WednesdAI // Week 46

AI Frontiers of 2024 with Emotional Pets to Creative Breakthroughs and Military Innovations!

Let’s get into it!
 
Welcome to WednesdAI – Pixel Dreams’ weekly update with top stories from the rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence.

This Week’s News

Robot Trained to Clean Sinks by Mimicking Humans

 
Researchers at TU Wien have taught a robot to clean sinks by mimicking human movements. Using sensors in a sponge, the robot adapts to various sink shapes, learning the pressure and angles needed for cleaning. The project, demonstrated at IROS 2024, shows potential applications for robots in precise cleaning, polishing, and industrial surface treatments.
 

Visit Tech Exploris.

Western Drivers Remain Skeptical of In-Vehicle AI

 
A recent study by MHP surveyed 4,700 drivers across the US, Europe, and China, finding that Western drivers, especially in Europe, remain skeptical of in-vehicle AI features like driver assistance and automation. While Chinese drivers were more open to such technology, Europeans expressed strong reservations about AI’s reliability and safety in their cars, likely influenced by privacy concerns and recent technical issues in the automotive AI sector. This divide could pose challenges for car manufacturers as they try to adapt their AI strategies to varied market perceptions.
 

For more, visit here.

AI hallucinations gone wrong

 
Alaska’s Department of Education used AI-generated data that was later found to be faulty, to justify banning cell phones in schools. The AI generated fake statistics about the impact of phones on student performance, were relied on by the state without checking. This is a prime example of “AI hallucinations,” where AI tools invent details that sound real. It highlights the risks of taking AI-produced “facts” at face value, especially when they can end up influencing actual policies.

 
For more details, AI News.
 
 

ChatGPT Steers Millions Away from Election Misinformation

 
On Election Day, ChatGPT redirected 2 million users to news outlets like Reuters and AP, urging them to check conventional sources for election updates. It also referred another million to CanIVote.org and blocked 250,000 requests for candidate images, dodging deepfake risks. Meanwhile, AI search engine Perplexity logged 4 million views on its own election hub. Millions turned to AI platforms for election info—a shift that hints at Big Tech’s growing role in shaping media access, even as it steers users back to corporate news sources.

 
For more details, visit the full article from Tech Crunch.
 
 

Trump’s Win Brings Shift in AI and Tech Regulation

 
Donald Trump’s recent election win is expected to reshape U.S. tech regulation, especially around AI. Trump’s administration plans to reverse Biden’s AI framework, which required companies to report AI safety measures and adhere to national standards. This shift may lead to lighter regulations, though it could create gaps in oversight that state governments might fill. The bottom line: A friendlier regulatory outlook may boost innovation—if companies can balance it with public trust.

 
For the complete list and further details, check out the full article from Tech Crunch, StartUp News, and Tech Crunch.

Videos of the Week

What’s exciting, a short statement about what’s exciting. Just a short sentence or two about what’s most exciting.
 

The images accompanying the news items in this article were generated in Midjourney using the following prompts:

High-fantasy biomechanical garden where a robotic creature, resembling a mix of an insect and a humanoid, cleans sinks nestled within oversized flower petals. The creature’s cleaning arm, vine-like and wrapped with intricate sensors, gently polishes reflective organic “sink-pools” surrounded by bioluminescent plants. Dappled, ethereal lighting filters through from above, casting surreal patterns on water droplets, as the robot’s graceful movements create a mesmerizing dance of cleanliness and precision in an enchanted forest.

Retro-futurism mixed with contemporary art installation, featuring a European car interior where an AI interface appears as surreal, oversized floating geometric shapes that the driver distrustfully observes. The dashboard is cluttered with colorful, abstract shapes representing AI alerts and instructions, all casting sharp, multi-colored reflections across the driver’s face in harsh lighting. The atmosphere is tense yet visually intriguing, highlighting skepticism through exaggerated, whimsical forms.

80s-style surrealist painting, blending pastel tones with ominous undertones, featuring a vast Alaskan landscape where cell phones grow from the ground like flowers, each displaying fake data stats floating in the air. An AI figure looms large in the sky, casting a shadow over a schoolhouse below. The lighting is soft but eerie, with pink and purple hues, contrasting the calmness of the setting with the unsettling presence of fabricated information influencing real-world decisions.

Vintage retro fantasy collage, with ChatGPT as a massive crystal structure at the center of a chaotic media storm, absorbing misinformation and projecting streams of light toward portals marked by reputable organizations. A winding river of data flows through the scene, guiding users to clear, verified sources while fragmented deepfakes are turned to shards at its base. Dim, iridescent lighting with flickering effects gives a sense of both order and mystery, balancing the allure of information with the weight of responsibility.

Abstract political theater in a digital coliseum, with United States Eagle symbol figure holding AI law scrolls in one hand and a dismantled regulatory cog in the other. Surrounding him are holographic apparitions of tech company logos, each flickering with shifting colors as crowds of AI data entities gather around, spectating. Soft, golden spotlight on the eagle contrasts with dark, electric tones that illuminate the fractured crowd, symbolizing shifts and divisions.