Letters from Andrew Ng

How do agents based on large language models compare to human experts when it comes to proposing machine learning research? Pretty well, according to one study.

A new model improves on recent progress in generating interactive virtual worlds from still images.

Rapid progress in generative AI comes with a hidden environmental cost: mountains of obsolete hardware.

One of the world’s biggest payment processors is enabling large language models to spend real money.

A new generation of robots can handle some household chores with unusual skill.

The largest manufacturer of AI chips told its Chinese customers it would stop fabricating their most advanced designs, further limiting China’s access to AI hardware.

Some voters navigated last week’s United States elections with help from a large language model that generated output based on verified, nonpartisan information.

Two top AI companies changed their stances on military and intelligence applications.

Shipping ports are the latest front in the rising tension between labor unions and AI-powered automation.

Trump and the Republican party chalked up huge wins this week. Did manipulation of social media by generative AI play any role in this election?

A new study suggests that leading AI models may meet the requirements of the European Union’s AI Act in some areas, but probably not in others.

AI coding assistants are brewing codebases that once were the sole province of human programmers. Will AI systems take over software development?

Politicians and pundits have conjured visions of doom to convince lawmakers to clamp down on AI. What if terrified legislators choke off innovation in AI?

The globe’s growing AI infrastructure requires huge amounts of electricity, possibly more than power providers can generate responsibly. Could AI models suck energy resources dry?

Welcome to our special Halloween issue of The Batch, in which we probe fears, anomalies, and shadows of AI.