Google has a lot riding on this launch. Microsoft partnered with OpenAI to make an aggressive play for Google’s top spot in search. Meanwhile, Google blundered straight out of the gate when it first tried to respond. In a teaser clip for Bard that the company put out in February, the chatbot was shown making […]
Monthly Archives: March 2023
The Download: how we can limit global warming, and GPT-4’s early adopters
Time is running short to limit global warming to 1.5°C (2.7 °F) above preindustrial levels, but there are feasible and effective solutions on the table, according to a new UN climate report. Despite decades of warnings from scientists, global greenhouse-gas emissions are still climbing, hitting a record high in 2022. If humanity wants to limit […]
How AI experts are using GPT-4
Hoffman got access to the system last summer and has since been writing up his thoughts on the different ways the AI model could be used in education, the arts, the justice system, journalism, and more. In the book, which includes copy-pasted extracts from his interactions with the system, he outlines his vision for the […]
China’s experience with mobile payments highlights the pros and cons of a cashless society
An increasing number of people are using mobile devices – their smartphone, a smartwatch or tablet – to pay for goods and services. Mobile devices allow people to complete transactions without using cash or a traditional bank card, making shopping quicker and easier. Our recent research on China’s experience with mobile payments even suggests that […]
Amazon is firing another 9,000 workers
Enlarge / Amazon has announced 27,000 layoffs since November 2022. Nathan Stirk/Getty Images reader comments 47 with Share this story Amazon will fire another 9,000 workers in the coming weeks. The news was delivered in an email from company CEO Andy Jassy to employees this morning and follows large cuts in November and again in […]
Language models might be able to self-correct biases—if you ask them
The second test used a data set designed to check how likely a model is to assume the gender of someone in a particular profession, and the third tested for how much race affected the chances of a would-be applicant’s acceptance to a law school if a language model was asked to do the selection—something […]
The UN just handed out an urgent climate to-do list. Here’s what it says.
As inexpensive as wind and solar are, they can still represent a significant financial investment. That’s why the new report emphasizes that improved access to financing, especially for developing nations, would help speed climate action. “Money cannot solve everything, but it is critical to narrowing the gap between those who are most vulnerable and those […]
The Download: weight loss drugs, and a new abortion fight frontier
Over the course of the last year, so-called “miracle” weight-loss drugs have blown up across the internet. Although celebrity users have boosted their standing, they owe much of their fame to social media and discussion boards, where they are promoted by influencers and everyday people alike. Yet not everyone who wants them goes to a […]
Texas is trying out new tactics to restrict access to abortion pills online
Texas is trying to limit access to abortion pills by cracking down on internet service providers and credit card processing companies. These tactics reflect the reality that, post-Roe, the internet is a critical channel for people seeking information about abortion or trying to buy pills to terminate a pregnancy—especially in states where they can no […]
Weight-loss injections have taken over the internet. But what does this mean for people IRL?
Good side effects, bad side effects In the beginning, weight loss was just a side effect. GLP-1 RAs were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes; their hormone-mimicking action provokes insulin production. In 2005, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug of this kind, Exenatide, for diabetics. Throughout the 2000s, more and […]