First photo emerges of Elon Musk and his baby twins with Neuralink director
The first photo of Elon Musk and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis with their baby twins has emerged. Author Walter Isaacson posted the picture on X, formerly known as Twitter, which showed Mr Musk and Ms Zilis with their twins — who were 16 months old at the time — sitting on their laps. Mr Musk fathered a set of twins with Ms Zilis, his director of operations and special projects at Neuralink, in 2021, Insider reported. The mother of two was also previously a board member at OpenAI, also owned by Mr Musk. The children were born weeks before the billionaire welcomed his second child via surrogate with his on-again, off-again partner, the musician Grimes. Ms Zilis reportedly told her colleagues at Neuralink that they had conceived the children via in vitro fertilization (IVF) and did not have a romantic relationship, according to Reuters. Mr Isaacson, who is writing a biography on the Tesla CEO, said the photo was taken during a visit to Ms Zilis’ house in Austin, Texas where Mr Musk walked him and Ms Zilis through his concerns about AI. “This past March, Musk texted me, ‘There are a few important things I would like to talk to you about. Can only be done in person,’” Mr Isaacson wrote in an excerpt from his biography posted in TIME Magazine. “He said we should leave our phones in the house while we sat outside, because, he said, someone could use them to monitor our conversation. But he later agreed that I could use what he said about AI in my book.” Mr Isaacson said Mr Musk told him of his concerns that AI’s rapid development was on a collision course with a “leveling off” in human intelligence that Mr Musk attributed to lower human birth rates. “For a moment I was struck by the oddness of the scene,” Mr Isaacson wrote. “We were sitting on a suburban patio by a tranquil backyard swimming pool on a sunny spring day, with two bright-eyed twins learning to toddle, as Musk somberly speculated about the window of opportunity for building a sustainable human colony on Mars before an AI apocalypse destroyed earthly civilization.” Mr Isaacson said the conversation was the beginning of Mr Musk’s latest company x.AI. The billionaire has said the goal of the company is to find “the true nature of the universe.” Mr Musk is a father to nine children with three different women. Read More Elon Musk and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis reportedly conceived twins via IVF Why is Elon Musk obsessed with the letter X? Elon Musk ‘borrowed $1bn from SpaceX’ at same time as Twitter acquisition SpaceX launch of Starship rocket on hold amid ‘mishap investigation’ Famed tech journalist deletes X account with epic rant at Elon Musk Why is Elon Musk obsessed with the letter X?
2023-09-07 22:55
Famed tech journalist deletes X account with epic rant at Elon Musk and his ‘cesspool’ site
Veteran tech journalist Walt Mossberg announced on Tuesday he was deactivating his X (formerly known as Twitter) account, saying Elon Musk’s takeover of the site turned it into a “cesspool.” Mr Mossberg is a well-respected name and expert in the US tech writing industry, who also co-founded media sites such as Recode and AllThingsD. He announced his boycotting of X on Meta’s new platform Threads, saying his reasons revolve around business tycoon Mr Musk’s threats to sue the Anti-Defemation League (ADL). Mr Musk is threatening to sue the ADL for around $22bn, claiming that the Jewish civil rights group is “destroying” his platform’s value by accusing him of antisemitism. Mr Mossberg cut back his usage of X after Mr Musk bought back controversial figures accounts when he took over ownership of Twitter. Among others, Mr Musk restored the accounts of media personality Andrew Tate, who has been charged over rape and human trafficking claims, as well as Rep Majorie Taylor Greene, who is known for spreading conspiracy theories. “Under Elon Musk, Twitter has not only decided to stop blocking bigots and liars and pro- insurrectionists, it has actively welcomed them, with apparent support from Mr. Musk. I had already cut my participation there by 90%. But Musk’s latest move, to threaten to ban and sue the ADL – to the delight of antisemites and other haters – is the last straw for me,” Mr Mossberg wrote on Threads. He continued on to say he will only be found on Threads, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. “They have their own drawbacks. (I even boycotted Meta for awhile pre-pandemic over privacy issues). But none comes close to the cesspool of Twitter under Musk, which, IMO, is steadily approaching the level of Truth Social,” he wrote. Mr Mossberg famously quit Facebook back in 2018 “because my own values and