Month: August 2016

Democratising algorithms

It may seem a surprise but the original data accountability standard was set by president Richard Nixon in the Fair Credit Reporting Act in 1970. Nixon – not otherwise known for his commitment to transparency,  included the right for citizens to examine and challenge the data used to make algorithmic decisions about them. Meanwhile, algorithms have become ubiquitous in … Continue reading "Democratising algorithms"

Big data, Google and the end of free will (via The Financial Times)

We are at the pivot point of exponential and combinatorial technological evolution: all around us, science fiction is becoming science fact – and the future will increasingly arrive gradually then suddenly. We need to proceed with a very wise combination of precaution and pro-action. (Gerd Leonhard in Technology Vs. Humanity) Similar to Gerd’s vision is this MUST READ article by Yuval Noah Harari … Continue reading "Big data, Google and the end of free will (via The Financial Times)"

Would a Work-Free World Be So Bad? (via The Atlantic)

Excellent article by Ilana E. Strauss in The Atlantic on the wrong assumptions we often have about people without work. Why should it be that way? It hasn’t always been like that… Work-free societies are more than just a thought experiment – they’ve existed throughout human history. Llana mentions a couple of examples in history where … Continue reading "Would a Work-Free World Be So Bad? (via The Atlantic)"

Interesting Infographic: Digital Assistants are coming!

Machines of Loving Grace. Interview with John Markoff. Good read !

Insightful Max Planck and Peter Guber quotes

Consciousness is fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness."

Of prediction and policy, via The Economist

The Ethical Dimensions of Artificial Intelligence

“Digital ethics will evolve into a burning, un-ignorable issue for every individual and organization as technology permeates every aspect of human life and activity.” – Gerd Leonhard in Technology vs. Humanity (released on September 8 2016) The US Federal Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) recently stated that Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies “offer great promise for … Continue reading "The Ethical Dimensions of Artificial Intelligence"

Hyper Reality by Keiichi Matsuda

Feeling a bit disconnected from the latest Pokémon Go craze? Don’t worry,  if you’re still mostly living in the real world, Pokémon Go players tend to look like lost zombies searching for the virtual Holy Grail. If you dig virtual worlds, it’ll probably get worse. To get a glimpse of how a not too distant future may look like for consumers through … Continue reading "Hyper Reality by Keiichi Matsuda"

About Trump and biased machine learning algorithms

A very interesting article by Cathy O’Neil on the relationship of machine learning in our political and policy spheres. She makes a quick, but to the point observation on Donald Trump: He is not like normal people. In particular, he doesn’t have any principles to speak of, that might guide him. No moral compass. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a … Continue reading "About Trump and biased machine learning algorithms"

How to see the future (podcast interview with Glen Hiemstra)

How to think like a futurist. Glen Hiemstra, founder of futurist.com, explains what he looks at when spotting trends and how to see the future. In this 30-minute podcast interview, Glen discusses the 3-part filter he uses to judge the future likelihood of a particular development. The podcast is part of the Popular Mechanics longer series How … Continue reading "How to see the future (podcast interview with Glen Hiemstra)"

Work and Happiness in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Ffifth-century Athens (also called Periclean Athens) is the Greek city-state of Athens in the time from 480 BC-404 BC. This was a period of Athenian political hegemony, economic growth and cultural flourishing formerly known as the Golden Age of Athens with the later part The Age of Pericles. Guided by statesman and orator Pericles, Athens produced … Continue reading "Work and Happiness in the Age of Artificial Intelligence"

How AI is disrupting the world’s largest industries

Intel’s acquisition earlier this month of Nervana Systems is another example of how startups are preparing to disrupt the worlds largest industries using Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence is undergoing a massive acceleration driven by rapid growth in available data and rapid evolution of algorithms. DCVC, a venture capital fund that invests in entrepreneurs applying cognitive computing, big … Continue reading "How AI is disrupting the world’s largest industries"

Blockchain Futures

Blockchain is the ingeniously simple technology that powers Bitcoin. But it is much more than that, too. It is a public ledger to which everyone has access, but which no single person controls. It allows for companies and individuals to collaborate with an unprecedented degree of trust and transparency. It is cryptographically secure, but fundamentally open. … Continue reading "Blockchain Futures"

Good read via The Economist: machine learning and government

Read: of prediction and policy (The Economist)  Governments have much to gain from applying algorithms to public policy, but controversies loom Machine-learning systems excel at prediction. A common approach is to train a system by showing it a vast quantity of data on, say, students and their achievements. The software chews through the examples and learns … Continue reading "Good read via The Economist: machine learning and government"

Pretty amazing stuff: VIV intelligent assistant (video)

… I discussed IDAs (intelligent digital assistants) in my new book a lot… seriously #hellven 🙂  Watch this:

Best quotes from: Computers, the Internet, and the Abdication of Consciousness (Stephen Talbott, 1995!)

Via the Nature Institute   be sure to read Stephen’s 1995 (!) book  (online, free, or via Amazon).  I am currently working translating his views into 2016… stay tuned! “Can human ideals survive the Internet? His reply is only if we arouse ourselves to responsible consciousness” “[T]oday the needful work is to distinguish ourselves from our … Continue reading "Best quotes from: Computers, the Internet, and the Abdication of Consciousness (Stephen Talbott, 1995!)"

The Internet is not evil (interview with Werner Herzog). New film: Lo and behold

Very much inline with Gerd Leonhard‘s vision in Technology Vs. Humanity:  the new film Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World of Werner Herzog (to be released later this week on Amazon Video and iTunes). In this long, feature-length documentary, the 73-year-old director tackles the most expansive project of his career: the Internet. Herzog is considered one of the greatest figures … Continue reading "The Internet is not evil (interview with Werner Herzog). New film: Lo and behold"

Gross Domestic Product vs Gross National Happiness (GDP vs GNH)

Here’s an overview of interesting articles why Gross domestic product (GDP) is an out-dated measure to compare the economic performance of a country or region, and to make international comparisons. Looking at international politics and economies today, it seems urgent to suggest Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a better mechanism to measure the wellbeing of a country’s people. Gerd Leonhard dedicates an … Continue reading "Gross Domestic Product vs Gross National Happiness (GDP vs GNH)"

Who Should Control Artificial Intelligence?

Great interview by Jack Clark on Bloomberg with Google’s AI wonder boy Demis Hassabis, on using artificial intelligence on everything from climate change to aging. Demis was the co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, a neuroscience-inspired AI company, bought by Google in Jan 2014. He is now Vice President of Engineering at Google DeepMind and leads … Continue reading "Who Should Control Artificial Intelligence?"