Author: Joseph Sassoon

January 27, 2025 Joseph Sassoon No comments exist
Photo by Prawny on Pixabay

Big Tech is everywhere – innovating, entertaining, and, let’s face it, raking in the cash. But can it be trusted to ever balance power with responsibility?

Big Tech has never been so popular. People love it, loathe it, and can’t seem to live without it. From streamlining our lives to shaping our digital playgrounds, these tech titans have given us so much to celebrate. Yet, with great power comes great responsibility – or so the saying goes. Accountability, anyone?

Indeed, Big Tech is the epitome of cool. It’s the VIP of the digital age, its leaders being given front-row seats at presidential inaugurations like rock stars at a music award. Admired? Often. Respected? Occasionally. Criticized? Oh, endlessly. While their innovations dazzle, their bank accounts tend to provoke more eye-rolls than applause. To many, their wealth isn’t just excessive – it’s a slap in the face. In fact, Big Tech has an image problem bigger than its market cap. Trust, or the lack of it, might just be their Achilles’ heel.

Tech That Sparkles

First, let’s give credit where it’s due. Big Tech companies have revolutionized nearly every aspect of our lives. They’ve connected us across continents, brought education to our fingertips, and transformed mundane tasks like shopping into an oddly satisfying one-click experience. (Who knew buying paper clips at 3 a.m. could feel so empowering?)

Think of the social good, too: AI systems diagnosing diseases early, cloud computing empowering small businesses, and digital platforms giving a voice to the voiceless. Let’s not forget the sheer entertainment value. Streaming platforms, gaming networks, virtual realities… Big Tech knows how to keep us hooked – and happy.

The Gray Areas: No Free Lunch

But let’s not pretend all this brilliance is purely altruistic. Big Tech’s currency isn’t just innovation; it’s us. Every click, every like, every late-night search feeds the machine. And that’s fine – up to a point. The question is, who’s holding the reins?

Yes, these companies provide incredible services, often for free. But we’ve all learned by now that ‘free’ always comes with a catch: your data. And while targeted ads for cat sunglasses can be amusing, the deeper implications – privacy concerns, misinformation, and the occasional ethical hiccup – are definitely worth considering.

Accountability: The Next Big Thing

Big Tech knows it needs to step up. The buzzwords are all there: transparency, responsibility, ethical AI. They’ve even launched initiatives to improve digital literacy, combat cyberattacks, and protect our privacy (sort of). And let’s be fair, many of these efforts are making a real difference.

The challenge? Accountability isn’t as flashy as launching a new gadget or platform. Regulation debates are thorny, and while Big Tech says it’s open to change, you can’t blame us for being a little skeptical. After all, it’s hard to write your own rulebook without a little bias.

How to Get There

Big Tech isn’t the villain in this story, nor is it the hero. It’s a complicated character, just like the rest of us. The services they provide are transformative, but the risks of unchecked power are equally profound. So what’s the answer? Balance.

Imagine a world where innovation flourishes but doesn’t trample over ethics. Where data is used responsibly, and transparency isn’t just a PR buzzword. It’s not an impossible dream, but it does require effort – from governments, companies, and yes, us, the users. Let’s strive to build a digital future that benefits everyone, not just a select few.

January 23, 2025 Joseph Sassoon No comments exist

Conversational AI is making waves, engaging in increasingly nuanced and dynamic dialogues. We’ll soon live in a world populated by countless synthetic voices, like a wood alive with fireflies under the night sky.

Let’s acknowledge the strides these systems have made. Modern chatbots are far more than augmented help desks. They can banter, convey irony, and even engage in philosophical musings. Ask them to generate a haiku or weigh in on perennial debates like pineapple on pizza (yes or no), and they’ll deliver – sometimes with impressive flair.

The core challenge for their advancements lies in the subtle, almost ineffable qualities of human communication – empathy, intuition, and the ability to read between the lines. While bots excel at synthesizing data and mimicking conversational styles, they don’t yet grasp the emotional weight or cultural implications of what they say. (Although, to be fair, neither do some humans on social media.)

That said, progress is relentless. Developers are refining the systems to include better context awareness, emotion-sensing optimization, and more sophisticated conversational timing. With every iteration, these bots inch closer to seamless interaction. It’s conceivable that, in the near future, they could become indispensable for tasks requiring advanced dialogue skills, from mental health support to creative collaboration.

Will they ever truly match humans? Opinions are divided. Some foresee a future where bots are indistinguishable from people, while others argue that human communication – anchored in lived experience – will always be beyond AI’s grasp. Regardless, conversational AI doesn’t need to replace us to be valuable. As brainstorming partners, knowledge assistants, and even budding poets, chatbots already enhance the way we think, work, and communicate more than we ever imagined.

