing, ethics, life extension

“A major highlight of the work is our approach to achieve longevity: using computers to simulate the natural aging system and guide the design and rational engineering of the system to extend lifespan,” Hao told Motherboard. “This is the first time this computationally-guided engineering-based approach has been used in aging research. Our model simulations actually predicted that an oscillator can double the lifespan of the cell, but we were happily surprised that it actually did in experiments.”

The study is part of a growing corpus of mind-boggling research that may ultimately stave off some of the unpleasant byproducts of aging until later in life, while boosting life expectancy in humans overall. Though countless hurdles have to be cleared before these treatments become a reality, Hao thinks his team’s approach could eventually be applied to humans.

“I don’t see why it cannot be applied to more complex organisms,” Hao said. “If it is to be introduced to humans, then it will be a certain form of gene therapy. Of course it is still a long way ahead and the major concerns are on ethics and safety.”

Aug 26, 2023

Tech gets religion on AI: Inside the Vatican summit with Islamic and Jewish leaders, Microsoft and IBM

Posted by in categories: ethics, robotics/AI

Artificial intelligence has such a potential for good not only would it make humans closer becoming God like but also it could manifest God through Artificial intelligence that why the ethics of the world depends on its success towards AI for good. It could create peace across the world and a brighter tomorrow.


It’s unusual for tech executives and religious leaders to get together to discuss their shared interests and goals for the future of humanity and the planet. It’s even more extraordinary for the world’s three largest monotheistic religions to be represented.

When the Pope joins the meeting, it’s basically unprecedented.

Continue reading “Tech gets religion on AI: Inside the Vatican summit with Islamic and Jewish leaders, Microsoft and IBM” »

Aug 23, 2023

If AI becomes conscious, how will we know?

Posted by in categories: ethics, robotics/AI

Adeel Razi, a computational neuroscientist at Monash University and a fellow at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) who was not involved in the new paper, says that is a valuable step. “We’re all starting the discussion rather than coming up with answers.”

Until recently, machine consciousness was the stuff of science fiction movies such as Ex Machina. “When Blake Lemoine was fired from Google after being convinced by LaMDA, that marked a change,” Long says. “If AIs can give the impression of consciousness, that makes it an urgent priority for scientists and philosophers to weigh in.” Long and philosopher Patrick Butlin of the University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute organized two workshops on how to test for sentience in AI.

For one collaborator, computational neuroscientist Megan Peters at the University of California, Irvine, the issue has a moral dimension. “How do we treat an AI based on its probability of consciousness? Personally this is part of what compels me.”

Aug 20, 2023

Opinion: Seeking Symmetry Among Physicists

Posted by in categories: ethics, physics

Those looking to make their academic departments more diverse, equitable, and inclusive can learn from previous wins and setbacks.

Achieving equity, diversity, and inclusion is a popular mantra—but is it important for the future of physics? A resounding yes to that question appeared several years ago in a public letter from more than 2000 physicists. The letter was a response to US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who, in a high-profile affirmative action case, questioned whether minority students would bring a unique perspective to physics. But what are the arguments for increasing diversity and inclusion? Some are practical: The change would make more talent available to our profession. Diverse teams of people also perform better than homogeneous ones. Another argument is moral: to have bias, discriminate, or exclude African Americans and other people of color, women, people with disabilities, or sexual and gender minorities is incompatible with basic human rights.

Aug 19, 2023

How Long Should You Live? Star Trek, Dr. Emanuel, & The Ethics of Life Extension

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, ethics, life extension

I will try to live as long as possible.


Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel plans to reject life-extending medical care at the age of 75. The reason he does this is quite similar to why the Kaelons commit ritual suicide in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Does this make sense?

Continue reading “How Long Should You Live? Star Trek, Dr. Emanuel, & The Ethics of Life Extension” »

Aug 19, 2023

Navigating AI Together: An EduMatch Exploration

Posted by in categories: education, ethics, robotics/AI

Join the EduMatch AI Exploration Conference on Oct 7, 12–4 PM ET. Explore AI’s role in ethics, education, work, and daily life.

Aug 18, 2023

Use of AI Is Seeping Into Academic Journals—and It’s Proving Difficult to Detect

Posted by in categories: ethics, robotics/AI

Ethics watchdogs are looking out for potentially undisclosed use of generative AI in scientific writing. But there’s no foolproof way to catch it all yet.

Aug 13, 2023

The AI Conference 2023 — Shaping The Future Of AI

Posted by in categories: ethics, robotics/AI

The AI Conference is a groundbreaking vendor-neutral event brought to you by the creators of MLconf and Ben Lorica, former Program Chair of The O’Reilly Artificial Intelligence Conference.

Whether you’re a researcher, engineer or entrepreneur, you’ll find opportunities to learn, collaborate, and network with some of the brightest minds in AI. Topics will span a wide range of AI fields, including AGI, Foundation Models and Large Language Models, Generative AI, Neural Architectures, AI Infrastructure, AI Use Cases, Ethics and Alignment, Data Management tools for AI, AI Startups and Investment and much more.

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