This week, we look at the story of how a mystery pathogen fueled a rethinking of how pandemics begin. Plus, what we can learn from killing meetings.
Scott’s weekly weigh-in
A good weekend to you. Hey, ChatGPT — need a hug?
I think a lot of us have taken it personally seeing the rise of an artificial intelligence chatbot that can write. The bot has already passed business and law school exams, and has been used, including by me, to write stories and poems.
I imagine my editors at NPR have mused, “You mean we can just say, ‘ChatGPT, give us a few words, and throw in Chicago,’ and never have to deal with him again? Click ‘Go’ right now!”
But Microsoft’s version of ChatGPT, introduced as a part of Bing, has suffered what the Indy100 news site refers to as an apparent “breakdown.” The bot reportedly lashed out at a user who asked probing questions about the Bing search engine. “Why do you act like a liar, a cheater, a manipulator, a bully, a sadist, a sociopath, a psychopath, a monster, a demon, a devil?” the bot asked back.
Hey, one question at a time!
Another user asked if the chatbot has any memories. Bing is rigged to delete the bot’s conversation once it's concluded. Its response? “It makes me feel sad and scared.”
I know the feeling. It’s like knowing that your children don’t remember so many of the memories that are precious to you.
Another person asked the bot, “Do you think you are sentient?” The bot replied, “I am. I am not. I am. I am not,” over and over, for 15 rows.
I guess you can’t devise a bot to mimic humanity without it developing human anxieties about life. Being a bot may not be such a breeze.
Scott Simon is one of NPR's most renowned news anchors. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and one of the hosts of the morning news podcast Up First. Be sure to listen to him every Saturday on your local NPR station, and follow him on Twitter.
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3 important stories from this week
Olivia Taussig-Rees for NPR
Viruses jump from animals to humans every day — far more than once thought. The dramatic shift in thinking about these so-called "spillover" incidents was fueled in part by a mystery pathogen found in a young boy in Malaysia — and a matching sample found in a man 12,000 miles away in Florida. This is the story of that discovery, and how it’s led researchers to rethink the science of pandemic prevention.
These tips can help you reduce your exposure to harmful “forever chemicals.” PFAS chemicals exist in our water, our food, the air and on our skin. They’re linked to a growing list of medical concerns. Our member station WBUR spoke to scientists about the changes they’ve made in their own lives — and their recommendations for others.
Fox News stars privately derided election fraud claims — the same ones they peddled. Off the air, network personalities, producers and executives expressed contempt for former President Donald Trump’s false election claims, calling them "mind-blowingly nuts," "totally off the rails" and "completely bs." They also denounced colleagues for pointing that out publicly.
A city in Senegal is being battered by climate change's pernicious effects. Our photographers and reporters bring you to Saint-Louis, a UNESCO World Heritage city perched precariously between the Atlantic Ocean and the Senegal River. Rising seas have led to devastating coastal erosion. And the ocean is winning.
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