Who knew algorhytms would be the ones to remind us that words still matter?

January 19, 2025 Joseph Sassoon No comments exist

Ah, progress. In a distant past, the greatest achievement in communication was the telegram, buzzing its dots and dashes across the globe. Today, machines don’t just send messages – they have entire conversations, and we’re not invited. Welcome to the quirky, unsettling, and dazzling world of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication.

M2M is the connective tissue of the Internet of Things (IoT). Imagine fridges talking to grocery stores about milk levels, or your car telling the traffic light it’s in a hurry. It’s a little like a gossip network, but instead of rumors, it’s all about data – lots and lots of data. From industrial robots to smart homes, M2M is the secret sauce that’s making everything smarter, faster, and occasionally creepier.

The Good Stuff: Convenience on Steroids

First, the good news: M2M is here to make life easier. In factories, machines share real-time updates, ensuring production lines run smoother than an ice skater. In healthcare, wearable devices quietly monitor vital signs and whisper updates to doctors without anyone lifting a finger. Even agriculture is getting in on the act, with soil sensors chatting up irrigation systems about whether the crops are thirsty.

It’s automation at its finest. Need your house to preheat the oven because it knows you’re on your way home? Don’t worry, M2M is there for you. Want your car to warn you about an accident up ahead? M2M’s already on it. It’s like having an army of tireless personal assistants who never demand a coffee break.

But Wait, There’s a Catch

Of course, every shiny new technology has a shadow side, and M2M is no exception. Let’s start with privacy – or rather, the lack thereof. These machines may be chatting amongst themselves, but they’re also hoarding data about you. Your habits, preferences, and maybe even your poorly-hidden addiction to late-night snacks are all fair game. Who’s listening? Corporations, hackers, governments… you name it.

And then there’s security. M2M systems are only as strong as their weakest link, and with billions of devices in the mix, there are plenty of weak links. Hackers love nothing more than turning your smart toaster into a weaponized bot soldier. Yes, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds – until it’s not.

Ethical Whirlwinds and Job Jitters

Let’s not forget the ethical dilemmas. Machines making decisions about humans? It’s happening. Autonomous vehicles deciding who gets priority in an unavoidable crash scenario. Smart surveillance systems flagging “suspicious” behavior. These are no longer the stuff of science fiction.

And what about jobs? M2M is automating tasks at a breakneck pace, leaving many wondering if their careers are next on the chopping block. Sure, someone needs to program and maintain these systems, but that’s cold comfort if you’re displaced by a machine that works faster and cheaper than you. 

So, What Now?

M2M isn’t inherently good or evil – it’s just a tool. A powerful one, yes, but whether it builds or destroys depends on how we use it. Transparency, robust security, and ethical guidelines are essential if we’re to harness its potential without succumbing to its pitfalls. In the meantime, approach M2M with a mix of awe and skepticism. Celebrate the smart conveniences, but keep an eye on the risks. And possibly, don’t let your fridge know too much about you – it might tell the dishwasher.

January 16, 2025 Joseph Sassoon No comments exist

Elon Musk is running an archetypal marathon, embodying more personas than your average mythological pantheon.

First, there’s the Creator – Tesla’s electric revolution proves his Promethean spark. Then the Explorer, shooting for the stars (literally) with SpaceX, his Mars colony dream burning brightly. Enter the Magician: Neurolink’s neural interface taps into our collective sci-fi fantasies, reshaping the mind itself. And, of course, the Ruler, commanding wealth, influence, and a front-row seat in the White House’s new era.

But don’t get too comfortable. Could Musk also be slipping into the Outlaw archetype? The disruptor. The industry shaker. The status-quo annihilator. Fans might call it progress; critics call it chaos. The real question? Whether this polyphonic blend of archetypes leads us to a utopia – or an interstellar dumpster fire. For now, all we can do is sit back and watch the man play every note.

January 13, 2025 Joseph Sassoon No comments exist

With an announcement that felt straight out of a sci-fi epic, at  CES 2025 (the most important tech event in the world) Jensen Huang, president and CEO of Nvidia, unveiled Cosmos, a family of “world foundation models” poised to reshape robotics and autonomous systems. These neural networks don’t just calculate or generate, they predict and create physics-aware virtual environments and tools. Yes, the machines are learning not just to think but to move – because why stop at taking over the Internet when you can conquer the physical world?

“The ChatGPT moment for robotics is coming,” Huang declared, setting the stage for what might be the next great leap in AI. Like language models before them, world foundation models (WFMs) like Cosmos promise to be transformative, enabling next-gen robots and autonomous vehicles that won’t just stumble through your living room but will navigate it with uncanny precision.

