Welcome to the Daily AI News podcast.
Woof! Another crazy week for AI News, right?
It's really hard to keep up with it all.
It really is. Like, how are you even supposed to stay on top of all this?
I know.
But you got us.
So don't worry, we're going to break down the biggest AI news from this past week.
We'll make sure you get all the good stuff, all the really fascinating developments,
without all the noise.
Exactly. So let's dive right in, shall we?
Let's do it.
All right, open AI.
They've been busy this week, haven't they?
Always busy.
Two big announcements. This reinforcement fine-tuning research program
sounds pretty intense.
It's actually super interesting, especially if you're like a business owner.
Oh really? Why is that?
Well, you know, ChatGPT, it's like a general AI, does a little bit of everything, right?
Right, right.
This program is all about creating AI that's super specialized, like for a very specific job.
Okay, so instead of a jack of all trades, it's like a master of one very specific trade.
Exactly.
Think like AI for lawyers to analyze contracts, or AI for doctors to help with diagnoses.
That's incredible. So it's like training an AI on a very specific set of data and tasks.
Yeah, and open AI is looking for partners right now to test it out,
thinking of making it public early 2025.
Wow, so in a couple of years, we could see like AI that's custom built for pretty much any industry.
It's really going to change how businesses work.
I can only imagine.
Okay, but open AI wasn't done there, were they?
Nope.
ChatGPT Pro, $200 a month. What do you think?
Hmm, I think a lot of people are kind of skeptical.
Yeah, $200 a month for a chat bot. Seems a little steep.
It is, and open AI hasn't really explained what makes it so much better.
Right, like is it really worth that much?
Even open AI's CEO has said it's not for most people.
So what's the point of offering it then? It's all a bit confusing.
I think they're trying to figure it out as they go.
A lot of competition in the chat bot world now, you know.
That's true, Google X. Everyone's got a chat bot now.
Speaking of X, they just made their GROC AI free for everyone?
No way. I thought that was only for premium subscribers.
It was, but now anyone can use it, and they just added text to image generation too.
Oh wow, so now it's competing directly with ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.
Yep, and it's all free.
Bold move. I think it'll pay off them.
It might, you know.
They could get a ton of users and data to improve GROC.
Plus there are rumors of a standalone GROC app.
Right, that could be a game changer.
Okay, so we've got open AI doing their thing, X shaking things up.
What about Meta? What are they up to?
They're actually doing really interesting stuff.
They just released their new Lama model, Lama 3.37BB.
Lama, that sounds familiar.
It is. Meta's been pushing this open source approach to AI.
They want everyone to be able to use their model.
Open source meaning anyone can access the code and build on it.
Exactly, and it's working.
Lama has been downloaded like 650 million times.
That's wild, but isn't there some risk with that?
Oh absolutely. There are definitely concerns about misuse.
Like remember that report about the Chinese military using a Lama model for a defense chatbot?
Oh yeah, that was a little unnerving.
It feels like a bit of a tightrope walk, you know.
Openness versus safety.
Exactly. It's a tough balance to strike,
and it'll be interesting to see how things play out.
Especially with those EU regulations coming down the pipeline, right?
Right. They're much stricter about AI.
Meta's open approach might clash with that.
It feels like we're at this turning point with AI.
Who controls it? Who gets to use it? How do we keep it safe?
It's a lot to think about.
It really is.
But for now, let's take a break from the heavy stuff.
Sounds good.
I came across this story about a woman using chat GPT to find a gift for her brother.
Oh yeah, that was a fun one.
Right. She was totally stumped, didn't know what to get him.
Classic gift-giving dilemma.
So she asks chat GPT for ideas, and it suggests a slack line.
A slack line. Like a tightrope.
Yeah, but looser. Apparently her brother loved it.
That's amazing. I love that chat GPT can be used for creative stuff like that too.
Right. It's not just about work and serious stuff.
It can be fun too. And actually, a lot of people are using AI for gift ideas.
Really?
Yeah. There was an Accenture survey that found a lot of consumers are interested in AI gift recommendations.
