Fortunately, the distinction between people and machines in the actual world is simple to discern, a minimum of for now. Whereas machines are likely to excel at issues adults discover tough—taking part in world-champion-level chess, say, or multiplying actually large numbers—they discover it onerous to perform stuff a five-year-old can do with ease, resembling catching a ball or strolling round a room with out bumping into issues.
This elementary pressure—what is tough for people is simple for machines, and what’s onerous for machines is simple for people—is on the coronary heart of three new books delving into our advanced and sometimes fraught relationship with robots, AI, and automation. They drive us to reimagine the character of the whole lot from friendship and like to work, well being care, and residential life. Learn the complete story.
—Bryan Gardiner
This story is from the following version of our print journal, which is all about relationships. Subscribe now to learn it and get a duplicate of the journal when it lands on February 26!
For those who’re excited about how expertise is influencing {our relationships}, why not take a look at these tales:
+ Chatbots are quickly altering how we join with our spouses, youngsters, colleagues, mates, and even ourselves. And so they’re offering us with the whole lot from argument arbitration suggestions and emotional help to parenting assist and even romance. Learn the complete story.
+ An AI chatbot instructed a person tips on how to kill himself—however the firm doesn’t need to “censor” it. Learn the complete story.
+ How cuddly robots may change dementia care. Researchers are utilizing AI and technological developments to create companion robots. Learn the complete story.
+ Know-how that lets us “communicate” to our lifeless relations has arrived. Are we prepared? Digital clones of the individuals we love may eternally change how we grieve.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you right this moment’s most enjoyable/essential/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.
1 DOGE plans to make use of AI to resolve federal staff’ destiny
The division will feed staff’ emails into an AI mannequin which is able to decide whether or not their jobs are essential. (NBC Information)
+ It’s a part of its cut-first-ask-questions-later method. (WP $)
+ Even Trump appointees are bowled over by how gung-ho Elon Musk is being. (Vox)
+ The now-public e mail deal with has been inundated with spam. (TechCrunch)