the policies and actions of Facebook have diverged to the point where I’m no longer comfortable here”. This time, Mr Mossberg has quit X over fears that “antisemites and other haters” will revel in Mr Musk’s decision to ban and sue the ADL. “It is profoundly disturbing that Elon Musk spent the weekend engaging with a highly toxic, anti-Semitic campaign on his platform,” ADL CEO Johnathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “But to be clear, the real issue is neither ADL nor the threat of a frivolous lawsuit. This urgent matter is the safety of the Jewish people in the face of increasing, intensifying antisemitism.” While there has yet to be a lawsuit filed, Mr Musk took to X to promote the hashtag #BantheADL, which inevitably became popular amongst the far-right X community. Before retiring from journalism back in 2017, Mr Mossberg wrote for The Wall Street Journal for over twenty years. His admired status makes his leave from X ten times louder in the media industry. Read More Elon Musk vows to sue ADL for calling him antisemitic after he promoted antisemitic campaign on X Why is Elon Musk obsessed with the letter X? Elon Musk calls Burning Man ‘best art on Earth’ amid chaos that saw thousands stranded and one dead SpaceX launch of Starship rocket on hold amid ‘mishap investigation’ Why is Elon Musk obsessed with the letter X? Elon Musk ‘borrowed $1bn from SpaceX’ at same time as Twitter acquisition
2023-09-07 22:27
Suspected Chinese operatives using AI generated images to spread disinformation among US voters, Microsoft says
Suspected Chinese operatives have used images made by artificial intelligence to mimic American voters online in an attempt to spread disinformation and provoke discussion on divisive political issues as the 2024 US election approaches, Microsoft analysts warned Thursday.
2023-09-07 22:24
SpaceX launch of Starship rocket on hold amid ‘mishap investigation’
SpaceX will not be cleared to launch its 400-foot-tall (121 metre) Starship rocket until a “mishap investigation” is completed, regulators have said. A statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned of a launch delay for the biggest rocket ever built, just hours after SpaceX boss Elon Musk said the craft was “ready to launch” on Wednesday. SpaceX made its first and only attempt at an orbital Starship launch in April, with the rocket exploding over the Gulf of Mexico just three minutes into the 90 minute flight. The crewless rocket broke up into pieces over an empty stretch of water, however the debris blast created by Starship’s huge engines at its launchpad drew heavy scrutiny from regulators. Concrete dust drifted more than 10 kilometres from the launch site, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service, while concrete chunks and metal shards were discovered within a 700-acre zone surrounding the pad. SpaceX claimed the mission was a success, as Starship and its Super Heavy booster were able to lift off on its maiden test flight, however the FAA launched an investigation soon afterwards. Following Mr Musk’s latest comments that the latest version of the rocket is ready to launch pending regulatory approval, the FAA warned SpaceX that it would need to wait for the investigation to conclude. “The SpaceX Starship mishap investigation remains open,” the FAA said in a statement. “The FAA will not authorise another Starship launch until SpaceX implements the corrective actions identified during the mishap investigation and demonstrates compliance with all the regulatory requirements of the licence modification process.” SpaceX has made numerous alterations and improvements to Starship and its launch pad, including remedial measures aimed at preventing launch debris and a new method for separating the upper stage from its booster rocket. Nasa has already awarded SpaceX a multi-billion dollar contract to develop Starship for its Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the surface of the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. Mr Musk also plans to use the rockets for more ambitious longer term goals, including establishing a permanent human colony on Mars before 2050. “As the most powerful launch system ever developed, Starship will be able to carry up to 100 people on long-duration, interplanetary flights,” SpaceX notes on its website. “Starship will also help enable transport of many satellites, large space telescopes, and significant amounts of cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.” Read More ‘It’s becoming like an airport’: How SpaceX normalised rocket launches SpaceX abandons YouTube for live streams of launches in favour of X/Twitter Starship ‘ready to launch’, Elon Musk says SpaceX crew streak across sky before splashing down off Florida coast SpaceX smashes rocket launch record as Musk eyes historic Starship mission
