Category Archives: Futurism

AI: Ripe For Abuse

In her March 12 talk at the 2017 SXSW Conference, Kate Crawford of Microsoft Research warned that artificial intelligence is ripe for abuse.Crawford, who researches the social impact of large-scale data systems and machine learning, described how encoded biases in AI systems could be abused to target certain populations and centralize power in the hands of authoritarian regimes.

Just as we are seeing a step function increase in the spread of AI, something else is happening: the rise of ultra-nationalism, rightwing authoritarianism and fascism, she said in Dark Days: AI and the Rise of Fascism, her SXSW session.

Crawford believesthe issue is that AI is often invisibly coded with human biases that oftencorrespond with the characteristics of fascist movements: to demonize outsiders, track populations, centralize power, and claim neutrality and authority without accountability. AI can be a potent tool in achieving those goals, especially if it is coded with human biases.

As an example of this kind of biased coding, Crawford described research from Chinas Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The authors claimed they created a bias-free system which had been trained onChinese government ID photos that could use facial features to predict criminality. The conclusion of the research data found that criminal faces were more unusual in appearance than law-abiding faces. The interpretation being that law enforcementwas less likely to trust people whose physical appearance deviated from the norm. AsCrawford explainedit:

Crawfords concerns center around using AI as a black box of algorithms that mask discrimination. AI could also be misused to build registries, which could in turn be used to target specific populations. To this end, Crawford cited IBMs Hollerith Machine, used by Nazi Germany to track ethnic groups, and the Book of Lifes role in South African apartheid.

Back in 2013, researchers could already predict religious and political affiliations on Facebook with more than 80 percent accuracy, and since that time AI has made leaps and bounds.

In the U.S., an AI system to assist in mass deportations has been in the works atPalantirsince 2014,and the companys co-founder Peter Thiel is an advisor to President Trump. But Crawford believes predictive policing has already failed, because research has shown that it results in unfair targeting and excessive force against minorities.

To avoid biased systems with bad data, we must develop AI to be moreaccountable and transparent. This way we can map unintended effects despite their complexity.We want to make these systems as ethical as possible and free from unseen biases, Crawford says, and shes also putting in the work. She founded the research community AI Now, which focuses on AIs social impacts, with these goals in mind.

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Tech Expert Warns That AI Could Become A Fascist's Dream - Futurism

A Second Look

For those enthralled by the first images of TRAPPIST-1 system from NASA, heres some good news: the space agency recently released even more photos. The raw images of the seven recently discovered Earth-like planets are a product of three months worth of snapshots taken by the Kepler telescope as part of its K2 mission.

We were lucky that the K2 mission was able to observe TRAPPIST-1. The observing field for Campaign 12 was set when the discovery of the first planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 was announced, and the science community had already submitted proposals for specific targets of interest in that field, explained Michael Haas, Kepler and K2 missions science office director at NASAs Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California. The unexpected opportunity to further study the TRAPPIST-1 system was quickly recognized and the agility of the K2 team and science community prevailed once again.

Though the TRAPPIST-1 systems discovery was only announced in February, Kepler started examining the system last December 15, 2016 and wrapped up their initial viewing on March 4, 2017.

Scientists and enthusiasts around the world are invested in learning everything they can about these Earth-size worlds, said Geert Barentsen, a K2 research scientist. Providing the K2 raw data as quickly as possible was a priority to give investigators an early look so they could best define their follow-up research plans. Were thrilled that this will also allow the public to witness the process of discovery.

Theres no surprise that TRAPPIST-1 has captured our worlds fascination:three of the seven exoplanets couldbe orbiting in the dwarf stars habitable zone, and on top of that,it looks likethe conditions for life are present. For now, scientists have to observemore closely and the images form Keplerare a great place to start. In the coming months, our ability to studythe TRAPPIST-1 system will be greatly enhanced by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is an infrared telescope like Kepler, but equipped with more powerful lenses and mirrors.

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NASA Has Released New Images of Trappist-1's Earth-Sized Planets - Futurism

In Brief

Ahead of the much-anticipated Tesla Model 3 launchlater this year, a prototype for the carmakers $35,000 sedan was spotted cruising around California streets.

