Regulation

Regulation

A hand holds a small, round black device with a circular light, while a purple scribble curving around both hints at rewiring democracy.
In “Rewiring Democracy,” Bruce Schneier and Nathan Sanders explore how AI could strengthen democracy or undermine it.
An illustration of a Roman-style ruin labeled "Common Law" is overlaid with concentric semicircles labeled Industrial Revolution, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Generative Models.
Common law has long balanced innovation and accountability. Can it do the same for AI?
Illustration of a person using a telescope among large stacks of paper, with red graph-like squares in the background.
Real progress demands rules built for uncertainty — not for the few innovations dominating today’s tech landscape.
covid nasal spray
A new bill introduced into the US Senate claims to make us safer. Instead, it would destroy all virology research, and for no real cause.
Silhouette of a person in a suit with their face represented as a circuit board against a blue background.
Conversational AI agents will have a major advantage over human salespeople.
The letters "AI" appear with a glitch effect in multicolored pixels against a black background.
The cognitive scientist argues the current AI environment is failing us as consumers and a society. But it’s not too late to change course.
An e-reader displaying text is propped up against a stack of hardcover books.
The nonprofit made a bold gamble on the limits of "fair use" — and federal courts have not backed their play.
Close-up of a colorful microchip wafer with geometric patterns and reflective surfaces.
Hang on to something — or ride the wave — because three big tech trends are about to converge.
A stylized digital shield in the center, surrounded by red pixelated designs, with quantum code fragments displayed on the shield. The background has black, swirling patterns, reminiscent of encryption tools at work.
Quantum computing brings significant opportunities — but equally significant cybersecurity risks.
An open processor is connected by circuit lines to a black chess piece, with binary code in the background, symbolizing the intersection of technology and strategy, where every move could deceive even the sharpest minds.
"If you’re training an AI to optimize for a task, and deception is a good way for it to complete the task, then there’s a good chance that it will use deception."
A row of four black office chairs sit in front of a large oval digital screen displaying a green matrix pattern, symbolizing AI business impact, in a modern white room.
Nestor Maslej, research manager at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), talks us through key findings in the 2024 AI Index Report.
A map of a city with a lot of pink dots.
Legally smoking joints in city centers will require alertness and a keen sense of orientation — two things stoners are not known for.
An image of a bottle of milk with bacteria on it.
Because the milk was thin and had an unnatural, bluish tint, vendors stirred in additives such as chalk, flour, eggs, and Plaster-of-Paris.
sentient AI
When someone attempts to make you afraid of something that hasn't happened instead of a true, present danger, suspect this nefarious ploy.
A low polygon model of the thinker
An innovation's value is found between the technophile’s promises and the Luddite’s doomsday scenarios.
drug ads
Close to 70% of drugs advertised on TV offer little to no benefit over other cheaper drugs.
synthetic biology
Synthetic biology has the power to cure and kill. Have we learned from our past mistakes?
A white virtual reality headset on a white background.
The Metaverse could be the most dangerous tool of persuasion humanity has ever created.
More than 150 companies are developing flying cars. Here's why they're aren't yet off the ground and darting across city skies.
At least 33 cities are sinking by more than 1 cm a year.
A study finds prescription medications and dangerous unlisted ingredients in ordinary supplements.
The metaverse may leave us perpetually unsure whether the people we encounter are authentic or high-quality fakes.
new satellites
With launch costs dropping and enormous numbers of new satellites filling the sky, can't we just do it all from space?
metaverse
The metaverse has the potential to be revolutionary, for both good and bad. Here is how we can maximize the former and prevent the latter.
‘Fast Optical Bursts’ will confound ground-based astronomy. As of 2021, planet Earth is currently experiencing the least pristine night sky in recorded history. Prior to the development of artificial lighting, […]
The problem is going to get a lot worse before it gets better, and the decision is all up to SpaceX whether they’ll fix it. On Wednesday morning, January 29, 2020, […]
In 2016, the number of opioid-related deaths hit 42,000, an all-time record. But gun deaths were nearly that same number, and have been consistently that high. If you want to know […]