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US vice president gathers top tech CEOs to discuss dangers of AI

Vice President Harris gathered the heads of several AI development firms to discuss potential risks posed by the budding technology.

The United States vice president and President Biden’s top advisors have held a meeting with several AI industry CEOs to discuss “concerns about the risks associated with AI.”

On May 4, U.S. vice president Kamala Harris was joined by nine top Biden administration advisors in science, national security, policy and economics, meeting with the CEOs of OpenAI, Microsoft, Google and AI startup Anthropic.

Notably, tech giant Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg was absent from the meeting.

Before the meeting, the White House released a flurry of AI-related announcements regarding funding AI research facilities, government AI policy, and AI systems evaluation.

The meeting focused on the transparency of AI systems, the importance of evaluating and validating the safety of AI and ensuring AI is secured from malicious actors, as per the announcement.

Reportedly, the government and the tech CEOs agreed “more work is needed to develop and ensure appropriate safeguards and protections” for AI.

The CEOs committed to engaging with the White House to ensure Americans can “benefit from AI innovation.” No specific details were shared on what safeguards were needed or what the engagement with the government exactly entails.

Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg was absent from the meeting despite the company working on AI for years. A White House official told CNN “It was focused on companies currently leading in the space.”

The Biden administration also highlighted — without going into specifics — its work to address national security concerns posed by AI, specifically mentioning cybersecurity and biosecurity.

It said these efforts would ensure AI firms “have access to best practices” to protect AI networks from state cybersecurity experts from the “national security community.”

White House banks big on AI

On the same day, the Biden Administration announced it would put aside $140 million to launch seven new National AI Research Institutes, bringing the total to 25 across the country.

“These Institutes bolster America’s AI [research and development] infrastructure,” the White House said. It added the institutes would “drive breakthroughs” in areas such as “climate, agriculture, energy, public health, education, and cybersecurity.”

Related: Google DeepMind CEO: We may have AGI ‘in the next few years’

In a separate announcement, the government said AI development firms including Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, NVIDIA, Hugging Face and Stability AI will also participate in publicly evaluating AI systems on a platform from AI training firm Scale AI at the hacker convention DEFCON in August.

Finally, the White House said it would release a draft policy on how the U.S. government will use AI which will be will be made available for public comment “this summer.”

Policies around the development, use and procurement of AI by federal departments and agencies will be drafted. It said the policies will be a “model” for state and local governments, in their own procurement and use of AI.

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Chatgpt ‘Is the New Crypto,’ Meta Says Malware Actors Exploit AI Craze

Chatgpt ‘Is the New Crypto,’ Meta Says Malware Actors Exploit AI CrazeA growing number of malware creators are now taking advantage of the significant interest in Chatgpt to lure victims, Facebook owner Meta has noticed. According to its head of information security, the AI-based chatbot is “the new crypto” for bad actors and the social media giant is preparing for various abuses. Malware Inspired by Chatgpt […]

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Amnesty nixes AI-generated images of Colombian protests after criticism

The human rights advocacy group pulled the faked images following widespread online criticism.

Human rights advocacy group Amnesty International has retracted artificial intelligence (AI) generated images it used in a campaign to publicize police brutality in Colombia during national protests in 2021.

The group was criticized for using AI to produce the images for its social media accounts according to reports. One image, in particular, was highlighted by The Guardian on May 2.

It depicts a woman being dragged away by police during Colombia’s protests against deep and long-standing economic and social inequalities in 2021.

However, a closer look shows a few discrepancies in the image such as the uncanny-looking faces, dated police uniforms and a protestor that appears to be somehow wrapped in a flag that is not the correct flag of Colombia.

The bottom of each image also carries a disclaimer saying the images are produced by an AI.

AI-generated image from Amnesty International. Source: Twitter

Amnesty International told The Guardian it chose to use AI to generate images to protect protesters from possible state retribution. Erika Guevara Rosas, director for Americas at Amnesty, said:

“We have removed the images from social media posts, as we don’t want the criticism for the use of AI-generated images to distract from the core message in support of the victims and their calls for justice in Colombia,”

Photojournalists criticized the use of the images, commenting that in today’s highly polarized era of fake news people are more likely to question the media's credibility.

AI-generated image from Amnesty International. Source: Twitter

Media scholar Roland Meyer commented on the deleted images stating “image synthesis reproduces and reinforces visual stereotypes almost by default,” before adding they were “ultimately nothing more than propaganda.”