A video of the vehicle in motion was posted online by Unplugged Performance, a Tesla-centric mod shop located near Teslas Design Studio in Hawthorne, California. According to the Unplugged team, the vehicle appeared to be conducting test runs around Jack Northrop Avenue, which is where the Model 3 did its test rides when it was first unveiled in 2016.

Pilot production for the Model 3 only began in February, which means that the Model 3 in the video was likely hand-built specifically for the unveiling held in March 2016. Model 3 battery cell production is set to begin in the second quarter of this year, implying that sightings of Model 3 test units will become more common later in 2017 as production continues to ramp up.

While Tesla is gunning to release the vehicle this year, it should be noted that the company has a long history of product delays, which means there could be a chance the release will be pushed. Nevertheless, Elon Musk has gone on record as saying that the Model 3 requires a simpler manufacturing process, which should make it easier to ensure quality control for its production.

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Watch This New Video of a Tesla Model 3 in Action - Futurism

In Brief

The Cassini mission will be coming to an end in September and the Cassini orbiter is making its final orbits around Saturn. Thespacecraft still has plenty to offer in these final months as proven by the latest images released by NASA. The orbiter picked up some incredible images of one of Saturns innermost moons, Pan. The world was delighted to find a moon that looks as adorable as its name sounds.

The moon has a diameter of only about 35 km (less than 22 miles) and is shaped like a particularly stuffed ravioli. Others have compared the Saturnian satellite to a walnut, wonton, or empanada. It would seemthat astronomers are a particularly hungry group.

Cassini has a history of taking interesting images of Saturns moons. Heres a picture of Tethys, which bears a striking resemblance to a certain Alderaan ending planet destroyer, or Death Star, if you will.

And, speaking of Star Wars, this shot of the surface of Saturns moon Enceladus looks like the top of an unmasked Darth Vader head (a bit of a stretch, but true).

When the Cassini mission meets its end as the orbiter hurtles toward the surface of the ringed planet, it will continue to collect useful data while it makes its return. We will soon be able to learn more about the strength of Saturns gravity while also taking more breathtaking photos of the planets rings.

NASAs orbiter missions are continually creating a treasure trove of stunning images from the furthest reaches of space. These photos show the stunning scale of the universe and weve barely even breached our solar system. Other missions like the Voyagers and New Horizons are exploring the solar system and taking key measurements to help us understand what is happening on our final frontier.

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These New Photos of Saturn's Tiny Moon May Leave You Craving Pasta - Futurism

Einstein For Millennials

At age 14, Sabrina Pasterski walked onto the MIT campus to request notarization of aircraft worthiness for her single-engine plane. She built it herself and had already flown the craft solo, so even within the bastion of brilliance that is MIT, people were interested. Nineyears have passed, and now Pasterski is an MIT graduate and Harvard Ph.D. candidate in physics at age 23. (You can stay up to date with her many published papers and talks on her website, PhysicsGirl.com.)

Pasterski focuses on understanding quantum gravity, explaining gravity within the context of quantum mechanics. She is also interested inblack holes and Spacetime. Its probably no surprise that shes known to the NASA scientists, and that she has a standing job offer from Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin.

Pasterski is exceptional in many ways, but shes also part of a growing trend. In 1999, the number people earning physics bachelors degrees in the U.S. was at its lowest point in four decades, with only 3,178awarded that year. However, in 2015 things looked much different, according to the American Institute of Physics. That year 8,081 bachelors degrees in physics were awarded an all-time high. Physics doctorates also reached an all-time high of 1,860 in 2015. These numbers arent flukes or random spikes; the numbers for the previous two years were also high.

This trend is due in part to higher enrollment and less attrition among female students.These women remain a minority in physics and astronomy, and many are still having to face challenges withimpostor syndrome and mentoring. However,more female students in physics means more graduates overall and a more active scientific community in the U.S.

Sabrina Pasterski and other women in science today have benefited from being part of a proud tradition of standout female scientists. Marie S. Curie, the mother of modern physics, was the first Nobel Prize winning woman in the history of science. She was the first European female to earn a doctorate degree for her scientific research, and she later became the first woman professor and lecturer at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Curies work with radiation a term she invented transformed our understanding of the natural world, and she remains one of the most notable minds in science, regardless of gender.