Huh. I guess it makes sense. AI can analyze a ton of data and find the perfect gift.
Right. And now there are even AI-powered gift generators like Giftlist and MyMap.ai.
So AI is taking over gift-giving now too.
Well, not taking over. Maybe more like lending a helping hand.
True. True. Although it does make you wonder, does it make gift-giving less personal?
That's a good question. Something to think about.
All right. We've covered open AI, meta, gift-giving. How about a little celebrity AI drama?
Ooh. I'm intrigued.
Mariah Carey and Spotify Wrapped. Remember that whole thing?
How could I forget? It was everywhere.
Everyone was convinced her Wrapped video was AI generated.
I mean, it did seem a little too perfect, right?
Right. And then, of course, she denied it, blamed it on bad lighting and a red lip.
Classic, Mariah. But it does bring up this interesting point about AI and authenticity.
Totally. Like, how do we know what's real anymore when AI can create such realistic content?
It's getting harder and harder to tell.
And it's not just celebrities. Think about our own Spotify Wrapped experiences.
Right. How much of that is actually us and how much is AI deciding what we like?
It's both amazing and kind of creepy at the same time.
Definitely. And I think it's something we need to be aware of as AI becomes more integrated into our lives.
Okay. Last one for this part of the roundup, and it's a bit of a heavy hitter.
Okay. Lay it on me.
The LA Times. Their owner wants to implement an AI-powered bias meter on their news articles.
Oh, yeah. I heard about that. Not going over well, is it?
Nope. The newsroom is fighting it tooth and nail.
I can understand why. The whole idea of an AI judging bias is pretty controversial.
Right. Like, who decides what's biased and can an AI really understand the nuances of journalism?
It's a slippery slope, and a lot of people are worried about censorship.
It's a tough situation. On one hand, you want to combat bias,
but on the other hand, you don't want to stifle free speech.
It's a delicate balance, and it highlights this bigger question about AI and ethics, you know?
How do we ensure that AI is used responsibly and doesn't infringe on our rights?
Big questions and unfortunately, no easy answers.
Not yet, anyway. But that's why it's so important to keep talking about these issues,
to keep the conversation going.
Absolutely. So that wraps up part one of our AI news roundup.
Stay tuned for part two, where we'll delve even deeper into these developments.
We'll be right back after a quick break.
Welcome back to the Daily AI News Podcast.
Back for more AI adventures, are we?
Oh, yeah. Always more to explore.
Last time we were talking about that whole LA time situation with the bias meter
and all the pushback they're getting from their newsroom.
It's a tough one, you know? Trying to use AI to identify bias in writing sounds good in theory.
But maybe not so much in practice.
Exactly. Bias is super subjective, right?
What one person sees as biased, another might not.
And can an AI really grasp all those nuances, the context, the intent behind the words?
That's what worries people. You start letting an AI decide what's biased.
You could end up silencing important voices.
And that whole thing about freedom of the press, that's a cornerstone of democracy, isn't it?
Absolutely. So yeah, lots of ethical questions swirling around that one.
Definitely something to keep an eye on.
But speaking of ethical concerns, we were also talking about healthcare and AI.
Some pretty serious allegations against United Healthcare.
Yeah, that story really stuck with me.
Using AI to deny Medicare Advantage claims.
It just feels wrong somehow, doesn't it?
Like, healthcare decisions shouldn't be left to an algorithm.
I agree. There needs to be human oversight, compassion.
You can't just rely on data points to make those calls.
Right. You're dealing with people's lives, their health.
It's too important to just hand over to a machine.
And then there's the issue of bias in the algorithms themselves.
If the data they're trained on is biased, the AI will be biased too.
It's like that saying garbage in, garbage out.
Right.
Exactly.
So we need to be really careful about the data we use to train these healthcare AIs.
And make sure there's transparency so people understand how these decisions are being made.
Absolutely.
Patients deserve to know why their claims are being denied.
And it can't just be, well, the computer said so.