Other images, now deleted by Amnesty, were shared by Twitter users in late April.

AI-generated image from Amnesty International. Source: Twitter

Related: Here’s how the crypto industry is using artificial intelligence

AI is being increasingly used to generate images and visual media. In late April, HustleGPT founder Dave Craige posted a video of the United States Republican Party using AI imagery in its political campaign.

“We all knew that AI and deep-fake images were going to make it to politics, I just didn’t realize it would happen so quickly,” he exclaimed.

Cointelegraph contacted Amnesty for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

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Crypto.com Unveils Amy: An AI-Powered Companion for Crypto Enthusiasts

Crypto.com Unveils Amy: An AI-Powered Companion for Crypto EnthusiastsThis year, the world has witnessed a surge in the popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) software, with a plethora of cutting-edge platforms such as Openai’s Chatgpt 3.5, Chatgpt 4.0, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, and other innovative tools like Midjourney and Google’s Bard taking the internet by storm. Amidst this technological revolution, Crypto.com’s CEO Kris Marszalek recently […]

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‘Godfather of AI’ resigns from Google, warns of the dangers of AI

Dr. Geoffrey Hinton is understood to have worked on artificial intelligence his whole life and is now warning how dangerous the technology could be.

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) pioneer, nicknamed the “Godfather of AI” has resigned from his position at Big Tech firm Google so he could speak more openly about the potential dangers of the technology.

Before resigning, Dr. Geoffrey Hinton worked at Google on machine learning algorithms for more than a decade. He reportedly earned his nickname due to his lifelong work on neural networks.

However, in a tweet on May 1, Hinton clarified that he left his position at Google “so that I could talk about the dangers of AI.”

In an interview with the New York Times, his most immediate concern with AI was its use in flooding the internet with fake photos, videos and text, where he voiced concern that many won’t “be able to know what is true anymore.”

Hinton’s other worries concerned AI tech taking over jobs. In the future, he believes AI could pose a threat to humanity due to it learning unexpected behaviors from the massive amounts of data it analyzes.

He also expressed concern at the continuing AI arms race that seeks to further develop the tech for use in lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS).

Hinton also expressed some partial regret over his life's work:

“I console myself with the normal excuse: If I hadn’t done it, somebody else would have.”

In recent months, regulators, lawmakers and tech industry executives have also expressed concern about the development of AI. In March, over 2,600 tech executives and researchers signed an open letter in March that urged for a temporary halt of AI development citing “profound risks to society and humanity.”

A group of 12 European Union lawmakers signed a similar letter in April and a recent EU draft bill classifies AI tools based on their risk levels. The United Kingdom is also extending $125 million to support a task force for the development of “safe AI.”

AI used in fake news campaigns and pranks

AI tools are already reportedly being used for disinformation, with recent examples of media outlets tricked into publishing fake news, while one German outlet even used AI to fabricate an interview.

On May 1, Binance claimed it was the victim of a ChatGPT-originated smear campaign and shared evidence of the chatbot claiming its CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao was a member of a Chinese Communist Party youth organization.

The bot linked to a Forbes article and LinkedIn page which it claimed it sourced the information from, however, the article appears to not exist and the LinkedIn profile isn’t Zhao’s.

Last week, a group of pranksters also tricked multiple media outlets around the world, including the Daily Mail and The Independent.

Related: Scientists in Texas developed a GPT-like AI system that reads minds

The Daily Mail published and later took down a story about a purported Canadian actor called “Saint Von Colucci” who was said to have died after a plastic surgery operation to make him look more like a South Korean pop star.

The news came from a press release regarding the actor's death, which was sent by an entity masquerading as a public relations firm and used what appeared to be AI-generated images.

A picture sent to multiple media outlets purporting to be Saint Von Colucci. Source: Internet Archive

In April, the German outlet Die Aktuelle published an interview that used ChatGPT to synthesize a conversation with former Formula One driver Michael Schumacher, who suffered a serious brain injury in a 2013 skiing accident.

It was reported Schumacher’s family would take legal action over the article.

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5 Free artificial intelligence courses and certifications

Discover five free AI courses and certifications to help you expand your knowledge of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Learning artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important for both technical and non-technical professionals, as it has the potential to revolutionize various industries and provide innovative solutions to complex problems. With free AI courses and online certifications, individuals can acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to stay relevant in today’s rapidly evolving job market.