Less famous but no less significant to science was Ada Lovelace. Intrigued by Charles Babbages idea for an Analytical Engine, a machine for computing, Lovelace published an article on the machine and developed an algorithm that would allow it to calculate a sequence of Bernoulli numbers. She saw the potential of the device and predicted that it might use its algorithms in many different ways. Ada was the first person to articulate the concept of machines following rules in order to manipulate symbols and produce graphics for scientific and practical purposes. She was recognized as the worlds first programmer posthumously.

Notable Women in Space

Rounding out this look back at female scientists, we look at Dian Fossey, a conservation biologist who fought passionately to save mountain gorillas. Fossey studied endangered gorilla species in the mountain forests of Rwanda and learned to mimic the actions, behaviors, and sounds of the gorillas in order to approach them. She strongly opposed poaching, financed patrols to destroy traps, and helped arrest several poachers. In 1977, Fosseys favorite gorilla, Digit, was killed by poachers as he defended his group against poachers. Fossey became totally focused on preventing poaching, destroying gorilla traps, capturing and humiliating the poachers, and even burning their camps. In December 1985, Fossey was found murdered in her camp in Rwanda. The case was never solved, although she is believed to have been killed by poachers.

Female scientists like Sabrina Pasterski are joining an amazing group and a proud tradition. Their work will inspire the scientists of tomorrow and change our understanding of the world just as the work of historical female scientists did for them.

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This Woman Is Said to Rival Einstein, and She's Only 23 - Futurism

Unraveling DNAs Meaning

On March 8, 2017, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce passed a bill that would allow businesses to impose significant penalties on employees who refuse to participate in genetic testing as part of workplace wellness programs. If the Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act, HR 1313, becomes law, existing federal laws protecting genetic privacy and nondiscrimination will be overturned, but only with regardto participation in workplace wellness programs.

Genetic testing can reveal many things about health risks. For example, it can clearly uncover single-gene diseases such as Huntingtons disease.The presence of that gene means that the disease will certainly appear because it is dominant, and based on certain laws of genetic inheritance, this information reveals risks to relatives, also. However, most health factors are more complicated than this from a genetic standpoint. Other clinical findings or health conditions such as high serum cholesterol readings or infections dont have the same clear genetic ties.

Workplace wellness programs offer employees a range of rewards and penalties to help them monitor and improve their own health. For example, some workplace wellness programs charge employees who smoke more than their nonsmoking counterparts, while others offer cheaper benefits for employees who meet health targets for cholesterol levels, blood pressure ratings, and other measures. Under the Affordable Care Act, employers may discount health insurance premiums by 30 to 50 percent for employees who voluntarily participate in these kinds of wellness programs.

However, existing federal privacy laws stemming from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 2008 Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) prevent employers from asking about sensitive genetic information for the purposes of determining employment or from requiring that current or prospective employees submit to such testing. Voluntary wellness programs are an exception carved out from GINA, but only when employees elect to participate. However, the existing exception does not allow for penalties against those who elect to maintain their privacy.

That is the chief difference this bill would prompt. If it becomes law, an employee withthe Huntingtons gene might pay a higher cost for benefits, even decades before they are sick. Their children, who would face a 50 percent risk of carrying the gene, might also face higher insurance premiums. Those with breast cancer genes, for example, could potentially also endure higher premiums.

Its a terrible Hobsons choice between affordable health insurance and protecting ones genetic privacy, Derek Scholes, director of science policy at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG), told The Washington Post. The ASHG sent the committee a letter opposing the bill. Almost 70 other organizations, including the AARP, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Womens Law Center, and March of Dimes, also formally lodged their opposition to the bill, citing basic privacy rights and concerns about discrimination.

The bill passed the committee on strict party lines, with all 22 Republicans voting in favor and all 17 Democrats opposed. Other HR 1313 supporters include the American Benefits Council, which represents major businesses. They argue that existing regulations and federal laws make it too difficult for companies to offer these wellness programs and remain competitive.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2016, the average yearly premium for employer-sponsored family health coverage was $18,142. Should the bill become law, participants in wellness programs who did not want to be tested could be charged $5,443 more each year. That amount could prove to be the difference between a family deciding to opt into an insurance program or not, soHR 1313 could have some very real-world consequences for many should it pass.

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If This Bill Becomes Law, You Will Be Penalized for Not Submitting to Genetic Testing - Futurism