Note: I still have some posts to go through to decide if I should feature them or not but the process is taking longer than expected so I'm going to take a short break for now. I planned to pin this post once I'm done but IMO there's already enough posts on the list to pin this on sublemmy.

Note2: So not only I started working on the list 2 days late but I also won't finish it the same day I started. Moderating is exhausting.

Ai related

Ai safety/ethical concerns:

• Post - The study of morality for self-driving cars, using the trolly problem. (article from 24.10.2018)
• Post - DOD Committed to Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence (article from 15.06.2023)
• Post - If AI is plagiarising art and design, then so is every human artist and designer in the world (19.06.2023)

Ai funding:

• Post - Amazon’s generative AI playground is open (article from 23.06.2023)
• Post - France makes high-profile push to be the A.I. hub of Europe setting up challenge to U.S., China (article from 18.06.2023)
• Post - Anthropic Raises $450 Million in Series C Funding to Scale Reliable AI Products (article from 23.05.2023)

Ai research:

• Post - Meet TRACE: A New AI Approach for Accurate 3D Human Pose and Shape Estimation with Global Coordinate Tracking (paper from 5.06.2023)
• Post - AudioPaLM: A Large Language Model That Can Speak and Listen (paper from 22.06.2023)
• Post - Deepmind Researchers Open-Source TAPIR: A New AI Model for Tracking Any Point (TAP) that Effectively Tracks a Query Point in a Video Sequence (paper from 14.06.2023)
• Post - Fast Segment Anything (40ms/image) (paper from 21.06.2023)
• Post - AI Will Eat Itself? This AI Paper Introduces A Phenomenon Called Model Collapse That Refers To A Degenerative Learning Process Where Models Start Forgetting Improbable Events Over Time. (paper from 27.05.2023)
• Post - This AI Paper Proposes A Latent Diffusion Model For 3D (LDM3D) That Generates Both Image And Depth Map Data From A Given Text Prompt (paper from 18.05.2023)
• Post - Stanford Researchers Introduce Sophia: A Scalable Second-Order Optimizer For Language Model Pre-Training (paper from 23.05.2023)
• Post - Say Goodbye to Costly Auto-GPT and LangChain Runs: Meet ReWOO – The Game-Changing Modular Paradigm that Cuts Token Consumption by Detaching Reasoning from External Observations (paper from 23.05.2023)
• Post - A New AI Research Introduces Recognize Anything Model (RAM): A Robust Base Model For Image Tagging (paper from 6.06.2023)
• Post - Researchers from Harvard Introduce Inference-Time Intervention (ITI): An AI Technique that Improves the Truthfulness of Language Models from 32.5% to 65.1% (paper from 6.06.2023)
• Post - 3D Pose and Tracking for Human Action Recognition (paper from 3.04.2023)
• Post - Deepmind’s new AI agent learns 26 games in two hours (article from 19.06.2023)
• Post - META’s SAM (Segment anything model) is improving (image from 6.06.2023)
• Post - Textbooks Are All You Need. 1.3B LLM trained on 51B tokens hits 51% on HumanEval. (paper from 20.06.2023)
• Post - introduce Infinigen, a procedural generator of photorealistic 3D scenes of the natural world. Infinigen is entirely procedural: every asset, from shape to texture, is generated from scratch via randomized mathematical rules, using no external source and allowing infinite variation and composition. Infinigen offers broad coverage of objects and scenes in the natural world including plants, animals, terrains, and natural phenomena such as fire, cloud, rain, and snow. Infinigen can be used to generate unlimited, diverse training data for a wide range of computer vision tasks including object detection, semantic segmentation, optical flow, and 3D reconstruction. We expect Infinigen to be a useful resource for computer vision research and beyond. (paper from 15.06.2023)
• Post - Revolutionizing AI Efficiency: UC Berkeley’s SqueezeLLM Debuts Dense-and-Sparse Quantization, Marrying Quality and Speed in Large Language Model Serving (paper from 13.06.2023)
• Post - I-JEPA: The first AI model based on Yann LeCun’s vision for more human-like AI (blogpost from 13.06.2023)
• Post - Tree of Thoughts: Deliberate Problem Solving with Large Language Models (17.05.2023)
• Post - Full title: Voyager: An Open-Ended Embodied Agent with Large Language Models - “the first LLM-powered embodied lifelong learning agent in Minecraft that continuously explores the world, acquires diverse skills, and makes novel discoveries without human intervention” (25.05.2023 article)
• Post - Apple Researchers Introduce ByteFormer: An AI Model That Consumes Only Bytes And Does Not Explicitly Model The Input Modality (9.06.2023 article)
• Post - Revolutionizing AI Efficiency: Meta AI’s New Approach, READ, Cuts Memory Consumption by 56% and GPU Use by 84% (24.05.2023 paper)

