Links for 2024-03-13
AI:
DeepMind introduces SIMA: the first generalist AI agent to follow natural-language instructions in a broad range of 3D virtual environments and video games. š¹ļø https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/sima-generalist-ai-agent-for-3d-virtual-environments/
This research marks the first time an agent has demonstrated it can understand a broad range of gaming worlds, and follow natural-language instructions to carry out tasks within them, as a human might.
SIMA is an AI agent that can perceive and understand a variety of environments, then take actions to achieve an instructed goal. It comprises a model designed for precise image-language mapping and a video model that predicts what will happen next on-screen.
It requires just two inputs: the images on screen, and simple, natural-language instructions provided by the user.
We show an agent trained on many games was better than an agent that learned how to play just one. In our evaluations, SIMA agents trained on a set of nine 3D games from our portfolio significantly outperformed all specialized agents trained solely on each individual one. Whatās more, an agent trained in all but one game performed nearly as well on that unseen game as an agent trained specifically on it, on average. Importantly, this ability to function in brand new environments highlights SIMAās ability to generalize beyond its training.
Our results also show that SIMAās performance relies on language. In a control test where the agent was not given any language training or instructions, it behaves in an appropriate but aimless manner.
Startup introduces Devin and claims it is the first AI software engineer: "Devin is the new state-of-the-art on the SWE-Bench coding benchmark, has successfully passed practical engineering interviews from leading AI companies, and has even completed real jobs on Upwork. Devin is an autonomous agent that solves engineering tasks through the use of its own shell, code editor, and web browser. When evaluated on the SWE-Bench benchmark, which asks an AI to resolve GitHub issues found in real-world open-source projects, Devin correctly resolves 13.86% of the issues unassisted, far exceeding the previous state-of-the-art model performance of 1.96% unassisted and 4.80% assisted." https://www.cognition-labs.com/blog (āIn case you were wondering just how cracked the team @cognition_labs is...This was the CEO (@ScottWu46) 14 years ago.ā https://x.com/jfbrly/status/1767653596957642879)
Physical Intelligence is building software intended to power robots that can learn a wide range of tasks. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-12/physical-intelligence-is-building-ai-for-robots-backed-by-openai [no paywall: https://archive.is/ZtfNh]
Claude 3 Opus Also Fails Steve Landsburgās Economics Exam https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2024/03/claude-3-opus-also-fails-steve-landsburgs-economics-exam.html
āGARDP and Google DeepMind have been working together on advanced modelling and analysis of several proteins identified as promising but unrealised targets for new antibiotics.ā https://gardp.org/gardp-google-deepmind-collaboration-case-study-copy/
Chain-of-table: Evolving tables in the reasoning chain for table understanding https://blog.research.google/2024/03/chain-of-table-evolving-tables-in.html
Backtracing: Retrieving the Cause of the Query https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.03956
Interpreting GANs to infer natural selection from genetic data https://academic.oup.com/genetics/advance-article/doi/10.1093/genetics/iyae024/7612673
āAI and the boom in clean-tech manufacturing are pushing Americaās power grid to the brink. Utilities canāt keep up.ā https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/07/ai-data-centers-power/ [no paywall: https://archive.is/w2QSU]
āIt seems that AGI will create an irresistibly strong economic forcing function to pave the entire world with solar panels ā including the oceans. We should probably think about how we want this to play out. At current rates of progress, we have about 20 years before paving is complete.ā https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/2024/03/12/how-to-feed-the-ais/
What makes black holes grow and new stars form? Machine learning helps solve the mystery https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/what-makes-black-holes-grow-and-new-stars-form-machine-learning-helps-solve-the-mystery/
JĆ¼rgen Schmidhuber: āIn 2016, at an AI conference in NYC, I explained artificial consciousness, world models, predictive coding, and science as data compression in less than 10 minutes.ā https://x.com/SchmidhuberAI/status/1765769164709371978
Space:
Shields up: New ideas might make active shielding viable -- Using active shields that deflect charged particles just like the Earthās magnetic field does. https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/03/shields-up-new-ideas-might-make-active-shielding-viable/
Three Physics Mysteries Solved At Once: Postquantum Gravity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBA9ac3vg1w
Miscellaneous:
Politics:
Female education and population density are the strongest causes of the decrease in fertility. https://www.sebjenseb.net/p/why-the-fertility-rates-are-imploding
"I will never be Japanese...it is pretty controversial in Japan to claim that you are Japanese when you are not ethnically Japanese by blood..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQpn59IDUGw
Nationalist Self-Hatred: āTwo days before the war in Ukraine officially began, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the āindependenceā of Luhansk and Donetskāparts of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine that Russia had already carved off and occupied. Donald Trump described the seizure and recognition of these regions as āgeniusā: āSo, Putin is now saying, āItās independent,ā a large section of Ukraine. I said, āHow smart is that?āā Trump also described the invading Russian army as the āstrongest peace force,ā and at a fundraiser the next day, he said, āI mean, heās taking over a country for two dollars worth of sanctions. Iād say thatās pretty smart.āā https://quillette.com/2024/03/12/nationalist-self-hatred-populist-right-russia-tucker-candace-marjorie-trump/ [archived version: https://archive.is/bk2Dw]
If Trump wins, the AfD/BSW wins in Germany, and Le Pen wins in France, Eastern Europe is finished. Their biggest arms suppliers will side with Russia, which will use the opportunity to invade them. They should immediately start building a nuclear triad.
To jump-start this deterrence, they can ask Macron to sell them some nuclear weapons until they can make their own, and ask Germany to sell them the Dolphin-class submarines that Israel already uses for its offshore nuclear second-strike capability.
Ukraine:
New attacks on Russian oil refineries https://x.com/yarotrof/status/1767798735378002391 (more videos: https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1767790518715535575)
The Russian Ministry of Defense publishes footage of three Ukrainian Mil Mi-8(?) helicopters being targeted. First by cluster munitions after which two were finished off with guided missiles. https://x.com/Rebel44CZ/status/1767890316105793628
The US is preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine that could be worth as much as $400 million. This is the first such move in months as additional funds for Kyiv remain blocked by Republican leaders in Congress. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-preparing-new-weapons-package-ukraine-officials-2024-03-12/ [no paywall: https://archive.is/7Wfnh]
Denmark has announced a new military aid package for Ukraine, providing artillery pieces and ammunition worth $336 million. The donation is funded through the Ukraine Fund and includes CAESAR artillery pieces, self-propelled 120mm mortars and ammunition. https://www.fmn.dk/da/nyheder/2024/markante-artilleridonationer-til-ukraine-i-ny-donationspakke/
Russian Red Cross works with a Western-sanctioned organization āre-educatingā deported Ukrainian children. They also participate in "childrenās spetsnaz" camps teaching kids to shoot with Kalashnikovs. https://vsquare.org/kremlin-leaks-russia-red-cross-ukrainian-children-guns/
Trump is āUnhingedā But We Love Him, Say Kremlin Mouthpieces https://cepa.org/article/trump-is-unhinged-but-we-love-him-say-kremlin-mouthpieces/
āPolish FM on Ukraine's negotiations with Russia: No shortage of āpocket Chamberlainsā ready to sacrifice someone else's territory for sake of their comfort.ā https://x.com/United24media/status/1767664362477486537
āAccording to the Russian Foreign Ministry, they are the most dangerous enemies of Russia in the Baltic countries. šThis is another hybrid warfare act against the NATO countries. It just shows how right we are. Ukraine must WIN and Russia must be DEFEATEDā https://x.com/markomihkelson/status/1767576697266647524