Editorials

Opinionated and less news-specific takes on AI topics | Subscribe here!

Editorials
AI in Art, Music and Expressionism
/ art,

AI in Art, Music and Expressionism

Embracing Liminality: Music, Art, and Expression in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
June 30, 2023
Can We Use AI to Communicate With Animals?
/ language, animals,

Can We Use AI to Communicate With Animals?

These tools may not look like what some people imagine, but AI-powered human-animal communication could be possible. Research is already underway.
September 2, 2022
In the Era of Large Language Models, What's Next for AI?
/ language, chatbots,

In the Era of Large Language Models, What's Next for AI?

New chatbots powered by large-language models are much more capable than those that came before, but it'll be a while before they make their way into commercial applications.
August 19, 2022
The AI Scaling Hypothesis
/ language, scaling,

The AI Scaling Hypothesis

How far will this go?
August 5, 2022
LaMDA’s Sentience is Nonsense - Here’s Why
/ hype,

LaMDA’s Sentience is Nonsense - Here’s Why

An AI researcher's explanation for why the transcript of Blake Lemoine's conversation with the LaMDA chatbot does not in any way support the notion that it is sentient
June 24, 2022
Russia May Have Used Autonomous Drones. Now What?
/ military, drones,

Russia May Have Used Autonomous Drones. Now What?

Examining the policy options for responding to Russia's possible use of autonomous drones in Ukraine.
May 20, 2022
Foundation Models and the Future of Multi-Modal AI
/ language, foundation models,

Foundation Models and the Future of Multi-Modal AI

Recent advances that combine large language and vision models can perform impressive tasks surprisingly well, and this direction holds a lot of promise for the future of AI
May 1, 2022
Redefining
/ inventors, policy,

Redefining "Inventor"- Should AI Systems be Granted Patents?

Creators of AI systems have attempted to file for patents/copyrights that give credit to those AI systems, leading to an ongoing debate whether this should be possible or notIs facial recognition an encroachment on individual freedom, or the next step to a technologically advanced society?
March 18, 2022
A Summary of Concerns About Clearview AI's Facial Recognition Product
/ facial recognition,

A Summary of Concerns About Clearview AI's Facial Recognition Product

Is facial recognition an encroachment on individual freedom, or the next step to a technologically advanced society?
March 11, 2022
Neural nets are not
/ hype,

Neural nets are not "slightly conscious," and AI PR can do with less hype

Prominent AI researchers should take accurate science communication more seriously.
February 18, 2022
Generating AI Art from Text with Google Colab
/ art,

Generating AI Art from Text with Google Colab

A brief overview and guide to playing with cutting edge AI easily with Google Colab
February 11, 2022
AI and the Metaverse
/ metaverse,

AI and the Metaverse

The Metaverse has surpassed AI in terms of hype - how are the two related?
January 29, 2022
How AI-Powered Robots Fulfill Your Online Orders
/ robotics,

How AI-Powered Robots Fulfill Your Online Orders

AI-powered robots are slowly taking over tedious tasks in warehouses, and it's just the beginning.
January 25, 2022
The Messy History of Facial Recognition Company Clearview AI
/ facial recognition,

The Messy History of Facial Recognition Company Clearview AI

Clearview AI, a provider of facial recognition capabilities powered by billions of images scraped from all over the web, has faced much media scrutiny and numerous legal challenges in 2020 and 2021
January 15, 2022
GPT-3, Foundation Models, and AI Nationalism
/ policy, language, foundation models,

GPT-3, Foundation Models, and AI Nationalism

Geopolitical Implications of the 'Year of Monster Models'
December 30, 2021
Getting Data for Robot AI — Hard, but Possible
/ robotics,

Getting Data for Robot AI — Hard, but Possible

Embodied AI agents need data of interactions with the real world, which is far more difficult to get than data of other AI domains like vision and language.
December 10, 2021
Deciphering the Components of National Approaches to AI
/ policy,

Deciphering the Components of National Approaches to AI

In the piece on the United States, we explicitly discussed how regulation and development were different priorities and components of a national strategy.
December 3, 2021
The Inherent Limitations of GPT-3
/ gpt3,

The Inherent Limitations of GPT-3

On why GPT-3 as is will not cost many people their jobs or soon lead to AGI.
November 27, 2021
Futuristic Hardware for Intelligent Robots
/ robotics,

