The World as You'll Know It
Newsletter / Issue No. 36
As AI Gets Better, It’s Also Getting Better at Tricking Us
Concerns about the so-called alignment problem in artificial intelligence have been around as long as AI has: Will advanced forms of AI act in our best interests? Now the moment may be upon us to find out, as sophisticated AI systems are increasingly using deception and manipulation to pursue their goals.
Plus
Europe is pushing to replace fossil fuels currently used to develop many industrial chemicals with biological replacements. Mucus is emerging as a new tool to combat infection and disease. And a plan is afoot to save the Arctic ice cap through geoengineering.
Technology / Feature
A $10-Billion Plan to Sell Africa's Wind and Sun to Countries 7,000 Miles Away
A deep look at how green hydrogen could capitalize on remote areas of renewable resources and redraw the world's energy map.
Artificial Intelligence / Feature
One Company's Decision to Put AI Into the Ground
What does it mean to adopt AI? For John Deere it meant hundreds of millions of dollars, a new corporate culture and forever changing the relationship between a farmer and the land.
By Gideon Lewis-Kraus
Podcast / Podcast
A Podcast Series about the Future of Aging
Podcast / Podcast
A Podcast Series about the Future of Aging
Robotics / Feature
Small, Flexible and Sometimes Weird. The Next Generation of Robots is Here.
By Clive Thompson
Robotics / Feature
Small, Flexible and Sometimes Weird. The Next Generation of Robots is Here.
By Clive Thompson
Robotics / Timeline
13 Milestones in the History of Robots
People have been making machines that replicate human abilities for centuries. These are the breakthroughs that got robots to where they are today. Photo: NMAH
By Clive Thompson
Robotics / Feature
Robots' final frontier? Taking care of us.
To understand how far robots are from replacing humans, just look at the everyday task of using a fork.
By Clive Thompson