Study warns robots make humans lazier

Read time: 2.5 minutes

Welcome back, Superhuman

Beep-boop, click-clack, bzzzzt. Yes, today’s issue is dominated by AI-powered robots, as robotics startup Figure shows off a walking robot humanoid, and Amazon gets in on the action as well with their new robots for the warehouse.

But a new study finds that humans are more likely to slack off and put their safety at risk when working with robots.

TODAY’S MENU

• AI startup Figure shows off walking humanoid robot

• Study: People slack off and put themselves at risk with robots

• 5 AI tools to supercharge your productivity

• Governance and Policy: The AI trade war heats up

• Tutorial: Improve product design and functionality with ChatGPT-V

• AI Generated Images: Einstein wrestling animals

TODAY IN AI & TECH

• Smarter, Faster: Amazon says its new AI-powered robots will make order fulfillment 25% faster.

• Shady: Stanford’s new index for AI models indicates most major AI models are not very transparent.

• Midjourney App: Midjourney partners with Sizigi Studios to release app for Japanese market.

• Flying Cure: Amazon delivers medicines by drones in Texas.

• Price Hike: Netflix increases price of Premium subscription to $23.

AI & Robotics

AI robotics startup Figure unveils prototype of a walking humanoid robot

One small step for a robot, one giant leap for robotkind. Multiple reports earlier in the year claimed that AI robotics startup Figure has a walking prototype of a humanoid robot. And for the first time, Figure confirmed those reports with a video of its walking humanoid:

Figure calls itself “the first-of-its-kind AI robotics company bringing a general purpose humanoid to life.“ The company claims that these robots will help increase productivity, address labor shortages, and reduce the number of people in unsafe jobs.

According to its website, the company wants to target three markets: physical labor, consumer household, and space exploration. You can learn more about the company and its robots on their official website.

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AI AT WORK

Study finds humans are more likely to slack off when working with robots

Companies like Figure dream about a future where humans and AI-powered robots work together, but that idea might not work so well in practice.

A new study published this week found that human workers see a drop in performance when told that a robot will be assisting with their job. The finding suggests that people may start taking it easy and pay less attention if they feel a robot can pick up their slack.

Another interesting finding was that workers thought they performed just as well with robots as they did when the robots weren’t present — despite the observed drop in performance.

The findings could be a cautionary tale for companies that are looking to either replace or complement human labor with AI and robots, especially the types of labor that pose a threat to the physical safety of workers building the product or the customers using it.

You can read the full study here.

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GOVERNANCE AND POLICY

The most notable developments in AI governance and policy

Vivek Ramaswamy outlines "real danger of AI" in conversation with voters

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy spoke about AI's "real" threats, highlighting responsible development and potential disinformation concerns, such as ChatGPT's unquestionable replies. He recognizes the benefits of AI but emphasizes concerns. Read more →

Canada wants to be the first country to implement AI regulations: Minister of Innovation

Canada aims to be a leader in AI laws, launching a code of conduct for AI business enterprises to safeguard safety and public interest, despite criticism for not protecting individuals' rights properly. Read more →

Nvidia’s H800 AI chip for China is blocked by new export rules

Despite industry concerns and China's objections, the US has banned Nvidia's AI chip shipments to China, increasing prior limits to eliminate loopholes and address national security concerns. Read more →

AI TUTORIAL

How to improve product design and functionality using ChatGPT Vision

Upload a picture of a product in the Advanced Data Analysis mode on ChatGPT and give it the following prompt:

Give me suggestions for improving the design of [insert product] also include a list of new possible functionalities that can be added to this [insert product]

For the above example, I have used an image of a wristwatch. You can also upload pictures of your website or app to get feedback.

AI-GENERATED IMAGES

Einstein wrestling animals

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Reviews of the day

Thanks for reading.

Until next time!

Zain

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