That is at this time’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a day by day dose of what’s occurring on this planet of expertise.

It’s excessive time for extra AI transparency

In lower than every week since Meta launched its open supply AI mannequin, LLaMA 2, startups and researchers have already used it to develop a chatbot and an AI assistant. It is going to be solely a matter of time till firms begin launching merchandise constructed with it.

LLaMA 2 makes a variety of sense. A nimble, clear, and customizable mannequin that’s free to make use of might assist firms create AI services and products sooner than they might with a giant, refined proprietary mannequin like OpenAI’s GPT-4.

By permitting the broader AI group to obtain the mannequin and tweak it, Meta might assist to make it safer and extra environment friendly. And crucially, it might show the advantages of transparency over secrecy in terms of the inside workings of AI fashions—at some extent when that might not be extra well timed, or extra vital. Learn the total story.

—Melissa Heikkilä 

This story is from The Algorithm, her weekly AI e-newsletter. Enroll to obtain it in your inbox each Monday.

In case you’re concerned with studying extra about AI, try a few of our wonderful latest reporting:

+ A fast information to all probably the most (and least) promising efforts to govern AI around the globe.

+ How existential threat turned the most important meme in AI.

+ Generative AI dangers concentrating Massive Tech’s energy. Right here’s learn how to cease it.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the web to seek out you at this time’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.

1 Twitter’s identify change will value its model billions
‘Tweeting’ is a part of our cultural lexicon—however Elon Musk doesn’t appear to care.  (Bloomberg $)
+ He’s attempting to destroy Twitter’s legacy and chart a dangerous new course. (WP $)

+ Musk can be projecting ‘s3xy’ on the corporate’s HQ partitions. (NYT $)
+ In case you’re just a little bit unhappy over Twitter’s demise, you’re not alone. (Vox)
+ The letter X does have a permanent form of attraction, although. (The Guardian)

2 The world isn’t ready for what OpenAI’s been engaged on
Sam Altman says his employees have created a harmful AI they’ll by no means launch. (The Atlantic $)
+ His ambitions are more and more at odds with regulators. (FT $)
+ It’s time to speak about the true AI dangers. (MIT Know-how Evaluation)

3 Mastodon is rife with little one abuse photos
It’s a grim reminder of how a lot more durable it’s to average decentralized platforms. (WP $)

4 China is fed up of Western sanctions
And it has no qualms about retaliating. (Economist $)
+ China is combating again within the semiconductor exports warfare. (MIT Know-how Evaluation)

5 It’s more durable for governments to flag individuals’s social media posts now
Whereas the US has already been restricted, the identical sorts of checks are additionally coming to Europe. (Wired $)

6 America’s farmland is being changed into AI knowledge facilities
Sprawling facilities are bobbing up in rural expanses. (Insider $)

7 The FBI ran a secret encrypted telephones enterprise for years
Now, a staff of attorneys need a choose to call the nation that aided them. (Motherboard)
+ Erik Prince desires to promote you a “safe” smartphone that’s too good to be true. (MIT Know-how Evaluation)

8 Ozempic doesn’t must value this a lot
However drug firms exist to earn cash, in spite of everything. (Slate $)
+ Weight-loss injections have taken over the web. However what does this imply for individuals IRL? (MIT Know-how Evaluation)

9 Influencers are rising as a robust device for Indian politicians
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is looking for a 3rd time period subsequent 12 months, and doesn’t wish to take any possibilities. (Remainder of World)

10 We’re getting nearer to studying extra about asteroids
A mission over a decade within the making is heading again to Earth—full with some valuable rock and mud cargo. (Ars Technica)

Quote of the day

“Is that this what we wish?”

—A senior designer at Adobe questions the extent to which the corporate ought to combine AI into its merchandise if it dangers people shedding their jobs, Insider stories.

The massive story

This firm is about to develop new organs in an individual for the primary time

August 2022

Within the coming weeks, a volunteer in Boston, Massachusetts, would be the first to trial a brand new therapy that might find yourself making a second liver of their physique. And that’s only the start—within the months that comply with, different volunteers will check doses that might go away them with as much as six livers of their our bodies.

The corporate behind the therapy, LyGenesis, hopes to save lots of individuals with devastating liver ailments who usually are not eligible for transplants. Their strategy is to inject liver cells from a donor into the lymph nodes of sick recipients, which may give rise to thoroughly new miniature organs. 

These mini livers ought to assist compensate for an current diseased one. The strategy seems to work in mice, pigs, and canines. Now we’ll discover out if it really works in individuals. Learn the total story. 

—Jessica Hamzelou

We are able to nonetheless have good issues

A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction in these bizarre occasions. (Acquired any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)

+ I’m undecided I just like the sound of this pizza-scented Xbox controller.
+ In case you’ve by no means listened to the late, nice Jane Birkin’s music, these seven songs are an excellent place to start out.
+ This story a few man profitable an Ernest Hemingway Look-Alike Contest is totally lovable.
+ It’s true—video video games’ underwater ranges at all times had one of the best soundtracks.
+ Turning these digital codes into tangible pen photos has created true artworks.