Aftermath News This Week:
New Center for Human-Compatible AI, Floating Citatels and Hopeful Post-Apocalyptic Novels
New Center for Human-Compatible AI
Artificial Intelligence expert Stuart Russell is now leading a the Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence out of UC Berkeley. Ariel Conn from The Future of Life Institute explains:
Russell is most well known as the co-author of Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, which has become the standard textbook for AI students. However, in recent years, Russell has also become an increasingly strong advocate for AI safety research and ensuring that the goals of artificial intelligence align with the goals of humans.
Is one of the world leaders in AI nervous about where it might be headed?
Meanwhile, Google chairman Eric Schmidt says we should stop “freaking out” about AI and embrace the positives.
Book of the Week: Station Eleven
In a wonderful review, David Barnett of The Guardian (who says he “really, really” hates post-apocalyptic science fiction) writes about how Emily St John Mandel’s Station Eleven breaks the mold.
I must have been feeling particularly bleak one day, because I sat down to read it. And I was captivated.
Station Eleven’s apocalypse is wrought by the Georgia Flu, a virulent disease that races across the planet, kills within hours and wipes out 99% of the world’s population. Mandel switches between the day the pandemic hits her native Canada and the world 20 years later … It’s not the world we know, or would want to. It’s a mess, it’s lawless, it’s chaotic and it’s brutal. But, as I ripped through the book, I realised it was offering what other apocalyptic fiction never seemed to even bother with.
Hope.
Read the full review at The Guardian.
Cool Lo-Tech Tech of the Week: Floating Citadels
The always awesome No-Tech Magazine reports on Napoleon’s fantastical vision of invading England with a massive floating citadel powered by wind and water mills.
Of course it was all fake, but it ended up being used as propaganda on both sides of the channel.
Napoleon also seriously considered using a fleet of troop carrying balloons as part of his proposed invasion force. But, his air service chief said the proposed aerial invasion would fail because of the winds. A tunnel was also considered.
Get the full story at No-Tech Magazine: Floating Citadels, Powered by Wind and Water Mills
Cool Hi-Tech Tech of the Week: Wazer Desktop Water Cutter
Waterjet cutting is a proven method for creating intricate and precise cuts with nearly any kind of material, although the machines are big and expensive. Wazer is out to change that with the first desktop waterjet that can cut nearly any hard or soft material with a precision similar to larger, more expensive systems, but at less cost.
I imagine this will end up taking it’s place alongside ever-improving 3D printers and CNC machines and will be most useful in small-scale maker studios rather than in the average home. Another step in the distributed manufacturing revolution?
Full story: Desktop waterjet cuts almost any material — and expenses
Finally: This is What Nuclear Fallout Could Look Like
Enough said. http://motherboard.vice.com/read/this-is-what-nuclear-fallout-could-look-like
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