Jeff Clune’s Post

We often talk about the need to address bias in AI and LLMs, and today in particular, it's worth some extra attention. A few weeks ago, I read an article shared by Michael Berhane about the pending launch of a new LLM called Latimer The goal of Latimer (named after Lewis Latimer, African-American inventor) is to build a LLM taking special care to train on diverse data sets. As opposed to training on wide swaths of data that is available online, Latimer intends to "more accurately reflect the experience, culture and history of Black and brown people." (quoted from the Latimer website, linked in comments) The article Michael Berhane shared back in December announced Latimer's exclusive license to use content from one of the oldest continuously published Black newspaper, New York Amsterdam News. “As LLMs evolve, it’s becoming increasingly evident that simply ingesting all the words on the open internet is not the best strategy, especially if the goal is data accuracy and bias free interactions,” Latimer founder and CEO John Pasmore said in a press release about the collab with New York Amsterdam News. I hope we can learn an important lesson from the goals of Latimer: more is not always best. As many of us know from working in AI, garbage in/garbage out, and there's a lot of garbage in the vast expanse of the world wide web. I predict that in 2024 we'll start to see the build out of more targeted and well-curated LLMs to better suit the needs of an increasingly discerning AI-consumer base. In the meantime, we should continue to spotlight the need to address bias in AI and what we can do to prevent such biases from being perpetrated on a grand scale through generative AI. Check out the comments for links to the article and the Wikipedia page for Lewis Latimer, a contemporary of Edison. #aibias #aiethics #aidiversity #aidisruption #generativeai

AI NEWS: White House science adviser calls for more safeguards against artificial intelligence risks. ... When President Joe Biden has questions about artificial intelligence, one expert he turns to is his science adviser Arati Prabhakar, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Prabhakar is helping to guide the U.S. approach to safeguarding AI technology, relying in part on cooperation from big American tech firms like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta. The India-born, Texas-raised engineer and applied physicist is coming at the problem from a career bridging work in government — including leading the Defense Department’s advanced technology research arm — and the private sector as a former Silicon Valley executive and venture capitalist. Q: Does the president come to ask you about AI? A: I’ve had the great privilege of talking with him several times about artificial intelligence. Those are great conversations because he’s laser-focused on understanding what it is and how people are using it. Then immediately he just goes to the consequences and deep implications. Those have been some very good conversations. Very exploratory, but also very focused on action. Read the full interview below: https://lnkd.in/dZEg9zrf #ai #artificialintelligence #innovation #whitehouse #someli

Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) very recently launched a most vital, comprehensive, 502 page paper on the technical advancements in AI, public perceptions of the technology, and the geopolitical dynamics surrounding its development! Here are the top 10 takeaways! The last 3 were cut-off so I paste them here: " 8. Scientific progress accelerates even further, thanks to AI. In 2022, AI began to advance scientific discovery. 2023, however, saw the launch of even more significant science-related AI applications— from AlphaDev, which makes algorithmic sorting more efficient, to GNoME, which facilitates the process of materials discovery. 9. The number of AI regulations in the United States sharply increases. The number of AIrelated regulations in the U.S. has risen significantly in the past year and over the last five years. In 2023, there were 25 AI-related regulations, up from just one in 2016. Last year alone, the total number of AI-related regulations grew by 56.3%. 10. People across the globe are more cognizant of AI’s potential impact—and more nervous. A survey from Ipsos shows that, over the last year, the proportion of those who think AI will dramatically affect their lives in the next three to five years has increased from 60% to 66%. Moreover, 52% express nervousness toward AI products and services, marking a 13 percentage point rise from 2022. In America, Pew data suggests that 52% of Americans report feeling more concerned than excited about AI, rising from 37% in 2022. "

Advances in AI are rapidly disrupting the foundations of democracy and the international order. Read the AI package from our October issue, free through October 30:

How do we ensure that AI-systems serve all individuals equitably, preventing discrimination and promoting trust? Bias in AI-systems can compromise fairness and value creation in multiple ways, e.g., by perpetuating historical injustices in the training data. Both fairness and bias are nuanced concepts, which require careful consideration of the context in which AI-systems are developed and deployed. Join us for a lecture in the company of three outstanding researchers Aasa Feragen, Ira Assent, and Professor Thomas Moeslund sharing their work and perspectives on biases and fairness in AI – and the dilemmas in ensuring responsible and value-creating AI.