To ensure this revolution isn’t reserved for the privileged few, Nvidia is open-sourcing Cosmos. It’s a bold move, putting these tools in the hands of developers everywhere. “We created Cosmos to put general robotics in reach of every developer,” Huang explained, imagining a world where robots are not only smarter but more widely accessible.

At its core, Cosmos is about realism. These WFMs combine data, text, images, video, and motion to create virtual environments so accurate you might start mistaking the simulation for reality. But this isn’t just about creating pretty virtual worlds – it’s about teaching machines how to understand and interact with the real one. From physical interactions to environmental navigation, these models represent a foundational shift in what AI can do.

This perspective is undeniably ambitious and speaks to a broader shift in how AI could impact the physical landscape. If large language models revolutionized the way we process and generate information, world foundation models aim to do the same for robotics and autonomous systems. But are robots truly poised to make this substantive leap into real-world applications? There are promising signs that they are:

  1. Improved simulation capabilities. The ability to simulate complex physical environments with high accuracy is a game-changer. Platforms like Cosmos signal that we are closing the gap between training in a virtual space and performing in the real world.

  2. Advances in multimodal learning. Huang’s emphasis on combining data from text, images, video, and movement is aligned with the AI trend of multimodal models. By integrating diverse types of input, WFMs can develop a nuanced understanding of the world, making them better suited to handle dynamic environments.

  3. Open-source democratization. Nvidia’s decision to open-source Cosmos is a sign that physical AI is moving from niche research labs to broader developer communities. This democratization could accelerate innovation, with startups, researchers, and even hobbyists contributing to the evolution of robotics.

  4. Emerging applications. Autonomous vehicles, warehouse robots, and drones are already functioning in semi-controlled real-world environments. The tools provided by Cosmos could help extend these capabilities to less structured spaces, such as homes, cities, or disaster zones.

  5. Economic and industry pressure. Robotics development is no longer a theoretical exercise. Industries like logistics, healthcare, and agriculture are actively seeking AI-driven solutions to labor shortages, efficiency bottlenecks, and environmental challenges. This demand is driving funding, research, and practical deployment.

That said, big jumps into the real world are rarely smooth. Robots must contend with unpredictable human behavior, complex environments, and the need for safety and reliability. Transfer learning (moving knowledge from a simulated environment to the real world) remains a technical hurdle. Ethical and regulatory frameworks are also playing catch-up with the pace of technological progress.

Still, Huang’s vision of WFMs as the “missing link” in robotics isn’t just marketing – it’s a reflection of a tangible trend toward AI systems that are not only intelligent but also physically capable. While Cosmos might not single-handedly bring about the “ChatGPT moment” for robotics, it represents a meaningful step toward that goal. The leap into the real world will depend on whether these advances can translate into scalable, reliable, and widely adoptable systems. What’s clear, though, is that we’re no longer asking if this leap will happen, but when.

January 9, 2025 Joseph Sassoon No comments exist

Reality used to be such a simple concept. If you saw it, it happened. Until recently photos were seen as ‘proofs’. Not anymore. Enter AI-generated images, and suddenly, truth feels more like an opinion than a fact. What was once the realm of Photoshop enthusiasts has now been industrialized by machines that churn out convincing visuals in a matter of seconds.

Jean Baudrillard, the famed French sociologist and philosopher, saw it coming. Fifty years ago, he argued that digital images were disconnecting from any ‘original’ planted in the real world: copies of copies with no foundation would soon inundate our mind. A disconcerting view, and indeed, this is where we find ourselves today, with no clear sense of what lies ahead.

Sure, Gen AI isn’t out there plotting to destroy reality. It’s just exceptionally good at blending pieces of the world it knows into images that never existed. Give it enough data, and it’ll create a perfect wedding photo starring friends of yours who’ve never met. It’s less of an artistic statement and more of a hyper-efficient collage artist with no memory or identity.

The problem is that these synthetic snapshots aren’t confined to harmless fun. Political campaigns, courtroom exhibits, and breaking news stories are all prime targets for AI’s overactive imagination. One minute, you’re marveling at a stunning sunset over the ocean; the next, you realize the waves were generated by a machine that’s never dipped a toe in water.

Of course, humanity isn’t entirely defenseless. Researchers are already crafting AI that can spot its lying counterpart. It’s like training a dog to sniff out another dog’s buried bones – a pretty odd situation, if you think about it. These detection tools might not be perfect, but they’re our best bet for keeping AI’s digital wizardry from rewriting history.

So where does that leave us? Somewhere between cautious optimism and full-blown paranoia. Gen AI isn’t evil, but it’s definitely mischievous. The best advice for navigating this brave new world? Trust your instincts, question the unbelievable, and maybe don’t put too much faith in that “vintage” photo of Albert Einstein taking a selfie.

