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At the start of 2024, OpenAIs rules for how armed forces might use its technology were unambiguous.The company prohibited anyone from using its models for weapons development or military and warfare. That changed on January 10, when The Intercept reported that OpenAI had softened those restrictions, forbidding anyone from using the technology to harm yourself or others by developing or using weapons, injuring others, or destroying property. OpenAI said soon after that it would work with the Pentagon on cybersecurity software, but not on weapons. Then, in a blog post published in October, the company shared that it is working in the national security space, arguing that in the right hands, AI could help protect people, deter adversaries, and even prevent future conflict.Today, OpenAI is announcing that its technology will be deployed directly on the battlefield.The company says it will partner with the defense-tech company Anduril, a maker of AI-powered drones, radar systems, and missiles, to help US and allied forces defend against drone attacks. OpenAI will help build AI models that rapidly synthesize time-sensitive data, reduce the burden on human operators, and improve situational awareness to take down enemy drones, according to the announcement. Specifics have not been released, but the program will be narrowly focused on defending US personnel and facilities from unmanned aerial threats, according to Liz Bourgeois, an OpenAI spokesperson. This partnership is consistent with our policies and does not involve leveraging our technology to develop systems designed to harm others, she said. An Anduril spokesperson did not provide specifics on the bases around the world where the models will be deployed but said the technology will help spot and track drones and reduce the time service members spend on dull tasks.OpenAIs policies banning military use of its technology unraveled in less than a year. When the company softened its once-clear rule earlier this year, it was to allow for working with the military in limited contexts, like cybersecurity, suicide prevention, and disaster relief, according to an OpenAI spokesperson.Now, OpenAI is openly embracing its work on national security. If working with militaries or defense-tech companies can help ensure that democratic countries dominate the AI race, the company has written, then doing so will not contradict OpenAIs mission of ensuring that AIs benefits are widely shared. In fact, it argues, it will help serve that mission. But make no mistake: This is a big shift from its position just a year ago.In understanding how rapidly this pivot unfolded, its worth noting that while the company wavered in its approach to the national security space, others in tech were racing toward it.Venture capital firms more than doubled their investment in defense tech in 2021, to $40 billion, after firms like Anduril and Palantir proved that with some persuasion (and litigation), the Pentagon would pay handsomely for new technologies. Employee opposition to working in warfare (most palpable during walkouts at Google in 2018) softened for some when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 (several executives in defense tech told me that the unambiguity of that war has helped them attract both investment and talent).So in some ways, by embracing defense OpenAI is just catching up. The difference is that defense-tech companies own that theyre in the business of warfare and havent had to rapidly disown a legacy as a nonprofit AI research company. From its founding charter, OpenAI has positioned itself as an organization on a mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. It had publicly vowed that working with the military would contradict that mission.Its October 24 blog post charted a new path, attempting to square OpenAIs willingness to work in defense with its stated values. Titled OpenAIs approach to AI and national security, it was released the same day the White House issued its National Security Memorandum on AI, which ordered the Pentagon and other agencies to ramp up their use of AI, in part to thwart competition from China.We believe a democratic vision for AI is essential to unlocking its full potential and ensuring its benefits are broadly shared, OpenAI wrote, echoing similar language in the White House memo. We believe democracies should continue to take the lead in AI development, guided by values like freedom, fairness, and respect for human rights.It offered a number of ways OpenAI could help pursue that goal, including efforts to streamline translation and summarization tasks, and study and mitigate civilian harm, while still prohibiting its technology from being used to harm people, destroy property, or develop weapons. Above all, it was a message from OpenAI that it is on board with national security work.The new policies emphasize flexibility and compliance with the law, says Heidy Khlaaf, a chief AI scientist at the AI Now Institute and a safety researcher who authored a paper with OpenAI in 2022 about the possible hazards of its technology in contexts including the military. The companys pivot ultimately signals an acceptability in carrying out activities related to military and warfare as the Pentagon and US military see fit, she says.Amazon, Google, and OpenAIs partner and investor Microsoft have competed for the Pentagons cloud computing contracts for years. Those companies have learned that working with defense can be incredibly lucrative, and OpenAIs pivot, which comes as the company expects $5 billion in losses and is reportedly exploring new revenue streams like advertising, could signal that it wants a piece of those contracts. Big Techs relationships with the military also no longer elicit the outrage and scrutiny that they once did. But OpenAI is not a cloud provider, and the technology its building stands to do much more than simply store and retrieve data. With this new partnership, OpenAI promises to help sort through data on the battlefield, provide insights about threats, and help make the decision-making process in war faster and more efficient.OpenAIs statements on national security perhaps raise more questions than they answer. The company wants to mitigate civilian harm, but for which civilians? Does contributing AI models to a program that takes down drones not count as developing weapons that could harm people?Defensive weapons are still indeed weapons, Khlaaf says. They can often be positioned offensively subject to the locale and aim of a mission.Beyond those questions, working in defense means that the worlds foremost AI company, which has had an incredible amount of leverage in the industry and has long pontificated about how to steward AI responsibly, will now work in a defense-tech industry that plays by an entirely different set of rules. In that system, when your customer is the US military, tech companies do not get to decide how their products are used.

