The Future of AI Agents
Michael Spencer, AI Supremacy
An AI agent is a software program designed to autonomously perform tasks on behalf of users or other systems, often without human intervention.

You might recall in the OpenAI hype for AGI, this is just a stage on the path to AGI. Supposedly, Level 3. But what does this level 3 even mean and how useful will automated tasks even be to us or our productivity? It’s a big question mark. All of this demand for AI chips has to lead somewhere, but where?

What is AI superintelligence? Could it destroy humanity? And is it really almost here?

Flora Salim

Let’s suppose we do one day have superintelligent, fully autonomous AI agents. Will we then face the risk they could concentrate power or act against human interests?

Not necessarily. Autonomy and control can go hand in hand. A system can be highly automated, yet provide a high level of human control.

Like many in the AI research community, I believe safe superintelligence is feasible. However, building it will be a complex and multidisciplinary task, and researchers will have to tread unbeaten paths to get there.

On the EU AI Code of Practice
Dean W. Ball and Miles Brundage

Summary of our reaction to the first draft
The Code of Practice thoughtfully and comprehensively raises many of the most important questions in the fields of AI governance and safety. There are several aspects of the Code of Practice which we broadly support, and we suggest only minor modifications to them. At the same time, there are many places where the draft merely gestures at answers to the questions it thoughtfully raises—or provides none at all. Notably (and admirably), the authors acknowledge that the document is very early and that many open questions remain. We hope that our and others’ comments on this first version prove useful in drafting the next one.

Hungary’s fiery, right-wing leader says Donald Trump’s victory will help his own battle against immigration and multiculturalism and restore traditional family values.

In Argentina, a president who once bear-hugged Trump at a political conference in Maryland is attacking his critics as rats and parasites, ranting against what he calls a corrupt elite and calling climate change “a socialist lie.”

Trump’s second term could realign U.S. diplomacy away from traditional international alliances and more toward populist, authoritarian politicians, according to both those leaders and outside observers.

A new era of strongman leadership puts the advancement of international cooperation in doubt.

In this context, material circumstances – declining standards of living, aggravated by the belief that immigrants or hostile powers are at least partly responsible, for example – may help to provide the sense of common cause with others in the same identitarian boat. The fact that Trump’s oratory is incoherent, contradictory or inconsistent is of no concern.

The most alarming aspect of the contemporary American experience is that Trump’s triumph and methodology have been embraced by formerly conservative, mainstream Republicans and even Christian evangelicals, and are now seen as the key to electoral success. Smarter people than Trump will ensure that this political dominance will be entrenched through institutional reforms and appointments, directly threatening the future of democracy in the United States.

Two BU experts parse fears based on president-elect’s statements and nominees and say his supporters felt ignored by DC insiders

Note the absence of any reference to the need to preserve democracy. And when voters express concerns about democracy they are divided about who they trust to protect it.

Some even support Trump because they think he will “restore American freedom.”

Evidence from around the world suggests that authoritarians often ride to power in times of economic uncertainty and when people experience personal economic problems.

It passed in silence.

Three hundred and thirty votes in favour. Two hundred and seventy five votes against. And then, for what seemed like minutes, the enormity of what had taken place began to sink in. The Speaker looked up. “The Ayes have it,” he said. There was none of the cheering or the mockery which you usually see in parliament. There was none of the tribal abuse, none of the laughter and backslapping. MPs had taken the first step towards legalising assisted dying. It would be one of the most important and morally consequential decisions they would ever make.

Somewhere among them was Keir Starmer, who was spotted walking quietly into the Aye lobby. Everything that is happening here is happening because of him.

Continuing to support Netanyahu despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing a warrant for his arrest under charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity is dangerous and illogical. Arguing that no war crimes have occurred is one thing. It seems though that most arguments are not disputing the grounds for the warrant itself – starvation of a civilian population and intentionally targeting civilians during conflict. Instead, much of the arguments revolve around the rights of the Israeli military to deploy these tactics of war and commit these acts.