On ai's intelligence:

• Post - Sparks of AGI: early experiments with GPT-4 (youtube video from 6.04.2023)
• Post - Geoffrey Hinton on if LLM “understands” what they’re saying (5.06.2023 yt vid)

Generative videos:

• Post - zeroscope_v2_XL: a new open source 1024x576 video model designed to take on Gen-2 (youtube video from 24.06.2023)

Generative images:

• Post - Midjourney V5.2 released (article from 23.06.2023)
• Post - Microsoft: Bing Image Creator Will See Big Improvements In A Month (article from 21.06.2023)
• Post - Drag Your GAN: Interactive Point-based Manipulation on the Generative Image Manifold (18.05.2023 announcement)

Generative sound/speech:

• Post - Introducing Voicebox: The first generative AI model for speech to generalize across tasks with state-of-the-art performance (blogpost from 16.06.2023)
• Post - Meta releases new SOTA text to music model MusicGen. Demonstrated samples are better than existing models including Google’s MusicLM (8.06.2023 paper)

Ai regulation:

• Post - Stanford grades Leading LLMs’ Compliance with the Draft EU AI Act (reddit repost from 24.06.2023)
• Post - OpenAI has been publicly asking for AI regulation, but in the meanwhile lobbied its way to loose it for itself (article from 20.06.2023)
• Post - Biden to meet with A.I. experts in San Francisco to discuss how to regulate the field (article from 20.06.2023)

Ai products/tools:

• Post - We made a comprehensive list of popular AI agents out there (reddit repost from 23.06.2023)
• Post - Creating what I always wanted from the singularity: Alpha version of a AI Librarian/Analyst that finds the best voices and most relevant articles, podcasts, and videos for a topic and gives me a synthesis (reddit repost from 23.06.2023)
• Post - Bing Chat Tests Innovative Image Recognition Feature: Currently Available for “5% of Searches” (article from 15.06.2023)

Large Language Models:

• Post - MoasicML open sources new 8k context length MPT-30B language model under Apache 2.0 license (blogpost from 22.06.2023)
• Post - Video-LLaMA: An Instruction-tuned Audio-Visual Language Model for Video Understanding (reddit repost from 19.06.2023)

Ai experiments and potential use cases:

• Post - ilumine AI turn 2D image into 3D scene (tweet from 24.06.2023)
• Post - VTM: Bloodlines AI remaster ( TemporalKit v1.3 ) (reddit repost from 28.04.2023)
• Post - Spirtual voice chat with a ChatGPT-driven monk in VR (2 month old reddit repost (I couldn't find the reddit post to get the absolute date))
• Post - ChatGPT in Skyrim VR with lip synced voice generation (reddit repost from 26.04.2023)
• Post - Created an AI Basketball Referee. How will AI change sports? (reddit repost from 1.06.2023)
• Post - A new version of the self coding voice assistant i showed yesterday, this time with a more complex command (reddit repost from 24.05.2023)

Ai use cases:

• Post - Trying out the new generative fill feature in Photoshop Beta (reddit repost from 23.05.2023)
• Post - Using midjourney, Photoshop (beta) and After Effects to create chill pixelart animation (with link to breakdown) (article from 24.05.2023)

Adapting ai into society:

• Post - An artificial intelligence system based on ChatGPT technology will manage the handling of 112 calls at peak times. The use of this technology is planned to start in 2025. (article from 20.06.2023)
• Post - Marvel used AI to create opening intro for their new series: Secret Invasion (article from 22.06.2023)
• Post - A robot🤖 took my order at checkers today. They’re coming for our Wendy’s 👩‍🦰👩‍🦰 jobs next (reddit repost from 16.05.2023)

Ai companies:

• Post - Six more companies competing with OpenAI (article from 22.06.2023)

Ai and science:

