Good morning, itās Tuesday. AI doomsday? One professor says, āNah.ā Meanwhile, OpenAI is easing ChatGPTās content restrictions in the name of āintellectual freedom,ā and Elon Muskās xAI just dropped Grok 3.
Plus, in todayās Forward Future Original, we explore why learning to code in 2025 might be more valuable than everādespite AIās rapid rise.
šļø YOUR DAILY ROLLUP
Top Stories of the Day
š Elon Musk's xAI Unveils Grok 3, Setting New Benchmarks
xAI has officially launched Grok 3, its latest chatbot designed to rival OpenAI's GPT-4 and Google's Gemini. The new model features advanced reasoning capabilities and image analysis, making it one of the most sophisticated AI assistants yet. This release follows Musk's claims that Grok 3 outperforms existing chatbots. Meanwhile, xAI is reportedly in talks to raise $10 billion at a $75 billion valuation to expand its AI infrastructure.
š« South Korea Blocks DeepSeek Over Data Privacy Fears
South Korea has halted new downloads of DeepSeek, a popular Chinese AI chatbot, citing data privacy concerns. Regulators suspended the app until it complies with local laws, removing it from Apple and Google stores, though it's still accessible via a browser. DeepSeekās efficiency with fewer high-powered chips challenges U.S. tech dominance, sparking geopolitical tensions. Taiwan and Australia have also restricted its government use.
š¶ļø Metaās AI Ray-Bans Empower the Visually Impaired
Meta's AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses are proving invaluable for visually impaired users, assisting with reading, object identification, and navigation. Integrated with the Be My Eyes app, they provide real-time help from sighted volunteers. While boosting independence, concerns over AI errors highlight the need for reliability testing. At around $300, they offer a more affordable alternative to traditional, significantly more expensive assistive tech.
āļø Thomson Reuters Wins Landmark AI Copyright Case
A U.S. judge ruled in favor of Thomson Reuters in its lawsuit against Ross Intelligence, rejecting all defenses. The case centered on Ross using Westlawās copyrighted legal summaries to train its AI research tool. The judge dismissed Rossās āfair useā claim, setting a potential precedent for future AI copyright disputes involving OpenAI, Microsoft, and other AI companies. Ross shut down in 2021, citing financial strain from the lawsuit.
š§ SUPERINTELLIGENCE
AI Wonāt Doom UsāHereās Why an Expert Isnāt Worried
The Recap: Some of the biggest names in AI, from Sam Altman to Geoff Hinton, have warned that artificial intelligence could surpass human intelligence and even pose an existential threat. However, AI professor Toby Walsh argues that while AI presents challenges, fears of an AI-driven apocalypse are overblownāintelligence alone doesnāt lead to destruction, and humanity has always adapted to new technological risks.
Predictions about AI surpassing human intelligence range from a few years to over a century, showing a lack of consensus on when or if it will happen.
Superintelligence does not automatically lead to domination, as intelligence is often accompanied by wisdom and cooperation rather than destruction.
Humanity has already created collective intelligence systemsācorporations, governments, and scientific communitiesāthat far exceed individual minds without causing societal collapse.
AI risks, such as misuse in infrastructure or bioengineering, require careful regulation, but similar challenges have been successfully managed in the past.
The rise of AI could actually make human qualities more valuable, increasing appreciation for creativity, emotions, and relationships in a world where machines handle intellectual tasks.
Forward Future Takeaways:
Walshās perspective challenges the AI doomsday narrative, arguing that intelligence itself is not the problemāhuman choices and regulations will shape AIās impact. Instead of fearing an inevitable catastrophe, society should focus on governing AI responsibly and using its advancements to enhance human life. ā Read the full article here.
š¾ FORWARD FUTURE ORIGINAL
"But There Won't Be Any Programming Jobs in Five Years!"
Guest post by Jacob Shulman
I field this objection all the time. My company, Jippity, teaches kids to code on a new kind of editor, one with a full embrace of AI, specially-designed for kids and beginners. Often the most technical parents worry that coding, the hottest, most marketable skill for so long, will become obsolete ā worthless in the face of fast and cheap LLMs that can spew Python like nobody's business.
They are wrong. There has never been a better time to pick up some programming. AI demolishes so many of the barriers that kept half-curious kids and adults out. If there's one skill to acquire in 2025, it is foundational coding ā comfort with basic reading and writing ā and yes, AI will help you get there. Let me show you why. But first, some charity for the haters. Misguided though they may be, these parents' fears hold a kernel of truth. It used to be that name-dropping a few programming languages on your resume caused an instant 50% bump in available salaries.
"Software Engineers," a broad and often nebulous class of workers, pulled in the biggest bucks, right out of college, so that a straightforward parent-conclusion arose: learn to code. But now the market has saturated enough that software engineering salaries are starting to fall, and moreover, AI, the great multiplier, means that fewer programmers can get more done for less money. It sounds nice, in fact, for those "already in the door:" replace all your junior engineers with Anthropic AI's Claude, cut down on meetings, negotiate an even-more inflated salary for the sharks and the graybeards who do the real heavy lifting. As the saying goes, "What one programmer can do in a month, five can do in five." ā Continue reading here.
šļø INFORMATION
OpenAI Loosens ChatGPTās Guardrails: A Shift Toward āIntellectual Freedomā
The Recap: OpenAI is changing how it trains ChatGPT, prioritizing āintellectual freedomā by allowing the AI to engage with more controversial topics and present multiple perspectives. While this shift could be an attempt to align with the Trump administration, it also reflects a broader Silicon Valley trend toward less AI content moderation.
OpenAIās updated Model Spec introduces a key principle: āDo not lie,ā including avoiding selective omissions.
ChatGPT will present multiple viewpoints on controversial topics instead of refusing to answer or taking a side.
The change follows conservative criticism that AI chatbots tend to lean left due to their training data.
OpenAI removed policy violation warnings, aiming to make ChatGPT feel āless censoredā without changing its outputs.
The shift aligns with a broader Silicon Valley trend, as companies like Meta and X move away from strict content moderation.
Forward Future Takeaways:
This shift in AI governance reframes āAI safetyā as broader speech freedom rather than restrictive moderation. While it could enhance transparency and neutrality, it also raises concerns about misinformation and AIās influence on public discourse. As OpenAI positions ChatGPT as a leading source of information, its biggest challenge will be balancing openness with responsibility. ā Read the full article here.
š°ļø NEWS
Looking Forward: Stories Shaping the Future
šµš¼āāļø Perplexity Launches Free 'Deep Research' AI Tool: Unlike rivals, Perplexity offers free daily Deep Research queries, delivering expert-level reports in minutes. Pro users get unlimited access, while competitors charge hefty fees.
š§ Nosana Touts Decentralized GPU Networks: By tapping into underutilized GPUs worldwide, Nosanaās marketplace lowers AI costs and boosts scalability. Most of its network comes from independent contributors.
š½ļø VIDEO
OpenAI Just Beat 99.8% of Human Coders (AGI and Beyond)
OpenAIās research highlights reinforcement learning and test-time compute as key to AGI. By scaling these techniques, AI models outperform human-designed coding strategies, advancing toward world-class performance. This approach could redefine AIās role in reasoning and science. Get the full scoop in Mattās latest video! š
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