Government
Computational Hypergraph Discovery, a Gaussian Process framework for connecting the dots
Bourdais, Théo, Batlle, Pau, Yang, Xianjin, Baptista, Ricardo, Rouquette, Nicolas, Owhadi, Houman
Most scientific challenges can be framed into one of the following three levels of complexity of function approximation. Type 1: Approximate an unknown function given input/output data. Type 2: Consider a collection of variables and functions, some of which are unknown, indexed by the nodes and hyperedges of a hypergraph (a generalized graph where edges can connect more than two vertices). Given partial observations of the variables of the hypergraph (satisfying the functional dependencies imposed by its structure), approximate all the unobserved variables and unknown functions. Type 3: Expanding on Type 2, if the hypergraph structure itself is unknown, use partial observations of the variables of the hypergraph to discover its structure and approximate its unknown functions. While most Computational Science and Engineering and Scientific Machine Learning challenges can be framed as Type 1 and Type 2 problems, many scientific problems can only be categorized as Type 3. Despite their prevalence, these Type 3 challenges have been largely overlooked due to their inherent complexity. Although Gaussian Process (GP) methods are sometimes perceived as well-founded but old technology limited to Type 1 curve fitting, their scope has recently been expanded to Type 2 problems. In this paper, we introduce an interpretable GP framework for Type 3 problems, targeting the data-driven discovery and completion of computational hypergraphs. Our approach is based on a kernel generalization of Row Echelon Form reduction from linear systems to nonlinear ones and variance-based analysis. Here, variables are linked via GPs and those contributing to the highest data variance unveil the hypergraph's structure. We illustrate the scope and efficiency of the proposed approach with applications to (algebraic) equation discovery, network discovery (gene pathways, chemical, and mechanical) and raw data analysis.
Utility Fairness in Contextual Dynamic Pricing with Demand Learning
Chen, Xi, Simchi-Levi, David, Wang, Yining
This paper introduces a novel contextual bandit algorithm for personalized pricing under utility fairness constraints in scenarios with uncertain demand, achieving an optimal regret upper bound. Our approach, which incorporates dynamic pricing and demand learning, addresses the critical challenge of fairness in pricing strategies. We first delve into the static full-information setting to formulate an optimal pricing policy as a constrained optimization problem. Here, we propose an approximation algorithm for efficiently and approximately computing the ideal policy. We also use mathematical analysis and computational studies to characterize the structures of optimal contextual pricing policies subject to fairness constraints, deriving simplified policies which lays the foundations of more in-depth research and extensions. Further, we extend our study to dynamic pricing problems with demand learning, establishing a non-standard regret lower bound that highlights the complexity added by fairness constraints. Our research offers a comprehensive analysis of the cost of fairness and its impact on the balance between utility and revenue maximization. This work represents a step towards integrating ethical considerations into algorithmic efficiency in data-driven dynamic pricing.
New book on royal family hit for being 'sympathetic' to Harry and Meghan: 'Press release cooked up by ChatGPT'
Princess Diana's biographer Andrew Morton, author of "The Queen: Her Story," weighs in on the future for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The New York Times and more wrote critical reviews of a new book on the royal family, including a chapter on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which one review described as a "press release cooked up by ChatGPT." The book, by Omid Scobie, is titled "Endgame," and picks up on the royal family after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. A review, written by Eva Wolchover for the New York Times, said the book did Harry and Meghan "no favors." "Whether or not Scobie actively collaborated with Meghan and Harry for this book, he does them no favors. Their chapter reads like a press release cooked up by ChatGPT, and does little to shed light on them as humans," the Times review read.
US, UK and a dozen more countries unveil pact to make AI 'secure by design'
The United States, the United Kingdom and more than a dozen other countries on Sunday unveiled what a senior US official described as the first detailed international agreement on how to keep artificial intelligence safe from rogue actors, pushing for companies to create AI systems that are "secure by design". In a 20-page document unveiled on Sunday, the 18 countries agreed that companies designing and using AI need to develop and deploy it in a way that keeps customers and the wider public safe from misuse. The agreement is non-binding and carries mostly general recommendations such as monitoring AI systems for abuse, protecting data from tampering and vetting software suppliers. Still, the director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Jen Easterly, said it was important that so many countries put their names to the idea that AI systems needed to put safety first. "This is the first time that we have seen an affirmation that these capabilities should not just be about cool features and how quickly we can get them to market or how we can compete to drive down costs," Easterly said, adding that the guidelines represented "an agreement that the most important thing that needs to be done at the design phase is security".
