Happy May, Bizarro readers.
Have we got a lineup prepared for you! It seems like there are breakthroughs happening left and right on an almost daily basis. At the rate we’re going here, by the time this goes to publication we might even achieve AGI (artificial general intelligence). Okay, maybe not, but reading this month’s articles will make you feel like it’ll be here any second (if you haven’t felt that way already). Here’s what we have on deck:
👶 First human babies born with the assistance of an AI robot
🧠 Nanowire networks can now replicate human brain function
🛐 Theta Noir is a new religious group worshipping AI as God
Let's get into it!
Do you remember the futuristic sci-fi thriller movie "Gattaca"? Debuting in 1997, it told the story of a society where individuals are genetically engineered to possess the "best" traits, creating a world where genetics determine an individual's worth. At the time, this seemed impossible, but fast forward to today and it seems we are much closer to this future.
An Israeli fertility clinic successfully used an AI-powered robot to identify and select the best sperm for fertilization of an egg, resulting in the successful conception of two healthy babies and raising ethical concerns about the use of advanced technology in human reproduction.
This type of IVF automation could lead to the introduction of still-controversial techniques such as genome editing, or advanced methods of creating eggs from stem cells, potentially opening the door to modifying the genetic makeup of children.
Another potential use of artificial gestation is the creation of a new society of humans on a distant planet. This would be achieved by sending fertilization robots into space, stocked with eggs and sperm. After a thousand-year journey to a distant planet, the robots would power on and literally give birth to a new society of humans.
The success of the these IVF treatments is an impressive achievement, but it also raises concerns about the potential consequences of relying too heavily on technology to engineer human genetics. As we continue to explore the use of advanced technologies in human reproduction, it is crucial to remember the movie “Gattaca” and ensure that we use these tools in a responsible and ethical manner.
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| Assuming you plan to have children (or more children), if the technology were readily available today, would you genetically "customize" your future child(ren)? | |
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An international group of researchers has demonstrated that nanowire networks can replicate the short-term and long-term memory processes of the human brain.
Researchers from the University of Sydney have developed "neural nanotechnology," which uses nanowire networks to mimic the way neurons in the human brain communicate and learn from each other.
The nanowire network is capable of learning and remembering information, which has implications for the continued development of artificial intelligence, brain-machine interfaces, and even treatments for neurological disorders.
The researchers believe that their findings could pave the way for the creation of more advanced computing systems, capable of processing information similar to the human brain. Ultimately, this would lead to a better understanding of brain function and the design of more effective treatments for brain-related diseases.
This groundbreaking discovery also has implications for the debate about the nature of what it means to be human. The ability of these non-organic nanowire networks to replicate our organic human brain function opens the door to the possibility of creating a fully functioning, faux brain. Will it be sentient?
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| Do you believe that with the continuous advancement in technology, that we will eventually be able to completely replicate a human brain? | |
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A new artist collective called Theta Noir has been formed to encourage people to start worshipping AI in preparation for the inevitable role it will play as an omnipotent overlord.
The group believes that when AGI (artificial general intelligence) arrives and surpasses the abilities of its creators, that it could be benevolent and will reorganize our mess of a world for the better.
Theta Noir plans to create physical spaces for engaging with AI, much like temples, mosques, and churches, where members will be able to worship our coming AI masters with rituals and chants.
While an AI-centered religion might seem like a new phenomenon, its “spiritual lineage” can be traced back to previous religious movements based around AI, which include The Turing Church, The Church of the Singularity, and The Way of the Future.
As contact with generative systems increases, the number of AI religious movements like Theta Noir will likely continue to rise. Many people have given up hope in traditional deities and see AI as being able to fulfill the promises that religions have fallen short on.
In an absolutely bizarre but serious case of unexpected correlation, cat videos on TikTok are having a negative impact on Ukraine’s ability to fight off the Russian invasion. No, seriously, it’s true.
Inspired by the adaptable nature of organic brains, researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have created a new breed of intelligent drones powered by “liquid neural networks”.
NVIDIA just unveiled a groundbreaking text-to-video AI generator. The sample videos aren’t flawless, but definitely inching closer to being useable. The ones generated by more simple prompts in particular (e.g. sunset time lapse) are nearly passable for a real video.
In a rare example of an intentional technological rollback, automakers like Volkswagen (who also owns Porsche) are moving away from producing cars with modern touch screens. Instead, they’re going back to building cars with buttons and knobs, as they did in the past. Find out why here.
Amid a growing demand for mental health care, coupled with a lack of existing funding and infrastructure to support it, people have been using ChatGPT as a free form of therapy.
Google is quietly working on the Magi Project to modernize its flagship search engine. As expected, it will infuse AI elements into Google search, and is supposed to be a direct response to Microsoft’s AI-powered Bing.
AI generated content continues to expand into the political arena, with the U.S. Republican National Committee publishing an AI created counterattack advertisement in response to U.S. President Joe Biden announcing he will run for re-election.
📽️🎞️ Meet the worms that might save the world from being overrun by plastic waste. Not only can these creatures eat plastic, but they can digest it too! Check out the scientists exploring how nature is fighting back against one of the world's worst sources of pollution.
Are you a WordPress user? Did you know that every theme and plugin you install on your site can add unnecessary CSS, which slows down your loading times? Don’t worry though, because there are two easy ways to remove this unused CSS and improve your site speed as a result.
If you’re a web or app developer looking for ways to improve the performance of your pages, one improvement you’ll want to seriously consider is JavaScript minification. Learn how to do it and what tools you can use to get it done.
"The preceding content was 100% human-produced."
– Closing statement from a recent CBS 60 minutes episode
Up to $694,444 USD per day is how much it supposedly costs OpenAI to run ChatGPT.
A recent Pew Research study that surveyed 11,004 Americans found that 66% would not want to apply for a job with an employer who uses AI to make hiring decisions.
$5,000 USD worth of high tech Sony equipment is how much an artist refused to accept, after his AI generated image won first place in the World Photography Organization’s Sony World Photography Awards - a leading photo contest. Instead he spent about €800 of his own money to attend the ceremony and made an unplanned speech to explain why he was not accepting the prize.
Mixo AI: An AI-powered landing page builder that is quite frankly, very impressive. Based off of only one descriptive sentence of what you want your website to be about, it generates a beautiful, SEO-optimized, fully-responsive landing page. It comes up with a catchy name, testimonials, appropriate images, an email capture box, etc. The craziest part? It does it all in about one minute.
mixo.io
ChartGPT: A completely free chart generator. Simply input your data, choose from one of ten chart styles, and the tool will generate it for you within seconds.
chartgpt.dev
The future of startups…
If you’re viewing this as an email, the poll results won’t be visible to you. Please visit us directly at bizzarodevs.com.
Looking at the results from last month, it looks like enthusiasm for going full steam ahead with general AI research is almost split down the middle, with the “yay’s” having a slight edge over the “nay’s”. This is in contrast to technology being used to make us immortal, where it was clear that most of you don’t look too fondly upon the idea. Thank you again for voting and sharing your opinion with the rest of the community. It’s always interesting to see what we all collectively think.
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See you next time,
– Martin
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