• Post - Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI- Demis Hassabis: Using AI To Accelerate Scientific Discovery (event/talk from 28.04.2023)
• Post - To accelerate search for an Alzheimer’s cure, scientists use artificial intelligence to identify likely drug targets (article from 15.05.2023)
• Post - “We report a model that can go from natural language instructions, to robot actions, to synthesized molecule with an LLM. We synthesized catalysts, a novel dye, and insect repell… (paper from 11.04.2023)
• Post - Cinematic Mindscapes: High-quality Video Reconstruction from Brain Activity (paper from 19.06.2023)
• Post - Illumina Launches Genomic Sequencing AI (4.06.2023 reddit repost)

Ai and robotics:

• Post - Introducing VRB: Use large-scale human videos to train a general-purpose affordance model to jumpstart any robotics paradigm! (tweet from 13.06.2023)
• Post - Finished my PhD researching “self-aware AI 3D printers” at Cambridge! (reddit repost from 21.06.2023)
• Post - RoboCat: A self-improving robotic agent [Google Deepmind] (20.06.2023)
• Post - Berkeley researcher deploys robots and AI to increase pace of research by 100 times (article from 23.04.2023)
• Post - Figure raises $70M to build its humanoid robots (23.05.2023 article)
• Post - Tesla Bot has got our competitive juices flowing, says Boston Dynamics CEO (22.05.2023 article)

Misc:

• Post - Neural Networks Need Data to Learn. Even If It’s Fake. (article from 16.06.2023)
• Post - Bing vs ChatGPT vs Bard vs C.ai vs PH (Worldwide Engagement) (image from 22.05.2023)
• Post - A bot on the side: is it adultery if you cheat with an AI companion? (article from 15.06.2023)
• Post - Star Trek The Next Generation s02e09 on sentience (aired feb 11, 1989)

Discussions on lemmy:

• Post - Minute of optimism: chatbots help me working on my communication skills and boost the quality of my social life. (reddit repost from 2.06.2023)
• Post - A personal AI assistant that knows you and your needs better everyday (reddit repost from 19.05.2023)

Technology related

Quantum computers:

• Post - An IBM Quantum Computer Beat a Supercomputer in a Benchmark Test (article from 20.06.2023)

Misc:

• Post - SpaceX successfully launches world’s first “space factory” (article from 18.06.2023)
• Post - Scientists Successfully Transmit Space-Based Solar Power to Earth for the First Time (2.06.2023 article)
• Post - Scientists create synthetic human embryos using stem cells in major breakthrough (15.06.2023 article)

Universal Basic Income

• Post - Are guaranteed-income programs working? (article from 16.06.2023)
• Post - Five proven benefits of Universal Basic Income (article from 11.06.2023)
• Post - How universal basic income’s impact on people’s finances could transform the nation’s health (article from 12.06.2023)

Ai related

• Post - 'Labour leader Keir Starmer says he is "not attracted to the idea of universal basic income" in response to advances in AI, and the focus should be on skills and retraining' (13.06.2023 tweet)

As a hobby, I like buying broken phones off the internet, fixing them up, play with it for a bit, then resell. Recently, I bought a Redmi 8A from Facebook Marketplace. The phone in question has a corrupted firmware/operating system. I've resurrected phones (mostly Samsung and older Xiaomis) with such issues before, so I thought it was an easy fix.

With my past experience with resurrecting a bricked Xiaomi phone, I would normally just disassemble the phone, short out some pads on the motherboard, flash the firmware, and off I go.... This time though, you have an extra step. Before the computer even starts flashing the firmware into the phone, it will ask for an authorized Xiaomi acccount (that has special permission to flash devices using EDL).

Older Xiaomi phones: Disassemble phone > Short out pads > Connect phone to PC > Flash firmware > Done

Newer Xiaomi phones: Disassemble phone > Short out pads > Connect phone to PC > Log-in to authorized Xiaomi account > Flash firmware > Done

It's not as simple as creating an account and then logging into it. You have to buy a special account for around $30 from some sketchy sources, and that would only allow you to flash one time. If you made a mistake, that's $30 down the drain. Another option you could do is use a special software, but requires a subscription. Which is $20-30 for three months. I went with this. At least, I can flash as much as I want.

Now the phone is question is now fully functional. Which is good, but imo, I shouldn't have to pay for anything in the first place, like I did in the past.

