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The AI social network war has begun
A secret prototype, a hardware deal with Jony Ive, and millions of AI images suggest OpenAI is making a play for your social media feed.
AI skeptic Gary Marcus on AI’s moral and technical shortcomings
From hallucinations to regulatory battles, Gary Marcus argues the AI status quo has failed us and it's time citizens demand something more.
Why AI today is more toddler than Terminator
In "Raising AI," author De Kai argues that AIs are more like society's children than machines under our control.
Media has a blind spot when covering the AI panic
When news outlets quote warnings of an impending AI catastrophe, they rarely mention the two main movements behind this narrative.
AI is now designing chips for AI
AI-designed microchips have more power, lower cost, and are changing the tech landscape.
AI can dramatically expand human agency
If we get AI right, it will accelerate empowerment, enabling people to learn any subject, start any business, and realize any vision.
All PCs will be AI PCs “pretty soon,” says Intel exec
Manufacturers are now equipping their PCs with the hardware needed to run the latest AI applications locally. Here's what that means for you.
Cheap AI is causing a power shift in the world’s militaries
The militaries that leverage the low-cost capabilities of AI the most will have a decisive advantage in the future.
AI is already in the classroom. It’s time colleges caught up.
Rather than banning AI, schools should adapt by designing assignments that promote responsible use and keep the focus on learning.
How AI is being drafted for a digital cold war
"Technology has always been co-opted for war, but truly intelligent AI, let alone a superintelligence, is a different beast entirely."
How DeepSeek rewrote the rules of the AI race
Chinese startup DeepSeek has proven that vast quantities of capital and cutting-edge chips aren't prerequisites for world-class AI.
What if you could start civilization over with AI?
Innovators in every industry and field should adopt the same mantra: If you could start fresh with AI, then what would you do?
AI thinks “vegetative electron microscopy” is real — it’s not
The appearance of a nonsense term in multiple scientific papers has exposed how flawed data in training sets can become embedded in AIs.
Siri co-founder: “No matter how smart AI gets, it’s not going to solve all our problems by itself.”
Adam Cheyer, co-founder of Siri and VP of AI Experience at Airbnb, talks about the future of AI at Freethink's Great Progression event.
Has AI made “learn to code” obsolete?
Freethink talks to the creator of the world's most popular AI coding assistant to find out whether learning to code is still worthwhile.
Inside the “Virtual Lab” where AIs and humans collaborate
A “Virtual Lab” populated by AI scientists could overcome one of the biggest challenges in interdisciplinary research.
How AI is reshaping the legal profession
AI-powered tools may already be giving some lawyers the upper hand in court.
Gen Z: We must resist the temptation to cheat on everything
Adopting the "cheat on everything" mentality — treating thinking as a burden AI can eliminate — is not only wrong, it’s dangerous.
Kevin Kelly points a new way forward into the Age of AI
One of the most original and optimistic thinkers in America helps build out some big through lines on what's possible with AI in the next 25 years.
Should we turn the electricity grid over to AI?
AI could one day be woven throughout the grid management system — here are the pros and cons.
Police spend 40% of their time on paperwork. Can AI help?
In partnership with Axon
Axon's AI innovations promise to free officers from desks, but not without questions of ethics. CEO Rick Smith addresses concerns and community trust:
Charting the race for energy in the Age of AI
As AI's demand for computing power skyrockets, data centers are under immense pressure to boost efficiency and increase sustainability.
The artifact isn’t the art: Rethinking creativity in the age of AI
ChatGPT's Studio Ghibli imitations invite questions about the creative value of people and what we really mean when we talk about creativity.
Sal Khan wants to give every student on Earth a personal AI tutor
Khan Academy's new AI tutor, Khanmigo, has the potential to revolutionize education for students and teachers alike.
A personal assistant for everyone: The promise of ambient AI
We're leaving the app era and entering the age of ambient AI: intelligent help that’s always on, but never in the way.
“Model collapse” threatens to kill progress on generative AIs
Generative AIs start churning out nonsense when trained on synthetic data — a problem that could put a ceiling on their ability to improve.
