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There Is Above-Zero Chance That AI Will Kill Us All, Says Elon Musk

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There Is Above-Zero Chance That AI Will Kill Us All, Says Elon Musk

London:

Tesla CEO and ‘X’ owner, Elon Musk said on Wednesday that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could endanger the existence of human civilisation.

“There is some chance, above zero, that AI will kill us all. I think it’s slow but there is some chance. I think this also concerns the fragility of human civilization. If you study history, you will realise that every civilisation has a sort of lifespan,” he said.

His remarks came during a media interaction as he arrived to attend the United Kingdom hosted world’s first global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Summit.

Moreover, Musk was also seen having conversations with some of the participants at the summit.

Earlier, a day before attending the AI summit, Musk appeared on comedian Joe Rogan’s podcast, in which he that artificial intelligence (AI), if programmed by people in the “environmental movement”, may lead to the extinction of humanity.

In the podcast, he said, “Actually, what I think the biggest danger is for AI is that if AI is implicitly programmed, I don’t think they explicitly but implicitly programmed with values that led to the destruction of downtown San Francisco. And a bunch of these AI companies are in San Francisco or in the San Francisco Bay Area. Then you could implicitly program an AI to believe that extinction of humanity is what it should try to do.”

He added, “I think the most likely outcome to be specific about it is a good outcome, most likely a good outcome. But it’s not for sure. So i think we’re to be careful how we program the eye and make sure that it is not accidentally antihuman.”

Moreover, the social media company Meta President said, “I’m looking forward to attending the AI Safety Summit in the UK this week. I hope we spend as much time as possible developing much-needed solutions to current problems – for example, on the transparency and detectability of AI-generated content.”

He added, “not just debating speculative future risks about AI models that currently do not exist, and may never possess the autonomy and agency that some people fear.”

The summit underway in UK will see a convergence of governments, academia and companies working in artificial intelligence to debate and identify risks, opportunities and the “need for international collaboration, before highlighting consensus on the scale, importance and urgency for AI opportunities” a statement by the British High Commission read.

Moreover, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that he will do a live conversation with Elon Musk on X after the AI summit.

PM Sunak posted on X, “In conversation with @elonmusk. After the AI Safety Summit, Thursday night on @x.”

The summit aims to put light on the transformative benefits that AI technology can offer, putting a predominant focus on “education and areas for international research collaborations”.

Representatives from The Alan Turing Institute, The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Ada Lovelace Institute are also among the groups confirmed to attend.

Prime Minister Sunak had last week stated that the summit will focus on understanding the risks such as potential threats to national security including the dangers a loss of control the technology could bring.

On the agenda are discussions around issues likely to impact society, such as election disruption and erosion of social trust.

According to government estimates, the UK already employs over 50,000 people in the AI sector and contributes 3.7 billion pounds to its economy annually. Michelle Donelan will be joined by members of the UK’s Frontier AI Taskforce – including its Chair, Ian Hogarth. The task force was launched earlier this year with an aim to evaluate the risks of frontier AI models (generative language models of AI).

Additionally, on the first day of the Summit, Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar participated the AI summit and conveyed India’s thoughts on AI.

On the second day of the summit, Chandrasekhar will contribute to discussions regarding the establishment of a collaborative framework for AI among like-minded nations. He will shed light on India’s perspective concerning AI risks in areas such as disinformation and electoral security.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hyderabad

West Godavari: Masked man loots Rs 6.5 lakh from bank in Narsapuram

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Upon receiving information, the police reached the bank, verified the CCTV footage, and registered a case. Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravi Manohar Chary said teams have been formed to nab the robber.

Updated On – 11:38 AM, Thu – 2 November 23


West Godavari: Masked man loots Rs 6.5 lakh from bank in Narsapuram


West Godavari: A masked man looted Rs 6.5 lakh from a bank in Narsapuram, West Godavari, on Wednesday in broad daylight. CCTV footage of the incident has gone viral on social media.

According to bank staff, a man covering his face with a towel entered the bank and asked the cashier for a gold loan. He was asked to wait outside until the verification officer arrived and to remove his towel, but he claimed to be unwell.

He then threatened them with a knife from his bag and took Rs 6.5 lakh from the table before escaping.

Upon receiving information, the police reached the bank, verified the CCTV footage, and registered a case.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravi Manohar Chary said teams have been formed to nab the robber.

