EPFL researchers have discovered key “units” in large AI models that seem to be important for language, mirroring the brain’s language system. When these specific units were turned off, the models got much worse at language tasks.

Large language models (LLMs) are not just good at understanding and using language, they can also reason or think logically, solve problems and some can even predict the thoughts, beliefs or emotions of people they interact with.

Despite these impressive feats, we still don’t fully understand how LLMs work “under the hood,” particularly when it comes to how different units or modules perform different tasks. So, researchers in the NeuroAI Laboratory, part of both the School of Computer and Communication Sciences (IC) and the School of Life Sciences (SV), and the Natural Language Processing Laboratory (IC), wanted to find out whether LLMs have specialized units or modules that do specific jobs. This is inspired by networks that have been discovered in human brains, such as the Language Network, Multiple Demand Network and Theory of Mind network.

AI will do the thinking, robots will do the doing. What place do humans have in this arrangement – and do tech CEOs care? says Ed Newton-Rex, founder of Fairly Trained

🤖💰🦾Bots coming for your job. David Shapiro explains it succinctly.

---

All my links: https://linktr.ee/daveshap.

00:00 — Chatbots Saturation.
05:39 — CEO Memo

Amazon has a new warehouse robot that, for the first time, can “feel” the items it’s handling. CNBC got an exclusive first look at Vulcan in action at a warehouse in Spokane, Washington, where it stows items in tall yellow bins. Until now, only humans could handle the stowing job, but Amazon says Vulcan will create new jobs instead of eliminating them. Amazon wouldn’t disclose how much it cost to develop Vulcan, but it says it took three years and a team that’s grown to 250 people.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction.
1:24 Sense of touch.
5:30 Replacing workers?
8:22 Speed, safety and scale.

Produced and shot by: Katie Tarasov.
Edited by: Evan Lee Miller.
Senior Director of Video: Jeniece Pettitt.
Animation: Mallory Brangan.
Additional Footage: Amazon, Getty Images.

» Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC
» Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision.
» Watch CNBC on the go with CNBC+: https://www.cnbc.com/WatchCNBCPlus.

About CNBC: From ‘Wall Street’ to ‘Main Street’ to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more.

Do you want a new career that’s higher-paying, more flexible or fulfilling? Take CNBC’s new online course — How to Change Careers and Be Happier at Work. Pre-register today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $67 (+taxes and fees) through May 13, 2025: https://cnb.cx/4igNyqZ

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang discusses the concept of AI factories—systems that transform electricity into computational intelligence—and explains how AI represents an industrial revolution that will transform every industry, create new jobs in tech and trades, and enable advanced manufacturing through digital twins and physical AI.

Follow on X:
@jacobhelberg (Jacob Helberg)

⁠YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HillValleyForum.
Apple:⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hill-valley-forum-podcast/id1692653857
Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/39s4MCyt1pOTQ8FjOAS4mi.

Timestamps:
(0:00) Introduction and Jensen’s opening statement on AI’s impact on jobs.
(0:38) Welcome and initial question about AI factories.
(3:17) Discussion of AI as a paradigm shift in modern computing.
(4:51) Explanation of physical AI and its evolution from perception to reasoning.
(9:46) Analysis of what the US needs to do to win the global AI race.
(13:04) Impact of AI on the workforce and job market.
(17:55) How AI enables reshoring and manufacturing through digital twins.
(22:19) Timeline predictions for AI-enabled robots becoming ubiquitous.
(23:52) Closing

AI is slated to disrupt traditional jobs, but could also give all people previously unthinkable leverage.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, has shared some compelling thoughts on the future of artificial intelligence. On a podcast, he posited that AI will eventually surpass individual human intelligence, but, interestingly, argued that this is already happening in a certain sense. His core idea revolves around the combined intelligence of large organizations already functioning as a form of “superintelligence” that individuals can tap into, a power he believes AI will democratize.

“I think that we’re going to get general intelligence,” Zuckerberg stated. “We’re going to have systems that are smarter than any individual, and I think it’s mostly going to be very empowering for people.”