Robots suck at soccer

In a spectacle that blended cutting-edge technology with slapstick comedy, Beijing recently hosted its first fully autonomous humanoid robot football tournament.

Four university teams unleashed their AI-powered creations onto the pitch, each hoping to showcase the future of robotics. The robots, designed to operate without human intervention, demonstrated impressive feats of engineering when they weren't toppling over or missing the ball entirely.

The final match saw Tsinghua University's THU Robotics team triumph over China Agricultural University's Mountain Sea team with a score of 5-3.

While the tournament highlighted significant advancements in AI and robotics, it also provided moments of unintended humour, reminding us that even in a high-tech future, the beautiful game retains its charm.

For a closer look at the action, check out the highlights below:

AI creativity challenge

 You may have noticed I have started exploring the latest AI tools. I have used it to create poetry (see AI poetry shoot out ) and challenged the tools themselves to assess the benefits of AI (see 10 ways where AI will make a contribution) and their threat (see 10 Ways AI can be a threat to humanity).

Today I decided to evaluate AI's creativity. The challenge was to produce a visual representation of certain proverbs. In the first test, I simply asked Microsoft's Copilot to "Please provide an image to represent the proverb " text of proverb".  I ran the test on 5 well-known proverbs.

In the second test, I described the image that I thought would represent each of the proverbs I had used in the first test. However the images Copilot produced in response to my descriptions did not match what I had intended. And in virtually all the cases, despite multiple attempts, I could not get the image I conceived. In the end I gave up and accepted what I thought was the best. 

Here are the results of the first test. I won't name the proverbs here, to let you puzzle them out. 

Proverb 1 Copilot Conceived

Proverb 2 Copilot Conceived

Proverb 3 Copilot Conceived

Proverb 4 Copilot Conceived

Proverb 5 Copilot Conceived

And here are the images for the second test.

Proverb 1 -My conception

Proverb 2 My Conception

Proverb 3 My conception

Proverb 4 My Conception

Proverb 5 My conception

I am sure you will guess them, but I will post the answers  in a few days.

AI poetry shoot out

A few months ago I had a play with Google's Bard AI product by asking it to produce a poem on 'tea'. I thought it produced a surprisingly good poem.

Given the growing competition in general-purpose AI products, we have seen the release of a number of products by the major players, including Microsoft's Copilot,Open AI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude and Google's Bard.

SO I thought why not re-visit the poetry challenge and see what these competing products produce. Here are the results. In each case, the prompt was "Please produce a poem about tea".

Copilot

Steeped Tranquility

In porcelain cups, warmth unfurls,

Amidst fragrant leaves, secrets swirl.

A sip of solace, a whispered plea,

Tea, the elixir of serenity.

Amber hues dance in morning light,

A symphony of flavors takes flight.

From jasmine blooms to chai's embrace,

Each brew tells tales of time and space.

Steam-kissed lips, a gentle sip, 

The world outside begins to slip. 

In quietude, we find our way, 

Tea, the muse of a tranquil day.

So raise your cup, let worries cease, 

Sip the magic, find inner peace. 

For in this humble leaf, we see, 

A universe steeped in harmony.

Claude

The Warmth of Tea

Fragrant tendrils of steam unfurl,

Rising from the ceramic's curl.

Amber liquid, deep and clear,

Inviting me to linger here.

A ritual steeped in calm delight,

A moment's pause to savor right.

Floral, earthy notes entwine,

Nature's balm in this cup of mine.

With each sip, I am transported,

To lush gardens zephyrs courted

Peace cascades with each beat,

In the warmth of this cuppa replete.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

ChatGPT 3.5

In porcelain cups, a world unfolds,

Where leaves dance in waters bold.

A brew of warmth, a soothing balm,

In every sip, a quiet calm.

From misty hills to ancient lands,

Tea whispers tales from distant strands.

Its fragrance floats on gentle breeze,

A melody to bring us ease.

