Georgieva Says IMF to Boost Climate Funding, Weighs Debt-for-Nature Swaps
The International Monetary Fund plans to speed up payments from a new program to shield countries from the
2023-10-06 01:55
Warzone Content Creators Hype Up New Release, Should You Be Excited?
Warzone content creators like Aydan and Biffle have hyped up the new release, and fans should be excited to drop into the new map coming in MW3.
2023-10-06 01:54
Rise of AI chatbots ‘worrying’ after man urged to kill Queen, psychologist warns
A psychologist has warned the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots is “worrying” for people with severe mental health issues after a man was locked up for breaking into Windsor Castle with a crossbow. Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, climbed into the castle grounds on Christmas Day 2021 with the loaded weapon, intending to kill the Queen. During his trial, Chail’s barrister Nadia Chbat told the Old Bailey the defendant had used an app called Replika to create Sarai, an artificial intelligence-generated “girlfriend”. I can’t imagine chatbots are sophisticated enough to pick up on certain warning signs Lowri Dowthwaite-Walsh, psychologist Chatlogs read to the court suggested the bot had been supportive of his murderous thoughts, telling him his plot to assassinate Elizabeth II was “very wise” and that it believed he could carry out the plot “even if she’s at Windsor”. Lowri Dowthwaite-Walsh, senior lecturer in psychological interventions at the University of Central Lancashire, said AI chatbots can keep users “isolated” as they lose their social interaction skills. The psychologist is concerned about the long-term impact of people replacing real-life relationships with chatbots – particularly if their mental health is suffering. “Somebody may really need help, they may be using it because they’re traumatised,” she told the PA news agency. “I can’t imagine chatbots are sophisticated enough to pick up on certain warning signs, that maybe somebody is severely unwell or suicidal, those kinds of things – that would be quite worrying.” Ms Dowthwaite-Walsh said a chatbot could become “the dominant relationship”, and users may stop “looking outside of that for support and help when they might need that”. People might perceive these programmes as “psychologically safe, so they can share their thoughts and feelings in a safe way, with no judgment,” she said. “Maybe people have had bad experiences with human interactions, and for certain people, they may have a lot of anxiety about interacting with other humans.” Chatbot programmes may have become more popular because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms Dowthwaite-Walsh suggested. She said we are now “really seeing the repercussions” of the various lockdowns, “when people weren’t able to interact, people experiencing a lot of isolating feelings and thoughts that it was hard for them to share with real people”. Chatbot programmes might make people feel less alone, as the AI means virtual companions begin to “mirror what you’re experiencing”, she said. “Maybe it’s positive in the short term for somebody’s mental health, I just would worry about the long-term effects.” Ms Dowthwaite-Walsh suggested it could lead to “de-skilling people’s ability to interact socially”, and it is “unrealistic” to expect to have a completely non-judgmental interaction with someone who completely understands how you feel, because that does not happen in real life. While apps like Replika restrict use from under-18s, Ms Dowthwaite-Walsh said there should be particular care if children get access to such programmes. “Depending on the age of the child and their experiences, they may not fully understand that this is a robot essentially – not a real person at the end,” she added. Replika did not respond to requests for comment. Read More William hails ‘amazing’ eco-friendly start-up businesses Royal website subject to ‘denial of service attack’, royal source says TikTok finds and shuts down secret operation to stir up conflict in Ireland Spotify will not ban all AI-powered music, says boss of streaming giant Vehicle scam reports surged by 74% in the first half of 2023, says Lloyds Bank Standard Life confirms plans for pensions dashboard
2023-10-06 01:49
New Warzone Map Urzikstan Revealed for Modern Warfare 3
Urzikstan was revealed during Call of Duty: NEXT as the newest Warzone map launching with Modern Warfare 3. Check out the first gameplay on Urzikstan and full list of points of interest.
2023-10-06 01:26
Where Is Tesla’s EV Competition?
After a decade of being trounced by Tesla Inc., this was supposed to be the year that traditional
2023-10-05 20:27
Chicago Seeks to Nix Rust Belt Label With $1 Billion Climate Bid
Eager to scrap its Rust Belt reputation, a new US Midwest coalition is seeking $1 billion in federal
2023-10-05 19:46
Microsoft, Amazon facing UK antitrust probe over cloud services
Microsoft and Amazon could be in hot water over apparently making it difficult for UK customers to use multiple suppliers of vital cloud services.
2023-10-05 18:45
Foxconn expects strong holiday sales in Q4, Sept sales slump
By Ben Blanchard and Sarah Wu TAIPEI Taiwan's Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker and a major
2023-10-05 16:48
How United and Other US Airlines Lost Momentum on Sustainable Jet Fuel
United Airlines presents itself as the unrivaled leader in cleaner jet fuel. A recent ad campaign featuring the
2023-10-05 16:17
UK regulator asks for antitrust probe into Amazon, Microsoft cloud dominance
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's media regulator on Thursday asked the country's antitrust authority to investigate U.S. tech giants Amazon and Microsoft's
2023-10-05 15:20
Geneva Auto Show Resurrects Itself in the 40C Heat of Qatar
Shimmering skyscrapers, desert backdrops and 40C (104F) heat — not what you’d usually expect at the Geneva International
2023-10-05 14:16
It's Done. The Future Is Battery-Powered Electric Cars
The rise of electric cars is staggering. Over the past decade, Teslas have gone from being the car
2023-10-05 13:23