The Obtain: unintended AI relationships, and the way forward for contraception
That is right this moment’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a every day dose of what’s happening on the planet of know-how.
It’s surprisingly straightforward to stumble right into a relationship with an AI chatbot
The information: The primary large-scale computational evaluation of the Reddit group r/MyBoyfriendIsAI, which is devoted to discussing AI relationships, discovered that many individuals shaped these relationships unintentionally whereas utilizing AI for different functions. In actual fact, solely 6.5% of them stated they’d intentionally sought out an AI companion.
Why it issues: The research discovered that AI companionship offers very important assist for some however exacerbates underlying issues for others. This implies it’s arduous to take a one-size-fits-all method to consumer security. Learn the total story.
—Rhiannon Williams
Be part of us at 1.30pm ET right this moment to find out about the way forward for contraception
Conversations round contraception often concentrate on girls, however Kevin Eisenfrats, one of many MIT Know-how Assessment 2025 Innovators Beneath 35, is working to alter that. His firm, Contraline, is working towards testing new contraception choices for males. Be part of us for an unique subscribers-only Roundtable interview to listen to Kevin in dialog with our government editor Amy Nordrum at 1.30 ET right this moment.
MIT Know-how Assessment Narrated: What’s subsequent for AI and math
The final 12 months has seen fast progress within the means of huge language fashions to deal with math at highschool degree and past. Is AI closing in on human mathematicians?
This story is the most recent to be changed into a MIT Know-how Assessment Narrated podcast, which we publish each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Simply navigate to MIT Know-how Assessment Narrated on both platform, and observe us to take heed to all our new episodes as they’re launched.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to seek out you right this moment’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 Secret Service brokers dismantled a large operation to cripple cell networks
They are saying it’s seemingly it was meant for use for scams. (Wired $)
2 Welcome to the brand new period of fragmented US vaccine insurance policies
The federal authorities is abdicating accountability for public well being. Who will fill the void? (New Yorker $)
+ Why US federal well being businesses are abandoning mRNA vaccines. (MIT Know-how Assessment)
3 European protection leaders are discussing constructing a ‘drone wall’
They’re scrambling to catch up as Russian incursions into their territory enhance. (ABC)
4 How will we all know if we’ve reached synthetic normal intelligence?
That’s the multi-billion greenback query—however there’s no clear reply. (IEEE Spectrum)
+ Specialists don’t even agree on what AI is to start with, by no means thoughts AGI. (MIT Know-how Assessment)
5 Robotic umpires are coming to baseball’s main leagues subsequent 12 months 
People will nonetheless be answerable for calling balls and strikes, however tech will assist to guage appealed choices. (AP)
6 AI’s vitality wants are being overstated
And that would lock us into pointless, expensive fossil gasoline tasks. (The Verge)
+ 4 causes to be optimistic about AI’s vitality utilization. (MIT Know-how Assessment)
7 Excessive drought is about to turn out to be much more commonplace
Governments must do much more to organize. (Gizmodo)
8 AI is coming for subtitle writers’ jobs
However their work is more durable to switch than you may assume. (The Guardian)
+ ‘Workslop’ is slowing every little thing down. (Harvard Enterprise Assessment)
+ And, so as to add to the issue, AI programs could by no means be safe. (The Economist $)
9 How epigenetics might assist save wildlife from extinction
It might permit scientists to detect accelerated growing older earlier than an animal inhabitants begins to visibly collapse. (Knowable)
+ Growing older clocks purpose to foretell how lengthy you’ll reside. (MIT Know-how Assessment)
10 TikTok is getting launched to the idea of the rapture
Which is due right this moment, in keeping with some. In that case, it’s been nice realizing you. Good luck! (The Guardian)
Quote of the day
“Everyone has a backup.”
—Stella Li, government vice chairman at BYD, tells CNBC the corporate has contingency plans in case Beijing orders it to cease utilizing Nvidia chips.
Yet another factor
This app helps employees reclaim tens of millions in misplaced wages
Reclamo, a brand new net app, helps immigrant employees who’ve skilled wage theft. It guides them via assembling case particulars, and finally produces completed authorized claims that may be filed immediately. A course of that will in any other case take a number of conferences with an legal professional can now be carried out inside an hour.
A major quantity of wage theft targets immigrants, each authorized and undocumented, partially due to communication boundaries and their perceived lack of energy or authorized recourse. However the app is already making a distinction—serving to employees to reclaim $1 million in misplaced wages because it began beta testing in October 2022. Learn the total story.
—Patrick Sisson
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Received any concepts? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.)
+ It’s Fats Bear Week! Who will get your vote this 12 months?
+ Study Lord Woodbine, the forgotten sixth Beatle.
+ There are some actually wild and wacky recipes on this Medieval Cookery assortment. Venison porridge, anybody?
+ Pessimism about know-how is as outdated as know-how itself, as this archive reveals.
