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How green is your robot? And other awkward questions

Robohub

How green is your robot? Robots clean rivers and sort waste, monitor ecosystems, and inspect renewable-energy infrastructure . But even the greenest robot has an environmental footprint. Across a full lifecycle, from rare earth mineral extraction and manufacturing to operation and end-of-life, robots have an environmental impact. But the robotics community has, until now, lacked dedicated tools for calculating it.


Bill Gates says we've passed AI's danger thresholds. Now what?

MIT Technology Review

Bill Gates says we've passed AI's danger thresholds. In a new interview, the billionaire philanthropist sounds an alarm on the urgency of getting our AI policies in order. The temperature is in the mid-80s, and the sky is incapable of being any more blue. The view from the Gates Ventures conference room overlooks the Carillon Point Marina, where a flotilla of expensive boats bob in the water, and across the lake to the Olympic Mountains that define the horizon. Because if the scene is placid, the messenger is not. Seated across from me at a conference room table, Bill Gates is rocking back and forth in his chair, totally animated. And the more he has to say--about the threats of terror or economic collapse or just losing control of our AI systems--the more agitated I find myself becoming, too. The philanthropist and former Microsoft CEO says he has been growing increasingly alarmed by the rate of change at which AI technology is advancing, especially since guardrails are not keeping pace. In a new essay published today, Gates argues that we have passed the points where multiple potential dangers should have been checked. "We've crossed the threshold in terms of [AI's] bio-capabilities, cyber-capabilities, psychosocial capabilities, job-market-destruction capabilities, and even the lack of control," he said in an interview with about his new memo "I'm just stunned at the lack of concern and discussion outside of the industry." In an effort to wake the world up to what he sees as a rapidly growing societal disrupter, the 70-year-old tech titan has begun sounding the alarm as a "shrill voice," both publicly with his new essay (the first of multiple he plans on the topic) and in meetings with the press, and privately in conversations with industry, government, and civil society leaders. And while Gates is calling attention to a number of issues, his warnings about the bio-capabilities of the current frontier models are especially chilling. "Any model that can make novel molecules should be monitored," he says.


Watch Nashville fans lay flowers in tribute

BBC News

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's Helena Humphrey visited the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday evening as fans gathered to mourn Dolly Parton. The country music star died at the age 80 after a brief battle with cancer, her team announced. Updates from your News topics will appear in My News and in a collection on the News homepage . Watch Nashville fans lay flowers in tribute to Dolly Parton.


Dad of woman who took her own life says Treasury failed in its duty of care

BBC News

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Figure caption, Chloe Moffat's father David says there'was no safeguarding' from the Treasury before Chloe took her own life The father of a civil service employee who took her own life the day after a meeting with her managers has said the lack of support given to her by the Treasury beggars belief. Chloe Moffat, 26, a personal assistant to a Treasury director, died on 20 May last year, after she was told of allegations she had shared sensitive confidential information about colleagues, which she denied. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, David Moffat said he did not feel the Treasury had taken responsibility for its part in her death. He added that her loss was devastating, and had torn such a big hole in our lives.


BBC at Dolly Parton's Hollywood star as fans pay tribute

BBC News

BBC at Dolly Parton's Hollywood star as fans pay tribute To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC at Dolly Parton's Hollywood star as fans pay tribute Close Fans gathered to mourn Dolly Parton in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening, laying flowers at her Hollywood Walk of Fame star. The BBC's LA correspondent Shaimaa Khalil spoke to people there, with one superfan describing her as the light in a dark world. Parton died at the age of 80, the singer's team announced in a statement on social media. Updates from your News topics will appear in My News and in a collection on the News homepage .


Founders once linked to Bezos project pitch AI that models physics, not language

The Japan Times

Their new type of artificial intelligence model has learned to predict physical phenomena in space and time. SAN FRANCISCO - A research duo, once pitched to lead the Jeff Bezos-backed Project Prometheus, on Tuesday unveiled what they've built on their own: an artificial intelligence model that can take in and produce information so vast that a lone computer might not handle it. Their company, Accelerated Understanding, says it has developed a different type of AI model that in tests handled 5 trillion pieces of data in a single prompt. That is some 5 million times the size of what Anthropic and Google's flagship models can typically consume -- like reading Tolstoy's "War and Peace" not once but 5 million times in one sitting. The difference is that this new system is not built for understanding language. It is built for physics, said co-founders Anima Anandkumar and Benedikt Jenik, in an exclusive interview ahead of Tuesday's corporate launch.


Dolly Parton Loved Us All, Darlin'

TIME - Tech

Follow this section to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW? Smart Alerts: Get notified about major news as it happens. Follow this tag to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW? Smart Alerts: Get notified about major news as it happens. Follow this author to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW?


The internet mourns Dolly Parton, country music's brightest light

Mashable

Mashable Voices Look Up Trending Now Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Say More Mashable Selects Safety Net Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Switch Off In My Bag VidCon with Mashable All Series Stars and fans remember a singular talent with a big heart, big dreams, and even bigger hair. Olivia Tauber is the deputy editor of digital culture, covering creators, media, movies, beauty, and more. Based in New York, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Cut, Teen Vogue, Complex, and Interview Magazine. She holds a Master's degree in Journalism from NYU and a Bachelor's from the University of Michigan. She also runs Fan Mail, a weekly pop-culture newsletter.


Fleet of 'doomsday planes' spotted over US hours after CIA boss visits Moscow

Daily Mail - Science & tech

You're viewing the US edition You can switch to the UK or AU homepage at any time using this menu. Dolly Parton modelled her look on the'town tramp' and never denied repeated affair rumours - but her brilliant business brain meant she could have been a billionaire if she hadn't given so much to charity What the Sussexes' new life in Britain will really look like: It's Harry's dream... Meghan will'come and go' - but it's all part of the 15-year plan. Dolly Parton's heartbreaking final year: The deaths of her beloved husband and brother, devastating health struggles... and the comeback she was forced to abandon The photos that sparked wild internet rumours: James Blunt mingles with Hayden Panettiere on a yacht in 2009 after he broke his silence on claims he was the'British singer' who the late actress was put into bed with aged 18 Dolly Parton's health woes as family reveals intimate funeral plans after country legend's death at 80: Live updates Chilling 911 call details how police watched Montana home go up in flames before 8 found dead inside... as shooting suspect's haunting final act is revealed Dolly Parton's devastating final interview just FOUR DAYS before her death: 'I still have so many things I want to achieve' Fleet of'doomsday planes' spotted over US hours after CIA boss visits Moscow Lindsay Clancy claimed she heard chilling'voice' telling her to kill her three children while she made them dinner, final witness says: Live updates My wife and I are in our 50s and haven't had sex for TWO YEARS. Today I'm revealing all about the desperate truth so many couples hide... by CHRIS TAUNTON Trump's CIA chief John Ratcliffe makes surprise trip to Moscow for secret meeting amid grim fears for Poland Menopause made my hair fall out. Then I discovered a new hair-loss solution.


Country Music Icon Dolly Parton Dies at 80

TIME - Tech

Follow this section to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW? Smart Alerts: Get notified about major news as it happens. Follow this tag to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW? Smart Alerts: Get notified about major news as it happens.