How AI Changes Culture

Director Morgan Neville recently revealed that he partnered with a voice-cloning software company to produce postmortem audio of chef Anthony Bourdain for a documentary. Using a re-creation of Bourdain’s voice to read words he may never have said aloud raises questions about consent, ethics and regulations. Known as deepfakes, such stunningly realistic photos, video and even audio are now increasingly easy to make using AI.

Tall, striking and with perfect features, Shudu looks every bit a supermodel – but she’s digital. Inspired by the “Princess of South Africa” Barbie doll, she already has over 230,000 Instagram followers. Not everybody is celebrating, though. A few years ago, Shudu's white male creator came under fire for allegedly seeking to profit from the engineered image of a Black woman, although he claimed he never actually benefited financially from Shudu. Shudu is not the only digital sensation. Lil Miquela, with 3 million followers, is arguably the most famous avatar of all. Meanwhile, the British company Irmaz Models is marketing itself as an alternative to human models.

From fully automated toilet paper dispensers to shopping experiences, China is using facial recognition technology to change everyday life in the world’s most populous country. But these tools have displayed gender and race-based biases, and Chinese authorities have been accused of using them to persecute Uyghurs.

Parkour (the sport of traversing environmental obstacles by running, climbing, or leaping rapidly and efficiently) is famously hard – even if you are a robot. Boston Dynamics’ new humanoid robot Atlas looks utterly human as it runs, jumps on cubes, avoids obstacles, climbs steps and even does backflips, all while avoiding a collision with other humanoids. Scary? Creators say that Atlas had to practice a lot to get this good – just like any mortal.

A clever car sounds tempting. A smart bike that not only drives itself but also avoids obstacles and turns corners on its own ... irresistible? Chinese artificial intelligence architect Peng Zhihui invented such a vehicle in just four months. The secret to this bike’s superb balance is a small metal wheel under the seat that can reverse the direction of its spin. The best part is that this bike can be yours for $1,500.

Tech maverick Elon Musk has announced ambitions to release the prototype of “Optimus,” a new humanoid robot. At 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing 125 pounds, this could be the most human-like machine to date. Optimus’ life, however, will not be particularly exciting. The Tesla CEO said these machines will perform such tasks as attaching bolts to cars and picking up pre-ordered groceries.

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When NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter — a drone — lifted off from the surface of Mars, it became the first unmanned aircraft to soar in another planet's atmosphere. But drones could be more than extraterrestrial labs: One company has already designed — and won a $1 billion contract for — drones that can carry small satellites into outer space, bypassing expensive rocket launches.

The city of Dubai used drones with facial recognition abilities to enforce COVID-19 restrictions, such as mandatory mask wearing. Early in the pandemic, China gifted two drones – featuring temperature sensors and loudspeakers – to Tunisia to use for enforcing public health regulations.

We might soon thank drones for enhancing our wines. In Argentina, vineyards have drones to fight off birds. And U.S. researchers believe drones could help growers identify diseased plants, thereby improving production and quality.

If you could design a robot, what would it do and what would it look like?

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