AI performs marriage ceremonies, diagnoses and helps farmers in Africa

Wedding vibes

The most exciting news in this first summer month came from the US state of Colorado. Since there is no licensed official needed to perform a marriage ceremony in Colorado, a couple decided a chatbot could marry them.

“Thank you all for joining us today to celebrate the extraordinary love and unity of Reece Alison Wiench and Deyton Truitt,” ChatGPT declared through a speaker. The speaker had a robotic, C-3PO-like mask sitting on top of it as it was stationed in between the bride and groom.

AI regulations tighten

While the newly-weds have been enjoying their honeymoon, the regulations are being imposed to align AI development and operations with legislative systems across multiple countries.

An open letter signed by more than 160 executives at high tech companies stipulates that the proposed EU Artificial Intelligence legislation would jeopardise Europe's competitiveness and technological sovereignty. As we mentioned in our recent newsletter EU lawmakers agreed to a set of draft rules where they stated that systems like ChatGPT would have to disclose AI-generated content, help distinguish deep-fake images from real ones and ensure safeguards against illegal content.

Argentina, on the other side of the Atlantic, published the official “Recommendations for a Reliable Artificial Intelligence” drafted by the Undersecretariat of Information Technologies of the Cabinet Chief. Aimed at guiding and encouraging the ethical and responsible use of AI, the recommendations are based on the basic rules on the Ethics of AI issued by UNESCO in November 2021. Its main objective is to provide guidance to the public sector in the management of AI projects. The recommendations consider ethical aspects at each stage of the AI cycle, such as data design and modelling, verification and validation, implementation and operation and maintenance. In terms of responsibility, it provides that only individuals are to be held responsible for the actions of AI, as AI acts only in response to human requests, without having any intent of its own. The experts agree that these recommendations would become the basis for future and more specific regulations on AI.

Back in the EU, the Union is planning to co-operate more closely with Japan on key technologies such as artificial intelligence. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton mentioned this at the meeting with the Japanese government, and suggested that artificial intelligence would be “very high” on his agenda. The EU is looking to “de-risk” from China, and part of that strategy involves deepening the relationship with allied countries around technology. We will be seeing EU-Japan Digital Partnership council, which will spark off the discussion on areas including quantum and high-performance computing. By the way, the same council was held between the EU and South Korea, where the partners agreed to cooperate on technologies such as AI and cybersecurity.

To de-risk from China the US government announced new chip restrictions and thus made the stock of Chinese AI companies fell. China’s CSI Artificial Intelligence Index slipped 3.76%. Some large-scale players in this field, like Inspur Electronic Information Industry Co Ltd and Chengdu Information Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences slumped 10%.

Healthcare advances

Governments not only impose restrictions on AI, but also use it quite extensively. For example, NHS Trusts in the UK will be able to bid for £21 million funding to accelerate the deployment of the most promising AI tools across hospitals. Government commits to deploying AI decision support tools in all stroke networks by the end of 2023 to help treat strokes through improved diagnosis and access to treatment. AI will also help diagnose patients more quickly for conditions such as cancers, strokes and heart conditions. The UK government has already invested £123 million into 86 AI technologies, which is helping patients by supporting stroke diagnosis, screening, cardiovascular monitoring and managing conditions at home.

New York cancer specialists argue that artificial intelligence is advancing work in the fight against cancer. A speaker from Mount Sinai Health System told in an interview that the technology was being used to detect breast cancer in cases where the naked eye might miss something on a mammogram. Mount Sinai says the software ensures that physicians have advanced technology to aid them in making rapid and accurate diagnoses and in reducing biopsies. Using AI and machine learning algorithms, Koios DS Breast, an AI-based software solution, compares ultrasounds to an archive of hundreds of thousands of images from patients from around the world with confirmed benign or malignant diagnoses.

Researchers from the University of Sheffield developed CognoSpeak, an innovative AI tool that aims to streamline the diagnosis of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Utilizing virtual agents to engage patients in cognitive tests and analyzing their language and speech patterns, the tool provides a quick and efficient assessment. CognoSpeak is accessible via web browser, allowing patients to take the test at home. Initial trials have shown the tool to be 90% accurate in distinguishing Alzheimer’s patients from cognitively healthy individuals.