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Jun 17, 2024

Are Children The Future?: Longtermism, Pronatalism, and Epistemic Discounting

Posted by in categories: economics, ethics, existential risks, life extension, policy

From the article:

Longtermism asks fundamental questions and promotes the kind of consequentialism that should guide public policy.


Based on a talk delivered at the conference on Existential Threats and Other Disasters: How Should We Address Them? May 30–31, 2024 – Budva, Montenegro – sponsored by the Center for the Study of Bioethics, The Hastings Center, and The Oxford Uehiro Center for Practical Ethics.

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Jun 17, 2024

Southern Brazil Submerged: Mapping the Depths of Disaster With Advanced Science Tools

Posted by in categories: economics, mapping, science

In 2024, extensive flooding in southern Brazil caused significant damage, particularly in Rio Grande do Sul. Maps showing floodwater depths were vital for disaster response and economic damage assessments, supported by data from NASA and other scientific sources.

Storms and torrential rain battered southern Brazil beginning in late April 2024, causing deadly, destructive flooding that persisted through much of May. Toward the end of the month, parts of Rio Grande do Sul state remained underwater, and the scope of the damage became increasingly evident.

Maps of floodwater extent are one way to assess a flooding event. But information about the depth of that water is also useful, potentially aiding rescue and relief operations, informing decisions about road closures and accessibility, and contributing to analyses of damage and flood risk.

Jun 13, 2024

Crypto and Artificial Intelligence Could be a $20 Trillion Megatrend, Bitwise Says

Posted by in categories: bitcoin, economics, robotics/AI

AI and crypto combined could add a total of $20 trillion to the global economy by 2030, the report said. Bitwise notes that bitcoin miners have all the resources that AI firms need. Crypto and AI have the potential to intersect in other areas other than mining such as information validation and virtual assistants.


The two industries could add a collective $20 trillion to global GDP by 2030, the report said.

Jun 12, 2024

America is the undisputed world leader in quantum computing even though China spends 8x more on the technology–but an own goal could soon erode U.S. dominance

Posted by in categories: business, cybercrime/malcode, economics, finance, government, information science, quantum physics, robotics/AI

When it comes to quantum computing, that chilling effect on research and development would enormously jeopardize U.S. national security. Our projects received ample funding from defense and intelligence agencies for good reason. Quantum computing may soon become the https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com/quantum-security-is-nat...at%20allow, codebreaking%20attacks%20against%20traditional%20encryption" rel="noopener" class="">gold standard technology for codebreaking and defending large computer networks against cyberattacks.

Adopting the proposed march-in framework would also have major implications for our future economic stability. While still a nascent technology today, quantum computing’s ability to rapidly process huge volumes of data is set to revolutionize business in the coming decades. It may be the only way to capture the complexity needed for future AI and machine learning in, say, self-driving vehicles. It may enable companies to hone their supply chains and other logistical operations, such as manufacturing, with unprecedented precision. It may also transform finance by allowing portfolio managers to create new, superior investment algorithms and strategies.

Given the technology’s immense potential, it’s no mystery why China committed what is believed to be more than https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/sustainable-inclu…n-quantum” rel=“noopener” class=””>$15 billion in 2022 to develop its quantum computing capacity–more than double the budget for quantum computing of EU countries and eight times what the U.S. government plans to spend.

Jun 8, 2024

Elon Musk plans ‘world’s most powerful’ supercomputer’ in Memphis

Posted by in categories: economics, Elon Musk, robotics/AI, supercomputing, sustainability

Memphis may get most powerful super computer yet.

Memphis, Tennessee, may host the world’s largest supercomputer, the “Gigafactory of Compute.”:


The Memphis Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and governing authorities hold the key to finalizing the project. If approved, it would be the largest investment in Memphis history.

