Government
Debates over AI consciousness are a trap
If AI systems are viewed as too advanced to control, the companies that build them can't held liable for the harms they cause. "Runaway" AI, "rogue" agents, and "autonomous" actors--the current rhetoric would have you believe that AI agents are not only awake and aware, but angry at their creators. Prominent tech leaders such as Demis Hassabis, Dario Amodei, and Sam Altman push for regulation of these seemingly "superhuman" systems, while a separate faction, led by policy organizations and academic philosophers often aligned with the effective altruism movement, debates whether humanity holds the moral right to govern them at all. Upon closer inspection, they are all calling for the same thing: a view of AI systems as being so advanced and capable that no entity, human or corporate, could possibly be responsible for their actions. While these perspectives seem at odds, they are inadvertently aligned on one goal: making sure the companies that build these systems escape meaningful liability for the harms they already cause. This narrative is gaining traction as AI models become more complex and frontier labs reveal their incapability of containing the agents they've built.
NASA abandons mission to save Swift Observatory from a fiery death
The 22-year-old orbital observatory is expected to plunge back to Earth sometime in October. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy . NASA engineers have confirmed they can't spare the historic Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from a fiery demise, despite their best efforts.
Rosie ODonnell has another Kimmel monologue dig at Trump
Mashable Selects Look Up Mashable Voices Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Say More Safety Net Creator Hub Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Switch Off Trending Now In My Bag All Series Rosie O'Donnell has another'Kimmel' monologue dig at Trump I do have some bad news for President Petty Roosevelt. Shannon Connellan is Mashable's Senior Editor, General Assignments, based in London. She has been Mashable's UK Editor (and still manages the illustrious UK team) and Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives searching for . A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror, and loves to nerd out with movie stars, filmmakers, and TV creators . Rosie O'Donnell calls out'Mango Mussolini' Trump on'Kimmel' Jimmy Kimmel has the perfect joke to sum up Trump's Iran deal Rosie O'Donnell's guest-hosting run has been peppered with digs at Donald Trump.
A MAGA County's Top Election Official Wants to Hire Election Denial Superstar Tina Peters
Tina Peters was convicted of seven counts related to election interference in 2024. Now, she's fielding an offer from a county that's become a hotbed of voting-related conspiracy theories. Last week, Clint Curtis, the top election official in Shasta County, California, publicly accused members of his own staff of bypassing security, which he later claimed was an attempt "to sabotage a federal election." Days later, Curtis announced plans to hire a new deputy: Tina Peters, the election denial superstar who was convicted of seven counts related to election interference in 2024 and sentenced to nine years in prison. Peters, the former clerk of Mesa County, Colorado, has yet to publicly comment on the offer, but her lawyer Peter Ticktin tells WIRED she "is giving consideration to helping in the efforts in Shasta County, as there most definitely has been monkey business in the way the election was handled."