January 6, 2025 Joseph Sassoon No comments exist

Hold onto your notebooks – Gen AI is shaking up the storytelling scene, but let’s not hand over the Pulitzer just yet. While it can whip up passable narratives faster than you can say “once upon a time,” the leap from formulaic plotlines to soul-stirring tales remains elusive.

Sure, it can mash together tropes, predict the next plot twist, and mimic your favorite authors with uncanny precision. But ask it to craft a fresh, boundary-pushing masterpiece? That’s where things get… complicated. Gen AI excels at remixing, not inventing from scratch. It can generate a “new” fairy tale, but chances are it borrows heavily from something already in the public domain.

Why the gap? Ask the tools directly, they are aware of the problem. Emotion. Subtlety. That ineffable spark of lived experience. Gen AI reads patterns, but it doesn’t “feel” them the way humans do. Even when it stumbles into brilliance, it’s more happy accident than intentional artistry.

But don’t count it out. The storytelling bots are learning – fast. Future models could integrate sensory data, emotional mapping, and feedback loops that sharpen their narrative instincts. Some predict AI capable of literary-grade fiction within the decade. Others argue that the real breakthrough won’t come from AI replacing authors, but collaborating with them – a digital muse with infinite patience.

Until then, Gen AI remains a plot assistant, not the auteur. It’s a co-pilot for brainstorming sessions, a generator of interesting (if occasionally bizarre) first drafts. The future of storytelling in the foreseeable future? It’s still being written – by humans.

November 29, 2024 Joseph Sassoon No comments exist

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Get ready for a mind-blowing upgrade in Gen AI. We’re moving beyond simple content creation to powerful AI agents that can autonomously handle complex tasks across industries. Imagine a virtual assistant who not only books your flight, but also negotiates the best hotel deals and plans your itinerary.

This isn’t just a sci-fi dream. These “agentic systems” are already in development. They can strategize, use online tools, collaborate with others, and learn from experience. Think of them as highly skilled virtual colleagues, not just chatbots responding to your every whim.

The cool factor doesn’t stop there. Gen AI is becoming multi-modal, meaning it can handle text, images, audio, and video all at once. This opens doors for richer interactions and spectacular outputs. We’re already seeing this with tools like DALL-E, which can generate images that seamlessly blend text elements.

This AI revolution is particularly exciting for finance, healthcare, and creative fields. Imagine financial institutions with AI agents streamlining audits and crafting personalized pitches. In healthcare, AI could analyze vast datasets to create customized treatment plans and anticipate patient needs. For artists, AI could become a collaborator, unlocking new forms of creative expression.

But with great power comes great responsibility. As Gen AI evolves, we need strong ethical guidelines in place. Issues like bias and transparency must be addressed. Thankfully, initiatives like the World Economic Forum’s Presidio AI Framework are working on ethical guardrails for responsible AI development.

So, buckle up! Gen AI isn’t just about efficiency – it’s about ushering in an era of intelligent partners that empower us in both personal and professional lives. Projections show it could create up to 97 million jobs by 2025. This AI revolution is coming, and it’s going to be epic.

March 23, 2023 Joseph Sassoon No comments exist

Photo by Rolf van Root on Unsplash

Recently, everyone has been talking about ChatGPT, the language model developed by OpenAI. With its advanced capabilities, ChatGPT is revolutionizing the way we communicate with machines. It has the ability to understand natural language and respond in a human-like manner, making it ideal for a wide range of applications, from customer service to virtual assistants. ChatGPT’s language processing abilities are based on deep learning algorithms that analyze large amounts of data to generate responses that are both accurate and contextually appropriate. As a result, ChatGPT is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after tools for businesses and individuals looking to improve their communication with machines (and humans).

The fact is, ChatGPT is only the beginning of a revolution that will transform the way humans interact with technology. Artificial intelligence has come a long way since the first AI program was written in 1951. Today, AI systems can perform a wide range of tasks, from playing chess to driving cars. However, AI is still in its infancy, and there is much more that can be done.

One area where AI is having a big impact is in natural language generation (NLG). NLG is the field of study that focuses on how computers can produce understandable human language. NLG is what powers chatbots like ChatGPT, which can converse with humans in a way that feels natural and intuitive.

A number of other companies are also active in this area, aiming to compete directly with ChatGPT. For instance, Google’s T5. T5 (Text-to-Text Transfer Transformer) is a NLG model developed by Google that is similar to ChatGPT in terms of its architecture and capabilities. T5 is pre-trained on a large dataset of text and can be fine-tuned for specific tasks, making it highly versatile and capable of generating high-quality text in response to various prompts.

