Sam Altman's quest for UBI

People can hear colours - seriously. Synesthesia is a condition where the stimulation of one sense, like hearing, triggers an automatic and involuntary experience in another sense, such as hearing colours. For instance, someone with synesthesia might see specific colours when they hear music.

TODAY:

• Altman has a radical take on Universal Basic Income.

• AI has helped map a slice of the brain!

• Around the web: Bumble apologises for controversial ads.

• TeamGPT lets your entire team collaborate on AI!

OPENAI

Sam Altman’s universal basic computing vision

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has a novel proposal for Universal Basic Income, an idea he has long been a proponent of.

He calls it "universal basic compute." Rather than cash, everybody gets a piece of computing power - which they can do what they like with - including selling it.

On the "All-In" podcast, Altman explained the concept: "Everyone gets a slice of GPT-7's compute."

They can use it, resell it, or donate it for purposes like cancer research."

The idea is that as AI becomes more integrated, owning a share of a powerful language model like GPT-7 could become more valuable than money.

Altman sees this as a way for individuals to benefit from AI's productivity gains.

Here is what you should know:

• Altman proposes giving everyone a share of AI computing power.

• He thinks it will be seen as more valuable than money.

• Altman has tested UBI with positive results pending.

Altman has long supported universal basic income (UBI), a policy where all adults receive regular cash payments - without any criteria.

He believes UBI is essential as AI potentially displaces jobs.

Since 2016, Altman has run his own UBI experiment, providing various amounts each month to over 3,000 participants.

UBI is in its testing phase

Several cities and states in the US have also tested UBI programmes, offering unconditional income to those in need.

While many have reported positive outcomes, some conservatives argue these initiatives could reduce the incentive to work.

For instance, the Texas Supreme Court recently halted a programme that aimed to provide $500 monthly to low-income residents.

Altman hasn't detailed how "universal basic compute" would work, but the idea is sure to spark debate across the political spectrum.

I’ll trade you my slice of GPT-7 for a slice of that Apple Pie.

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On This Day

May 15th 1940 - McDonald's opens its first restaurant in San Bernardino, California, founded by Richard and Maurice McDonald. It is considered the birth of the fast-food industry.

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AI SCIENCE

Brain mapping with the help of AI

Harvard researchers have teamed up with Google AI experts to map a tiny piece of human brain tissue, capturing its complex architecture.

This ambitious effort required a staggering 1.4 petabytes of data for just a cubic millimetre of brain, showcasing the detail and complexity of its neural connections.

The team used advanced electron microscopy to thinly slice the brain sample into 5,000 sections.

The nitty-gritty of the brain

They then imaged each slice, gathering a vast amount of data.

This allowed them to identify roughly 50,000 cells and 150,000,000 synapses.

Google’s AI technology was crucial in piecing these images together, helping to map out the brain’s intricate pathways.

This detailed mapping revealed some surprising findings, such as neurons with over 5,000 connections and axons twisted into yarn-like balls, showing structures not previously seen in scientific studies.

Here’s what happened:

• They used Google's AI to accelerate the brain mapping process, blending machine learning with traditional neuroscience.

• The study revealed unique brain structures and extensive synaptic connections, enhancing our understanding of how neurons interact.

• The vast amount of data and space needed to map an entire human brain underscores the enormous scale and potential cost of such research.

Expanding this method to map an entire human brain presents significant challenges.

It would require about 1.6 zettabytes of data storage and could cost up to £40 billion, potentially covering 140 acres.

This underlines the immense scale and complexity involved in brain mapping, highlighting the logistical and financial hurdles that would need to be overcome.

Despite these challenges, the insights gained from mapping just a fraction of the brain's structure offer valuable clues into its complex workings.

All that storage and I still can’t remember where I put my keys.

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