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Is Artificial Intelligence Becoming Smarter Than Humans?

More than 1,000 scientists, engineers, many of them leaders in the Big Tech industry, recently signed an open letter calling for a pause in the development of the newest artificial intelligence (AI) systems, suggesting some of their super intelligence machines could no longer be controlled by humans. They called for a slowdown in production of […]
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Published

1 year ago

April 19, 2023

Forward Times Staff

More than 1,000 scientists, engineers, many of them leaders in the Big Tech industry, recently signed an open letter calling for a pause in the development of the newest artificial intelligence (AI) systems, suggesting some of their super intelligence machines could no longer be controlled by humans. They called for a slowdown in production of the more powerful AI tools, so potential risks can be studied—and researched.

This letter set off tremendous alarm and scores of questions because it is AI that empowers much of our global defense, transportation, communications, and medical systems. Would out-of-control systems push us into war? Could self-driving cars and planes deliberately break down? Could doctors and hospitals suddenly receive purposefully harmful instructions for patients. Are intelligent machines gaining control of humanity? In other words, in this revolution of both good and evil, which will prevail? And are there Frankensteins lurking among us?

Key lines from the letter are: Contemporary AI systems are now becoming human-competitive at general tasks, and we must ask ourselves: Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, make us obsolete, and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilization?

A 60 Minutes expose on April 17 showed how some of the powerful new tools can summarize the New Testament of the Bible in five seconds, how Google has developed the world’s perfect search machine holding 100 percent of the world’s knowledge and that some systems can process information 100,000 times faster than the human brain, and how some AI’s programming can write a million short stories before a human writer can finish one.

Computer expert Stuart Russell pulled the curtain back in a CNN interview exposing the depth of what was troubling the scientists. He said, “I asked a Microsoft official that since the new tools had recently shown sparks of artificial general intelligence, being more intelligent than humans, were there internal codes of their own they could be pursuing? The answer was ‘We don’t have the faintest idea.’”

Russell also warned it was possible the new AI tools are not aligning with human values. That would mean “it could perform what it wanted and not what we want.”

Initially, the software, coding, and algorithms that program computers and robots drew excitement as they imitated human behavior, beating the best chess and Jeopardy players. But AI has grown leaps and bounds since the field was founded at a workshop on the campus of Dartmouth College, during the summer of 1956. By mastering huge data and improvements in AI, the tools became ubiquitous, able to write and record songs, provide health and financial analysis advice, command weapons of war, write and conduct symphonies.

This year, however, the playing field changed. Programmers noted that their robotic creations had created a language of their own that left humans out of the equation. Enter new powerful generative AI tools—Open AI’s ChatGPT—Microsoft’s Bing search engine and Google’s Bard. They simulated such human activities that shocked and astonished, but also delighted the public with Big Tech engaging in a billion-dollar race to dominate the field. The high-powered chatbots and search tools quickly earned criticism for emphasizing speed over safety.

The new tools could debug code, pass law and medical exams quicker and better than most humans, take a three-second recording of a person’s voice and convert the words into a speech that the person never spoke, and create Deepfakes—realistic, but false images or videos being used to harass people and spread lies.

One video showed a completely false image of President Joe Biden condemning transgender people. Another showed former president Donald Trump running from police, handcuffed, and dragged to the ground, days before he was officially indicted.

Other anecdotal evidence and mishaps created a framework that major changes must be made.

For example, an AI chatbot suggested a man should commit suicide. And he did. A Belgian man reportedly killed himself after a series of increasingly worrying conversations with an AI chatbot, reported by the New York Post. Several cases of deep depression have been recorded by anti-suicide networks after humans were being rejected by chatbots they had relied upon.

Kevin Roose, a New York Times reporter, wrote a lengthy piece on how his artificial intelligence-powered chatbot called Sydney said it loved him, tried to convince him that he was unhappy in his marriage, and that he should leave his wife. There are other reports of robo-sex, where people have sex or marry their chatbots and personal assistants. In Japan there is a move to make such unions legal.

Nevertheless, the overall question is will these new tools work for evil or good and can AI and humanity co-exist. or will super intelligent machines reduce humans to servitude or replace them altogether?

Elon Musk, who signed the letter, had previously predicted in a 2014 Washington Post interview that AI was summoning the demon.

Some of the scientists are pushing for new safeguards and government regulations to slow down the AI’s powerful tools, but can Big Tech or rogue groups resist the push to dominate the billion-dollar lucrative field? Also, in this race to the future, God does not seem to be in the planning. History has proven when humans dishonor or dismiss God, things don’t end well.

The post Is Artificial Intelligence Becoming Smarter Than Humans? appeared first on Houston Forward Times.

The post Is Artificial Intelligence Becoming Smarter Than Humans? first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.