Three major headlines in AI

The January 17th intelligist AI newsletter

Author

Joaquin Bueno
January 17, 2024

Greetings, intelligists!

In this edition of our newsletter, we look at three major headlines from the world of AI.

First, we explain DeepMind's remarkable achievements in mathematics (AI is beginning to solve problems!). Next, the shifting dynamics of web searches (will Google fall?). Finally, we fill you in on the strategic AI-based discussions at Davos.

These articles remind us of the multifaceted impact of AI on our world. Here’s today’s headlines:

  • AI Makes Major Math Advances: DeepMind’s AlphaGeometry Outshines Olympiad Champs

  • AI is Booming While Google Search is Bombing

  • The AI Imperative: Davos Leaders Urge Swift Adoption to Secure Competitive Edge

AI makes major math advances: DeepMind’s AlphaGeometry outshines Olympiad champs

In a groundbreaking development, DeepMind's latest artificial intelligence creation, AlphaGeometry, has shown the ability to solve complex geometry problems.

According to researchers, their AI model can now beat an International Mathematical Olympiad gold medalist. The AI, which blends a neural language model akin to ChatGPT with a symbolic deduction engine, solved 25 challenging Olympiad problems within the set time limits.

This represents a major stride towards advanced general AI systems capable of deep mathematical reasoning. With AlphaGeometry, DeepMind has pushed the boundaries of what AI can achieve in mathematics, science, and beyond.

DeepMind’s innovative hybrid approach of combining neural networks with symbolic AI could pave the way for problem-solving AI systems. These systems also can generalize knowledge and reasoning across diverse fields.

So far, widely available AI bots such as ChatGPT do not have deductive reasoning abilities or problem-solving. Indeed, this has been a long-running criticism of AI, that it is not truly intelligent.

However, developments such as these make us wonder if AGI is closer than we think.

AI is booming while Google search is bombing

A new study by German academics shows a noteworthy trend in the quality of Google Search results.

The year-long investigation, which analyzed over 7,000 product review queries, proved what many of us have been suspecting. The researchers found that search results are increasingly dominated by low-quality content and “SEO spam.” SEO spam uses knowledge of the Google algorithm to better position pages with poor-quality content. The result: your searches bring up more junk than good hits.

This deluge of spam not only drowns out valuable information but also shows the ongoing struggle between search engines and spam sites. In many cases, spammers have been boosted by the introduction of AI tools. They allow site builders to quickly and easily develop large amounts of content that blend in perfectly with the requirements of the Google search algorithm.

While search engines like Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo have been active in combating this issue, the impact appears to be fleeting. Overall, the researchers found a notable decline in text quality. They also warned that with the rise of AI-generated content, the battle against spam may become even more challenging.

Meanwhile, more people are turning to AI instead of traditional web searches. For example, Perplexity AI started as a search engine. While Google continues to dominate search, the tech giant has lagged behind in AI. One can only wonder if this is the beginning of the end for the storied tech company, who laid off 12,000 workers in 2023 and started 2024 by firing another 1,000.

The AI Imperative: Davos Leaders Urge Swift Adoption to Secure Competitive Edge

At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, a resounding call was made by global leaders for the swift and strategic adoption of artificial intelligence.

The leaders at Davos called AI the "steam engine" of the fourth industrial revolution. Notably, Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE's Minister of State for AI, emphasized the urgency of adopting a "responsible AI nation" stance. This would entail robust policies and regulations to harness AI's full potential while mitigating associated risks.

Accenture CEO Julie Sweet projected that AI's influence would be material and unprecedented across all industries. This suggests that no sector will be untouched by AI’s transformative power. Similarly, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna predicted a staggering $4 trillion in annual productivity gains from AI by 2030. He suggested that early adopters would reap the most substantial competitive advantages.

Overall, the consensus at Davos was unmistakable: Embrace AI with agility or face the risk of obsolescence.