Flexport is using generative AI to create the “holy grail” of shipping
Flexport is using generative AI to read documents, talk to truckers, and create a "knowledge agent" that's an expert in shipping.
The AI chip startup that could take down Nvidia
A new kind of AI chip developed by a team of Harvard dropouts could shift the ground beneath our massive AI economy.
AI chatbots may ease the world’s loneliness (if they don’t make it worse)
AI chatbots may have certain advantages when roleplaying as our friends. They may also come with downsides that make our loneliness worse.
Will AI supercharge hacking — if it hasn’t already?
The future of hacking is coming at us fast, and it isn’t clear yet whether AI will help attackers and defenders more.
There are no new ideas in AI — only new datasets
Our next AI breakthrough will come when we unlock a source of data we’ve either overlooked or never fully harnessed.
Vibe coding is rewriting the rules of technology
Rather than meticulously crafting each line of code, developers can now “vibe” with AI tools using natural language.
Jony Ive has found his new Steve Jobs
Jony Ive and Sam Altman join forces as OpenAI acquires io, Ive’s secretive AI hardware startup, for $6.5 billion.
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In The Arena with Evan Baehr
The cure for cancer is early detection. AI makes this easier.
In partnership with Arena Hall
Integrating AI technology with medical imaging could help provide early diagnosis and reduce the chance of patient death.
The AGI economy is coming faster than you think
The impact of AGI on the economy will be big, it’ll happen fast, and it’ll be disruptive. Here's how the disruption could play out.
Three founders look to the future at Freethink’s inaugural Great Progression event
The tech community came together for the launch of the Great Progression event series, curated by Peter Leyden and produced by Freethink.
Can we automate science? Sam Rodriques is already doing it.
People need to anticipate the revolution that’s coming in how humans and AI will collaborate to create discoveries, argues Sam Rodrigues.
Will generative AI change everything for filmmaking?
We asked an experimental filmmaker, an MIT economist, and an AI startup executive how generative AIs could impact the world of filmmaking.
Google AI exec: “The mistake would be thinking this is hype.”
Bestselling author and Google Labs' Editorial Director Steven Johnson talks about the future of AI at Freethink's Great Progression event.
Perplexity, Google, and the battle for AI search supremacy
AIs that generate answers to user queries could transform search, but only if someone can get the tech and the business model right.
How AI is rewriting Silicon Valley’s relationship with the Pentagon
Silicon Valley is warming to the Department of Defense as it works to get new AI systems developed and deployed en masse.
LLMs are a dead end to AGI, says François Chollet
AI researcher François Chollet thought we needed a better way to measure progress on the path to AGI — so he made one.
Arc Institute’s new AI can read and write the code of life
Training on the DNA of nearly 130,000 species taught Evo 2 how to generate DNA sequences the same way other AIs do text or images.
Microsoft’s “parallel bets” strategy won the PC Wars. Will it work for AI?
Microsoft made parallel bets to make sure they held their OS lead. They'll do the same for AI — will it work?
See how Moderna is using OpenAI tech across its workforce
A partnership between Moderna and OpenAI provides a real-world example of what can happen when a company leans into generative AI.
New AI music generator makes songs from text prompts
AI music generators — AIs that create new music based on users’ text prompts — are lowering the bar for music creation, for better or worse.
When AI prompts result in copyright violations, who has to pay?
Who is responsible for copyright violations when they're produced by generative AI? The technology is outpacing the law.
Meta’s AI assistant just got a major upgrade — here’s how you can use it
Meta has upgraded its AI assistant, Meta AI, with a new LLM (Llama 3) and made it available in far more places.
OpenAI and Microsoft are reportedly planning a $100B supercomputer
Microsoft is reportedly planning to build a $100 billion data center and supercomputer, called "Stargate," for OpenAI.
New AI generates CRISPR proteins unlike any seen in nature
An AI that generates CRISPR proteins is opening the door to gene editors with capabilities beyond what we’ve found in nature.
OpenAI is developing “AI agents.” Here’s what that means.