🔥 Hot new resource: International Definitions of Artificial Intelligence! Check out this chart with research by IAPP Westin Fellow Amy Olivero and find definitions of #artificialintelligence terms from various global and sectoral perspectives. Explore the resource: https://bit.ly/3LoxJRb "Computer scientist John McCarthy coined the term artificial intelligence in 1955, defining it as "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines." He organized the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence a year later — an event that many consider the birthplace of the field. "In today's world, the definition of AI has been in continuous evolution, its contours and constraints changing to align with current and perhaps future technological progress and cultural contexts. In fact, most papers and articles are quick to point out the lack of common consensus around the definition of AI. As a resource from British research organization the Ada Lovelace Institute states, "We recognise that the terminology in this area is contested. This is a fast-moving topic, and we expect that terminology will evolve quickly." The difficulty in defining AI is illustrated by what AI historian Pamela McCorduck called the "odd paradox," referring to the idea that, as computer scientists find new and innovative solutions, computational techniques once considered AI lose the title as they become common and repetitive. "The indeterminate nature of the term poses particular challenges in the regulatory space. Indeed, in 2017 a New York City Council task force downgraded its mission to regulate the city's use of automated decision-making systems to just defining the types of systems subject to regulation because it could not agree on a workable, legal definition of AI. "With this understanding, the following chart provides a snapshot of some of the definitions of AI from various global and sectoral (government, civil society and industry) perspectives. The chart is not an exhaustive list. It allows for cross-contextual comparisons from key players in the AI ecosystem. We welcome feedback and input on any additional sources — please feel free to reach out to the contacts provided at the end of this resource."

IAPP has great resources for privacy laws and the emerging legal/regulatory landscape surrounding the development and deployment of AI #aiconversations #iapp #dataprivacylaw

📚 AI Needs You ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Just finished Verity Harding ‘s insightful book, “AI Needs You.” This well-researched work should serve as a crucial call to action for governments worldwide regarding AI policy-making. The current U.S.- China race for AI supremacy is unsustainable. The existing approach to AI development is already harming the public, especially the most vulnerable amongst us, by prioritizing speed to market(in secrecy) over societal benefits. As AI’s influence grows, it’s imperative to determine its purpose and beneficiaries and draw clear and unequivocal lines in the sand about what we will not tolerate. Harding argues for societal leadership in ensuring AI fulfills its promise. Drawing inspiring lessons from the histories of three twentieth-century tech revolutions—the space race, in vitro fertilization, and the internet, Harding proposes a detailed roadmap for public policy and civic engagement. She rejects the narrative likening AI to the atomic bomb, advocating instead for a future where democratically determined values guide AI, ensuring it is peaceful, purposeful, and trustworthy. Citing historical examples like the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, created shortly after Russia launched Sputnik under JFK’s leadership, Margaret Thatcher’s approach to IVF policy in the UK despite fierce public outcry and her own misgivings about it, and ICANN’s role in internet governance through the DNS and sound policies developed by experts from across the world(especially in the wake of 9/11 ans US PATRIOT ACT which gave rise to mass surveillance by governments and corporations)— Harding underscores the need for a similar approach to AI policy. She calls for public/private partnerships and the inclusion of voices from developing nations in technology development. Personally, I was delighted to see the work of one of my professors, Georgia Institute of Technology ‘s very own Dr. Milton Mueller. Dr. Mueller’s classes on information security public policy and IT/Comm/Telecom policy opened my eyes to the complex process of policy rulemaking and enforcement in the Digital Age. “AI Needs You” inspires hope that we can shape AI with our best values, serving the public good. The future of AI—and our own—depends on our active guidance. Highly recommend diving into this thought-provoking and empowering read! 🌟 Missy Cummings Masheika Allgood David Beck Dr. Jeffrey Funk Sylvain Pronovost, PhD #AI #PublicPolicy #TechRevolution #FutureOfAI #BookReview #AINeedsYou #artificialintelligence #machinelearning #publicpolicy #genai #generativeai

A significant milestone in AI collaboration!🤖 Germany, France, and Poland have officially announced the Weimar Triangle for Artificial Intelligence. Explore the article by Science Business for an in-depth look at this transformative partnership. #AI #TechPartnership #WeimarTriangle

I am so proud to work at the Ford School of Public Policy. Please see our newest memo on "Understanding the Future of Artificial Intelligence Governance: Comparing the EU AI Act and U.S. Executive Order on Safe AI" written by Trevor Odelberg. #artificialintelligence