In the coming years, thanks to this competition we can expect to see NLG technology continue to advance. Already, systems such as ChatGPT can understand and respond to human language at a level that was once thought impossible. These systems will be used to power virtual assistants, customer service bots, and digital humans.

Storytelling

In 2019 I published a book titled Storytelling and AI, arguing that machines were fast learning to speak like humans; and would soon master the secrets of storytelling that until now, for tens of thousands of years, have been the exclusive domain of humankind. The advent of ChatGPT is a strong confirmation of that argument.

Indeed, ChatGPT can be a very useful tool in the field of storytelling in several ways:

  • Idea generation. ChatGPT can help writers generate new ideas for stories by providing prompts or suggestions based on a given topic, theme, or character.

  • Character development. ChatGPT can assist writers in creating and developing complex characters by answering questions about their backgrounds, motivations, and personalities.

  • Plot development. ChatGPT can help writers develop plot twists and turns by suggesting different scenarios or plot points to keep the story engaging.

  • Dialogue creation. ChatGPT can assist writers in crafting compelling dialogue by suggesting different phrases, idioms, and expressions that fit the tone and style of the story.

  • Editing and revision. ChatGPT can be used as a tool for editing and revising a story by suggesting alternative words, phrases, and sentence structures that may improve the flow and readability of the story.

In other words, today ChatGPT can be a valuable ‘storytelling assistant’ for writers to enhance their creativity, develop their writing skills, and create engaging and compelling stories.

We can expect to see even more exciting progress in the coming years.  As AI technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, it’s important to consider what the future may hold for NLG software such as ChatGPT. Here are some possible developments:

  • Improved conversational abilities. ChatGPT and other NLG software may become even more advanced in their conversational abilities. They may be able to understand and respond to more complex queries, making them even more useful for customer service, personal assistance, and other applications.

  • More realistic responses. In the future, NLG software may become even better at creating responses that are indistinguishable from those created by a human. They may be able to incorporate more nuance, sarcasm, and humor into their responses, making them even more engaging and enjoyable to interact with.

  • Personalization. As ChatGPT software continues to advance, it may become more tailored to individual users. It may be able to learn from previous interactions and create responses that are more personalized and relevant to each user’s individual needs and preferences.

  • Integration with other technologies. NLG software may become more seamlessly integrated with other technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality. This could create even more immersive and engaging experiences for users, allowing them to interact with NLG software in more natural and intuitive ways.

  • Story invention. ChatGPT is already able to create stories on the basis of simple prompts. This ability will evolve making NLG software more and more able to invent meaningful narratives, even in the form of novels or movie scripts.

  • More applications. As ChatGPT software becomes more advanced and versatile, it may find applications in a wider range of industries and contexts. For example, it could be used to generate personalized news articles, ads, financial reports, and other types of content.

In brief, as AI technology continues to advance, NLG software in general, and ChatGPT in particular, will likely become even more powerful, versatile, and useful for a wide range of applications.

Metaverse and brand storytelling

In early November 2022, just weeks before the launch of ChatGPT, I published a book titled Brand Storytelling in the Metaverse. There, I noted that new NLG software will soon be integrated with AI avatars in the metaverse, particularly with brand avatars interacting in a dialogue with customers in virtual worlds. This development is now going to be enabled by tools such as ChatGPT.

By integrating ChatGPT with brand avatars, customers could have natural language conversations with artificial humans in real-time, allowing for personalized and responsive interactions. This could help to create a more engaging and interactive customer experience, as customers would feel like they are having a real conversation with the brand rather than simply receiving canned responses.

One potential benefit of using ChatGPT with AI avatars in the metaverse is that these artificial entities could provide customers with a much wider set of answers to their queries. For instance, a digital assistant for a car maker could be knowledgeable about all details of a 200-page instruction manual. A brand avatar empowered by ChatGPT could also help to reduce the workload of human customer service representatives. By automating some of the simpler interactions, such as answering frequently asked questions, human representatives could focus on more complex issues and offer more personalized assistance to customers.

However, there are also potential challenges associated with integrating ChatGPT with AI avatars in the metaverse. For example, as with any AI technology, there is a risk of discriminatory language if the training data is not diverse and representative. Additionally, it may be challenging to ensure that the avatar’s body language and facial expressions are conveying the intended tone and emotion of the conversation.

Clearly, there are still significant hurdles to integrating ChatGPT with AI avatars in the metaverse; but there are also many potential benefits. By creating more engaging and immersive customer experiences, brands will be able to foster deeper connections with their customers and increase customer loyalty.

Jobs

Many people worry that AI systems such as ChatGPT could ‘steal’ a lot of  jobs in the coming years. Undoubtedly, there is a risk that ChatGPT and other NLG technologies will automate some jobs that currently rely on human language skills, but it is important to consider the nuances of this issue.