OpenAI is reportedly developing “AI agents,” software that can perform tasks on people’s devices upon request.
Would you trust big work-life decisions to an AI coach?
The fast-growing coaching industry is being disrupted by generative AI, which excels at “performance coaching.”
Why AI playing video games is a big deal
Google's SIMA can follow human instructions to play 3D video games. Researchers hopes the platform can one day help AI navigate real-world environments.
Will LLMs lead to an artificial general intelligence?
An exclusive excerpt from AI podcaster Dwarkesh Patel's first book, The Scaling Era: An Oral History of AI 2019-2025.
9 ways AI is helping tackle climate change
Existing AI systems include tools that predict weather, track icebergs, and identify pollution, all of which can help fight climate change.
Does AI need a “body” to become truly intelligent? Meta researchers think so.
We’re finally starting to see what can happen when we put an advanced AI “brain” in a state-of-the-art robot “body” — and it’s remarkable.
Watch the first AI vs. human dogfight using military jets
An AI fighter pilot faced off against a human pilot in a “dogfight” using actual planes — a huge milestone in military automation.
AI startup Magic is building a “superhuman software engineer”
Magic AI is developing an advanced AI software engineer it sees as a milestone along the path to artificial general intelligence (AGI).
How technology has transformed private espionage
Combining AI and a deluge of open data has enabled some intelligence vendors to surpass the capabilities of government agencies.
Why futurist Amy Webb sees a “technology supercycle” headed our way
Amy Webb's data suggests we are on the cusp of a new tech revolution that will reshape the world in much the same way the steam engine and internet did in the past.
Replit CEO Amjad Masad on bringing the next 1 billion software creators online
Freethink spoke with Masad about the future of software development, the outsized power of Silicon Valley, and the absurdity of the AI extinction theory.
AI is here – and everywhere: 3 AI researchers look to the challenges ahead in 2024
AI scholars look ahead to 2024 and describe the issues developers, regulators, and everyday people are likely to face.
What will it take for smart glasses to replace smartphones?
Smart glasses that combine personal computing, AI, and augmented reality could be the next life-changing consumer tech device. Here's how.
Startup unveils “world’s first” complete AI software engineer
Cognition Labs has unveiled Devin, an AI software engineer that can build websites from scratch, debug code, and more.
AI can help predict whether a patient will respond to specific tuberculosis treatments
Instead of a one-size-fits-all treatment approach, AI could help personalize treatments for each patient to provide the best outcomes.
Can we stop AI hallucinations? And do we even want to?
“Making stuff up” and “being creative” may be two sides of the same coin — but you have to be able to tell the difference.
Elon Musk sues OpenAI and claims it has achieved AGI
Elon Musk is suing OpenAI, claiming it has breached its agreement to develop artificial general intelligence for the benefit of all humanity.
AI-powered wearable “speaks” for people with vocal cord problems
Bioengineers at UCLA are developing an AI-powered wearable that could make it easier for people with vocal cord problems to talk.
Sam Altman on the future of AI
In the Davos session, "Technology in a Turbulent World," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman explained where he sees AI heading.
New AI detection tool measures how “surprising” word choices are
A new AI detection tool that measure how "surprising" text is reportedly delivers far fewer false positives than existing options.
The brief history of artificial intelligence: The world has changed fast – what might be next?
Despite their brief history, computers and AI have fundamentally changed what we see, what we know, and what we do.
OpenAI’s GPT-4 outperforms doctors in another new study
OpenAI’s most powerful AI model, GPT-4, outperformed junior doctors in deciding how to treat patients with eye problems.
Will AI companions help or hurt the “loneliness epidemic”?
About a third of people are lonely. Three scholars consider whether AI can help, or if it'll just make things worse.
OpenAI is reportedly investing in humanoid robots
Microsoft and OpenAI reportedly plan to invest $100 million into Figure, a startup developing a humanoid robot for the workplace.
How Brilliant Labs CEO is creating a “symbiosis of humanity and artificial intelligence”
CEO Bobak Tavangar discusses the philosophy behind Brilliant’s latest device, Frame, and his vision for the future of AI.
