Falling in love with AI

+ are you a rapid or healthy ager? US Edition - Today's top story: AI isn't close to becoming sentient – the real danger lies in how easily we're prone to anthropomorphize it [View in browser]( US Edition | 15 March 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Yesterday afternoon, OpenAI released GPT-4, the newest iteration of its chatbot, upgrading a technology that has captured the public’s imagination with its ability to compose essays, answer questions and converse with users. Many have marveled at ChatGPT’s thoughtful, precise and uncannily human responses, with some even wondering if the technology can be thought of as sentient. But to Nir Eisikovits, a scholar of ethics and public policy at UMass Boston, it doesn’t really matter whether this technology has a “mind of its own.” What does matter is that users will likely [form real attachments]( to the technology. We already name our cars and our boats, feel a pang of sadness when trading in an old phone for a new one, and scream abuse at our GPS as if it could understand us. The more lifelike AI technologies sound and look, the more likely it is we’ll form bonds with them. “The outlandish-sounding prospects of falling in love with robots, feeling a deep kinship with them or being politically manipulated by them are quickly materializing,” Eisikovits writes. Also today: - [Nonmedical alternatives to treating depression]( - [Lessons of the Iraq War, 20 years on from invasion]( - [Assessing the carbon footprint of March Madness]( Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor To what extent will our psychological vulnerabilities shape our interactions with emerging technologies? Andreus/iStock via Getty Images [AI isn’t close to becoming sentient – the real danger lies in how easily we’re prone to anthropomorphize it]( Nir Eisikovits, UMass Boston Our tendency to view machines as people and become attached to them points to real risks of psychological entanglement with AI technology. Economy + Business - [Inflation is proving particularly stubborn – but jitters over banking failures, softening economy complicate Fed rate decision]( Christopher Decker, University of Nebraska Omaha The latest consumer prices report shows cost of living is still rising far above the Fed’s target. But don’t expect monetary policymakers to aggressively hike rates. - [What’s the carbon footprint of March Madness?]( Brian P. McCullough, Texas A&M University All those Cinderella stories, buzzer-beating finishes and wild cheering sections have a high price tag – for the climate. Education - [Why I use ‘The Boondocks’ TV cartoon show to teach a course about race]( Kris Marsh, University of Maryland A sociology professor uses the popular ‘Boondocks’ cartoon to explore contemporary issues of race in American society. Politics + Society - [It’s been 20 years since the US invaded Iraq – long enough for my undergraduate students to see it as a relic of the past]( Andrea Stanton, University of Denver University students today are too young to remember the March 2003 start of the Iraq War, which has future foreign policy implications and changes how the conflict should be taught. Health + Medicine - [Depression too often gets deemed ‘hard to treat’ when medication falls short]( Elissa H. Patterson, University of Michigan; Jay Kayser, University of Michigan An overreliance on medication as the first-line treatment for depression can lead some people to be labeled with treatment-resistant depression when there are other viable alternatives for relief. Environment + Energy - [Fines for breaking US pollution laws can vary widely among states – the disparity may violate the Constitution]( Jerry Anderson, Drake University A new study reveals wide disparities among state-issued Clean Water Act fines, and even among federal fines from regions to region. A law professor explains why it may be illegal. Science + Technology - [AI information retrieval: A search engine researcher explains the promise and peril of letting ChatGPT and its cousins search the web for you]( Chirag Shah, University of Washington Searching the web with ChatGPT is like talking to an expert – if you’re OK getting a mix of fact and fiction. But even if it were error-free, searching this way comes with hidden costs. - [Are you a rapid ager? Biological age is a better health indicator than the number of years you’ve lived, but it’s tricky to measure]( Aditi Gurkar, University of Pittsburgh Aging is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases. Figuring out what influences longevity and how to identify rapid agers could lead to healthier and longer lives for more people. Trending on site - [Silicon Valley Bank biggest US lender to fail since 2008 financial crisis – a finance expert explains the impact]( - [What exactly is the internet? A computer scientist explains what it is and how it came to be]( - [Marburg virus outbreaks are increasing in frequency and geographic spread – three virologists explain]( Today's graphic [A graphic showing responses to a survey asked Ukrainians what their top priority was for rebuilding their nation after the war ends someday. The chart also shows how responses varied between all of Ukraine, western regions and eastern regions.]( From the story, [Ukraine’s new wartime unity lays the groundwork for eventual rebuilding, without the complex and stubborn divisions of the past]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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