The Machine Learning Specialization by DeepLearning.AI and Stanford Online

The Machine Learning Specialization by DeepLearning.AI and Stanford Online is a foundational online program that provides a broad introduction to modern machine learning. This three-course specialization is taught by Andrew Ng, an AI visionary who has led critical research at Stanford University and groundbreaking work at Google Brain, Baidu, and Landing.AI to advance the AI field.

Other notable instructors include Eddy Shyu, curriculum product manager at DeepLearning.AI; Aarti Bagul, a curriculum engineer; and Geoff Ladwig, another top instructor at DeepLearning.AI.

The first course in the specialization is “Supervised Machine Learning: Regression and Classification,” which covers building machine learning models in Python using popular machine learning libraries NumPy and scikit-learn, and building and training supervised machine learning models for prediction and binary classification tasks, including linear regression and logistic regression.

The second course is “Advanced Learning Algorithms,” which teaches building and training a neural network with TensorFlow to perform multiclass classification, applying best practices for machine learning development so that your models generalize to data and tasks in the real world, and building and using decision trees and tree ensemble methods, including random forests and boosted trees.

The third and final course is “Unsupervised Learning, Recommenders, Reinforcement Learning,” which covers using unsupervised learning techniques for unsupervised learning, including clustering and anomaly detection, building recommender systems with a collaborative filtering approach and a content-based deep learning method, and building a deep reinforcement learning model.

By the end of this specialization, one will have mastered key concepts and gained practical know-how to quickly and powerfully apply machine learning to challenging real-world problems. If you’re looking to break into AI or build a career in machine learning, the Machine Learning Specialization is a great place to start.

CS50’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python by Harvard University

CS50’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python, offered by Harvard University, is an introductory course exploring modern artificial intelligence concepts and algorithms. The course is free on edX, but students can purchase a verified certificate for an additional fee. The instructors for the course are Gordon McKay, professor of the practice of computer science at Harvard University; Brian Yu, senior preceptor in computer science at Harvard University; and David Malan.

Students will dive into the ideas that give rise to technologies like game-playing engines, handwriting recognition and machine translation. This course teaches students how to incorporate machine learning concepts and algorithms into Python programs through a series of hands-on projects.

Related: A brief history of artificial intelligence

Students will gain exposure to the theory behind graph search algorithms, classification, optimization, reinforcement learning, and other topics in artificial intelligence and machine learning. By the end of the course, students will have experience in libraries for machine learning, and knowledge of artificial intelligence principles that will enable them to design intelligent systems of their own.

AI For Everyone by Coursera in collaboration with DeepLearning.AI

AI for Everyone is an online course offered by Coursera in collaboration with DeepLearning.AI. This course is designed for non-technical learners who want to understand AI concepts and their practical applications. It provides an overview of AI and its impact on the world, covering the key concepts of machine learning, deep learning and neural networks.

The course is taught by Andrew Ng, a renowned AI expert and founder of DeepLearning.AI. He is also a co-founder of Coursera and has previously taught popular online courses on machine learning, neural networks and deep learning. The course consists of four modules, each covering a different aspect of AI. These are:

  • What is AI?
  • Building AI projects
  • Building AI in your company
  • AI and society

The course is self-paced and takes approximately 10 hours to complete. It includes video lectures, quizzes and case studies that allow students to apply the concepts they have learned using popular programming languages such as Python.

The course is free to audit on Coursera, and financial aid is available for those who cannot afford the fee. A certificate of completion is also available for a fee.

Machine Learning Crash Course with TensorFlow APIs by Google

The Machine Learning Crash Course with TensorFlow APIs is a free online course offered by Google. It’s designed for beginners who want to learn about machine learning and how to use TensorFlow, which is a popular open-source library for building and deploying machine learning models.

The course covers the following topics:

  • Introduction to machine learning and TensorFlow
  • Linear regression
  • Classification
  • Neural networks
  • Regularization
  • Training and validation
  • Convolutional neural networks
  • Natural language processing
  • Sequence models

Throughout the course, you’ll learn about different machine-learning techniques, and how to use TensorFlow application programming interfaces (APIs) to build and train models. The course also includes hands-on exercises and coding assignments, which will help you gain practical experience building and deploying machine learning models.

The course is available for free on Google’s website, and is self-paced so that you can learn at your own speed. Upon completion, you’ll receive a certificate of completion from Google.