Clinical trials can save more lives, and faster, with AI
The type of AI powering ChatGPT could help accelerate drug development by matching patients with clinical trials and vice versa.
Why a neurodivergent team will be a golden asset in the AI workplace
Since AI is chained to linear reasoning, workplaces that embrace it will do well to have neurodivergent colleagues who reason more creatively.
AI chatbots are coming to your workplace but are not necessarily coming for your job
AI chatbots might not be coming for your job after all, but AI fluency, the skill to understand and work with AI, will soon be essential.
AI solves huge problem holding back fusion power
Princeton researchers have trained an AI to predict and prevent a common problem during nuclear fusion reactions.
Google’s AI can create a video game based on a napkin drawing
Named Genie, the AI can create a short video games from a single image. It could one day create a wide range of interactive environments.
A dozen reasons to read Peter Leyden at this critical juncture in history
To truly understand our historic moment, you need a comprehensive, big-picture, long-term perspective that deeply understands artificial intelligence and the next wave of transformative technologies.
Why ChatGPT feels more “intelligent” than Google Search
There will be a moment, coming soon, when AI makes the leap from tool to entity.
How to build the skills needed for the age of AI
Knowledge-based workers already need to skill-up to coexist with sophisticated artificial intelligence technologies.
A call to innovators in Silicon Valley and beyond to help chart the new way forward
Peter Leyden sums up the key themes and big ideas of his new series at a Freethink Conversation in San Francisco.
What is The Great Progression: 2025 to 2050?
We have a historic opportunity to harness AI and other transformative technologies in order to make a much better world in the next 25 years.
Can humans purge the bots without sacrificing our privacy?
A group backed by Sam Altman is pursuing the creation of "personhood credentials" that would prove an internet user is a real person.
AI for agriculture: How Indian farmers are harvesting innovation
India's farmers combat climate change, pestilence, and financial burdens, with AI-driven initiatives offering transformative solutions.
AI and the future of work in 2024
Future jobs will rebalance technology with humanity, and lifelong learning to continually upgrade must replace outdated ideas of static careers.
Google’s Gemini Ultra AI has been released
Google just made its most capable generative AI — Gemini Ultra — available to the public, while killing the “Bard” brand.
How Google’s new AI could revolutionize medicine
Google DeepMind's AlphaFold 3 could be the future of drug discovery — and the journey to its creation started more than a century ago.
AI “tastes” beer — then tells brewers how to make it better
An AI that can predict how to improve the taste of a beer could help brewers develop the next beloved brew.
Google’s $1 billion bet on Africa’s digital future
Just 37% of sub-Saharan Africans use the internet today, but Google predicts the next 10 years will be the region’s “digital decade.”
Today’s wearables track your body. Tomorrow’s could treat it.
Wearables that treat health issues, track countless biomarkers, and last far longer than today's devices are on the horizon.
No, LLMs still can’t reason like humans. This simple test reveals why.
Most AI models are incredible at taking tests but easily bamboozled by basic reasoning. “Simple Bench” shows us why.
Google’s new Gemini AI beats GPT-4 in 30 of 32 tests
Tech giant Google has unveiled the multimodal Gemini AI, its “largest and most capable” AI model ever released.
How does studying 500 years of the printing press help us tackle the era of AI?
For around 500 years, the printed word shaped our education and culture. What lessons can we learn from it in the new age of AI?
Microsoft is training an AI to help get nuclear reactors approved
Microsoft is training an AI to generate the paperwork needed to get next-gen nuclear reactors approved by regulators.
What does the future hold for generative AI?
Rodney Brooks, co-founder of iRobot, kicks off a symposium on the promise and pitfalls of increasingly powerful AI tools like ChatGPT.
4 core strategies as AI changes the “meaning of work”
A 2021 study in Germany revealed that automation can have a serious effect on our sense of meaning at work.
OpenAI’s text-to-video AI, Sora, is futurism come to life
Sora will let anyone transform their ideas directly into video and the implications are breathtaking.