Futuristic Hardware for Intelligent Robots

What advances in hardware do we need to build intelligent robots of the future?
November 19, 2021
AI Governance in the US - so much more than R&D
/ policy,

AI Governance in the US - so much more than R&D

Looking at existing AI governance measures in the United States and considering the path ahead
November 12, 2021
GPT-3 is No Longer the Only Game in Town
/ gpt3,

GPT-3 is No Longer the Only Game in Town

GPT-3 was by far the largest AI model of its kind last year. Now? Not so much.
November 5, 2021
Why we don't have Robot Butlers yet
/ robotics,

Why we don't have Robot Butlers yet

AI is necessary for autonomous robots of the future; its development and deployment is full of incredible challenges and promising opportunities
October 29, 2021
AI as a Hype Tool
/ hype,

AI as a Hype Tool

To look beyond the hype, we must understand its genesis and propagation
August 24, 2021
Please Stop Saying 'An AI'
/ overview,

Please Stop Saying 'An AI'

Popular usage of the term ‘Artificial Intelligence’ adds to misunderstanding of AI as it exists today.
December 1, 2020
When to Assume Neural Networks Can Solve a Problem
/ overview,

When to Assume Neural Networks Can Solve a Problem

A pragmatic guide to the powers and limits of neural networks
May 25, 2020
The Nooscope — a visual manifesto of the limits of AI
/ overview,

The Nooscope — a visual manifesto of the limits of AI

Introducing the Nooscope, a diagram that shows how Machine Learning works and how it fails
May 18, 2020
So-So Artificial Intelligence
/ jobs,

So-So Artificial Intelligence

Could mediocre AI threaten labor more than brilliant AI, under the right conditions?
February 3, 2020
AI Coverage Best Practices, According to AI Researchers
/ hype, opinion, overview,

AI Coverage Best Practices, According to AI Researchers

AI researchers often bemoan low quality coverage of their field; here are their recommendations.
November 11, 2019
Humans Who Are Not Concentrating Are Not General Intelligences
/ DeepFakes, OpenAI,

Humans Who Are Not Concentrating Are Not General Intelligences

On why human level intelligence is not needed to create algorithmically generated text that may seem like it was written by a human
September 6, 2019
Less Like Us: An Alternate Theory of Artificial General Intelligence
/ AGI,

Less Like Us: An Alternate Theory of Artificial General Intelligence

Rather than acting like a single brain that strives to achieve a particular goal, the central AI would be more like a search engine
August 30, 2019
Requests for Articles: a Call on AI Experts and Communicators
/

Requests for Articles: a Call on AI Experts and Communicators

Skynet Today is seeking contributors for new briefs and editorials!
August 15, 2019
3000 Years of Algorithmic Rituals: The Emergence of AI from the Computation of Space
/ overview,

3000 Years of Algorithmic Rituals: The Emergence of AI from the Computation of Space

On AI as a long historical process of crystallizing collective behavior, personal data, and individual labor into privatized algorithms
July 7, 2019
Artificial Intelligence — The Revolution Hasn’t Happened Yet
/ AGI, opinion,

Artificial Intelligence — The Revolution Hasn’t Happened Yet

On artificial intelligence as a phrase, a fast moving research field, and an emerging new discipline of engineering
July 5, 2019
Worry about present-day AI first, and far off AGI hypotheticals second
/ AGI, risks, opinion,

Worry about present-day AI first, and far off AGI hypotheticals second

The whole debate about existential risks AI poses to humanity in the far off future is a huge distraction.
June 28, 2019
Artificial General Intelligence is Here, and it's Useless
/ AGI, opinion,

Artificial General Intelligence is Here, and it's Useless

On why the potential or threat of 'artificial general intelligence' is most often overstated
June 24, 2019
The Past, Present, and Future of AI Art
/ overview, art,

The Past, Present, and Future of AI Art

AI art has a long history that is often overlooked
June 3, 2019
How have DOTA and StarCraft wins advanced AI research?
/ hype, RL, OpenAI, DeepMind,

How have DOTA and StarCraft wins advanced AI research?

Impressive results have been obtained by scaling known techniques, and the long-term prospects remain unclear
April 12, 2019
Job Loss Due To AI — How Bad Is It Going To Be?
/ jobs, overview,

Job Loss Due To AI — How Bad Is It Going To Be?