Totally. AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare,
but we have to do it right.
Ethically and responsibly. No cutting corners when it comes to people's health.
Agreed.
Okay. Let's switch gears a bit.
We talked about OpenAI and their Reinforcement Fine Tuning Research Program.
Oh yeah. The specialized AI thing.
Exactly. What are your thoughts on that?
Do you think it's going to be a big deal?
I think it has the potential to be huge.
Imagine AI that's custom built for any job that you can think of.
Like having an AI assistant that's an expert in your specific field, that'd be pretty awesome.
It would. And it could free up so much time and energy for people to focus on
the more creative strategic stuff.
Less time on the tedious tasks, more time on the big picture thinking. I like that.
And OpenAI is really committed to this.
They're already working with partners to test it out.
That's smart. Get feedback from real world users. Refine the technology.
It's a really exciting development, I think.
It could change the way we work for the better.
Okay, but what about Meta and their open source approach with Lama?
How do you see that playing out?
Well, they've certainly got the numbers on their side.
650 million downloads. That's incredible.
It's like they're saying, hey, here's this powerful AI. Go nuts. Do what you want with it.
Yeah. And there's a lot of power in that.
It could lead to an explosion of creativity and innovation.
But also potential for misuse.
Of course. That's always a risk.
It's like giving everyone a set of really powerful tools,
but you don't know what they're going to build with them.
It's a fascinating experiment. That's for sure.
OpenAI with their more controlled tools,
with their more controlled approach, Meta with their open source model.
It'll be interesting to see which one wins out in the long run.
Or maybe it'll be something completely different,
something we haven't even thought of yet.
That's the thing about AI. It's constantly evolving, changing the game.
Makes it exciting to watch, but also a little bit scary.
I hear you. It's a lot to process sometimes.
Okay. Before we move on, I wanted to circle back to that story about using chatGPT for gift ideas.
It just made me smile.
It was a sweet story, wasn't it?
And it reminded me that AI can be fun, too.
It can be. It's not all doom and gloom and ethical dilemmas.
AI can help us be more creative, connect with each other in new ways.
Even find the perfect gift for that hard to buy for friend.
And hey, if it can do that, maybe there's hope for AI after all.
Maybe so.
Let's dive back into the deep end. We were talking about the Mariah Carey Spotify wrap thing.
Oh yeah, the great AI debate of our time. Was it real or was it a deep fake?
She swears it was just bad lighting and lipstick.
I believe her, of course.
But it does raise a good point about AI-generated content.
How do we know what's real anymore? And should we even care?
That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?
As AI gets better at creating realistic content, it's going to be harder and harder to tell the difference.
And then there's the whole ethical question of, is it okay to use AI to create content without disclosing it?
Transparency is going to be key, I think.
People have a right to know if they're interacting with something that's been created by a machine.
Definitely. And it's something we need to start thinking about now before it becomes a bigger problem.
Agreed. We need to be proactive, not reactive.
Alright, one last thought before we wrap up this part of our deep dive.
We talked about open AI, we talked about meta, we talked about AI and bias, AI and healthcare.
It feels like there's this common thread running through it all, wouldn't you say?
I think so. It's all about control, isn't it? Who controls AI, who benefits from it and who gets left behind?
That's a great way to put it. And as AI gets more powerful, those questions are only going to become more important.
We need to be having those conversations now, as a society, before it's too late.
Before the machines take over.
Let's not get too dramatic. But yeah, we need to be thoughtful about how we develop and deploy this technology.
And make sure it's used for good, to make the world a better place, not just to make a profit.
I couldn't agree more.
Back again for part three of our AI news roundup.
Feels like we've covered a lot of ground, huh?
We have.
From specialized AIs to open source models, ethical dilemmas to celebrity deep fakes, it's a lot to untack.
It really is. So, like, what's the takeaway here? What should people be thinking about after listening to all this?
That's a great question.
I think the biggest thing is to realize that AI is no longer some far off, futuristic thing.
It's here, it's now, and it's impacting our lives in ways we're only beginning to understand.