A company best known for sucking up industrial waste gases is turning its attention to food. LanzaTech, a rising star in the fuel and chemical industries, is joining a growing group of businesses producing microbe-based food as an alternative to plant and animal products.Using microbes to make food is hardly newbeer, yogurt, cheese, and tempeh all rely on microbes to transform raw ingredients into beloved dishes. But some companies are hoping to create a new category of food, one that relies on microbes themselves as a primary ingredient in our meals.The global food system is responsible for roughly 25% to 35% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions today (depending on how you tally them up), and much of that comes from animal agriculture. Alternative food sources could help feed the world while cutting climate pollution.As climate change pushes weather conditions to new extremes, its going to be harder to grow food, says LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren. The companys current specialty, sucking up waste gases and transforming them into ethanol, is mostly used today in places like steel mills and landfills.The process the company uses to make ethanol relies on a bacterium that can be found in the guts of rabbits. LanzaTech grows the microbes in reactors, on a diet consisting of gases including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. As they grow, they produce ethanol, which can then be funneled into processes that transform the ethanol into chemicals like ethylene or fuels.A by-product of that process is tons of excess microbes. In LanzaTechs existing plants where ethanol is the primary product, operators generally need to harvest bacteria from the reactors, since they multiply over time. When the excess bacteria are harvested and dried, the resulting powder is high in protein. Some plants using LanzaTechs technology in China are already selling the protein product to feed fish, poultry, and pigs.Now, LanzaTech is expanding its efforts. The company has identified a new microbe, one they hope to make the star of future plants. Cupriavidus necator can be found in soil and water, and its something of a protein machine. The company says that after growing, harvesting, and drying the microbes, the resulting powder is more than 85% protein and could be added to all sorts of food products, for either humans or animals.Roughly 80 companies around the world are making food products using biomass fermentation (meaning the microbes themselves make up the bulk of the product, rather than being used to transform ingredients, as they do in beer or cheesemaking), according to a report from the Good Food Institute, a think tank that focuses on alternative proteins.The most established efforts in this space have been around since the 1980s. They use mycelial fungi, says Adam Leman, principal scientist for fermentation at the Good Food Institute.Other startups are starting to grow other options for food products, including Air Protein and Calysta in the US and Solar Foods in Europe, Leman says. LanzaTech, which has significant experience raising microbes and running reactors, hopping into this space is a really good sign for the industry, he adds.Many alternative protein companies have struggled in recent yearssales of plant-based meat products have dropped, especially in the US. Prices have gone up, and consumers say that alternatives arent up to par on taste and texture yet.Making food with microbes would use less land and water and produce fewer emissions than many protein sources we rely on today, particularly high-impact ones like beef, Holmgren says. While its still early days for bacteria-based foods, one recent review found that mycoprotein-based foods (products like Quorn, made from mycelial fungi) generally have emissions lower than or similar to those of planet-friendly plant-based protein products, like those produced from corn and soy.LanzaTech is currently developing prototype products with Mattson, a company that specializes in food development. In one such trial, Mattson made bread using the protein product as a sort of flour, Holmgren says. As for whether the bread tastes good, she says she hasnt tried it yet, as the company is still working on getting the necessary certification from the US Food and Drug Administration.So far, LanzaTechs efforts have been relatively small-scalethe company is operating a pilot facility in Illinois that can produce around one kilogram of protein product each day. The company is working to start up a pre-commercial plant by 2026 that could produce half a metric ton of product per day, enough to supply the protein requirements of roughly 10,000 people, Holmgren says. A full-scale commercial plant would produce about 45,000 metric tons of protein product each year.I just want to make sure that theres enough protein for the world, Holmgren says.