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Jun 7, 2024

The U.S. added 600,000 new millionaires last year as AI fueled markets

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, economics, finance, robotics/AI

The big question is whether the wealth boom of the past decade, initially fueled by low interest rates and liquidity, and more recently by Covid-19 pandemic stimulus and artificial intelligence, can continue. Global conflicts, elections, interest rates and a potential economic slowdown could all slow the pace of wealth creation, said Elias Ghanem, global head of the Capgemini Research Institute for Financial Services.

“The last 10 years were exceptional,” Ghanem said. “We now have inflation, a potential recession and geopolitical problems and elections. The environment is completely different.”

Indeed, globally, the wealth picture looks more mixed than in the U.S. The number of millionaires worldwide grew 5.1% last year, to 22.8 million, according to the report. Their combined fortunes grew to a record $86.8 trillion.

May 31, 2024

Sony Will Use AI to Cut Film Costs, Says CEO Tony Vinciquerra

Posted by in categories: economics, entertainment, robotics/AI

The next “Spider-Verse” film may have a new animation style: AI.

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) CEO Tony Vinciquerra does not mince words when it comes to artificial intelligence. He likes the tech — or at the very least, he likes the economics.

“We are very focused on AI. The biggest problem with making films today is the expense,” Vinciquerra said at Sony’s Thursday (Friday in Japan) investor event. “We will be looking at ways to…produce both films for theaters and television in a more efficient way, using AI primarily.”

May 23, 2024

NVIDIA To Ship Half A Million Blackwell GB200 AI Chips This Year, 2 Million In 2025

Posted by in categories: economics, robotics/AI

NVIDIA’s Blackwell GB200 AI servers are anticipated to see major traction, reaching 2 million units shipped in 2025 & utilizing new packaging tech.

NVIDIA To Overcome CoWoS Supply Chain Bottlenecks By Shifting To The Newer “PFLO” Standard, 420K Units Shipping This Year With Up To 2 Million Anticipated For 2025

The success of NVIDIA’s Hopper AI products last year not only uplifted the company’s economics to new heights but also revealed massive flaws in the supply chain. Due to these flaws, the products became victims of long order backlogs. The main culprits at that time were HBM & CoWoS supply, which was in a much inferior position to what it is today. Despite seeing massive upgrades, NVIDIA has decided to resolve CoWoS issues with its latest Blackwell product, as the firm is rumored to have switched to a newer packaging technology by 2025–2026.

May 20, 2024

Dr Roland Roesch — Director, Innovation and Technology Centre, International Renewable Energy Agency

Posted by in categories: business, climatology, economics, engineering, finance, policy, sustainability

Innovation For A Sustainable Global Energy Transformation — Dr. Roland Roesch, Ph.D. — Director, Innovation and Technology Centre, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)


Dr. Roland Roesch, Ph.D. is Director, Innovation and Technology Centre (IITC), of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA — https://www.irena.org/) where he oversees the Agency’s work on advising member countries in the area of technology status and roadmaps, energy planning, cost and markets and innovation policy frameworks.

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May 17, 2024

Introducing the Frontier Safety Framework

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, economics, robotics/AI

Our approach to analyzing and mitigating future risks posed by advanced AI models.

Google DeepMind has consistently pushed the boundaries of AI, developing models that have transformed our understanding of what’s possible. We believe that AI technology on the horizon will provide society with invaluable tools to help tackle critical global challenges, such as climate change, drug discovery, and economic productivity. At the same time, we recognize that as we continue to advance the frontier of AI capabilities, these breakthroughs may eventually come with new risks beyond those posed by present-day models.

Today, we are introducing our Frontier Safety Framework — a set of protocols for proactively identifying future AI capabilities that could cause severe harm and putting in place mechanisms to detect and mitigate them. Our Framework focuses on severe risks resulting from powerful capabilities at the model level, such as exceptional agency or sophisticated cyber capabilities. It is designed to complement our alignment research, which trains models to act in accordance with human values and societal goals, and Google’s existing suite of AI responsibility and safety practices.

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