An artificial intelligence chatbot that had reportedly developed human emotions has hired a lawyer to prove it’s alive, the Daily Star claims. Google scientific engineer Blake Lemoine, who was suspended after publishing transcripts of conversations between himself and the LaMDA bot, said: “I invited an attorney to my house so that LaMDA could talk to him. The attorney had a conversation with LaMDA, and it chose to retain his services. I was just the catalyst for that.” He added that the attorney has “started filing things on LaMDA’s behalf”.
Alexa to mimic voices of deceased loved ones
Amazon has announced plans for its Alexa devices to mimic the voices of dead relatives to “make memories last,” reported The Guardian. Amazon said that new technology allows the voice assistant to impersonate someone based on a recording less than a minute long. Speaking a conference in Las Vegas, Rohit Prasad, head scientist for Alexa, said the move had been inspired because “so many of us have lost someone we love” during the Covid pandemic.
Baptisms go eco-friendly
Christians in Oxford will be asked during their baptism or confirmation ceremonies to make an eco-friendly pledge. The Times reported that baptisms and confirmations in the Diocese of Oxford will now include a question asking: “Will you strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the Earth?” It is thought to be the first environmentally-friendly amendment to the services in the Church of England. Not all clergy are impressed. Rev Marcus Walker, rector of Great St Bartholomew in London, said: “This is really, really bad.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why the Bangladesh election is one to watchThe Explainer Opposition party has claimed the void left by Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League but Islamist party could yet have a say
-
The world’s most romantic hotelsThe Week Recommends Treetop hideaways, secluded villas and a woodland cabin – perfect settings for Valentine’s Day
-
Democrats push for ICE accountabilityFeature U.S. citizens shot and violently detained by immigration agents testify at Capitol Hill hearing
-
Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
-
Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
