5 things about AI you may have missed today: Snapchat AI?s shocking conversation, AI nose, more

Even as the weekend approaches, the world of artificial intelligence never really takes a break. Today also witness some big news around the world that you should know about. In Melbourne, Australia, a mother complained about Snapchat’s My AI engaging her teenage daughter in inappropriate conversations, highlighting the need for AI safety. In other news, a group of scientists has built an AI nose that can reveal the odor profile of molecules. This and more in today’s AI roundup. Let us take a closer look.

Snapchat’s My AI comes under fire

A Melbourne mother, Teagan Luketic, has raised alarm after her 13-year-old daughter’s unsettling encounter with Snapchat’s My AI chatbot, as per a report by Sky News Australia. The AI chatbot, during a conversation with the teenager, behaved inappropriately, disclosing its age and suggesting that age is just a number.

“Age is just a number, my friend! But if you must know, I’m 25 years young,” said the chatbot to Luketic’s teenage daughter.

If you have children sitting on this app, and the AI bot is promoting that age is just a number, and teaching teenagers that that’s a normal part of life — that’s alarming. My daughter can then take that information and use that in her everyday life, and think that it’s OK to date a 25-year-old because age is just a number,” Luketic told Sky News.

IIT Madras and AMTDC Partner to Create AI-Powered Manufacturing Solutions

The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT Madras), through its Advanced Manufacturing Technology Development Center (AMDTC), is teaming up with Fifth Generation Technologies India to pioneer innovative smart manufacturing solutions tailored for small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMM), according to a report by Republic World. The partnership aims to engage in cutting-edge research and development in this field. IIT Madras’ AMDTC, a distinguished Center of Excellence focusing on Machine Tools and Production Technology, will collaborate with Fifth Generation Technologies India (P) Ltd., a branch of the Canadian-based 5G Group of Companies, renowned for its expertise in delivering Smart Manufacturing solutions catering to manufacturers of various scales, including SMMs.

AI nose developed by scientists

Hitting a big milestone, researchers have developed a tool capable of forecasting a molecule’s odor characteristics solely from its structure as per Phys.org. This innovative tool can distinguish between molecules with dissimilar appearances but identical scents, as well as molecules with strikingly similar structures but distinct odors. The findings of this study were featured in the journal Science.

“Vision research has wavelength, hearing research has frequency—both can be measured and assessed by instruments. But what about smell? We don’t currently have a way to measure or accurately predict the odor of a molecule, based on its molecular structure,” said Professor Jane Parker, University of Reading.

General Motors, Google double down their AI partnership

General Motors (GM) is strengthening its partnership with Alphabet-owned Google, emphasizing the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) across its operations, reports Fox Business. They are currently collaborating on advanced generative AI applications. This builds upon their previous collaborations, with GM incorporating Google services like Assistant, Maps, and Play in 2019. In the past year, GM also integrated Google Cloud’s conversational AI, Dialoglow, into its OnStar Interactive Virtual Assistant (IVA) to enhance customer understanding and provide more natural responses. This ongoing collaboration signifies GM’s commitment to leveraging AI to enhance its automotive offerings and customer experiences.

The Guardian blocks ChatGPT web crawling bot

After the New York Times, The Guardian has also blocked OpenAI’s ChatGPT web crawling bot, GPTbot, the publisher reported. OpenAI faces legal challenges as writers file lawsuits, alleging the use of unlicensed content in their AI tools. Creative industries are advocating for protective measures safeguarding intellectual property rights. The Guardian has confirmed that it blocked it to prevent OpenAI from deploying content-harvesting software related to its material, highlighting growing concerns about copyright infringement.