Lifeboat Foundation

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems tend to take on human biases and amplify them, causing people who use that AI to become more biased themselves, finds a new study by UCL researchers.

Human and AI biases can consequently create a feedback loop, with small initial biases increasing the risk of human error, according to the findings published in Nature Human Behaviour.

The researchers demonstrated that AI bias can have real-world consequences, as they found that people interacting with biased AIs became more likely to underestimate women’s performance and overestimate white men’s likelihood of holding high-status jobs.

Quantum computing and networking company IonQ has delivered a data center-ready trapped-ion quantum computer to the uptownBasel innovation campus in Arlesheim, Switzerland.

The IonQ Forte Enterprise quantum computer is the first of its kind to operate outside the United States and Switzerland’s first quantum computer designed for commercial use.

According to IonQ, Forte Enterprise is now online, servicing compute jobs while performing at a record algorithmic qubit count of #AQ36. The number of algorithmic qubits (#AQ) is a tool for showing how useful a quantum computer is at solving real problems for users by summarizing its ability to run benchmark quantum algorithms often used for applications.

The continued resilience of high-paying remote work jobs, and remote work in general, comes in an environment in which prominent CEOs and politicians have recently pushed to bring workers back to the office full time.

It is quite conventional that the working of classical computers is affected immensely by heat and one might have come across this situation in their lives when their computer failed to function properly due to excessive heating.

But what about quantum computers? Do thermodynamical factors influence the workings of a quantum computing device? Well, the answer is yes, quantum computers operate using quantum bits or qubits that essentially are in a superposed state exchanging information in binary code. An interesting fact about qubits is that they not only exchange information using 0 and 1 but also intermediate values between 0 and 1. These qubits are very sensitive, in that excessive heat generation could cause work-related defects which in a sense can cause harm to the device as a whole. Another crucial point is that in order to retrieve significant information from the qubit system, the associated quantum states must be dismantled and this could possibly impact the quantum system heavily in a negative manner as the process would be exothermic.

In recent work, physicists have investigated the thermodynamic effects caused by superconducting quantum systems [1]. The method involves the employment of a Josephson junction which essentially operates on the Josephson effect, an example of macroscopic quantum phenomena wherein a supercurrent flows between two superconductors placed end-to-end or in close proximity to each other. The principal usability of a Josephson junction is to store quantum information. Using superconductors is a plus because it helps enhance the efficiency of the qubits.

The company has unveiled plans for a new data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana, marking a significant expansion of its global infrastructure. The $10 billion investment will be Meta’s largest data center to date, spanning a massive 4 million square feet. This state-of-the-art facility will be a crucial component in the company’s ongoing efforts to support the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Meta did not disclose an estimated completion or operational date for this facility.

The new Richland Parish data center will create over 500 full-time operational jobs, providing a substantial boost to the local economy. During peak construction, the project is expected to employ more than 5,000 workers.

Meta’s decision to build in Richland Parish was driven by several factors, including the region’s robust infrastructure, reliable energy grid, and business-friendly environment. The company also cited the strong support from local community partners, which played a critical role in facilitating the development of the data center.

From a handheld soldering gun to the ‘playbird mansion’ and, of course, the marvel of a smartphone microscope, there are some gadgets that we come across that we instantly want – and this wireless ultrasonic cutter is definitely another.

And much like the soldering gun, this little jigger has such a broad range of applications that, while it’s aimed at the do-it-yourself maker and crafter, its appeal is certainly not limited to this.

Continue reading “Wireless ultrasonic knife glides through most things like butter” »

Hundreds of LLM-powered AI agents spontaneously made friends, invented jobs, and spread religion.

A lot of the hype today centers on the idea of developers using AI “to write their code.” This is not practical, at least not for complex tasks. However, AI does have some strengths:

• Producing first drafts of code.

• Minor code updates.

Continue reading “AI Is Not Stealing Jobs—It Is Supercharging Software Development” »

Japan’s combination of artificial intelligence and robotics may be the answer to its rapidly shrinking labor force

Todd Schneider, Gee Hee Hong, and Anh Van Le

While automation will eliminate very few occupations entirely in the coming decades, it is likely to have an impact on portions of almost all jobs to some degree—depending on the type of work and the tasks involved. Set to move beyond routine and repetitive manufacturing activities, automation has the potential to appear in a much broader range of activities than seen until now, and to redefine human labor and work style in services and other sectors. In Japan, the rapid decline in the labor force and the limited influx of immigrants create a powerful incentive for automation, which makes the country a particularly useful laboratory for the study of the future landscape of work.