The news: US President Biden has today unveiled a new AI Bill of Rights, which outlines five protections Americans should have in the AI age. Biden has in the past called for better privacy safeguards and for tech companies to stop collecting data. But the US — home to some of the world’s biggest tech and AI companies — has so far been one of the only Western nations without clear guidance on how to protect its citizens against AI harms.
Why it matters: AI is a powerful technology that is transforming our societies. The announcement is the White House’s vision of how the US government as well as technology companies and citizens should work together to hold AI accountable. However, critics say the blueprint lacks teeth, and the US needs even stronger regulation around AI. Read the full story.
—Melissa Heikkilä
Here’s how the Nord Stream gas pipelines could be fixed
What’s happened: Until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines were a key part of Europe’s energy infrastructure. Russia has since used Nord Stream as a geopolitical pawn in retaliation to the economic sanctions imposed upon it, and in late September, unexpected damage caused four leaks in the subsea pipeline system. Everyone except Russia believes it’s deliberate sabotage to squeeze gas supplies ahead of a tricky winter shortage in Europe, and now the race is on to fix the vital pipelines before winter—if that’s even possible.
What’s the damage? Any mission will be an unprecedented challenge for the oil and gas sector, requiring complex robotics and imaginative engineering. While we don’t even know for sure how bad the situation is at this stage, the damage is expected to be significant, and could take months—and a great deal of money—to repair. And even if repairs can be made, it’s unlikely that Nord Stream will recommence supplies any time soon. Read the full story.
—Chris Stokel-Walker
Get ready for the next generation of AI
Just when the AI community was wrapping its head around the astounding progress of text-to-image systems, we’re already moving on to the next frontier: text-to-video.
Late last week, Meta unveiled Make-A-Video, an AI that generates five-second videos from text prompts. The development is a breakthrough in generative AI that also raises some tough ethical questions, sparking fears it could be harnessed as a powerful tool to create and disseminate misinformation. Read the full story.
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