World

India joins 27 nations and EU in historic AI risk declaration

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On platform X, PM Rishi Sunak’s office page announces historic agreement on AI Safety by leading nations.

Published Date – 11:30 AM, Thu – 2 November 23


India joins 27 nations and EU in historic AI risk declaration


New York: India, along with 27 other countries and the European Union signed a declaration at a meeting in the United Kingdom pledging to work together to assess the risks associated with artificial intelligence.

The countries represented were: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Saudi, Arabia, Netherlands, Nigeria, The Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, and the European Union.

Taking to social media platform X, the official page for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said, “Leading AI nations have reached a world-first agreement on AI Safety.”

“The Bletchley Park Declaration sees 28 countries agree on opportunities, risks and the need for international action on frontier AI, systems that pose the most urgent and dangerous risks,” it added.
The UK government on Wednesday issued a statement titled “The Bletchley Declaration”, which was signed by delegates from the 28 participating nations–including the EU– and issued a dire warning about the threats presented by the most sophisticated “frontier” artificial intelligence systems.

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents enormous global opportunities: it has the potential to transform and enhance human wellbeing, peace and prosperity. To realise this, we affirm that, for the good of all, AI should be designed, developed, deployed, and used, in a manner that is safe, in such a way as to be human-centric, trustworthy and responsible,” the declaration read.

The Bletchley Park declaration also noted the importance of AI systems in various domains of daily routine like housing, employment, transport, education, health, accessibility, justice, and added that their use is likely to see an ascent.

“We recognise that this is therefore a unique moment to act and affirm the need for the safe development of AI and for the transformative opportunities of AI to be used for good and for all, in an inclusive manner in our countries and globally,” it read.

“Alongside these opportunities, AI also poses significant risks, including in those domains of daily life. To that end, we welcome relevant international efforts to examine and address the potential impact of AI systems in existing fora and other relevant initiatives, and the recognition that the protection of human rights, transparency and explainability, fairness, accountability, regulation, safety, appropriate human oversight, ethics, bias mitigation, privacy and data protection needs to be addressed,” it added.

The AI risk will be addressed on both national and international levels and will lay emphasis on identifying AI safety risks of shared concern and building a shared scientific and evidence-based understanding of these risks.

“In furtherance of this agenda, we resolve to support an internationally inclusive network of scientific research on frontier AI safety that encompasses and complements existing and new multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral collaboration, including through existing international fora and other relevant initiatives, to facilitate the provision of the best science available for policy making and the public good,” the declaration stated further.

Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar, in his address at the world’s first global summit on Artificial Intelligence in the UK on Wednesday, said India looks at AI with a prism of openness, safety, trust and accountability.

Addressing the ‘AI Safety Summit 2023’, Chandrasehar said India has maintained that international collaborations and international conversations was extremely important at a time and a year when “technology is throwing up most exiting opportunities ever in the history of mankind.”

The minister emphasised that India sees AI as “the next big opportunity.”

“We are extremely clear in our minds on mitigation on what AI and indeed any emerging technology can and will represent, a prism of openness, safety, trust and accountability,” he said.

The Union Minister noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had for years argued that the future of tech be it innovations or partnerships or the institutional framework for regulating the tech and innovations for the common good for all mankind should be driven by a coalition of nations rather than one country or two countries an institutional framework is a lot more sustainable.

“The Indian digital economy and the innovation economy and ecosystem today is growing by two and a half to three times faster than the non-digital part of the GDP. AI is a kinetic enabler of the already accelerating digital economy, innovation, growth, and governments,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, tech billionaire and CEO of X Elon Musk was among those who were seen at the two-day summit led by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that began yesterday at the historic Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire.

According to the UK government, the summit’s objectives are for participants to “work towards a shared understanding of risks” posed by AI and organise a global effort to mitigate them.

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141 Cases Registered, 168 Arrested For Violence During Maratha Quota Stir

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141 Cases Registered, 168 Arrested For Violence During Maratha Quota Protests

Maharashtra’s top cop said the police have clear instructions to take strict action.

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Police has so far registered 141 cases in connection with the violence during the Maratha quota agitation and arrested 168 persons, state Director General of Police Rajnish Seth said on Wednesday. 

Speaking about the violence in Beed district, he said 20 cases have been registered including seven offences under section 307 (Attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code between October 24 and 31.