2023-09-07 21:49
Toyota mobility tech unit CEO Kuffner to leave post
By Daniel Leussink TOKYO James Kuffner, the chief executive of Toyota Motor's autonomous driving technology unit Woven by
2023-09-07 16:58
Olivia Dunne's Tim McGraw-inspired Labor Day message takes Internet by storm, fans dub TikTok star 'prettiest person alive'
LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne created a Labor Day buzz by posting a video on TikTok by playing Tim McGraw's 'Something Like That'
2023-09-07 16:15
AI can help generate synthetic viruses and spark pandemics, warns former Google executive
Synthetic viruses could be generated through the misuse of artificial intelligence and potentially spark pandemics, a former Google executive and AI expert has warned. Google DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman expressed concern that the use of AI to engineer pathogens to cause more harm may lead to a scenario like a pandemic. “The darkest scenario is that people will experiment with pathogens, engineered synthetic pathogens that might end up accidentally or intentionally being more transmissible or more lethal,” he said in a recent episode of a podcast. Similar to how there are restrictions in place to prevent people from easily accessing pathogenic microbes like anthrax, Mr Suleyman has called for the means to restrict access to advanced AI technology and software that runs such models. “That’s where we need containment. We have to limit access to the tools and the know-how to carry out that kind of experimentation,” he said in The Diary of a CEO podcast. “We can’t let just anyone have access to them. We need to limit who can use the AI software, the cloud systems, and even some of the biological material,” the Google DeepMind co-founder said. “And of course on the biology side it means restricting access to some of the substances,” he said, adding that AI development needs to be approached with a “precautionary principle”. Mr Suleyman’s statements echo concerns raised in a recent study that even undergraduates with no relevant background in biology can detail suggestions for bio-weapons from AI systems. Researchers, including those from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, found chatbots can suggest “four potential pandemic pathogens” within an hour and explain how they can be generated from synthetic DNA. The research found chatbots also “supplied the names of DNA synthesis companies unlikely to screen orders, identified detailed protocols and how to troubleshoot them, and recommended that anyone lacking the skills to perform reverse genetics engage a core facility or contract research organization”. Such large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, “will make pandemic-class agents widely accessible as soon as they are credibly identified, even to people with little or no laboratory training,” the study said. The study, whose authors included MIT bio risk expert Kevin Esvelt, called for “non-proliferation measures”. Such measures could include “pre-release evaluations of LLMs by third parties, curating training datasets to remove harmful concepts, and verifiably screening all DNA generated by synthesis providers or used by contract research organizations and robotic ‘cloud laboratories’ to engineer organisms or viruses”. Read More China’s ‘government-approved’ AI chatbot says Taiwan invasion is likely Government urged to address AI ‘risks’ to avoid ‘spooking’ public Scientists give verdict on Harvard professor’s claim of finding materials in sea from outside Solar System Google boss says he wants to make people ‘shrug’ Why is Elon Musk obsessed with the letter X? Elon Musk ‘borrowed $1bn from SpaceX’ at same time as Twitter acquisition
2023-09-07 15:48
James Kuffner Exits as CEO of Toyota’s Technology Unit Woven
James Kuffner is leaving his post as chief executive officer of Toyota Motor Corp.’s automotive-technology unit, Woven by
2023-09-07 15:27
Modi Asks Rich Nations to Soften Climate Demands Ahead of G-20
Sign up for the India Edition newsletter by Menaka Doshi – an insider's guide to the emerging economic
2023-09-07 15:19
Fossil Fuels Smudge G-20 Host India’s Green Leadership Ambitions
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s green pitch to the Group of 20 this week will include new calls
2023-09-07 14:24
How to watch England vs New Zealand 2023 ODI series online for free
The flagship event of the international cricket calendar is fast approaching. The ICC Men's Cricket
2023-09-07 12:50
5 Nintendo Switch Games to be Excited for in Q4 2023
The fourth quarter is around the corner. Here are some games you'll want to look into.
2023-09-07 06:55