On the one hand, NLG technologies like ChatGPT can be used to automate tasks such as customer service, content creation, and data analysis, which traditionally require human language skills. This could lead to job displacement in certain industries, particularly those that rely heavily on repetitive or routine tasks. For example, ChatGPT could be used to automate some aspects of content creation, such as generating news pieces or social media posts, which could potentially displace human writers and editors.

On the other hand, NLG technologies can also create new opportunities for human workers, particularly in areas where NLG can enhance or augment human skills. For example, ChatGPT could be used to help journalists and writers generate more content in less time, freeing them up to focus on more complex or investigative reporting. Additionally, ChatGPT could be used to help language teachers create more personalized learning materials for their students, or to help doctors and medical professionals create more accurate and efficient medical reports.

Furthermore, it is important to note that NLG technologies are not yet advanced enough to completely replace human language skills. While they can generate human-like text, they still lack the creativity, nuance, and subtleness that human language use requires. Human language is also highly contextual and often requires emotional intelligence and cultural knowledge that machines may not be able to replicate.

So, there is actually a risk that NLG technologies like ChatGPT could displace some jobs that rely on human language skills. However, there are also many potential benefits and opportunities for human workers. It is important for policymakers and industry leaders to consider the potential impacts of NLG technologies on the workforce and to ensure that the benefits are widely shared and that the transition to an automated future is managed in a responsible and equitable manner.

Other risks

Job displacement is not the only risk associated with a wider use of technologies such as ChatGPT. Here are some other potential dangers and some suggestions on ways to control and limit them:

  1. Bias. NLG software can perpetuate biases present in its training data, resulting in offensive language or conclusions. To control and limit this risk, it is important to ensure that the data used to train the NLG software is balanced and representative of different groups. Additionally, regular audits should be conducted to ensure that the NLG software is not perpetuating any biases.

  2. Misinformation. ChatGPT may inadvertently generate false or misleading information. To control this risk, it is important to incorporate fact-checking mechanisms into the NLG software. This can involve cross-referencing with reliable sources and verifying information with human experts.

  3. Privacy. NLG software may collect personal information about users, potentially raising privacy concerns. To limit this risk, it is important to adhere to established privacy guidelines and regulations, such as GDPR. Additionally, users should be provided with clear information about what information is being collected and how it will be used.

  4. Dependence. Technologies such as Chat GPT may become so widely used that humans become overly reliant on them. This can lead to a loss of critical thinking skills and the ability to evaluate information independently. To control this risk, it is important to encourage the development of critical thinking skills and provide education on how to evaluate information effectively.

  5. Security. NLG software may be vulnerable to cyber attacks, potentially leading to the compromise of sensitive information. To limit this risk, it is important to incorporate robust security measures into the NLG software, such as encryption and regular vulnerability assessments.

Overall, while tools such as ChatGPT offer many potential advantages, it is important to be aware of the potential risks and take steps to avoid them. By addressing these risks, we can ensure that NLG technologies are used in a safe and responsible manner that benefits society as a whole.

May 13, 2020 Joseph Sassoon No comments exist

In the first two decades of this century, a number of stories have dominated the world news. Among the most riveting: the Islamic wars fought by the US and its allies after Nine Eleven; the worrying deterioration of the environment caused by climate change; the emergence of China as world power and factory of the planet; the advent of Artificial Intelligence and the danger to your job posed by smarter robots; Brexit, and the prospect of a disintegrating Europe. Still, in the last couple of months the information about those topics (and many others) has been pushed aside by a single narrative. The novel coronavirus is proving to be the greatest story of our time – the most compelling and inescapable.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Besides, Covid-19 is not just ubiquitous in the media: it’s also the issue that dominates private conversations among people. Although it may not be perceived by all, the symbolic power of this story is overwhelming and unprecedented. And for several good reasons.

The number of deaths is only a tragic premise. Internationally, it has already overcome the number of victims from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 75 years ago. In the US, it‘s already above the number of the fallen of the 20-year-long Viet Nam war. Luckily, it has been contained by all the measures enacted in many countries to limit the pandemic – otherwise it might have climbed to millions. But we still don’t know how it will affect the poorest countries of the world, where the virus has not yet reached its full lethal potential. Checking the progression of this number in the evening news has become an angst-ridden ritual for many – an underlying subtext to the coronavirus story.

And yet, there are many other chapters in this narrative – each contributing a great deal to the drama, although in debatable and potentially divisive ways. Here’s a short analysis of the most relevant ones.

The virus’ origin

Where and when did the novel coronavirus first jump on a human? If the date is being scrutinized (and pushed back to at least October 2019 by recent disclosures), the place is the subject of strong controversy.

