New York State
Governor Kathy Hochul announced a $20 million public-private investment aimed at advancing artificial intelligence (AI) research and development in New York State. This initiative involves a collaboration between the University at Albany and IBM to establish the Center for Emerging Artificial Intelligence Systems. The center is designed to promote innovation and attract AI companies to the region, thereby creating jobs and bolstering the state's position as a leader in AI research.
Newsday
A recent Newsday article titled "Unregulated artificial intelligence: Issue raises concern among NY scientists" discusses the growing concerns among New York scientists about the potential risks associated with unregulated artificial intelligence (AI). The article highlights that hundreds of academics and tech executives have signed a statement warning that AI poses a "risk of extinction," citing dangers such as weaponization and unforeseen consequences.
The piece also emphasizes the need for regulatory measures to ensure that AI development is conducted responsibly and ethically. Experts argue that without proper oversight, the rapid advancement of AI technologies could lead to unintended and potentially catastrophic outcomes.
The article underscores the importance of collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders to establish frameworks that govern AI development and mitigate associated risks.
Newsday
A study by Stony Brook University, published in Nature Digital Medicine, demonstrates that artificial intelligence (AI) can assess community mental health by analyzing social media language. The research analyzed over 1 billion tweets from 2019 to 2020 across more than 1,400 U.S. counties, identifying spikes in anxiety and depression during events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the George Floyd protests. The AI's findings closely matched those of traditional surveys, offering a more timely and cost-effective method for monitoring public mental health.
Newsday
A 2023 Newsday article titled "Will AI-generated art steal LI artists' jobs?" explores the growing concerns among Long Island's digital art community regarding the rise of AI-generated art. While traditional artists working with mediums like paint and sculpture may not be immediately affected, commercial digital artists who sell their work to businesses are apprehensive about the potential impact of AI tools like Midjourney, DALL·E 2, and Stable Diffusion. These AI systems can produce high-quality images rapidly and at low cost, prompting fears of job displacement and the devaluation of human creativity. Artists such as Amanda Reilly express concerns about their work being used without consent to train AI models, raising ethical and legal questions about the use of their creations.
Despite these challenges, some artists view AI as a tool that can enhance their creative process. Steve Skiena, a professor at Stony Brook University's AI Institute, acknowledges the technical prowess of AI art generators but emphasizes the importance of human input in guiding and curating the creative process.
The debate continues as the art community grapples with balancing technological advancements and the preservation of artistic integrity.
