5 things about AI you may have missed today: AI reveals cats’ expressions, AI stirs row over model’s white face, more
The weekend is here, and some interesting stories from the world of artificial intelligence have also come to the surface today, November 4. In the first development, a group of researchers are now looking at AI to unlock the vocal and physical cues of a host of animals, with a special emphasis on cats. Scientists believe that AI can help us understand these creatures better. In other news, a Taiwanese American model has accused that a leading designer has uploaded an AI-edited image of her, in an attempt to make her appear white. The allegation raises a question about the malicious usage of AI to promote discrimination and racism.
AI to unlock cats’ expressions
Researchers are looking at AI to decipher the significance of vocal and physical cues exhibited by a variety of animals, a report by The Guardian says. This means the next time you see a cat meow or growl, you will know exactly what it is trying to say.
“We could use AI to teach us a lot about what animals are trying to say to us,” Daniel Mills, a professor of veterinary behavioral medicine at the University of Lincoln told The Guardian.
Earlier research by Mills has shown that cats exhibit a diverse range of facial expressions during interactions with humans. Additionally, recent findings from researchers have revealed that when interacting with other cats, the feline species uses as many as 276 different facial expressions. It remains to be seen how many of them AI can decipher.
Model alleges AI used to make her appear white
Taiwanese American model Shereen Wu has accused fashion designer Michael Costello of uploading a digitally altered runway photo to his Instagram, where she appeared as a white woman, reports The Guardian. Costello initially claimed the image was “fan art” from an unspecified source but later took responsibility for sharing it, despite denying any alterations.
“I didn’t think before resharing it on my Instagram Stories as I was on an emotional rollercoaster, resharing all that I was tagged in,” the statement read.
Elon Musk says X premium subscribers will get early access to chatbot Grok
Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, will begin offering services of its chatbot Grok to a limited group of users soon, reports ANI. Once xAI is out of the early beta phase, the Grok system will become accessible to all X Premium subscribers, with the initial rollout targeted at a specific user group.
Musk posted on X today, and said, “Grok has real-time access to info via the 𝕏 platform, which is a massive advantage over other models. It’s also based & loves sarcasm. I have no idea who could have guided it this way”.
A New Jersey school’s students use AI to create deepfake images of classmate
An investigation is currently taking place at a New Jersey high school where students reportedly utilized AI through photo editing apps to generate fake nude images featuring their classmates, according to a report by NBC New York. The inappropriate images, shared in group texts over the summer, have raised concerns and led to an inquiry at Westfield High School.
“I always worry about this. I have a daughter, she’s beautiful, she’s my baby girl — I don’t want something like that to happen to her,” Rahat Hossain, a parent, told the news agency.
Union minister Piyush Goyal says AI can be a game-changer
Union Minister Piyush Goyal plans to visit San Francisco to explore opportunities for enhancing economic relations with the US. Additionally, he is set to take part in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) meeting scheduled for November 13-14 in San Francisco.
The minister also said that artificial intelligence (AI) can be a game changer in the fight against poverty and taking services to the remotest part of the country.
“AI is opening up new opportunities and India can take a quantum leap in that,” he added.