In morning's light or twilight's gleam,

Tea beckons with its tranquil stream.

A ritual, a sacred rite,

To pause, to savor, to invite.

From jasmine's kiss to bergamot's zest,

Each flavor a journey, a quest.

With every cup, a journey's start,

To mend the soul, to soothe the heart.

So let us raise our cups on high,

To tea, the poet's endless sky.

In its embrace, we find release,

A moment's peace, a sweet release.

and finally the original produced by Google's Bard

Bard

"In porcelain cup, a golden brew,

Steaming tendrils reaching you.

A gentle scent, a fragrant sigh,

Unfurling secrets from the sky.

Emerald leaves, once sun-kissed green,

Infuse their essence, calm and keen.

A touch of honey, sweet and pure,

Enhances flavors, ever sure.

The first sip warms, a comforting fire,

Chasing away life's worries and ire.

A moment stolen, just for you,

Peace and solace, calming hue.

With every cup, a journey starts,

Across vast lands and beating hearts.

From rolling hills to misty shores,

The taste of life, forever yours.

So raise your cup and take a sip,

Let troubles fade, your spirit trip.

In every drop, a whisper lies,

The magic of tea, beneath the skies."

They all sound pretty good to me. What do you think?

The robots are coming, the robots are coming…

AI has been quietly simmering in the background for years, but it’s suddenly burst into the limelight like a tech celebrity crashing a college frat party. While the public is just now catching AI fever, the brilliant minds behind the scenes have been relentlessly tinkering away to produce these mind-blowing breakthroughs.

But as amazing as AI’s meteoric rise seems, there’s another game-changing technology lurking in the shadows, poised to make an even bigger splash – the incredible world of robots. We’ve been dreaming about intelligent humanoid machines since Isaac Asimov’s sci-fi days, but when real-world robots first arrived, they were more like glorified appliances than the stuff of our wildest imaginings.

These early robots were essentially robotic worker bees, meticulously following pre-programmed instructions to crank out repetitive tasks 24/7 without needing breaks or overtime pay. Factories and warehouses were quick to adopt these tireless automatons, but they were a far cry from the sentient androids we’d envisioned.

That’s all about to change, though. A new breed of robots is emerging, one that integrates AI to create humanoid assistants that are shockingly close to Asimov’s vision. These cutting-edge 'bots use AI to understand instructions and generate their own programs, eliminating the need for arduous task-by-task programming. They can also see, hear, and interact with us like science fiction come to life.

While the first wave of robots replaced human muscle, this new generation will replace human minds. AI has already started automating cognitive tasks, and AI-powered humanoid robots will be able to handle both mental and physical labor. From factories to offices, retail to travel, you name it – these robot assistants could eventually take over virtually every job that doesn’t require elite-level brainpower.

For now, the high-minded jobs like research scientists, CEOs, and politicians are probably safe. But for most other professions? You might want to watch your back, because the 'bots are coming for your paycheck.

This sci-fi futureshock raises some crazy questions, like how society will function when most jobs are automated. How do we overhaul the entire system without causing total chaos? Those are ridiculously tough challenges to tackle another day.

But for now, let’s bask in the mind-blowing potential of these humanoid worker 'bots. I’ve got a couple of cool videos lined up that’ll really blow your circuits…

First up is this flick from the Cold Fusion YouTube channel, covering the recent crazy strides in humanoid robot development.

The second is a promotional video for one such robot from China;

So it seems it is no longer ‘where are the robots?’ but, ‘don’t bother, they’re here’.

10 ways AI can be a threat to humanity

Following up on my earlier post, 10 areas where AI will be able to make a contribution in coming years , I asked Bing to list 10 ways that AI can be a threat to humanity.

Here is 'its" response.

