That is at the moment’s version of The Obtain, our weekday publication that gives a day by day dose of what’s happening on this planet of expertise.
These AI Minecraft characters did weirdly human stuff all on their very own
Left to their very own gadgets, a military of AI characters didn’t simply survive — they thrived. They developed in-game jobs, shared memes, voted on tax reforms and even unfold a faith.
The experiment performed out on the open-world gaming platform Minecraft, the place as much as 1000 software program brokers at a time used giant language fashions to work together with each other. Given only a nudge by textual content prompting, they developed a outstanding vary of persona traits, preferences and specialist roles, with no additional inputs from their human creators.
The work, from AI startup Altera, is a part of a broader area that wishes to make use of simulated brokers to mannequin how human teams would react to new financial insurance policies or different interventions. And its creators see it as an early step in direction of large-scale “AI civilizations” that may coexist and work alongside us in digital areas. Learn the complete story.
—Niall Firth
To be taught extra concerning the intersection of AI and gaming, why not take a look at:
+ How generative AI might reinvent what it means to play. AI-powered NPCs that don’t want a script might make video games—and different worlds—deeply immersive. Learn the complete story.
+ What influence will AI have on online game growth? It might make working situations extra bearable—or it might simply put individuals out of labor. Learn the complete story.
+ What occurred when MIT Expertise Overview’s workers turned our colleague Niall into an AI-powered nonplayer character—and why he hated his digital incarnation a lot.
MIT Expertise Overview Narrated: The nice business takeover of low Earth orbit
Do you know that NASA intends to destroy the Worldwide Area Station by round 2030? As soon as it’s gone, personal corporations will probably swoop in with their very own replacements. Prepare for the good business takeover of low Earth orbit.
That is our newest story to be was a MIT Expertise Overview Narrated podcast, which we’re publishing every week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Simply navigate to MIT Expertise Overview Narrated on both platform, and comply with us to get all our new content material because it’s launched.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you at the moment’s most enjoyable/essential/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.
1 OpenAI has suspended entry to its Sora video software
After a bunch of artists leaked entry to it in protest. (TechCrunch)
+ OpenAI responded to say they had been beneath no obligation to make use of its software. (WP $)
+ 4 methods to guard your artwork from AI. (MIT Expertise Overview)
2 A researcher created a database of 1 million public Bluesky posts
Regardless that Bluesky itself doesn’t use AI skilled on its person content material. (404 Media)
+ A brand new public database lists all of the methods AI might go mistaken. (MIT Expertise Overview)
3 China is on a Silicon Valley hiring offensive
Chinese language companies are ready to triple engineers’ salaries to lure them in. (WSJ $)
4 What occurs when autonomous weapons make life-or-death choices
The notion of algorithms making choices over who lives or dies is chilling. (Undark Journal)
+ Contained in the messy ethics of constructing battle with machines. (MIT Expertise Overview)
5 How Elon Musk is making an attempt to make xAI a bona fide OpenAI competitor
It’s up in opposition to some fairly stiff competitors. (WSJ $)
+ The agency is more likely to double its present valuation to the tune of $50 billion. (FT $)
+ How OpenAI stress-tests its giant language fashions. (MIT Expertise Overview)
6 These therapies can deliver sufferers again from the brink of loss of life
So when ought to they be deployed—and who ought to get them? (New Scientist $)
+ Contained in the billion-dollar assembly for the mega-rich who wish to dwell endlessly. (MIT Expertise Overview)
7 How this gigantic laser achieved a nuclear fusion milestone
The crew behind it already has a brand new purpose in its sights, too. (Nature)
+ When the race for fusion floor to a halt. (MIT Expertise Overview)
8 These two influencers are locked in a authorized battle
However can you actually legally defend an aesthetic that’s all over the place? (The Verge)
9 LinkedIn’s viral posts are principally written by AI
That explains lots. (Wired $)
10 This lollipop machine permits you to ‘style’ 9 digital flavors 
Willy Wonka eat your coronary heart out. (Ars Technica)
Quote of the day
“We aren’t your free bug testers, PR puppets, coaching knowledge, validation tokens.”
—A bunch of artists decry OpenAI’s therapy of creators in an open letter accompanying a leaked model of the corporate Sora generative AI video software, Selection reviews.
The massive story
Why we are able to not afford to disregard the case for local weather adaptation
August 2022
Again within the Nineties, anybody suggesting that we’d must adapt to local weather change whereas additionally reducing emissions was met with suspicion. Most local weather change researchers felt adaptation research would distract from the important work of maintaining air pollution out of the environment to start with.
Regardless of this hostile setting, a handful of consultants had been already sowing the seeds for a brand new area of analysis referred to as “local weather change adaptation”: examine and coverage on how the world might put together for and adapt to the brand new disasters and risks introduced forth on a warming planet. Right now, their analysis is extra essential than ever. Learn the complete story.
—Madeline Ostrander
We will nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Bought any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ Japanese leaf artwork is actually a powerful feat (thanks Stephen!)
+ Can our Los Angeles readers let me know if this Cyberpunk exhibition on the Academy Museum is as wonderful because it seems?
+ The yr’s finest music books function nice Christmas current inspiration.
+ When you hate how Sam Altman takes notes, right here’s how one can do it the correct means.
