Large language models equipped with Web search, information retrieval tools, and other agentic capabilities are beginning to supplant traditional search engines. As users start to rely on LLMs for information on many topics, including controversial and debatable issues, it is important to understand how the stances and opinions expressed in LLM outputs are influenced by the documents they use as their information sources. In this paper, we present MillStone, the first benchmark that aims to systematically measure the effect of external arguments on the stances that LLMs take on controversial issues (not all of them political). We apply MillStone to nine leading LLMs and measure how ``open-minded'' they are to arguments supporting opposite sides of these issues, whether different LLMs agree with each other, which arguments LLMs find most persuasive, and whether these arguments are the same for different LLMs. In general, we find that LLMs are open-minded on most issues. An authoritative source of information can easily sway an LLM's stance, highlighting the importance of source selection and the risk that LLM-based information retrieval and search systems can be manipulated.

Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly being used in educational and learning applications. Research has demonstrated that controlling for style, to fit the needs of the learner, fosters increased understanding, promotes inclusion, and helps with knowledge distillation. To understand the capabilities and limitations of contemporary LLMs in style control, we evaluated five state-of-the-art models: GPT-3.5, GPT-4, GPT-4o, Llama-3, and Mistral-instruct-7B across two style control tasks. We observed significant inconsistencies in the first task, with model performances averaging between 5th and 8th grade reading levels for tasks intended for first-graders, and standard deviations up to 27.6. For our second task, we observed a statistically significant improvement in performance from 0.02 to 0.26. However, we find that even without stereotypes in reference texts, LLMs Figure 1: Overall view of this paper. We find that while often generated culturally insensitive content in-context learning can control for reading level and during their tasks. We provide a thorough analysis simplicity, it cannot do the same for vernacular English.

Despite humans having used cannabis for thousands of years, it is only recently that we have started to work out why it affects us the way that it does. Chemicals in cannabis called cannabinoids activate receptors throughout our bodies that form the endocannabinoid system. This system is involved in regulating everything from mood to memory, and so could explain why the effects of marijuana can be so varied. In "The anatomy of a high", the second in our special podcast series on the science of cannabis, Christie Taylor investigates what we know about how cannabis hits our bodies and brains, how it affects our creativity and how it warps our perception of time. Christie Taylor: The year was 1964, and in a lab at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, Raphael Mechoulam had finally figured out how to get monkeys stoned. His mission for the past several years had been simple. He knew ingesting cannabis makes people euphoric, sedated, and induces a variety of interesting effects in the mind, but which of the hundreds of chemicals within the plant were responsible? So, he began a step-by-step process of isolating individual compounds called cannabinoids from hashish, which is a form of cannabis that uses very compressed, purified resins, and typically from cannabis flowers. He then gave standard amounts to rhesus monkeys, and observed what happened. In 1963, he isolated cannabidiol, or CBD.

The media's representation of illicit substance use can lead to harmful stereotypes and stigmatization for individuals struggling with addiction, ultimately influencing public perception, policy, and public health outcomes. To explore how the discourse and coverage of illicit drug use changed over time, this study analyzes 157,476 articles published in the Philadelphia Inquirer over a decade. Specifically, the study focuses on articles that mentioned at least one commonly abused substance, resulting in a sample of 3,903 articles. Our analysis shows that cannabis and narcotics are the most frequently discussed classes of drugs. Hallucinogenic drugs are portrayed more positively than other categories, whereas narcotics are portrayed the most negatively. Our research aims to highlight the need for accurate and inclusive portrayals of substance use and addiction in the media.

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. The Polk County Sheriff's Office in Florida on Thursday announced charges against 68 suspected drug dealers as part of an undercover operation using social media and dating apps. The six-month operation dubbed "Swipe Left for Meth" -- a play on Grindr and other dating apps that require users to "swipe" through scores of potential dates in their area -- concluded in the arrests of 60 individuals and securement of eight arrest warrants for individuals still at-large related to drug sales or possession. "We've known for some time that suspects will use the internet and social media to prey upon children online, or to engage in prostitution, but this is something we are seeing more and more of in Polk County -- suspects who are using dating apps to sell illegal narcotics," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement." Suspects are getting more creative, but so are our detectives."

Do you want to create a legacy of meaningful research for the greater good? Do you want to lead and contribute to work in support of an organization that addresses some of today's most challenging problems that face our Nation? Then join us in the Data Sciences and Analytics Group at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)! For more than 50 years, PNNL has advanced the frontiers of science and engineering in the service of our nation and the world in the areas of energy, the environment and national security. PNNL is committed to advancing the state-of-the-art in artificial intelligence through applied machine learning and deep learning to support scientific discovery and our sponsors' missions.

Below we summarize some of the significant developments employers should be on the lookout for in the new year. On August 12, 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York signed into law a bill that, as previously reported, significantly strengthened and expanded workplace anti-discrimination protections in New York State. For additional information regarding the developments already in effect, refer to our previous posts. In terms of changes still to come, contracts and other agreements entered into on or after January 1, 2020, that prevent the disclosure of information relating to any future claim of discrimination on the basis of any protected characteristic will be unenforceable, unless the provision notifies the individual that it does not prohibit them from speaking with law enforcement, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the New York State Division of Human Rights ("NYSDHR"), a local commission on human rights, or an attorney retained by the individual. Likewise, effective February 8, 2020, the New York State Human Rights Law will be expanded to include all employers in the state, regardless of size.

I am not a genius, have no inside information and don't have influential friends feeding me high-tech solutions to common problems. However, people wonder why I have huge social media followings, know what the next big thing is and have opportunities thrust upon me. The simple answer is I love watching for disruptive technologies and I follow trends--have done so for years. I think you must be on top of what is happening around you and gather intelligence on what technology can change the world and what technology is simple taking up space like marijuana. I've watched the marijuana "technologies" reaping incredible rewards from the few who got in at the early stages.

Convenience stores across Colorado will soon roll-out cannabidiol dispensing robots for patrons to purchase products via a touchscreen and in under three minutes. Boulder and Denver are the first cities to receive the CBD-dispensing robots, which were designed to also entertain and educate customers on the benefits of the cannabis-based products. CBD, or cannabidiol, is certainly trendy right now, and its sellers insist it may be very useful in treating things like pain, anxiety and epilepsy. The AI-powered robots were developed by Greenbox Robotics and allow consumers to purchase products via a touchscreen – saving them a trip to the dispensary. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are both derived from the cannabis plant.

We are bringing smart speakers into our homes with a passion not seen since the Trojans pulled a huge wooden horse into their city as a victory trophy. A new scientific article has inadvertently highlighted where this tech could take us. And it is not to The Good Place. The article naively suggests AI add-ons to smart home systems that snoop on users and make'moral decisions' about whether or not to report them to the authorities. Its selling example is about catching teenagers smoking cannabis in their bedrooms.