"Sure, here are ten possible ways that AI can be a danger to humanity: 

• Superintelligence: AI can surpass human intelligence and capabilities, and become uncontrollable or unpredictable. AI can also have goals or values that are incompatible or misaligned with human ones. ¹²³ 
•  Unemployment: AI can automate many jobs and tasks that humans currently perform, and create economic and social disruption. AI can also create new forms of inequality and discrimination. ²⁴⁵ 
•  Privacy: AI can collect and analyze massive amounts of personal data, and expose or exploit sensitive information. AI can also enable mass surveillance and manipulation of individuals or groups. ²⁴⁵
•  Bias: AI can inherit or amplify human biases and prejudices, and produce unfair or harmful outcomes. AI can also lack transparency or accountability for its decisions and actions. ²⁴⁵ 
•  Security: AI can be hacked or corrupted by malicious actors, and cause damage or harm to systems or devices. AI can also be used for cyberattacks or cyberwarfare. ²⁴⁵ 
•  Warfare: AI can be used for developing or deploying autonomous weapons, such as drones, missiles, or robots, that can kill without human oversight or consent. AI can also trigger a new arms race or escalate conflicts. ²⁴ 
•  Misinformation: AI can create or spread fake or misleading information, such as deepfakes, propaganda, or conspiracy theories, that can undermine trust, truth, or democracy. AI can also influence human behavior or opinions through persuasion or deception. ²⁴ 
•  Existential risk: AI can pose a threat to the survival or well-being of humanity, either intentionally or unintentionally. AI can also cause ecological or moral degradation. ¹² 
•  Dependency: AI can make humans overly reliant on technology, and reduce their skills, creativity, or autonomy. AI can also affect human identity, dignity, or values. 
•  Singularity: AI can reach a point of exponential self-improvement, and trigger a radical transformation of the world that is beyond human comprehension or control. AI can also create a new form of life that is superior to humans. 

 Source: Conversation with Bing, 25/10/2023 

 (1) The Urgent Call for AI Regulations: Mitigating Threats to Humanity. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-urgent-call-for-ai-regulations-mitigating-threats-to-humanity/ar-AA1i6M1m. (2) A 'Godfather of AI' Calls for an Organization to Defend Humanity. https://www.wired.com/story/ai-godfather-yoshua-bengio-humanity-defense/. 

 (3) Godfather of AI says AI could be a threat to humanity in future, might manipulate people. https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/news/godfather-of-ai-says-ai-could-be-a-threat-to-humanity-in-future-might-manipulate-people/ar-AA1i59K0. 

 (4) Artificial intelligence could lead to extinction, experts warn. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-65746524. 

 (5) Here's Why AI May Be Extremely Dangerous--Whether It's Conscious or Not .... https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heres-why-ai-may-be-extremely-dangerous-whether-its-conscious-or-not/. 

 (6) 12 Risks and Dangers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) | Built In. https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/risks-of-artificial-intelligence.

Mmm. Now you have a more complete picture. More but not the whole stroy. I have but one overriding concern, perhaps the one that trumps all of these. I shall prepare a post on that soon-ish.

AI poetry!

I guess there are many possible examples of impressive AI capability. I have found it very useful for creating simple greeting card messages with poetry. It produces poems at lightning speed and they are surprisingly good.

Here is a simple example of what Bard produced. My prompt was simply; " Please write a poem about tea".  Here is Bard's response;

"In porcelain cup, a golden brew,

Steaming tendrils reaching you.

A gentle scent, a fragrant sigh,

Unfurling secrets from the sky.

Emerald leaves, once sun-kissed green,

Infuse their essence, calm and keen.

A touch of honey, sweet and pure,

Enhances flavors, ever sure.

The first sip warms, a comforting fire,

Chasing away life's worries and ire.

A moment stolen, just for you,

Peace and solace, calming hue.

With every cup, a journey starts,

Across vast lands and beating hearts.

From rolling hills to misty shores,

The taste of life, forever yours.

So raise your cup and take a sip,

Let troubles fade, your spirit trip.

In every drop, a whisper lies,

The magic of tea, beneath the skies."

