5 things about AI you may have missed today: Pope Francis warns of AI risks, Putin meets his AI double, more

Today, December 14, there were some interesting reports coming from the artificial intelligence (AI) space. Ahead of the 57th anniversary of World Day of Peace, Pope Francis urged world leaders to ensure that progress made in developing AI tools “will ultimately serve the cause of human fraternity and peace”. In other news, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared briefly lost for words when he met with an AI-generated version of himself. This and more in today’s AI roundup. Let us take a closer look.

Pope warns of AI danger

Pope Francis, in his annual message for the World Day of Peace, calls on world leaders to ensure that advancements in AI contribute to human fraternity and peace, reports Vatican News. The message, centered on the theme ‘Artificial Intelligence and Peace,’ emphasizes the ethical dimension of these technologies, acknowledging their transformative impact on various aspects of human life. The Pope underscores the dual nature of progress in science and technology, highlighting both its potential benefits and ethical challenges.

“We have a duty to broaden our gaze and to direct techno-scientific research towards the pursuit of peace and the common good, in the service of the integral development of individuals and communities,” he said.

Putin meets his AI double

During an annual news conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefly at a loss for words when confronted with an AI-generated version of himself, reported Reuters. The AI “double” posed a question about Putin’s perspective on the dangers posed by AI and neural networks. This unexpected query led to a rare moment of hesitation from Putin, who was already in his fourth hour of addressing questions during the marathon event.

“I see you may resemble me and speak with my voice. But I have thought about it and decided that only one person must be like me and speak with my voice, and that will be me,” Putin said.

UK police use AI to save time

The Policing Minister has encouraged law enforcement agencies to adopt AI, citing the success of Bedfordshire in using AI to expedite administrative tasks, as per a report by BBC. Specifically, AI is employed to swiftly redact personal information from case files, a process that traditionally took days but now takes minutes. This innovation, aimed at complying with data protection laws, involves preparing case files for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) by removing personal data, such as addresses and phone numbers, from investigative documents. The minister, Chris Philp MP, sees AI as having the potential to revolutionize policing radically.

Healthcare providers to join US plan to manage AI risks

Twenty-eight healthcare companies, including CVS Health, are voluntarily committing to ensuring the safe development of AI by signing pledges initiated by US President Joe Biden, according to a report by Reuters. This follows similar commitments from 15 prominent AI companies such as Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft (a partner of OpenAI). The move is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to establish guidelines for AI development due to its rapid advancement and increasing popularity amid limited regulatory frameworks.

Chinese AI startup 01.AI to raise $200 mn

Beijing-based AI startup 01.AI is reportedly raising $200 million in fresh capital, following its recent valuation of $1 billion in November, reported Reuters. The startup, founded by Lee Kai-fu, former chief of Google China, is part of a growing trend among Chinese companies, including Meta and Alibaba, to open-source their large language models (LLM) for public use, competing with market leader OpenAI. Seeking additional investments from US dollar-based investors, 01.AI aims to capitalize on the increasing global interest in open-source AI models.