Right. Like, it's not just about robots taking over the world or whatever.
It's about these more subtle, everyday changes that are happening all around us.
Exactly. And those changes are happening fast.
So we need to be informed, we need to be aware, and we need to be having these conversations about AI, both for good and the bad.
Okay, so let's zoom back in on some of the specifics we talked about.
Open AI's Reinforcement Fine-Tuning Research Program, the one about creating specialized AIs.
What stood out to you about that?
I think it's fascinating how they're essentially trying to democratize access to powerful AI.
You know, traditionally you'd need a huge team of engineers and tons of data to build a sophisticated AI system,
but with this fine-tuning approach, it opens up the possibility for smaller businesses, individuals, even artists,
to create AI tools tailored to their specific needs.
It's like putting the power of AI into the hands of everyone, not just the big tech companies. That's pretty cool.
It is, and it has the potential to unlock a whole new wave of creativity and innovation.
Okay, but then there's the flip side, right?
Meta and their open-source Lama model, they're basically saying, here's the code, do what you want with it.
Yeah, it's a much more open approach, which has its pros and cons, of course.
On the one hand, it fosters collaboration, it speeds up development, and it makes AI more accessible to researchers and developers around the world.
But on the other hand, you lose some control, right? You don't know who's using your technology or what they're using it for,
and that's where those concerns about misuse come in.
Exactly. The Chinese military using a Lama model for a defense chat bot, that's a prime example of the potential risks involved.
And it's a tough balance to strike. Do you prioritize openness and innovation, or do you err on the side of caution and control?
Yeah, no easy answers there. It's like this ongoing tension in the world of AI.
That's something we're going to have to grapple with as the technology continues to evolve.
And we have to grapple with those ethical questions too, right?
We talked about UnitedHealthcare and those allegations about using AI to deny Medicare claims.
Right. That whole thing was just unsettling.
Like, healthcare is so personal, so important, it just feels wrong to have those decisions being made by an algorithm.
It raises a lot of concerns about bias, transparency, and accountability.
Who's responsible when an AI makes a mistake? Who makes sure these systems are fair and equitable?
These are questions we need to be asking.
And it's not just about healthcare, right? The LA Times bias meter, that's another example of how AI can be used in ways that raise ethical red flags.
Absolutely. It's well-intentioned, I'm sure, but the potential for misuse is huge.
And it highlights this broader issue of, can we really trust AI to make these kinds of subjective judgments?
Can it truly understand nuance, context, intent?
I think that's a question we're going to be wrestling with for a long time.
And it's not just up to the tech companies to figure it out. It's up to all of us.
We need to be informed. We need to be engaged. And we need to demand that AI is developed and used responsibly.
I couldn't agree more. And part of that responsibility is being aware of how AI is already shaping our world, even in seemingly innocuous ways.
Like the Mariah Carey Spotify rap thing.
Exactly. It might seem like a trivial example, but it points to this larger trend of AI blurring the lines between reality and artificiality.
And that has implications for how we consume information, how we interact with each other, even how we see ourselves.
It's like this whole new layer of complexity has been added to our lives, and we're all still figuring out how to navigate it.
And that's where critical thinking comes in. We need to be skeptical. We need to ask questions, and we need to be willing to challenge assumptions.
Don't just believe everything you see or hear, especially when it comes to AI. Do your own research. Think for yourself. And don't be afraid to push back against the hype.
That's great advice. And remember, AI is a tool. It can be used for good or for bad. It's up to us to decide what kind of future we want to create with it.
So be informed, be engaged, and be part of the conversation. Because the future of AI is being written right now, and we all have a role to play in shaping it.
That's a perfect way to sum it up.
Well, that brings us to the end of our deep dive into the world of AI News. Thanks for joining us on this roller coaster ride.
We hope you found it informative, thought-provoking, and maybe even a little bit inspiring.
As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts. What surprised you this week? What concerns you? What excites you? Let us know in the comments, and we'll keep exploring these fascinating topics in future episodes.