A Rapid Action Force (RAF) company has been deployed in Beed district to avoid any untoward incident and internet services in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (rural), Jalna, and Beed have been suspended, Mr Seth told media persons at the state police headquarters in south Mumbai.

Public properties worth Rs 12 crore were damaged across the state during demonstrations (over eight days), the DGP said.

“Notices have been served to 146 accused persons under section 41 in the CrPC,” he said.

Notably, houses of Nationalist Congress Party MLAs Prakash Solanke and Sandeep Kshirsagar were torched by protesters in Beed district over the last two days. The office of a legislator from the ruling BJP was vandalised by protesters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, police had said.

The first floor of the municipal council building in Majalgaon town in Beed district was set on fire and stones were hurled at it by a group of quota agitators on Monday.

Mr Seth said prohibitory orders have been imposed in Beed district under section 144 of the CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code).

Besides the local police, 17 companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) have been deployed at sensitive locations across Maharashtra, Mr Seth said, adding that 7,000 home guards are also helping the police in maintaining law and order.

“The miscreants involved in damaging public property and arson and those who break the law will be dealt with strictly. We have clear instructions to take strict action. Police will cooperate in peaceful agitations. We have deployed additional manpower wherever required in various districts,” the state’s top police officer added.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who handles the Home portfolio, on Tuesday said agitators who tried to burn down a house in Beed district with family members inside will face attempt to murder charges.

Maratha community members have launched a fresh round of agitation seeking a quota in government jobs and educational institutes. Quota activist Manoj Jarange has been on an indefinite fast at a village in Jalna district since October 25 in support of the reservation demand.

Earlier on Wednesday, leaders at an all-party meeting on Maratha quota chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde passed a resolution asking activist Manoj Jarange to call off his indefinite fast. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"INDIA Bloc Will Decide PM Face After Being Elected": Congress Chief

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'INDIA Bloc Will Decide PM Face After Being Elected': Congress Chief

“After being elected, all of us will decide the Prime Ministerial face,” Mr Kharge said. (File)

Sukma, Chhattisgarh:

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday asserted that members of the INDIA bloc will sit together and decide the Prime Ministerial face if voted to power in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

“After being elected, all of us will sit together and decide the Prime Ministerial face,” Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma.

The INDIA bloc is an alliance of 28 political parties formed to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

However, the mega alliance is yet to brainstorm on its Prime Ministerial face.

Speaking on the Chhattisgarh assembly polls, the Congress president said, “We will cross 75 (seats), not less than that. We will provide free education to children from primary to post-graduation, will give cylinders to women… The elected MLAs will decide who will hold the Chief Ministerial post”.

Earlier today, Mallikarjun Kharge also held a public gathering in the Sukma district where he threw brickbats at the BJP stating that the latter “fooled” people in the name of caste and religion.

“They fooled people in the name of religion and caste. They trick people by saying that they made a woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) President. They should know that the Congress party gave the first woman Prime Minister to the country. The Congress empowered the backward classes”, Mr Kharge said.

Praising the previous Congress governments, he said, “The BJP keeps asking what Congress has done for the country. There were no schools, no banks and no jobs. It all was done by the Congress. Modi Sahab (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) asks what we have done in the past 70 years. We have built the country. We constructed schools, public sectors, banks, industries, etc. Did Modiji construct schools in Chhattisgarh?”

Chhattisgarh is scheduled to hold polls in two phases on November 7 and 17. The counting of votes will take place on December 3 in all five poll-bound states.

Earlier in the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress came to power with a landslide victory, winning 68 seats out of 90.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

World

Half of Gaza’s Hospitals Inoperable, Says Palestinian Health Ministry

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According to a statement on Wednesday from the Ministry, CNN reported that the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the primary cancer facility in Gaza, has ceased its operations.

Updated On – 11:09 AM, Thu – 2 November 23


Half of Gaza’s Hospitals Inoperable, Says Palestinian Health Ministry



Gaza: The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has said that 16 out of the total 32 hospitals in the Hamas-controlled enclave are out of service due to the constant Israeli airstrikes and severe shortage of fuel.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry said that the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, which is the leading cancer hospital in Gaza, has stopped operating, CNN reported.

Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said that at least 70 patients in the hospital are under critical condition, while the lives of about 2,000 other cancer patients are also under serious threat amid “catastrophic health conditions” due to the raging conflict between the Hamas and Israel.

