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This AI is so goddamn smart, it can name other AIs

Jul02
by on July 2, 2019 at 10:12 am
Posted In: Around the Web, artificial intelligence


AI models are wonderful and weird. Some of them can create videos from just one image, and some can stop your cat from getting inside a house with prey in its mouth. But we have to admit, these models don’t have sassy names. So, research scientist Janelle Shane has developed a neural network that names things. In the past, it has named cats and effect pedals of on the guitar. Some of the names of cats from the project: Give Me A Reason, Monocle, and Oilbag; effect pedals were named Dangerous But Not Unbearably So, Love and Sex Are A Mercy Clause, and Am I really that…

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Google 3D-prints replica of historic Assyrian statue destroyed by ISIS in 2015

Jul02
by on July 2, 2019 at 10:00 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider


Ordinary people weren’t the only victims of ISIS. The terror group also waged war on humanity’s cultural heritage, destroying ancient libraries, monuments, and statues. And now, thanks to the magic of technology, they’re coming back. Google today announced a collaboration with Historic England and the Imperial War Museums, the latter of whom is running a season called “Culture Under Attack,” which focuses on the destruction of monuments during wartime. As part of this, the technology company has loaned the museum a 3D printed replica of the Lion of Mosul, which was destroyed by ISIS in 2015 when they ransacked the…

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Virginia outlaws deepfakes in its efforts to curb revenge porn

Jul02
by on July 2, 2019 at 8:53 am
Posted In: Around the Web


Revenge porn isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, but with advancements in AI, “deepfakes” — an AI-based technology used to digitally produce or alter realistic looking video content — are becoming increasingly harder to distinguish from real videos. To combat this, Virginia just became one of the first states in the US to impose criminal penalties on the spread of non-consensual, computer-generated “deepfake” images and videos. The amendment officially went into effect yesterday, the Verge reported, and means that anyone found guilty of distributing deepfake material will face a sentence of up to 12 months in prison and up to $2,500…

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Florida city that paid $500,000 Bitcoin ransom, fires IT director

Jul02
by on July 2, 2019 at 8:52 am
Posted In: Around the Web, blockchain, cryptocurrency, Hard Fork


Lake City, the Florida city that paid a $500,000 Bitcoin ransom last week, has fired an employee following the debacle. In an interview with local television, the city manager of Lake City, Joe Helfenberg, said the city’s director of information technology has been fired. Another local news outlet, WCJB, named the employee as Brian Hawkins. Last week, Lake City gave approval to its insurance company to pay the 42 Bitcoin ransom. The city itself paid a $10,000 excess using taxpayer funds. The city’s motivations for firing the employee aren’t entirely clear. However, the city’s mayor did say that the decision…

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