Studies suggest the impact of AI on jobs in the near future will not be significantly more disruptive than the impact of automation in the past
February 4, 2019
Why Your AI Might Be Racist
/ risks, opinion,

Why Your AI Might Be Racist

On the risks of enshrining all sorts of injustices into computer programs, where they could fester undetected in perpetuity
December 20, 2018
Symbiotic human-level AI: fear not, for I am your creation
/ AGI, opinion,

Symbiotic human-level AI: fear not, for I am your creation

Human-level AI may well be possible — and we may not have to fear it
November 25, 2018
The singularity isn’t here yet. Biased AI is.
/ bias, singularity,

The singularity isn’t here yet. Biased AI is.

A summary of what AI bias is, why we should care, and what we can and are doing about it
October 20, 2018
Why We Find Self-Driving Cars So Scary
/ self-driving, opinion, panic,

Why We Find Self-Driving Cars So Scary

Even if autonomous cars are safer overall, the public will accept the new technology only when it fails in predictable and reasonable ways
August 11, 2018
Inside an AI Conference - Robotics Science and Systems
/ overview,

Inside an AI Conference - Robotics Science and Systems

What do AI researchers do at conferences? Check this out to find out!
August 6, 2018
Has AI surpassed humans at translation? Not even close!
/ NLP, overview,

Has AI surpassed humans at translation? Not even close!

Neural network translation systems still have many significant issues which make them far from superior to human translators
July 25, 2018
Autonomous Driving, Both Close and Far from Ubiquity
/ self-driving, computer vision, policy, applications,

Autonomous Driving, Both Close and Far from Ubiquity

Autonomous vehicle technology has made huge advances in the last couple of years — what's left to solve? A whole lot.
June 30, 2018
Artificial Intelligence: Think Again
/ hype, opinion,

Artificial Intelligence: Think Again

AI has a public relations problem, and AI researchers should do something about it
June 1, 2018
Skynet Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
/

Skynet Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

The evolution of discussions about AI has never been as fast paced as it is now, and so we too have been up to a lot lately
May 17, 2018
AlphaGo Zero Is Not A Sign of Imminent Human-Level AI
/ hype, Google, RL,

AlphaGo Zero Is Not A Sign of Imminent Human-Level AI

Why DeepMind's Go playing program is not about to solve all of AI
March 30, 2018
Why Skynet Today
/

Why Skynet Today

We are working on the Snopes for AI — here is why
March 25, 2018
Featured
AI in Art, Music and Expressionism
editorials / art,
AI in Art, Music and Expressionism
Can We Use AI to Communicate With Animals?
editorials / language, animals,
Can We Use AI to Communicate With Animals?
The AI Scaling Hypothesis
editorials / language, scaling,
The AI Scaling Hypothesis
Russia May Have Used Autonomous Drones. Now What?
editorials / military, drones,
Russia May Have Used Autonomous Drones. Now What?
Neural nets are not
editorials / hype,
Neural nets are not "slightly conscious," and AI PR can do with less hype
The State of Deepfakes in 2020
overviews / DeepFakes,
The State of Deepfakes in 2020
A Brief History of Neural Nets and Deep Learning
overviews / deep learning,
A Brief History of Neural Nets and Deep Learning
The Rise of “Killer Robots” and the Race to Restrain Them
overviews / hype, robotics, regulation,
The Rise of “Killer Robots” and the Race to Restrain Them
Bots, Lies, and DeepFakes — Online Misinformation and AI's Role in it
overviews / hype, panic, DeepFakes,
Bots, Lies, and DeepFakes — Online Misinformation and AI's Role in it
The Past, Present, and Future of AI Art
editorials / overview, art,
The Past, Present, and Future of AI Art
Boston Dynamics' robots — impressive, but far from the Terminator
briefs / hype, robotics,
Boston Dynamics' robots — impressive, but far from the Terminator
Job Loss Due To AI — How Bad Is It Going To Be?
editorials / jobs, overview,
Job Loss Due To AI — How Bad Is It Going To Be?
Sophia the Robot, More Marketing Machine Than AI Marvel
briefs / robotics, hype,
Sophia the Robot, More Marketing Machine Than AI Marvel
Explore
→ view all topics
© 2025 Andrey Kurenkov Privacy Policy / Contact