On Monday, the hospital’s director Sobhi Skaik told CNN that the centre of the facility had been destroyed as a result of an airtsike while the thord floor suffered a direct hit causing damage to oxygen and water supplies, although there were no injuries or deaths.

But the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN on Tuesday that it “did not strike Gaza’s Turkish-Palestinian Friendship hospital”, without providing any further information.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry in its statement on Wednesday also warned that the Al Shifa Medical Complex, the largest hospital in Gaza, could be out of service very soon.

“Al Shifa Medical Complex will stop working in less than 24 hours due to running out of fuel,” the Ministry said, adding that the facility’s vicinity has been repeatedly hit by Israeli airstrikes.

On Wednesday night, the Al Hilo Hospital was reportedly struck by shelling, the UN Office for the Coordiantion of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

The hospital had absorbed and replaced Al Shifa hospital’s maternity ward, which is being used now to treat injured persons.

However, Israel has reiterated that there is no fuel shortage in Gaza.

Last week, IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN that there is “between 800,000 and perhaps more than one million liters of fuel of different types stored inside Gaza” under Hamas control.

As of Friday morning, the death toll in Gaza since the war erupted on October 7 stood at 8,805, with 22,240 persons injured.

In Israel, there have been 1,400 deaths and 5,400 injuries.

India

Prior to Kejriwal’s interrogation, ED conducts searches at 10 sites in Delhi

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ED sources said that the search operations started at around 7 a.m.

Updated On – 10:01 AM, Thu – 2 November 23


Prior to Kejriwal’s interrogation, ED conducts searches at 10 sites in Delhi



New Delhi: Ahead of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal‘s questioning in connection to the alleged liquor scam case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out searches at over 10 locations in the national capital, including the premises of Delhi Minister and AAP leader Raaj Kumar Anand.

ED sources said that the search operations started at around 7 a.m.

Besides Anand, the sources also revealed that several other officers are also on the central probe agency’s scanner.

The ED has not revealed the case in which it is carrying out searches.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal is scheduled to appear before the ED during the day for questioning in the case, in which AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh have already been arrested.

This is the first time that the Chief Minister has been summoned by the ED in relation to the alleged scam.

He was earlier questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case in April this year.

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Israeli Hostages Exposed To Same "Death" As Palestinians: Hamas Chief

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Israeli Hostages Exposed To Same 'Death' As Palestinians: Hamas Chief

Dubai:

The leader of Palestinian group Hamas said on Wednesday that Israeli hostages held in the besieged Gaza Strip were subject to the same “death and destruction” that Palestinians have faced.

Hamas has told mediators that it was necessary for the “massacre” to stop and called on people to continue protesting, particularly in the West, to mount pressure on decision makers, Ismail Haniyeh said in a recorded video message.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Top News

Google introduces features to aid small merchants

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The company stated that products from businesses with that attribute in Search will be labeled as “small business,” as will businesses on Maps.

Updated On – 10:01 AM, Thu – 2 November 23


Google introduces features to aid small merchants



San Francisco: Google has announced new Shopping features that will allow small merchants to update product imagery using generative AI, making it easier to attract new customers.

Merchants can identify themselves with a new small business attribute on Search and Google Maps.

Products in Search sold by businesses with that attribute will have a “small business” label on them, as will businesses on Maps, said the company.

“These new labels will make it easier for shoppers to narrow down their searches and be intentional about shopping with their favourite,” Google said late on Wednesday.

The company is rolling out Product Studio — a set of AI tools to help merchants create and manage product imagery — to all Merchant Center Next users in the U.S.

“That includes our experimental AI-powered scene generation feature, which uses a text-to-image generative AI model to help you place products into any creative scene you dream up,” Google noted.

Product Studio will share a few prompt ideas, including holiday-themed scenes, to spark inspiration.

It’s easy to tweak or reuse prompts that worked well for you in the past. You can also remove distracting backgrounds or improve resolution on your product images in one click.

Starting this month in select countries, the knowledge panel that appears on certain retailer searches — which previously showed details like the location of a business’ headquarters or the number of employees — will start showing other helpful shopping information, like current deals, shipping and return policies, customer service information and ratings and reviews.

“The knowledge panel will also show for more merchants, offering a helpful snapshot of their business. We’ll showcase information you’re already sharing on Merchant Center, as well as other authoritative information from across the web,” Google informed.