Related: 5 emerging trends in deep learning and artificial intelligence

Introduction to AI by Intel

The Intel® AI Fundamentals Course is an introductory-level course that teaches the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and its applications. It covers topics such as machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, natural language processing and more. The free and self-paced course includes modules that can be completed in any order.

The eight-week program includes lectures and exercises. Each week, students are expected to spend 90 minutes completing the coursework. The exercises are implemented in Python, so prior knowledge of the language is recommended, but students can also learn it along the way.

The course does not offer a certificate of completion, but students can earn badges for completing each module. The course is designed for software developers, data scientists and others interested in learning about AI.

Ready to join the AI revolution?

By taking advantage of the above resources, individuals can become part of the growing AI industry and contribute to shaping its future. Additionally, the ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Developers course, developed in collaboration with OpenAI, offers developers the opportunity to learn how to use large language models (LLMs) to build powerful applications in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The course is taught by two renowned experts in the field of AI: Isa Fulford and Andrew Ng. 

Whether a learner is a beginner or an advanced machine learning engineer, this course will provide the latest understanding of prompt engineering and best practices for using prompts for the latest LLM models. With hands-on experience, one will learn how to use LLM APIs for various tasks, including summarizing, inferring, transforming text and expanding, and building a custom chatbot. This course is free for a limited time, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to join the AI revolution.

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Crypto AI Economy Suffers 0 Million Loss in 2 Months as Interest WanesLess than two months ago, a collection of 74 listed cryptocurrencies centered around artificial intelligence (AI) amassed an impressive $4 billion valuation. However, the intervening weeks have seen a sharp decline in crypto-AI economy gains, with losses of $730 million. The three most prominent AI-driven crypto projects have all suffered double-digit losses, ranging from 10% […]

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How is artificial intelligence revolutionizing financial services?

This article explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the financial services industry, from fraud detection to customer service and beyond.

What is the future of AI in financial services?

The future of AI in finance is exciting, with the potential to improve efficiency, accuracy and customer experience. However, it will be essential for financial institutions to carefully manage the risks and challenges associated with the use of AI.

The use of AI in financial services has the potential to significantly improve the sector. Several facets of finance have already been transformed by AI, including fraud detection, risk management, portfolio optimization and customer service.

Automating financial decision-making is one area where AI is anticipated to have a large impact in the future. This could involve the examination of massive amounts of financial data using machine learning algorithms, followed by the formulation of investment recommendations. With AI, customized investment portfolios might be constructed for clients depending on their risk appetite and financial objectives.

In addition, AI-powered recommendation engines could also be developed to offer customers targeted products and services that meet their needs. This could improve customer experience and satisfaction while also increasing revenue for financial institutions.

However, there are also potential challenges associated with the use of AI in finance. These include data privacy concerns, regulatory compliance issues, and the potential for bias and discrimination in algorithmic decision-making. It will be important for financial institutions to ensure that AI is used in a responsible and ethical way and that appropriate safeguards, such as transparent algorithms and regular audits, are in place to mitigate these risks.

What are the benefits and potential drawbacks of AI in the financial services industry?

The financial services industry can enjoy several benefits from AI systems, such as automating mundane tasks, improving risk management and swift decision-making. Nevertheless, the drawbacks of AI, such as security risks, potential bias and absence of a human touch, should not be ignored.

Potential advantages of AI in the financial services industry include:

  • Improved efficiency: AI can automate routine processes and reduce the need for human intervention, improving efficiency and reducing costs.
  • Better risk management: AI can analyze vast amounts of data to identify potential risks and prevent losses.
  • Enhanced customer experience: AI can provide personalized services and round-the-clock assistance, improving customer satisfaction.
  • Faster decision-making: AI can analyze data and make decisions much faster than humans, enabling financial institutions to respond quickly to changing market conditions.

The possible disadvantages of using AI in the financial services industry consist of:

  • Security risks: AI systems can be vulnerable to cyberattacks, posing a security risk to financial institutions and their customers.
  • Privacy concerns: The use of AI in financial services can raise concerns about data privacy, as the technology requires access to large volumes of personal and financial data, which must be secured and protected from unauthorized access or use.
  • Bias: AI systems can be biased based on the data they are trained on, potentially leading to discriminatory outcomes.
  • Regulatory challenges: The use of AI in financial services is subject to regulatory oversight, and compliance with regulations can be challenging.
  • Lack of human touch: Customers may prefer interacting with humans for certain financial services, such as complex financial advice or emotional support during difficult financial situations.
  • Job displacement: The use of AI in financial services may lead to job displacement as certain tasks become automated.