As everyone knows, President Trump has called corona “the Chinese virus”, a definition that officials in China find irresponsible. Is the story that Covid-19 originated from a Wuhan wet market credible? Mike Pompeo is skeptical of this hypothesis and suspects an accident occurred at Wuhan’s Institute of Virology. US intelligence agencies (and others) exclude that the virus was man-made or genetically engineered, but are still investigating whether it might have escaped from the Wuhan lab. Zhao Lijian, the spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, counters it might be the US Army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan during the Military World Games last fall. As for the Iranians, they are convinced that the virus was cooked up by American scientists to weaken their nation (notwithstanding the high number of deaths in the US). Facts are scarce and conspiracy theories abound, a good recipe for misunderstanding and conflict.

Indeed, the virus’ origin is still a mystery, and the evidence about it appears so far insufficient to prove anything. With patient zero impossible to pinpoint, a lot of the pandemic theme is left to interpretation.

This part of the story may have heavy implications. Trump has already cut the funding of the World Health Organization, on the assumption it failed to take a hasher stance towards China. His administration also suggested it will seek accountability for the spread of the virus and is drawing up plans to punish Beijing on multiple fronts, which might go from additional trade barriers to economic sanctions. China will not accept this idly, and might bring the confrontation to a new unpredictable level. This chapter of the story includes all the components of a geopolitical thriller.

Spread of the disease

Whatever the origin of the pandemic, a lot of media attention has been directed to the notion of ‘social distancing’. Individuals have had to learn what this is, and why it matters. The extremely fast manner Covid-19 spreads across nations has persuaded people everywhere to change their long-established behaviors, quickly adapting to staying at home, avoiding hugs and kisses, keeping one or two meters from one another, wearing masks, and washing hands frequently. That’s not an easy change to impose on 4 billion people in just 2 or 3 months.

At the same time, this part of the story is not exempt from contradictions. By the way, should the distance be one or two meters? Initially Italian authorities told their citizens that one meter was enough. Instead, Israeli authorities said that two meters were needed from the start. How this can have impacted the outcome of the disease is unclear, but subsequent studies have shown that people who sneeze or cough can spread their droplets four meters away, or even more. And it’s a fact that Italy has experienced something like 50 deaths from Covid-19 per 100 thousand inhabitants, whilst Israel just about 3. Most probably other factors concur to this result (for instance, the median age of the population). However, the way social distancing is actually carried out can make a big difference.

Another contentious point is whether lockdowns are really warranted, and what are the human costs of shutting everything down. Here, several questions still go unanswered. The high death toll in countries such as Italy and the UK is attributed to delayed closures, but countries like the Netherlands and Sweden have experienced less deadly outcomes while keeping most activities open. So, is herd immunity a reasonable option or not? And what about children? Are they highly contagious and a big risk to their grandparents, or is this just a disputable, unproved standpoint? The virus story may vary a lot depending on what role children are supposed to play.

Connected to the spreading issue is also the topic of tracing methods. In places like China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, contact tracing has proven very helpful in containing Covid-19. But some apps that work pretty well for that purpose are seen negatively in Western countries as potentially infringing on individuals’ rights to privacy. It’s one thing to use advanced technology to track criminals and terrorists, it’s another to track the movements of any of us. In other words, many don’t seem to agree on making corona’s narrative too similar to a detective story.

Effects of the coronavirus crisis

The virus’ fallout, anyway, is definitely huge. The media nowadays are full of content related to this chapter, and our lives bear witness to how impactful Covid-19 can be. In the developed world we are already set in a deep economic recession, which risks becoming the worst depression of the last 100 years. Everybody knows where this trend is headed: the main outcome is joblessness, meaning more and more people are losing their livelihoods and becoming unable to support their families.

This grim reality has already started to take hold (for instance, by producing 33 million unemployed in the US in a matter of weeks); and that’s the reason why so many people are utterly scared of what SARS-CoV-2 could bring – not death, but a fall into poverty.

In developing countries, corona’s effects could be even more devastating. There, the story might rapidly turn into tragedy. According to the Head of United Nations’ World Food Programme, David Beasley, the world is now at risk of famines “of biblical proportions” caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Within a short few months, the number of people suffering from hunger could go from 135 million to more than 250 million.

Yet, economic depression and famines would not be the only catastrophes. As suggested by Nouriel Roubini, the New York-based economist who famously predicted the 2008 financial crisis, the current pandemic is accelerating trends toward balkanisation and fragmentation that were already underway in many regions of the world. According to him, more protectionist policies are going to prevail, with tighter restrictions on the movement of goods, services, capital, labor, technology, and information. The geostrategic standoff between the US and China will intensify. Populist leaders will benefit from economic weakness, mass unemployment, and rising inequality, leading to a strong impulse to scapegoat foreigners and migrants for the crisis. And there will likely be an upsurge in clandestine cyber warfare, potentially conducive to military clashes.

