News Above the Noise—Week of June 4, 2023
1. A.I. Poses “Risk of Extinction” Warns Industry Experts
Leaders from AI labs warn that future systems could be as deadly as pandemics and nuclear weapons. This week, the Center for AI Safety released a one-sentence statement—an open letter signed by more than 350 executives, researchers, and engineers working in AI—that served as a stark warning: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks, such as pandemics and nuclear wars.” The statement comes amidst growing concern about the potential harms of AI and the potential for it to be used to spread misinformation and propaganda, or that it could eliminate millions of jobs. For more on this story, click here.
2. Think About Your Death and Live Better
For most of us, death is hard to think about—it’s a subject we tend to avoid. However, Arthur C. Brooks argues this leads us to make choices in life that actually curtail our happiness. “When we avoid thoughts of death, we unconsciously assume that tomorrow will look a lot like today, so we can do tomorrow what we could do today,” writes Brooks. “But when we focus on death, that increases the stakes at play in the present, and clarifies what we should do with our time.” To read his essay, click here.
3. Being Your Own Patient Advocate is Doable
Here’s what to consider if you want to take an active role in medical planning and improve decision-making. When you or a loved one is in the midst of a complicated health event—a hospitalization, perhaps, or a series of treatments—dealing with all of what goes into that (the doctors, nurses, medical staff, health insurance, paperwork, and sometimes conflicting information) can be challenging to say the least. To make navigating the system easier, you’ll want to practice health-care advocacy. And for more on what that is—and how to do it— click here.
4. Why Our Allergies Are Getting Worse
A staggering 30 to 40% of the world’s population now have some form of allergy, and allergic reactions—everything from eczema and asthma to hay fever—are growing around the world. Why is this? And what can the average person who’s impacted by allergies do about it? Theresa MacPhail’s new book, Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World, explores the answers to these questions and many more. To listen to her interview on Fresh Air and read excerpts from it, click here.
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