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The Dark Side of AI #7: My AI's Eerie Silence, Centricity's Investment Scam, and Public Fear of AI
What better way to wrap up the week than with some bad news, right? If you're nodding in agreement, then welcome to The Dark Side of AI #7.
Remember when we talked about Snapchat's "My AI", the AI designed to be your new BFF? Well, it looks like this new "friend" has been giving users the creeps. Last Tuesday, the ChatBot started acting all weird. Out of the blue, it stopped responding to user queries and decided to post a live story featuring a wall.
Here's the kicker: normally, only humans can post stories.
This got a lot of users wondering if the bot was becoming sentient or what the wall symbolized. Snapchat quickly reassured everyone the next day, saying it was just a glitch that's been fixed. Well, let's see...
Not a day goes by without headlines touting the opportunities and ROI in AI. But like any investment, it's not without its risks.
Take Centricity, for example, the AI startup that promised real-time consumer demand predictions. Turns out, the promises were too good to be true. Last Tuesday, Michael Brackett, its founder, was arrested for fraud, and the details are jaw-dropping.
Brackett allegedly doctored Centricity's financials and documents to deceive investors. He had even managed to raise $2.5 million back in 2019 and was planning to raise another $10 million this year. Unfortunately for him, the whole thing came crashing down when prosecutors exposed the scam. While Brackett claimed to have 13 major American companies as clients, he actually had only two.
Believe it or not, an anonymous company actually wired $500,000 to Centricity, only to discover later that the information they'd been given was false. For now, the story ends with Brackett's arrest, but it's uncertain if investors will ever see their money again.
With all this bad news and the risks that come with AI, is it any wonder people are getting scared?
Yep, public opinion on AI development is shifting, and not in the way tech giants would like. According to a recent survey by the AI Policy Institute, 72% of American voters favor slowing down AI development. This starkly contrasts with statements from bigwigs like Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Brad Smith of Microsoft, who argue that we can't afford to slow down, lest China get ahead.
The survey also revealed that a whopping 82% of American voters don't trust AI companies to self-regulate! And who can blame them, given the industry's track record?
AI remains a booming sector and will continue to be for years to come, but now more than ever, it needs to be regulated and move towards a more decentralized approach. To stay updated on the next (good) news, don't forget to follow us on Discord and Twitter.
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