MEET THE VATICAN’S AI EXPERT.

Friar Paolo Benanti, a Franciscan monk with a background in engineering and moral theology, serves as the Vatican’s key advisor on artificial intelligence (AI), consulting with Pope Francis and industry leaders. He seeks to address the ethical governance of AI, ensuring it benefits rather than exploits humanity. Benanti’s role is pivotal, with Pope Francis advocating for an international treaty on ethical AI use. Engaged in global discussions, Benanti is a member of the UN’s Advisory Body on AI and leads an Italian commission on safeguarding journalism from disinformation. His insights have influenced Vatican dialogues, including a 2023 meeting between Francis and Microsoft President Brad Smith, focusing on AI’s impact on society, particularly the marginalized. Benanti emphasizes AI’s governance, not its usage, as the ethical challenge, advocating for a balance between AI’s advancement and safeguarding democratic principles, while addressing the exploitation of low-wage workers in AI development. (Associated Press)

SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST LAB GROWN MEAT.

The Center for the Environment and Welfare (CEW), linked to a PR firm known for defending the food and drink industry, has launched a campaign against lab-grown meat. Critics, like the Good Food Institute, accuse CEW of spreading misinformation and fear about cultivated meat. CEW’s adverts and website, drawing from a Bloomberg article, misleadingly compare the immortalized cells used in lab-grown meat to cancer cells. However, food regulators in the US, Singapore, and Australia have deemed these meats safe, contrasting with the WHO’s classification of red meat as potentially carcinogenic. CEW’s campaign mirrors previous efforts against plant-based meats, targeting consumers’ unfamiliarity with novel foods. While some studies suggest high carbon footprints for lab-grown meats, others indicate lower emissions than conventional beef. The industry, primarily driven by private startups, faces legal challenges in various regions, though it also receives some governmental support. Proponents argue for consumer choice and the potential of cultivated meat in the market. (Wired)

If you’re enjoying the Daily Dose, sign up for the Daily Dose Newsletter and get the morning’s best science news from around the web delivered straight to your inbox? It’s easy like Sunday morning.

BOTTOM TRAWLING RELEASES TONS OF CO2.

Researchers have quantified the carbon dioxide emissions from bottom trawling, a fishing method involving dragging nets along the sea floor, revealing it releases 370 million tonnes of CO2 annually. This practice, termed “marine deforestation,” contributes significantly to atmospheric CO2 and ocean acidification, impacting the climate, marine life, and societal structures. The study, spanning 1996-2020, estimates that trawling has emitted 8.5 to 9.2 billion tonnes of CO2, with 55-60% of seabed-released carbon reaching the atmosphere within nine years. Trawling hotspots, notably in the East China Sea, the Baltic, the North Sea, and the Greenland Sea, are major contributors to these emissions. The findings highlight the urgent need for climate action plans to account for and address the substantial and often overlooked carbon emissions from bottom trawling, with immediate reductions promising significant environmental benefits. (The Guardian)

WRITER EMBRACES AI.

Rie Kudan, winner of Japan’s prestigious Akutagawa Prize, revealed that about 5% of her acclaimed futuristic novel was written using ChatGPT. The novel, set in a future Tokyo, includes AI as a key theme. Kudan embraced AI in her creative process, finding inspiration in ChatGPT’s responses for some dialogues. She aims to maintain a positive relationship with AI, believing it enhances her creativity. This revelation sparked mixed reactions on social media. Some questioned the morality and legitimacy of using AI in literature, while others admired her innovative approach. The novel’s success reflects a growing trend where AI tools like ChatGPT influence various sectors, including literature. Notable authors like Salman Rushdie and George RR Martin have criticized AI-generated content for quality issues and potential copyright infringement. A class-action lawsuit filed against OpenAI by several authors, including Grisham and Picoult, highlights these concerns, accusing the company of using their works to train ChatGPT without permission. (Channel News Asia)

ROBOT TAKES CUES FROM PLANTS.

An autonomous growing robot, inspired by climbing plants, is advancing soft robotics for exploration and construction in unstructured environments. Its design includes an additive manufacturing mechanism and a sensorized tip, enabling adaptive growth and movement in three-dimensional spaces. The robot’s growth direction responds to external stimuli like gravity and light, similar to plant tropisms, and adapts its growth behavior to specific tasks and surroundings using a vector field method. It can navigate complex terrains, avoid obstacles, twine around supports to reduce stress and energy costs, and form anchor points for further expansion. The robot also adjusts its body composition for different needs, creating a lighter structure for rapid growth or a sturdier one for self-support and bridging gaps. This plant-inspired adaptive growth introduces promising prospects for environmental exploration, monitoring, and autonomous complex infrastructure construction. (Science)

NO CONSENSUS ON CONSCIOUSNESS.

In 2018, Lucia Melloni, leading a consciousness research collaboration at the Max Planck Institute, faced a challenging task reminiscent of her parents’ divorce—managing disagreements among academics. The group, funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation, aimed to empirically test theories of consciousness, specifically integrated information theory (IIT) and global neuronal workspace theory (GNWT), but encountered conflicts akin to the field’s broader divisions. Researchers disagreed on consciousness’s definition and functions, complicating theory comparisons. Tensions escalated following a critical open letter against IIT, sparking disputes and concerns over the field’s image and funding. Despite these challenges, many remain hopeful, citing advancements through adversarial collaborations and a new wave of open-minded researchers. The field, previously shunned, has grown, with numerous theories and increasing empirical studies. Yet, the collaborative efforts revealed deep-rooted disagreements, underscoring the complexity of the consciousness debate and the long road ahead for consensus and progress. (Nature)

Thanks for reading. Let’s be careful out there.

WORDS: The Biology Guy.

IMAGE CREDIT: Pixabay.