BY CHIMERA STAFF
NEW YORK – Tech Week NYC showcased the forefront of AI innovation, with discussions spanning from safety concerns to the diverse applications of AI in fields such as sports analytics and fragrance creation. The event gathered prominent tech leaders and entrepreneurs to explore the current landscape and future potential of AI technology.
One significant theme was the financial challenges of AI development, with suggestions that companies might resort to selling personal data to recoup their investments. The high cost of training AI models puts immense pressure on companies to monetize these technologies, often at the expense of user privacy.
A major criticism was directed at Microsoft's new Recall feature for PC’s, which was labeled as "spyware" and "a serious hijacking of trust” by Signal App President Meredith Whittaker. The high cost of training AI models puts immense pressure on companies to monetize these technologies, often at the expense of user privacy.
The criticized feature logs user activity into an AI-searchable database, undermining the privacy expectations of users, particularly those using encrypted messaging services. Concerns were raised about the serious implications for user trust and privacy.
Another major point was the industry's "evaluation crisis," highlighting the need for reliable assessment methods as AI capabilities advance rapidly beyond current evaluation frameworks. This rapid advancement poses a critical trust issue with the public.
A holistic view of AI's potential negative outcomes was urged, cautioning against focusing solely on dystopian scenarios like "robots shooting humans." Instead, attention was drawn to other significant risks that AI could pose, urging a broader consideration of the myriad ways AI can lead to negative consequences beyond the typical extreme narratives.
Concerns were voiced over generative AI using creators' content as training data, which diminishes original content visibility and revenue. This was described as one of the biggest heists of copyright infringement happening currently, with calls for legislative action to protect creators' rights.
Google's new AI features were highlighted as reducing traffic to original content creators' websites by offering AI-generated summaries that often lack accuracy, impacting creators' revenue and visibility.
Innovative work on digitizing smell using AI was presented by Osmo co-founder and CEO Alex Wiltschko, aiming to replicate the digitization of vision and hearing. This groundbreaking work suggests that scent, our most primary and emotional sense, is on the verge of being replicated digitally by AI.
An AI-powered tool designed to predict player injuries and simulate rule changes was introduced by a leading tech company in collaboration with a major sports league. This technology integrates data from player movements and game footage to identify injury risks and optimize player management.
Discussions included the use of generative AI to analyze sports match data, enhancing player strategies and performance analysis. The expansion of AI by a major social media company was also highlighted, addressing challenges in aligning AI models with company standards and maintaining consistent performance.
A roundtable debate focused on the role of open-source AI models, which can democratize access and innovation but also pose security risks. Open-source models currently lag behind closed ones in performance due to economic incentives for maintaining proprietary models.
The historical pattern of security concerns with new technologies was noted, emphasizing the need for collaborative governance. A call was made for a robust open-source governance framework to manage these risks effectively.
The importance of open-source models for global tech equity and U.S. technological leadership was underscored. There were also calls for regulatory controls on GPU exports to prevent misuse by bad actors.
Despite the challenges, it was noted that existing laws could adapt to AI, and new regulations could be implemented as needed.
TECH WEEK NYC's AI+ NY Summit highlighted the transformative potential of AI while addressing critical ethical, privacy, and security concerns. As AI continues to evolve, balancing innovation with responsible governance remains paramount.