What the F*AI*K is happening?
Resume devices, deep fake humanoids and why the antidote to the AIpocalypse is Robotopia
Glad that Joanna Maciejewska’s tweet went viral in my streams because it sums up the reason that I love robotics. Robots can use the power of AI (and robotics) to make a difference in the physical world - which is where most of the jobs people hate are. Not to mention solving global challenges… but hey, we’re all on the Robotopia side here!
AI unleashed is a nightmare of ‘garbage in, garbage out’ and the costs of spamming the world are not currently being paid by anyone except the investors in the huge compute arms race.
I know many of us have been predicting these problems for years but Gary Marcus always has a succinct take on the current state of AI - link to his latest Substack and quotes in the Financial Times below. Also the Renee DiResta 2020 article about AI disinformation that he references, and for good measure Parker Molloy’s run down of all the recent headlines totally made up by Grok and spread on X. Thanks Elon.
In the mix is Aaron Prather’s Six Degrees of Robotics which draws the analogy with the bad software scandal due to the UK Post Office prosecuting more than 900 office managers for fraud over more than a decade. In hindsight, it was all down to faulty software.
Issue 1: The Firehose of Falsehood is a Putin propaganda tool
Issue 2: LLMs sucking up this firehose of falsehood and fantasy will fuel evermore crazy shit… just when we’re doing useful shit with them.
Issue 3: Fake robot videos make it hard to believe the real ones
Gary Marcus suggests performance may get worse: large language models produce untrustworthy output, which is then sucked back into other LLMs. The models become permanently contaminated
From Gary Marcus:
I have said it before, and I will say it again. If we don’t get a handle on this problem, fast, nobody will believe anything.
Bluntly, we risk falling directly into Putin’s hands:
From the EU, “AI: What Think Tanks Are Thinking”
Re the Robot Fake Videos - someone sent me a link to their humanoid robotics company - with videos. When I looked more closely, there didn’t seem to be more than one person involved. And all the videos/images most likely fake. I think it’s the birth of the ‘resume robot’ in hopes of people funding or hiring.
Chris Matthews, author of “Start Telling People” and marketing guru from Mayfield Robotics amongst others, just shared his thoughts on Linked In:
These demo deepfakes are almost trivially easy to do, which is interesting given how absolutely earth-shatteringly hard it is to make a robot do anything reliably.
Matthews also refers to Brian Heater’s recent TechCrunch article re fake videos.
Why does it matter? One reason is the recent Business Insider article “A global scramble to make humanoid robots is gearing up to be the 21st century’s space race.”
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What else is happening in the robotics neighborhood?
Kinisi Robotics out of stealth with Autonomous Robots for In-Store Logistics in Retail and Supermarkets. Founder Brennand Pierce was previously the CoFounder and CRO of Bear Robotics. Read More.
Killer Robots coming to CA Legislature in Sacramento! Member Weber introduced AB-2681 Weapons: robotic devices and unmanned aircrafts.(2023-2024) on Feb 14 2024 and it will be heard in Committee on April 9 and possibly April 16 in Sacramento. This bill would add a section to the Penal Code relating to weapons:
This bill would prohibit a person from knowingly manufacturing, modifying, selling, transferring, or operating a robotic device or unmanned aircraft that is equipped or mounted with a weapon, as specified. The bill would make a violation punishable by a fine of at least $5,000 but not more than $25,000. The bill would exclude certain entities from these provisions including, among other entities, a defense industrial company that obtains a waiver from the Department of Justice, as specified. By creating a new infraction, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
IEEE Spectrum Robots Guide is nominated for a Webby for the best Science website!
Robotics News:
New Study: Transforming Elderly Care & Mitigating Labor Shortages - EIN Presswire
Chip startup SiMa raises $70 million to quicken AI on cars and robots - The Economic Times
Cargo drones to deliver on Port Authority’s Ambitions for package routes - PANYNJ
Apple’s ‘next big thing’ could be a robot butler - Popular Science
Agility Robotics lays off employees ahead of Oregon factory opening - Oregon Live
Rainbow Robotics unveils RB-Y1 wheeled, two armed robot - The Robot Report
Nio exec explains how its factories use humanoid robots - CNEVPost
America’s next soldiers will be machines - Foreign Policy
Robotics Events:
10 April 2024 - UI Can Handle It: Building Robots for People - Fireside Chat with Gabby Halgren from Playground
18-21 April 2024 - RoboGames - San Jose Convention Center, CA
21 April 2024 - Robots on Ice - Yerba Buena Skating Rink SF
May 1-2 - Robotics Summit & Expo - Boston, MA
May 6-9 - Automate - Chicago, IL
June 12-14 - SVR Robotics Investment Summit - Menlo Park, CA
June 17-20 - Collision - Toronto CA
Some more upcoming academic robotics conferences:
Haptics 2024 Long Beach CA 7 Apr - 10 Apr
Robosoft 2024 San Diego CA 14 Apr - 17 Apr
ICRA 2024 Yokohama Japan 13 May - 17 May 2024
ARSO 2024 Hong Kong, China 20 May - 22 May 2024
AIM 2024 Boston MA 14 July - 18 July
CASE 2024 Puglia Italy 28 Aug - 1 Sep 2024
ICRA@40 Rotterdam NL 23 Sep - 26 Sep 2024
IROS 2024 AbuDhabi 14 Oct - 18 Oct 2024
Humanoids 2024 Nancy FR 26 Nov - 28 Nov
ICRA 2025 Atlanta Georgia 17 May - 23 May 2025
Adding the industry conferences next week :)