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Matthias Bastian

Matthias is the co-founder and publisher of THE DECODER, exploring how AI is fundamentally changing the relationship between humans and computers.
Matthias Bastian
Matthias Bastian View the LinkedIn Profile of Matthias Bastian
Jul 22, 2023
AI and society
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Read full article about: New AI system aims to put the brakes on subway fare evaders in New York City

New York City's subway is tackling fare evasion with AI-powered surveillance software. The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) has installed the technology at seven undisclosed stations to track those who avoid paying their fares.

With an estimated revenue loss of $285 million in 2022 due to fare evasion, the MTA expects to expand the system to about 24 more stations by the end of the year. Spanish AI developer AWAAIT created the software, which detects fare evaders and shares images of them with nearby station agents.

The AI system doesn't report fare evaders to law enforcement, but it's unclear if that could change in the future. The MTA says it's being used "essentially as a counting tool" to assess evasion methods and peak times. The number of police officers in NYC subway stations has increased, leading to more fare evasion arrests, "with a disproportionate impact on black and Hispanic riders," according to The Verge.

Comment Source: The Verge
Matthias Bastian
Matthias Bastian View the LinkedIn Profile of Matthias Bastian
Jul 19, 2023
AI and society
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Read full article about: Authors Guild threatens leading AI companies with just another copyright lawsuit

8,000 authors have signed an Authors Guild letter urging the CEOs of major AI companies, including OpenAI, Alphabet, Meta, Stability AI, IBM, and Microsoft, to fairly compensate and recognize authors for the use of their copyrighted works in the training of generative AI technologies. Signatories include Dan Brown, Margaret Atwood, James Patterson, Jennifer Egan, David Baldacci, and other notable authors.

The potential flood of AI-generated content poses a threat to the writing profession, and the Guild calls for collaboration with AI industry leaders to ensure that authors' rights are protected and the profession remains sustainable. The letter emphasizes the need for consent, credit, and compensation for authors whose works form the basis of AI systems such as ChatGPT and Bard. The Guild is threatening a lawsuit, but at this point, Big AI is probably used to that.

Comment Source: Authors Guild
Matthias Bastian
Matthias Bastian View the LinkedIn Profile of Matthias Bastian
Jul 19, 2023
AI in practice
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Read full article about: Testing AI chatbots' expertise in translating Japanese texts

The Japan Times tested AI-assisted tools for Japanese-to-English translation, pitting ChatGPT with GPT-4 against Bing, Bard, and DeepL to determine which one best-understood context and translated accurately into natural English. A bilingual senior editor from TJT evaluated the results.

The test involved translating literature, song lyrics, and a speech from Japanese to English. GPT-4 scored highest overall, closely followed by Bard and Bing, although it struggled to translate the subject matter of the literature sample. DeepL consistently scored the lowest. AI chatbots can produce varying results based on factors such as device, timing, and phrasing, but ChatGPT-4 consistently offers the highest quality, according to language expert Tom Gally of the University of Tokyo.

Comment Source: The Japan Times