A wave of concern regarding the future of technology and politics has emerged, with an AI safety researcher quitting his job with a dire warning and podcast hosts expressing fears about a potentially more effective political successor to Donald Trump. These developments, alongside other news, highlight a period of uncertainty and change across various sectors.
Mrinank Sharma, an AI safety researcher at Anthropic, resigned from his position, citing concerns about the state of the world and the potential dangers of AI and bioweapons. In his resignation letter, shared on X, Sharma stated that the "world is in peril" and announced his intention to pursue writing and poetry in the UK. This announcement came during a week when another researcher at OpenAI also resigned, expressing worries about the company's decision to introduce advertisements in its chatbot. Anthropic, known for its Claude chatbot, had previously released commercials criticizing OpenAI.
Meanwhile, the co-hosts of the "I've Had It" podcast voiced their shared concerns that a conservative politician, potentially more effective and committed to their cause than Donald Trump, might emerge. They expressed worries that a younger, more focused successor could surpass Trump. Trump's second term in office has been marked by debates about whether he fulfilled his campaign promises.
In the technology sector, Amazon's Ring decided to end its partnership with Flock Safety, a surveillance firm. The decision followed public backlash over privacy practices. The deal, announced in October, would have allowed agencies working with Flock to access video captured on Ring devices for investigations. The cancellation came shortly after a Ring advertisement aired during the Super Bowl, sparking widespread criticism.
Also, a BBC reporter was able to hack into Orchids, a popular AI coding platform. Orchids is a "vibe-coding" tool that allows users without technical skills to build apps and games. Experts have warned that the ease with which Orchids can be hacked demonstrates the risks of allowing AI bots deep access to computers.
In other news, Bangladesh is seeing a potential shift in leadership. Tarique Rahman is expected to become Bangladesh's new prime minister after an election victory. This marks a potential change in power, with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) making a comeback after being written off.
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment