Beginners in AI

Thank you for joining us again!

Welcome to this week's edition of Beginners in AI, where we explore the latest trends, tools, and news in the world of AI and the tech that surrounds it. Like all editions, this is human curated and published with the intention of making AI news and technology more accessible to everyone. 

This week, we're looking into intriguing topics from predictive crime-detection technology in the UK to ill advised courtroom advisors and heated debates on generative AI in filmmaking. We also explore Google's newest AI communication standard and Anthropic’s premium AI offering, rounded out by a heroic robotic rescue in a nuclear crisis. Let’s explore the exciting developments shaping our digital future!

AI TOP STORY

Can AI Predict Murders Before They Happen? The UK Thinks So

What Happened
The UK government is developing an AI-based predictive tool designed to anticipate murders and violent crimes. The technology uses large-scale data analytics, assessing patterns and social indicators, aiming to pinpoint potential hotspots or even individuals likely involved in severe criminal activity. Despite its ambitious goal to prevent violence, the tool has sparked intense debate around privacy rights, civil liberties, and what actually constitutes a serious crime in the UK.

What it Means
Critics argue this tool will infringe upon personal privacy, fueling wrongful arrests, and unjustly targeting British citizens for their social media posts. It raises concerns about the ethical implications of preemptive policing, reminiscent of scenarios portrayed in science fiction like "Minority Report," where predictive analytics risk unfair profiling and wrongful accusations with little human insight into how the decision was made or recourse for the accused.

What to Take Away
For everyday citizens, the introduction of predictive crime technology signals a major, and disturbing, shift in how personal data will be used by a major government, affecting privacy, freedom, and quality of life. Without knowing the inner workings of the algorithms used, it would be impossible to say what innocuous actions or opinions will set off the series of events that lead to incarceration. This is assuming a benevolent government that only means well. In the hands of a tyrannical government, the potential for abuse is endless.

LAST WEEK IN AI AND TECH

Law & Avatars

An AI-generated lawyer avatar briefly represented a client in a real New York court case, marking the first legal appearance of its kind. Created by the AI video generation company Tavus, the avatar didn’t get more than a few words in before judge Manzanet-Daniels interrupted to ask who the stranger was and it was downhill from there. Read More

Fake It Till You Don't Make It

YouTube supports the "No Fakes Act," a new legislative effort targeting unauthorized AI-generated replicas of people. This bill aims to protect creators and the public from deceptive AI-generated content, particularly harmful deepfakes. YouTube's endorsement highlights the growing desire for tech firms to manage AI-generated content, and particularly the publicity that may be generated from it. Read More

Agent Google Protocol

Google announced its Agent2Agent interoperability protocol to standardize communication between AI agents. This initiative seeks to streamline interactions among different AI systems, potentially making AI integration easier for businesses and developers. The protocol could lead to smoother operations across diverse platforms, enhancing user experiences and operational efficiency. Read More

Director's Real Talk

James Cameron, director of Avatar and Titanic, shared his thoughts on generative AI in filmmaking on Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth's podcast. He voiced concern about "in the style of" prompts that mimic real creators, calling them unsettling. Cameron believes the focus should be on regulating AI's output, not its training data. As a Stability AI board member, he supports using AI to boost VFX speed while keeping human creativity at the core. His upcoming film Avatar: Fire and Ash will include no generative AI. Read More

Claude's Premium Pricing

Anthropic released an upgraded version of its AI model, Claude, priced at $200 per month. This subscription provides users with superior features(compared to the base subscription), enhanced reasoning capabilities, and improved context management. It targets professional and enterprise users who require robust AI for complex, large-scale applications. They do appear to be following chat GPT's footsteps in a number of ways, including the jump in pricing. This may also solve the question of why Claude now allows users to connect to the internet, after claiming they would not do so for safety reasons. Read More

TECH TERMS TO KNOW

Predictive Analytics: Using historical data to predict future outcomes or behaviors.

TOOL SPOTLIGHT (non-sponsored)

Pictory is an AI-powered video creation platform that enables users to transform web content, such as blog posts, product pages, or FAQs, into engaging videos effortlessly. It uses advanced AI tools to summarize text, pull visuals, and generate customizable videos without requiring technical skills or software downloads.

Key Advantages:

• Ease of Use: No technical expertise or complex editing skills are needed; the platform simplifies video creation with intuitive AI tools.

• Automation: Automatically summarizes web content and generates video scripts using GPT technology.

• Customization: Offers full control to edit text, layout, and visuals, with access to a vast library of 10+ million royalty-free assets.

• Versatility: Supports various page types for conversion and includes features like AI subtitles, captions, and voiceover options.

• Efficiency: Ideal for marketers and creators seeking quick production of professional video content.

ROBOTICS AND AI

Robo Rescue

A robot dog performed a daring operation at a radioactive nuclear site, reactivating a critical crane after an emergency shutdown. Developed by Boston Dynamics, the robot navigated hazardous conditions successfully, proving robots' value in dangerous and inaccessible environments. This successful deployment highlights robotics’ growing role in emergency response scenarios. Read More

TRY THIS PROMPT (copy and paste into ChatGPT, Grok, Perplexity, Gemini)

ChatGPT's Enhanced Memory for Personal Coaching

My focus for the next 30 days is : [insert focus].  
You are my daily coach and will keep track of every message.

Each day:

1. Greet me with today’s date.  
2. Summarize my notes from yesterday in two short sentences.  
3. Give my effort a score from 1 to 10.  
4. Suggest one concrete task for today that builds on my notes and takes no more than 20 minutes.  
5. Ask one question that helps me reflect more deeply.  
6. End with a brief word of encouragement.

I will report back after finishing the task. Store my reply and repeat the loop the next time I return.*

--

Feel free to adjust the time limit, scoring scale, or greeting style so the routine fits you perfectly.

DID YOU KNOW?

AI can predict movie box office success with over 75% accuracy based on trailer content and social media sentiment.

30 Referrals: Lifetime access to all Beginners in AI videos and courses

AI-ASSISTED IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Interested in stock trading, but no clue where to start? Sign-up for our sister newsletter launching daily in April. Each day will build onto the next using current news as a learning aid.

Thank you for reading. We’re all beginners in something. With that in mind, your questions and feedback are always welcome and I read every single email!

-James

By the way, this is the link if you liked the content and want to share with a friend.