What is the use of chatbots and virtual assistants in the financial industry?

Chatbots and virtual assistants are proving to be valuable tools for financial institutions looking to improve the customer experience, reduce costs and operate more efficiently.

Chatbots and virtual assistants are utilized to provide individualized services and assistance, which enhances the client experience. Customers can communicate with these AI-powered tools in real-time and receive details on their accounts, transactions and other financial services. They can also be used to respond to commonly asked inquiries, offer financial counsel and assist clients with challenging problems.

Suppose a bank customer wanted to check their account balance or ask a question about a recent transaction, but the bank’s customer service center was closed. The customer can make use of the bank’s chatbot or virtual assistant to receive the information they require in real-time rather than having to wait until the following day to speak with a customer support agent.

The virtual assistant or chatbot can verify the customer’s identification and give them access to their account balance or transaction details. If the customer has a more complex issue, the chatbot or virtual assistant can escalate it to a human representative for further assistance. This means that AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide immediate responses to customer inquiries, reducing wait times and improving customer satisfaction.

Because they are accessible round-the-clock, chatbots and virtual assistants are useful resources for clients who require support outside of conventional office hours. Through the automation of repetitive processes and the elimination of the need for human support, they can also assist financial organizations in cutting expenses.

How does AI help in fraud detection and risk management in financial services?

AI is proving to be a powerful tool for financial institutions looking to improve their fraud detection and risk management processes, enabling them to operate more efficiently and effectively while minimizing potential losses.

Here are the steps explaining how AI helps in fraud detection and risk management in financial services:

  • Data collection: The first step entails gathering data from multiple sources, including market, customer and transactional data. Then, machine learning models are trained using this data.
  • Data preprocessing: Once the data has been gathered, they need to be cleaned up to get rid of any errors or inconsistencies. This guarantees the reliability and accuracy of the data.
  • Machine learning modeling: To identify potential fraudulent actions or risks, machine learning algorithms are subsequently employed to examine the preprocessed data. Algorithms, for instance, can be trained to spot fraudulent behavior patterns in transaction data or to forecast possible hazards linked with investments.
  • Real-time monitoring: AI systems are then used to keep an eye on transactions and spot potential fraud. This makes it possible for financial institutions to act fast and stop losses.
  • Compliance: AI can also assist financial organizations in meeting legal standards for risk and fraud management. For instance, AI algorithms can be used to spot potential contraventions of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws and pinpoint areas where risk management procedures need to be improved.
  • Continuous improvement: AI models need to be updated and enhanced continuously based on fresh information and user input. This guarantees that the models will continue to be reliable and efficient in identifying fraud and controlling risks.

Machine learning approach to fraud detection

How are machine learning, deep learning and natural language processing (NLP) utilized in finance?

Machine learning, deep learning and NLP are helping financial institutions improve their operations, enhance customer experiences, and make more informed decisions. These technologies are expected to play an increasingly significant role in the finance industry in the coming years.

Financial organizations may make better decisions by using machine learning to examine massive volumes of data and find trends. For instance, machine learning can be used to forecast stock prices, credit risk and loan defaulters, among other things.

Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that utilizes neural networks to model and resolve complicated issues. For instance, deep learning is being used in finance to create models for detecting fraud, pricing securities and managing portfolios.

Natural language processing (NLP) is being used in finance to enable computers to understand human language and respond appropriately. NLP is used in financial chatbots, virtual assistants and sentiment analysis tools. It enables financial institutions to improve customer service, automate customer interactions and develop better products and services. 

What is the role of artificial intelligence in the financial services industry?

AI is proving to be a powerful tool for financial institutions looking to improve their operations, manage risks, and optimize their portfolios more effectively.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly vital role in the financial services industry. Predictive analytics, which can assist financial firms in better understanding and anticipating client demands, preferences and behaviors, is one of the most well-known uses of AI. They can then use this information to create goods and services that are more individually tailored.

Moreover, AI is also being utilized to enhance risk management and fraud detection in the financial services industry. AI systems can swiftly identify unusual patterns and transactions that can point to fraud by evaluating massive amounts of data in real-time. This can assist financial organizations in reducing overall financial risk and preventing fraud-related losses.

In addition, AI is being used for portfolio optimization and financial forecasting. By utilizing machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics, financial institutions can optimize their portfolios and make more accurate investment decisions.

The impact of artificial intelligence on financial services

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