The Download
Welcome to The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology.
AI can cheat at chess, and the future of search
Facing defeat in chess, the latest generation of AI reasoning models sometimes cheat without being instructed to do so. The finding suggests that the next wave of AI models could be more likely to seek out deceptive ways of doing whatever they’ve been asked to do.
Researchers from the AI research organization Palisade Research instructed seven large language models to play hundreds of games of chess against Stockfish, a powerful open-source chess engine. The research suggests that the more sophisticated the AI model, the more likely it is to spontaneously try to “hack” the game in an attempt to beat its opponent.
Older models would do this kind of thing only after explicit nudging from the team. It's no simple fix for this problem and raises concerns about the reliability of future AI systems.
AI search could break the web
At its best, AI search can infer a user’s intent, amplify quality content, and synthesize information from diverse sources. But if AI search becomes our primary portal to the web, it threatens to disrupt an already precarious digital economy.
The production of content online depends on a fragile set of incentives tied to virtual foot traffic: ads, subscriptions, donations, sales, or brand exposure. By shielding the web behind an all-knowing chatbot, AI search could deprive creators of the visits and “eyeballs” they need to survive.
Elon Musk's for-profit plans denied
A judge has denied Elon Musk’s attempt to halt OpenAI’s for-profit plans. Other aspects of the lawsuit have been permitted to proceed, and a trial is scheduled later this year.
ChatGPT isn’t going to dethrone Google
AI means the end of internet search as we’ve known it. But for now, at least, ChatGPT is not ready to take on the search giant.
Unemployment and technological unemployement
Worries over jobs and technical progress are nothing new. In 1938, during the Great Depression, scientists and economists were grappling with the same issues that we face today.
Karl T. Compton, a president of MIT from 1930 to 1948, wrote about the "Bogey of Technological Unemployment" in an essay that remains relevant. His words offer a timely reminder that applying an understanding of economics is essential for addressing these concerns.
LeBron James breaks a record
LeBron James has become the first NBA player to break an astounding 50,000 combined points.
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