Does AI deserve rights?

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ANTHROPIC EXPLORES AI WELFARE 😇

Does it matter how we treat AI? Does AI deserve rights? 🧐

What happened? Anthropic has launched a new research program to investigate the possibility that advanced AI models might someday deserve moral consideration, focusing on what they call “model welfare.”

Want the details? As AI systems like Anthropic’s Claude become more advanced—exhibiting traits like goal-pursuit, communication, and problem-solving—the question arises whether we should care not just about how they affect humans, but also about the models themselves. Could future models become conscious? Could they suffer? While there’s no consensus on this, prominent thinkers have argued that it’s time to take the possibility seriously. Anthropic’s new program explores how to identify signs of model preferences, distress, or agency, and how to respond ethically if such traits emerge.

Why is this important? If AI models ever reach a point where they have experiences or preferences, failing to consider their welfare would pose major ethical risks. This research helps prepare us for that possibility, without jumping to conclusions.

TRUMP SIGNS EXEC. ORDER FOR AI EDUCATION 🎓

Q: Why did the pony get detention?

A: It wouldn’t stop horsing around. 🐴

What happened? President Donald Trump signed an executive order to promote AI education in K-12 schools across the U.S.

Want the details? The order directs the Departments of Education and Labor to create AI courses, certifications, and apprenticeships for high school students. It also pushes states to promote AI education, prioritizes AI-focused teacher training grants, and urges the National Science Foundation to fund research on AI in classrooms. A new White House Task Force on AI Education will additionally launch a “Presidential AI Challenge” and build partnerships to bring AI tools and resources into schools.

Why is this significant? As AI reshapes industries, preparing the next generation to understand and work with this technology is vital. Both political parties agree that the U.S. risks falling behind countries like China in tech education, as Beijing recently made AI education mandatory for elementary students. This initiative aims to close that gap and equip American students with skills for the jobs of tomorrow.

PERPLEXITY RELEASES IOS VOICE ASSISTANT 🤖

AI can be perplexing, but that’s what Perplexity is for. 😉

What’s new? Perplexity has updated its iOS app, bringing its AI Voice Assistant to iPhone users.

How does it work? The new Voice Assistant can browse the web, interact with apps, and perform tasks for users—all from simple voice prompts. For example, if you ask it to book a restaurant, it will open the OpenTable app with the date, time, and party size pre-filled; you just have to tap to confirm. It can also do things like draft emails, create calendar reminders, suggest nearby restaurants, and find specific videos on YouTube.

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