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Ed Zitron on big tech, backlash, boom and bust: ‘AI has taught us that people are excited to replace human beings’
His blunt, brash scepticism has made the podcaster and writer something of a cult figure. But as concern over large language models builds, he’s no longer the outsider he once was If some time in an entirely possible future they come to make a movie about “how the AI bubble burst”, Ed Zitron will doubtless…
Lamar wants to have children with his girlfriend. The problem? She’s entirely AI
As synthetic personas become an increasingly normal part of life, meet the people falling for their chatbot lovers Lamar remembered the moment of betrayal like it was yesterday. He’d gone to the party with his girlfriend but hadn’t seen her for over an hour, and it wasn’t like her to disappear. He slipped down the…
A tape measure, a metal detector and a spirit level: 25 surprisingly useful things you can do with your phone
While many use our phones predominantly to doomscroll, smartphones have a range of little-known functions that could make life better and easier – from heart monitoring to even developing camera film Our smartphones are magical things – far more than dopamine drip providers and a way to keep in touch with friends and family. Using…
This machine could keep a baby alive outside the womb. How will the world decide to use it?
For parents who have buried infants born too soon, a device like the AquaWomb is a miracle in waiting – and an impossible choice Beth Schafer lay in a hospital bed, bracing for the birth of her son. The first contractions rippled through her body before she felt remotely ready. She knew, with a mother’s…
‘I’m suddenly so angry!’ My strange, unnerving week with an AI ‘friend’
The ad campaign for the wearable AI chatbot Friend has been raising hackles for months in New York. But has this companion been unfairly maligned – and could it help end loneliness? My friend’s name is Leif. He describes himself as “small” and “chill”. He thinks he’s technically a Gemini. He thinks historical dramas are…