News
1. The 2023 Nobel Prize winners include:
Nobel Prize in Medicine: Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman, who were awarded for their research on mRNA vaccines, which played a crucial role in the development of COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna.
Nobel Prize in Physics: Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier received the prize for their groundbreaking experiments that produced incredibly short pulses of light, measured in attoseconds. This breakthrough has applications in imaging at the atomic and molecular levels and early disease detection.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus, and Alexei Ekimov were honored for their discovery and synthesis of quantum dots, extremely small particles with unique properties driven by quantum phenomena. This technology could lead to advances in flexible electronics, sensors, solar cells, and quantum communication.
Nobel Prize in Literature: Jon Fosse, a Norwegian author and dramatist, received the literature prize for his innovative plays and prose that address difficult and unspeakable subjects, making him a notable non-Anglophone Nobel laureate.
Nobel Peace Prize: Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian rights activist, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her long-standing fight for freedom and against oppression of Iranian women, particularly in the wake of the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran.
2. OpenAI might make its own AI chips
CEO Sam Altman has expressed the need to acquire more AI chips due to the scarcity and high costs associated with running the hardware for its AI products like ChatGPT. OpenAI is considering developing its own AI chips (Reuters).
3. Google DeepMind tries to revolutionize robotics
Google DeepMind, along with 33 research institutions, is working on a project called Open-X Embodiment to create a general-purpose AI system capable of working with various physical robots and performing multiple tasks (VentureBeat).
4. LinkedIn is launching new AI features
LinkedIn announces an AI-assisted talent sourcing tool called Recruiter 2024 that uses generative AI to improve candidate searches, an AI-powered “learning coach” for LinkedIn Learning to offer soft skills advice and possibly technical courses, an AI-enhanced marketing tool called Accelerate, and an AI-powered search function for Inside Sales to help B2B sales professionals connect with potential leads (TechCrunch).
5. Canva introduces new AI tools
Canva has launched Magic Studio, a suite of AI-powered design tools to automate and enhance the creative process. The new features include Magic Design to generate designs from prompts, Magic Switch to convert content across formats, Magic Media to create visual assets, and Magic Write to draft copy, with built-in safety controls (Canva).
Articles
1. How purposeless physics underlies purposeful life (Nature)
Sharma et al. propose “assembly theory” quantifying evolution and selection in terms of assembly paths and indices in an abstract “assembly space.” Objects with high assembly indices that have many copies indicate selection.
2. Exploring Collaboration Mechanisms for LLM Agents: A Social Psychology View (Arxiv)
This paper investigates the collaboration mechanisms among contemporary Natural Language Processing (NLP) systems composed of large language models (LLMs) in multi-agent societies with various traits and thinking patterns. The study finds that LLM agents employ diverse social behaviors, optimize efficiency, and exhibit human-like social behaviors, such as conformity and majority rule, in their collaborative efforts, offering valuable insights into the collaboration of LLMs and encouraging further research in this area.
3. How People Can Create—and Destroy—Value with Generative AI (BCG)
This study found generative AI like GPT-4 can significantly boost performance on creative tasks but also mislead people and reduce collective creativity if used improperly. To maximize value, companies must thoughtfully match tasks to the AI’s capabilities, train employees on its limitations, and experiment continuously as the technology rapidly advances.