You might be saying, you should have just went into fastboot and flashed the firmware that way. Or even unlock the bootloader, and then reflash. Well, it's not that simple. In order to flash anything using fastboot, you have to unlock the bootloader. And in order to do so, you'll have to boot into Android, then enable OEM unlocking in the settings. Which isn't possible in my case.

I believe, most Android phones are gonna be like this if you have to unbrick it. Had this happened on a Motorola, Huawei, and on a Pixel too (with a locked bootloader).

Samsung and LG phones are easier to recover, which has a download mode, which allows for recovering/unbricking regardless of the bootloader status (just hold the volume up button, the connect to PC). Even iPhones are also easy to recover. You just have to hold down the home button, connect to the computer, and then let iTunes do the rest. All three manufacturers makes it easy, that an average Joe can do it at the comfort of their own homes. They don't even have to take the phone apart. I wish all Android manufacturers would make it that easy.

TL;DR: It used to be that Xiaomi (and most Android phones) are easy to recover/unbrick, but sometime down the road, they made it a bit difficult by requiring an special account, which you'll have to get through sketchy sources. Or use a special subscription-based software. LG, Samsung, and Apple are the exception since they make it easier.

1. What is right to repair/ownership

Video format:

• Linus Tech Tips - https://youtu.be/nvVafMi0l68 ("We need Action - Right to Repair Explained")
• Marques Brownlee - https://youtu.be/RTbrXiIzUt4 ("What Is Right To Repair?")
• Louis Rossmann - https://youtu.be/JORnFzbN5F0 ("A New HOPE (2022): Right to Repair - You Should Have the Right to Fix What You Own")

Blog/Article format

• ifixit - https://www.ifixit.com/News/61140/what-is-right-to-repair ("What Is Right to Repair?")

Pages/Tools

• https://www.looria.com/reviews ("Learn how products perform over their lifetime")

2. Examples of anti-repair/ownership behavior from the side of corporations

Was just thinking about the whole situation and the internet's response.

Nobody seems sad or remorseful, I've even seen tags like #compresstherich. This should be a scary omen for the wealthy, people don't really care about, and some are actively rejoicing in, such a horrible (albiet very avoidable) death.

Edit : Just to be clear, I also don't feel very bad for them, just commenting on how this is a clear "sign of the times" so to speak. (Edit: as in it's a sign that the people are reaching the breaking point)

One last Edit: I've been reading a lot of comments and replying on some of them, I honestly just wanted some discussion on this is all. I am not actively celebrating this and I do think it's a tragedy, especially the 19yo boy who was a victim of circumstances. But I am also conflicted and have a hard time feeling sympathy for the rich people for many of the same reasons you all have mentioned. They actively made poor choices and were in the position they were in because of taking advantage of others. I can maybe understand how some people think the way they do, as when you are abused, chained down and essentially dying from an abusive system, you tend to have nothing left inside of you but hatred and anger.

I can also concede that it's possibly not the majority opinion, I just noticed that from all the people who have talked to or told me about this, and all the social media I've seen it's been a lot more of a wide spread opinion than I was anticipating. That's why I said it seems telling. I will also concede that it could just be general Internet shenanigans/assholery/tragedy coping.

I want a better system, and I'd prefer that it could be achieved without hatred and violence, but this situation was just telling on why I'm doubtful it will be.

Here you can see 2 day old post warning about the danger of not using email/captcha verification: https://lemmy.ml/post/1345031

And here are stats of lemmy platform where it shows that we gained 200 000 lemmy users in 2 days: https://lemmy.fediverse.observer/dailystats

Another tracking site with the same explosion in users: https://the-federation.info/platform/73

What do you think? Is it some sort of a bug or do people run bot farms?

Edit2: It's been now 3 days and we went from 150 000 user accounts 3 days ago to 700 000 user accounts today making it 550 000+ bot accounts and counting. Almost 80% accounts on lemmy are now bots and it may end up being an very serious issue for lemmy platform once they become active.

Edit3: It's now 4th day of the attack and the amount of accounts on lemmy has almost reached 1 200 000. Almost 90% of total userbase are now bots.

Edit 3.1: my numbers are outdated, there are currently 1 700 000 accounts which makes it even worse: https://fedidb.org/software/lemmy