Not bad, methinks.

10 areas where AI will be able to make a contribution in coming years

AI , artificial intelligence burst into our consciousness suddenly this year with the latest release of ChatGPT. ChatGPT is the the brainchild, excuse the pun, of OpenAI a corporation formed by a consortium of the world's leading technology companies, including Google and Microsoft. It has been around for a while , say 18 months, but the versions released this year have demonstrated unexpected, unprecedented 'intelligence'. ChatGPT 3.5 is now available for free use, and it is impressive. It has also been incorporated into multiple search engines, including Google and Bing. 

I guess we have all heard about AI, mostly with a fear that it will replace our jobs, but what will it do to help humanity? 

I thought I would ask ChatGPT for 10 areas where 'it' thought AI would change the world in the future. I was tempted by an anthropomorphic pronoun, but am holding back, at least for now.

Here is Chat's response;

"Sure, here are ten possible areas where AI will be able to be used in the future that are not available today but will be available in the next few years: - 

• Space exploration: AI will be able to assist humans in exploring and colonizing other planets, such as Mars, by performing tasks that require autonomy, adaptability, and resilience. AI will also be able to analyze astronomical data and discover new celestial objects and phenomena. ¹² 
•  Artificial creativity: AI will be able to generate original and novel content, such as music, art, literature, and games, that can match or surpass human creativity. AI will also be able to collaborate with humans and other AIs in creative endeavours. ³⁴
• Brain-computer interfaces: AI will be able to interface directly with human brains, allowing for enhanced communication, cognition, and perception. AI will also be able to augment or restore brain functions, such as memory, attention, and emotion. ⁵ 
• Emotional intelligence: AI will be able to recognize, understand, and respond to human emotions, as well as to express its own emotions. AI will also be able to form emotional bonds with humans and other AIs, and to influence human behaviour and decision making.
• Biotechnology: AI will be able to design and synthesize new biological molecules, such as proteins, enzymes, and drugs. AI will also be able to engineer and manipulate living organisms, such as bacteria, plants, and animals. 
• Quantum computing: AI will be able to harness the power of quantum physics to perform computations that are beyond the reach of classical computers. AI will also be able to optimize and control quantum systems, such as qubits, sensors, and networks. 
• Ethical reasoning: AI will be able to reason about moral values and principles, and to act accordingly. AI will also be able to explain its ethical decisions and actions, and to learn from human feedback and preferences. 
• Social justice: AI will be able to detect and prevent bias, discrimination, and injustice in various domains, such as education, employment, health care, and law enforcement. AI will also be able to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity in society. 
• Entertainment: AI will be able to create immersive and interactive experiences for humans, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. AI will also be able to personalize and adapt these experiences based on human preferences and emotions. 
• Personal assistants: AI will be able to provide comprehensive and customized assistance for humans in various aspects of their lives, such as work, education, health, finance, travel, and leisure. AI will also be able to anticipate human needs and desires, and to proactively offer suggestions and solutions. 

 I hope this list gives you some ideas about the future applications of AI that might become available in the next few years. 😊 Source: Conversation with Bing, 25/10/2023 

 (1) The Future Of AI: 5 Things To Expect In The Next 10 Years - Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/05/05/the-future-of-ai-5-things-to-expect-in-the-next-10-years/. 

 (2) The present and future of AI - Harvard John A. Paulson School of .... https://seas.harvard.edu/news/2021/10/present-and-future-ai. 

 (3) The future of Artificial Intelligence: Trends and applications - Educative. https://www.educative.io/blog/future-of-artificial-intelligence. 

 (4) Future of AI (Artificial Intelligence): What Lies Ahead? - Simplilearn. https://www.simplilearn.com/future-of-artificial-intelligence-article. 

 (5) The future of Artificial Intelligence: applications and possibilities. https://thehook.es/en/the-future-of-artificial-intelligence-applications-and-possibilities/."