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That is right this moment’s version of The Download, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a each day dose of what’s happening on the planet of expertise.
What does GPT-3 “know” about me?
One of many greatest tales in tech this yr has been the rise of huge language fashions (LLMs). These are AI fashions that produce textual content a human may need written—typically so convincingly they’ve tricked folks into considering they’re sentient.
These fashions’ energy comes from troves of publicly accessible human-created textual content that has been hoovered from the web. In case you’ve posted something even remotely private in English on the web, likelihood is your information is perhaps a part of a few of the world’s hottest LLMs.
My colleague Melissa Heikkilä, our AI reporter, not too long ago began to marvel what information these fashions may need on her—and the way it might be misused. A bruising expertise a decade in the past left her paranoid about sharing private particulars on-line, so she put OpenAI’s GPT-3 to the check to see what it “is aware of” about her. Read about what she found.
How ammonia might assist clear up international transport
The information: Foul-smelling ammonia may seem to be an unlikely gas to assist lower greenhouse-gas emissions. Nevertheless it might additionally play a key position in decarbonizing international transport, offering an environment friendly solution to retailer the power wanted to energy massive ships on lengthy journeys.
What’s taking place: The American Bureau of Delivery not too long ago granted early-stage approval for some ammonia-powered ships and fueling infrastructure, that means such ships might hit the seas throughout the subsequent few years. Whereas the gas would require new engines and fueling techniques, swapping it in for fossil fuels that ships burn right this moment might assist make a major dent in international carbon emissions.
What’s subsequent: Some corporations are wanting even additional into the longer term, with New York–primarily based Amogy elevating almost $50 million earlier this yr to make use of the chemical for gas cells that promise even higher emissions cuts. If early checks for ammonia work out, these new applied sciences might assist the transport trade to considerably cut back its emissions. Read the full story.
—Casey Crownhart
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you right this moment’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.
1 Pakistan is reeling from its devastating flooding
Poor coverage making, blended with a local weather change-driven monsoon, has displaced tens of millions of individuals and destroyed properties, meals and livelihoods. (Vox)
+ These pictures spotlight the extent of the destruction. (The Guardian)
+ Residents try to salvage their belongsides from the waters. (BBC)
2 California has handed new on-line youngster security guidelines
The laws will drive web sites and apps so as to add protecting measures for under-18s. (NYT $)
+ The state additionally needs to punish medical doctors who unfold well being misinformation. (NYT $)
3 NASA will attempt to launch its Artemis rocket once more on Saturday
An inaccurate sensor studying is believed to have brought about the botched lift-off on Monday. (BBC)
4 Elon Musk has discovered a brand new tactic to attempt to wriggle out of shopping for Twitter
He’s utilizing the latest whistleblower allegations. (FT $)
+ What it is advisable know concerning the upcoming authorized combat. (WSJ $)
+ Twitter is failing to adequately sort out self-harming content material. (Ars Technica)
5 Deepfakes are infiltrating the mainstream
The expertise is enhancing by the day, and we ought to be frightened. (WP $)
+ A horrifying new AI app swaps girls into porn movies with a click on. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Cyber insurance coverage isn’t outfitted to cope with cyber warfare
Insurers can’t agree on what ought to and shouldn’t be coated. (Wired $)
7 A program to scrub polluted Nigerian wetlands worsened the issue
Ogoniland residents have been left to cope with the oil-soaked lands. (Bloomberg $)
+ The businesses that brought about an oil spill in California have been fined $13 million. (CNN)
8 How large isopods acquired so large
The roly-poly relative’s genes clarify why it might probably develop to the scale of a chihuahua. (Hakai Magazine)
+ The primordial coelacanth was an energy-saving knowledgeable. (New Scientist $)
9 Gen Z is basically into making collages
Naturally, there’s an app for that. (The Information $)
10 Dadcore trend has gone viral 
Leaving a era of iconic fishing followers in its wake. (Input)
Quote of the day
“I’ve positively had days the place I’ve achieved all of that, however it’s exhausting.”
—Dynasti deGouville, 22, describes the stress she felt to subscribe to the #ThatGirl life-style of early rising, grueling train, and restrictive diets peddled by TikTok clips of skinny, white girls to the Wall Street Journal.
The massive story
Humanity is caught in short-term considering. Right here’s how we escape.
October 2020
People have advanced over millennia to know an ever-expanding sense of time. Now we have minds able to imagining a future far off into the gap. But whereas we might have this potential, it’s hardly ever deployed in each day life. If our descendants had been to diagnose the ills of Twenty first-century civilization, they might observe a harmful short-termism: a collective failure to flee the current second and look additional forward.
The world is saturated in data, and requirements of residing have by no means been larger, however so typically it’s a wrestle to see past the following information cycle, political time period, or enterprise quarter. Learn how to clarify this contradiction? Why have we come to be so caught within the “now”? Read the full story.
—Richard Fisher
We will nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction in these bizarre instances. (Obtained any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ This dog slide seems to be like an infinite delight.
+ Three hours of underground 90s hip hop is assured to place you in a very good temper.
+ After a two-year break, the World Gravy Wrestling Championship is again!
+ Electro icon Gary Numan has some attention-grabbing phrases of knowledge.
+ The Perseverance Rover is digging round for proof of past life on Mars.
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