The peril is certainly there. All these trends could entail the emergence of both new social conflicts inside countries and tensions among them, with heightened risks of isolationism coupled with the internal repression of civil liberties. Some developments may be an anticipation of what is to come. Antonio Guterres, the present UN chief, has recently warned about the dangerous ‘tsunami’ of hate speech that has risen alongside the Covid-19 pandemic. In his view social media companies and civil society must urgently stand up to the many forms of xenophobia, racism and intolerance that have surfaced during the crisis. Absent a concerted effort in this direction, anti-foreigner sentiment, antisemitic conspiracy theories, attacks against Muslims, and the targeting of journalists, health workers, human right activists despised just for doing their job, will only rise further.

Technology: the light at the end of the tunnel

The dark connotations of the previous chapter of the story – providing the emotional climax to it – are fortunately counterbalanced by the promises deriving from the extraordinarily quick scientific progress in dealing with SARS-CoV-2.

Although it’s not certain that a vaccine for this disease may ever be found (as it was never found for HIV, the virus causing AIDS), many research teams around the world are competing in the quest for it. Huge sums and energies are being invested. And the general expectation is that, in this case, the time needed to find and bring a vaccine to market will be just a fraction of the many years of research and trial that have always been necessary in previous pandemics.

Also, technology is already providing precious help in other ways. The novel coronavirus genome was sequenced in record time and shared by Chinese medical authorities on January 11, only a couple of weeks after they had alerted the WHO of the new pathogen. Today the advanced apps that ensure the precise tracking of infected people – though not liked by all – allow those who have not got the virus to keep distant and protected. Besides, a number of treatments have been very fast devised and approved for use on patients, with life-saving results. New drugs are expected to be available soon.

Sure, the limits to our ability to cure and treat people affected by SARS-CoV-2 remain important. The death toll attests to this situation. However, the level of scientific awareness reached by mankind has created a totally new situation. As Homo Sapiens author Yuval Harari recently wrote, when in the 14th century the Black Death killed more than a quarter of all humans in Asia and Europe, people had no idea of what caused it: “They usually blamed the plague on angry gods or black magic, and the best thing they could think of doing was hold mass prayers to the gods – which often led to mass infections.” (Viruses were only discovered in the last decade of the 19th century). And when in 1918 the Spanish flu killed far more people than World War I, no one had an inkling of what a genome is – not to say how to sequence one. The much more favorable way a pandemic can be faced in our time is entirely due to the advancements of science. And technology is the light sword that will guide us through the darkness – and possibly save us.

The future of the human-virus relationship

Yet, scientific awareness doesn’t necessarily mean wisdom. Thus, at this stage, how this captivating story will end is uncertain. As I have remarked in a previous post, SARS-CoV-2 has all the traits of the perfect villain. Not by chance, this has led many people to state that ‘we are at war’ with an invisible, deadly enemy. The media are fond of this scenario and have made it their own. Indeed, there are many reasons to set the corona narrative as a fight between the human species and a sinister evil force. The virus is undoubtedly a merciless killer. And health workers are waging a terrible battle with great courage and dignity. But, if pushed too far, this representation may not be the wisest, and risks being misleading.

In fact, other perspectives are possible. What if, just for an instant, we adopted the viewpoint of the virus? That’s exactly what the beautiful video titled #what future do you choose does. Instead of depicting SARS-CoV-2  as a faceless, unforgiving enemy, it gives it a voice. What does corona say? It says that most viruses are usually kept in check by healthy environment and only get to know their original host animal (without jumping species); that the blame for what is happening now should be placed on humans, who rip forests apart thus bringing viruses like itself out of their natural quarantine; and that humankind should finally understand how its behavior is affecting the planet.

What this video actually does is making us realize that the novel coronavirus story should mainly be framed as a narrative of environmental imbalance. Its conclusion about who bears responsibility for a better future is very clear: only humans – not viruses – can choose to make wiser choices in what they consume and how they live.

Can this be the real happy ending of this story? Is there a way for us to grasp that our lifestyles and consumption habits are leading the Earth to disastrous consequences? As bad as the pandemic is to many people, it has also brought us less air pollution – and jellyfish once again swimming in Venice’s crystal-clean waters. Evidently something has to be corrected in the manner we interact with our world. Will the environmental implications of the Covid-19 outbreak become a relevant and lasting part of the ‘new normal’? It’s hard to say. What is certain is that the way the great coronavirus narrative develops in the future will depend very much on all of us.