Links for 2022-06-01
After Flamingo and Gato, here is yet another step towards AGI: "...we show that a single transformer-based model -- with a single set of weights -- trained purely offline can play a suite of up to 46 Atari games simultaneously at close-to-human performance. When trained and evaluated appropriately, we find that the same trends observed in language and vision hold, including scaling of performance with model size and rapid adaptation to new games via fine-tuning." https://sites.google.com/view/multi-game-transformers
A fascinating discovery: “DALLE-2 has a secret language. "Apoploe vesrreaitais" means birds. "Contarra ccetnxniams luryca tanniounons" means bugs or pests. The prompt: "Apoploe vesrreaitais eating Contarra ccetnxniams luryca tanniounons" gives images of birds eating bugs.” https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1531693093040230402.html (possible explanation)
A Guide To Asking Robots To Design Stained Glass Windows (why art-generating AI will revolutionize artistic prototyping) https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/a-guide-to-asking-robots-to-design?s=r
“In this thread I will collect predictors of violent perpetration that have been established in large datasets, preferably with sibling comparisons.” https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1528486721985421312.html
"When a bird calls, it's casting a vote or signalling it wants to leave... [W]hen the noise reaches a critical level, it signals the roost is ready to depart, and the birds fly away." https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61551496
New Imaging Technique Generates Incredible Subcellular Maps of Entire Brain Networks https://scitechdaily.com/new-imaging-technique-generates-incredible-subcellular-maps-of-entire-brain-networks/
"Life’s First Peptides May Have Grown on RNA: RNA and peptides coevolving in the primordial world might have jointly served as a precursor to the modern ribosome" https://www.quantamagazine.org/lifes-first-peptides-may-have-grown-on-rna-20220524/
Why Information Theory is Important https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6VdGHSV6qg
Science-informed normativity — “I think of moving towards moral realism as the process of deriving more and more moral conclusions from fewer and fewer premises (even if we're never able to derive them from nothing).” https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/LeXhzj7msWLfgDefo/science-informed-normativity
Analysis of 2.6 million hours of field data from nineteen study sites reveals that wild animals are evolving much faster than previously thought. https://anu.edu.au/news/all-news/wild-animals-evolving-much-faster-than-previously-thought
Here are some ways in which the near future will be radically different from today:
1. Noninvasive brain-computer interfaces in combination with deep learning will revolutionize how we interact with technology. No more keyboards, mice, or touchscreens. A lot will happen before you become consciously aware that you want it to happen, e.g. turning on the lights.
2. Ultra-low-power sensors will be so cheap that we'll be able to gather huge amounts of high-resolution data. In combination with advances in synthetic data, this will allow us to automate many tasks even in the absence of further machine learning breakthroughs.
3. Virtual reality will be as popular and widespread as smartphones are today because the hardware will be as lightweight and cheap as normal glasses. This adoption will eventually pave the way for the augmented reality revolution merging the real and virtual world forever.
4. Virtual assistants like Alexa will be good enough to serve as tutors for children. They will be able to hold conversations that may continue for days, weeks, or even months. This will alleviate loneliness and make computer games much more interesting.
5. Next-generation nuclear power will lift millions out of poverty and enable climate-neutral growth.
6. Universal real-time voice and text translation will finally break the language barrier and allow people to live and work in countries without speaking the local language.
7. Advances in medical monitoring, wearable devices, and sensors (e.g. smart toilets) will allow us to detect many medical conditions such as cancer or heart problems early enough to successfully treat them.