The Download: Autonomous narco submarines, and virtue signaling chatbots | MIT Technology Review
Summary
This edition of The Download covers advancements in autonomous narco submarines, ethical concerns surrounding AI chatbots, and the evolving landscape of climate justice.
Why It Matters
The article highlights significant technological advancements in drug trafficking and the ethical implications of AI in sensitive roles. Understanding these developments is crucial for policymakers, law enforcement, and society as they navigate the complexities of technology's impact on crime and ethics.
Key Takeaways
- Uncrewed narco submarines could revolutionize drug trafficking methods, increasing efficiency and reducing risks for smugglers.
- The ethical scrutiny of AI chatbots is essential as they take on more sensitive roles, impacting human decision-making.
- The legal framework for climate justice is evolving, potentially holding responsible parties accountable for historical environmental damage.
This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. How uncrewed narco subs could transform the Colombian drug trade For decades, handmade narco subs have been some of the cocaine trade’s most elusive and productive workhorses, ferrying multi-ton loads of illicit drugs from Colombian estuaries toward markets in North America and, increasingly, the rest of the world. Now off-the-shelf technology—Starlink terminals, plug-and-play nautical autopilots, high-resolution video cameras—may be advancing that cat-and-mouse game into a new phase.Uncrewed subs could move more cocaine over longer distances, and they wouldn’t put human smugglers at risk of capture. And law enforcement around the world is just beginning to grapple with what this means for the future. Read the full story. —Eduardo Echeverri López This story is from the next print issue of MIT Technology Review magazine, which is all about crime. If you haven’t already, subscribe now to receive future issues once they land. Google DeepMind wants to know if chatbots are just virtue signaling The news: Google DeepMind is calling for the moral behavior of large language models—such as what they do when called on to act as companions, therapists, medical advisors, and so on—to be scrutinized with the same kind of rigor as their ability to code or do math. Why it matters: As LLMs improve, people are asking them to play more and more sensitive...
