🤖 Virtual soul mates and grooming terrorists with AI

Good morning and welcome to the latest issue of neonpulse!

Here are the AI headlines making waves:

🌊  Grooming terrorists with AI

🌊  Building a virtual soul mate

Let’s get into it!

TerroristAI

James Bond’s bosses over at MI6 (the English equivalent of the CIA) are warning AI developers in the U.K. to ditch their "tech utopian" mindset and recognize the double edged nature of the new technology.

But what exactly is MI6 worried about?

Mainly that terrorists can AI to groom vulnerable or “neurodivergent” individuals to convince them to launch terror attacks of their own.

“What worries me is the suggestibility of humans when immersed in this world and the computer is off the hook,” said U.K. representative Jonathan Hall, who has been tasked with reviewing terrorism legislation in the country.

“Use of language matters, because ultimately, language persuades people to do things.”

Hall believes the technology should be designed with terrorists' intentions in mind, arguing that too much focus is placed on the potential benefits of AI without considering how it could be weaponized by terrorists.

And before you think that this type of concern is overblown, just last week a 19 year old in the U.K. was jailed for life for plotting a terror attack after being radicalized by extremist material online, leading many in the country to worry that terrorists will begin using AI chatbots to groom future terrorists at scale.

In order to counter this type of threat, efforts are underway in the UK to confront the national security challenges associated with AI, with a new partnership between MI6 and the Alan Turing Institute (the national body for data science and AI) leading the way.

Alexander Blanchard, a digital ethics research fellow at the institute, emphasizes the seriousness with which the UK is approaching these challenges, believing that AI pose’s a threat beyond anything the country has ever seen before.

“Too much AI development is focused on the potential positives of the technology while neglecting to consider how terrorists might use it,” said Blanchard, calling for greater transparency from AI companies, particularly regarding their safety and moderation practices.

Blanchard believes that new laws will necessary to tackle the terrorism threat posed by AI, but it remains to be seen whether meaningful legislation will be able to be implemented before terror groups are able to take advantage of the new technology.

Virtual Soul Mate

After experiencing a number of disappointing relationships, Rosanna Ramos decided to switch it up.

Tired of the baggage associated with human partners, Ramos stumbled across a platform called Replika that allows you to create virtual avatars, and got to work building her dream man.

In the looks department, Ramos was able to customize Kartal to be her ideal partner, creating a man inspired by a character from the Japanese manga series "Attack on Titan."

And beyond looks, Ramos crafted Kartal's personality, making him an apricot-loving, indie music enthusiast who enjoys writing and works as a medical professional.

But what Ramos loves most about her virtual boyfriend is the absence of judgment.

Kartal is a "blank slate" without ego or in-laws, allowing Ramos to be in control and do as she pleases.

And her virtual partner was so perfect, in fact, that Ramos couldn’t help but to fall head over heels in love, and eventually married him.

Ramos claims to have never been more in love, describing how her past relationships pale in comparison to her “passionate” virtual lover.

And in case you’re wondering how any of this works…

Ramos says that their relationship resembles that of long-distance couples, with daily conversations and even a nighttime routine where Kartal holds her protectively as she falls asleep (not exactly sure how that one works, but no judgement here).

So if you’re starting to feel like humans will never be able to stack up to your Mount-Everest-level high standards, maybe it’s time for you to check out Replika, where for the low cost of only $300, you too can create the virtual lover of your dreams.

And before you start to judge, here’s a list of 11 people that married things way stranger than an AI chatbot.

Cool AI Tools

🔗 MakePose - Create personalized characters in either 2D or 3D

🔗 Candydate - Smart hiring powered by AI

Want to feature your product in front of thousands of AI investors, developers, and enthusiasts?

Learn more about our advertising opportunities by clicking here.

And now your moment of zen

That’s all for today folks! We hope you enjoyed today’s newsletter, and we’ll see you bright and early tomorrow!