Merriam-Webster chooses 'authentic' as the 2023 word of the year
Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. In an age of deepfakes and post-truth, as artificial intelligence rose and Elon Musk turned Twitter into X, the Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023 is "authentic." Lookups for the word are routinely heavy on the dictionary company's site but were boosted to new heights throughout the year, editor at large Peter Sokolowski told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview. "We see in 2023 a kind of crisis of authenticity," he said ahead of Monday's announcement of this year's word.
Biden-Xi summit: Showing weakness to this evil regime endangers Americans
The California congresswoman discussed the Chinese Communist Party's theft of American intellectual property via higher education in an interview with Fox News Digital. President Biden recently rolled out the red carpet for Chairman Xi Jinping, ready to make nice with the regime responsible for reprehensible human rights violations and an ongoing campaign to undermine democracy around the world. Gov. Gavin Newsom cleaned up the streets of San Francisco, admitting publicly that the beautification was purely for the benefit of the visiting leaders. After the high-profile pull asides, Biden and Xi reported that they agreed to reestablish military communications, cooperate on the flow of fentanyl chemicals, and work together on reducing climate change. President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together after a meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering in Woodside, California, on Nov. 15, 2023.
The real story of the OpenAI debacle is the tyranny of big tech Sarah Radsch
The theatrics of OpenAI's seeming implosion amid the firing of its CEO and co-founder Sam Altman, Microsoft's dramatic offer to poach its top executives and staff, and Altman's triumphant return following the ouster of the board has all the trappings of a Hollywood blockbuster. But the drama unfolding should put the spotlight on the tyranny of the tech titans that control critical aspects of the AI ecosystem. OpenAI has developed some of the most advanced large-language models and pioneering artificial-intelligence products, such as the text generator ChatGPT and image generator Dall-E, which have been responsible for making generative AI into a household term and discussion about AI risks into dinnertime conversation. Although OpenAI is in the spotlight, however, Microsoft has played a leading role in the unfolding drama. Microsoft swooped in to scoop up the ousted executives and create a new AI research division for Altman to lead, with hundreds of staff reportedly ready to follow them.
Marine veteran breaks down 'tragic' data showing increasing rate of veteran suicide
ClearForce Vice President Col. Michael Hudson told Fox News Digital how artificial intelligence is being used to identify military vets who may be struggling with mental health issues. Veteran suicide has seen an 11.6% spike between 2020 and 2021, totaling 6,392 suicides in 2021 alone, according to the Department of Veteran Affairs' Veteran Suicide Report released this month. Cole Lyle, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and executive director of Mission Roll Call (MRC), spoke with Fox News Digital about the new report, explaining why veteran suicide is an increasing issue, as well as what the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can do to prevent veterans from taking their lives. "It's a disturbing trend that after going down for two years, we saw spike," Lyle told Fox News Digital. "After COVID and the Afghanistan withdrawal … it's probably not surprising that we saw an increase in veteran suicide."
This US bomber is why China suddenly wants to talk about nukes and AI
The Pentagon revealed its new B-21 nuclear stealth bomber Friday in Palmdale, California. The Air Force's super-secret B-21 Raider stealth bomber quietly made its first flight in California on Nov. 10, flying from the factory to Edwards AFB at not much more than tree-top level. Yes, right before China's President Xi Jinping visited San Francisco. All of a sudden China wants to start talks on AI and nuclear weapons. "The leaders affirmed the need to address the risks of advanced AI systems and improve AI safety through U.S.-China government talks," the White House stated on Nov. 15 after President Biden met with Xi. The B-21 has cloud technology and an open architecture for continuous software upgrades.
UK school pupils 'using AI to create indecent imagery of other children'
Children in British schools are using artificial intelligence (AI) to make indecent images of other children, a group of experts on child abuse and technology has warned. They said that a number of schools were reporting for the first time that pupils were using AI-generating technology to create images of children that legally constituted child sexual abuse material. Emma Hardy, UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) director, said the pictures were "terrifyingly" realistic. "The quality of the images that we're seeing is comparable to professional photos taken annually of children in schools up and down the country," said Hardy, who is also the Internet Watch Foundation communications director. "The photo-realistic nature of AI-generated imagery of children means sometimes the children we see are recognisable as victims of previous sexual abuse. "Children must be warned that it can spread across the internet and end up being seen by strangers and sexual predators.