This MagSafe SSD enclosure helps bring your storage wherever you are and connect to any of your devices.Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure reviewIn 2024, USB-C is king. Connecting all your devices through power, storage, and display is easier than ever.Dockcase takes advantage of this with a MagSafe design to put an SSD on the back of your iPhone while you record video or transfer files. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are in the rearview mirror, but numerous Apple deals are still in effect. Here are the best choices.There's still a chance to grab Black Friday pricing on Apple devices.With prices jumping up after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, shoppers looking for the best deals would normally have to sift through dozens of product listings. But we've rounded up the top picks that are still available at Black Friday prices to help save you time and money. You can also find the latest offers on hundreds of Macs, iPad Pros and more in our Apple Price Guide. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

MU Architectures proposal for Le Petit Laurent Apartments in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has a expressive attitude towards material use in facade designhttps://www.e-architect.com/montreal/le-petit-laurent-apartments-montreal-quebec#architecture #apartmentbuilding #montreal #quebec #canadaMU Architecture's proposal for Le Petit Laurent Apartments in Montreal has a playful attitude towards facade design and urban interface

How Nick Prez is Transforming South Florida Living As president of condominium development at Related Group, Nick Prez is reshaping South Floridas skyline with innovative projects like Armani/Casa and the Waldorf Astoria Residences. From premier sites to cutting-edge collaborations with brands like Hilton and Rosewood, Prez is setting new standards in luxury living.Discover how hes redefining branded residences and pushing the boundaries of real estate development: https://bit.ly/3ZyOvVf #LuxuryLiving #RealEstateDevelopment #SouthFlorida #ArchitecturalInnovationThe Related Group executive discusses the evolution of branded condominiums, key projects, and the future of luxury living in Miami and beyond.

Flexibility meets sustainability! Demountable walls are transforming interiors with adaptability and eco-conscious design. Learn more about their impact! #InteriorDesign #SustainableLiving #Innovation #ZondaMediaIntel #Sponsored https://bit.ly/4hMHNC64 insider reasons on why theyre the designers best friend.

The Prix Versailles just unveiled the winners of this year's World Titles trophies, honoring outstanding achievements in architectural and interior design. During a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the program selected the main prize winners from a field of "Worlds Most Beautiful" categories (we've been covering the finalists over the past months)."Architecture has the ability to display creative and stylistic diversity with great force," jury chair Benjamin Millespied, a dancer and choreographer, shared at the ceremony. "That diversity is the sign that the attention given to nature, togetherness and different forms of expertisecan help an environment emerge, one that is both receptive to expression and capable ofharmony. Such an assembly of actors from every background reminds us of cultures unique talentfor leading humankind into dialogue."This year's Prix Versailles jury panel also included architects Daniel Libeskind, David Adjaye, Wang Shu, and Sou Fujimoto, as we...

BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) has collaborated with modular architecture company Nokken to create Softshell, a semi-permanent, timber-framed tent designed to address sustainability challenges in hospitality and residential design.The Softshells timber frame and recyclable canvas create a low-impact accommodation solution. Image courtesy of NokkenSoftshell is a response to the rising demand for adaptable structures that harmonize with their surroundings while minimizing ecological impact. Constructed from glued-laminated timber and a recyclable canvas, the lightweight structure prioritizes portability without sacrificing architectural integrity.The Softshells open, modular interior offers a blend of comfort and natural light. Image courtesy of NokkenThis project reimagines what a mobile structure can achieve, explains Finn Nrkjr, Partner at BIG. Softshell moves beyond the aesthetic of temporary design, offering something that blends seamlessly into the environment while deliveri...