This Week’s Insights 📰
AI Deep Fakes Strike Again
A manipulated video shared by Elon Musk, mimicking Vice President Kamala Harris’ voice, is raising serious concerns about the role of AI in politics just months before Election Day. The video, which Musk posted on his platform X without noting it was a parody, convincingly impersonates Harris, spreading false statements about her. Despite being tagged as satire by the original creator, Musk’s endorsement without clarification has sparked debates on AI’s potential to mislead and the lack of significant regulation. As AI tools become more sophisticated, the fine line between humor and harmful misinformation blurs, underscoring the urgent need for clear guidelines and oversight in political contexts.
Bytes vs Bites
SharkEye, a project by the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, is using AI to keep swimmers safe from juvenile great white sharks at California’s Padaro Beach. The initiative uses drones to monitor shark activity and sends alerts to locals when sharks are spotted. By feeding drone footage into a machine learning model, SharkEye is training AI to detect sharks more accurately than human observers. This summer, the project pits human pilots against AI to refine detection accuracy. If successful, AI-assisted alerts could become standard, enhancing beach safety and promoting peaceful coexistence with these ocean giants.
High Tech Traffic
At the intersection of traffic and tech, Google’s Project Greenlight is putting Boston’s gridlock on the chopping block. With AI that syncs traffic lights for a dream run of green lights, this project is shifting urban travel into high gear. Already smoothing commutes in Seattle and 12 other cities worldwide, Project Greenlight aims to slash emissions and make Boston’s rank as the fourth worst traffic city a distant memory. By monitoring traffic patterns and devising smart solutions, Google is set to transform the dreaded stop-and-go into a smooth, efficient flow.
Dioptra Drops
The US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) just dropped Dioptra, a free open-source software package designed to test AI resilience against adversarial attacks. This nifty tool helps developers identify the types of attacks that could sabotage AI models and quantify how badly performance might tank under such scenarios. I
Alongside Dioptra, NIST released guidelines for preventing AI misuse, particularly in high-stakes situations like cybersecurity and public safety. They’ve also rolled out companion documents to their AI Risk Management Framework, listing 12 generative AI risks and nearly 200 mitigation actions. These efforts align with the broader global initiative, the Bletchley Declaration, where major countries, including the US and China, pledged to work together on AI safety standards.
Is Human Data Worth More?
AI might be on the brink of a bizarre meltdown known as “model collapse,” where training models on their own outputs turns them into babbling fools. Research shows this self-cannibalization quickly degrades AI performance, reducing complex understanding to gibberish like “black-tailed jackrabbits.” This degeneration starts subtly by erasing rare expressions and ends in surreal nonsense. To prevent a tidal wave of AI-generated drivel, developers need to prioritize human-generated content and rigorously vet training data. Otherwise, we risk drowning in a sea of AI vomit. To avoid a future swamped by AI-generated drivel, developers might need to rigorously vet training material and perhaps even pay for high-quality human data. The race to innovate in AI must consider these safeguards to maintain diversity and accuracy in AI outputs.
AI Lab Visual Vault 🖼️
Use Case: Creating Custom Zoom Backgrounds
Overview: Create personalized Zoom backgrounds using Midjourney to add a unique touch to your virtual meetings. Whether for professional settings, themed events, or just for fun, a custom background can enhance your virtual presence.
How It Works:
- Select the Purpose: Determine the purpose of your Zoom background. Is it for professional meetings, themed events, casual hangouts, or something else?
- Pick a Theme: Choose a theme that fits your needs. Midjourney can generate many different locations such as professional office settings, fun and quirky designs, serene nature scenes, or festive holiday backdrops.
- Input Specific Preferences Into Your Prompts: Provide details on specific elements you want included in the background.
- Generate the Design: Use Midjourney to create a unique and high-quality Zoom background based on your inputs.
- Review and Customize: Review the generated background and make any necessary adjustments to ensure it perfectly fits your vision.
- Download and Apply: Once satisfied, download the background image and apply it to your Zoom meetings!
Fun Background Prompt
Vibrant and playful Zoom background featuring a colorful cartoon landscape with whimsical characters, confetti, and balloons. Fun elements playful animals, and light-hearted, cheerful designs to create a joyful and engaging atmosphere –ar 16:9
Professional Background Prompt
Sleek and modern Zoom background suitable for professional meetings. Sophisticated office setting with clean lines, neutral colors, and elegant furniture. The overall look should be polished and professional, exuding confidence and professionalism. –ar 16:9
Natural Background Prompt
Serene and calming Zoom background featuring a beautiful natural landscape. The scene should include lush greenery, a clear blue sky, a gentle river or lake, and distant mountains. Add some vibrant flowers and a few birds in the sky to create a peaceful and rejuvenating ambiance that brings the beauty of nature indoors –ar 16:9
Tools We Used This Week 🧰
Vizit – We’re able to see what images are performing in ecommerce thanks to Vizit’s AI-powered visuals so we can truly measure how well images convert.
Kaiber – Create visuals that respond to music and sound and make your still images come to life.
Echo Jockey – The fastest way to find, pitch, and get booked on podcasts. Use code AISMART30 to get +30% more pitches per month!
Join the Conversation 🔊
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See you in the Lab!
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