Meta Platforms boss Mark Zuckerberg is at it again with artificial intelligence, this time pledging to accelerate the development of AI's future.
The chief executive of Facebook's parent company has doubled down on his plans to develop artificial superintelligence (ASI), a technology not quite here yet but that's seeds he's planting.
"For our superintelligence effort, I'm focused on building the most elite and talent-dense team in the industry," Mr Zuckerberg said in a post on Threads.
He added that Meta would spend "hundreds of billions" of dollars to build this AI of the future.
What is ASI?
ASI is still an entirely hypothetical software-based system but is expected to have an intellectual scope surpassing human thinking capability and going far beyond the capacity of today's AI.
Its highly advanced cognitive functions and developed reasoning skills would surpass those of any human, IBM says.
However, at this point, ASI is still a future technology and does not exist yet, as today's innovations are too limited to fully build it.
To put this into perspective, the current level of AI is considered as artificial narrow intelligence, or weak AI, which, even though it can excel in specific tasks such as those presently carried out by generative AI, it still relies on pre-programmed algorithms and needs human intervention to operate.
More importantly, weak AI cannot learn new skills or develop a deep understanding of the world, IBM explains, because "the [human] brain's workings are still not fully understood making it difficult to recreate via software and hardware".
"Not all thinkers are aligned on the feasibility of something like an ASI. Human intelligence is the product of specific evolutionary factors and may not represent an optimal or universal form of intelligence," IBM added.
What are the areas in which ASI would excel? Decision-making and emotional intelligence most notably, in addition to boosting what present AI can already do with creativity and problem-solving,
How does ASI compare to quantum AI?
Advanced general intelligence (AGI) is another advanced form of AI capable of performing any intellectual task that a human can. It's also at a theoretical stage.
Unlike current AI systems, which are designed for narrow – or "weak" – specific purposes such as language translation or image recognition, AGI aims to understand, learn and adapt to a range of jobs across various industries.
AGI and ASI, in some cases, have been used interchangeably. The key difference is that while AGI would possess human reasoning skills in a wide range of specific applications, ASI is expected to surpass human intelligence in every aspect.
Quantum AI, meanwhile, is powered by large quantum models are also advanced AI systems designed to analyse, process and generate quantitative data rather than natural language, which is the basis for the current large language models that power generative AI.
“Word-based AI is trained only on the words of the internet," Jack Hidary, chief executive of Alphabet spinoff SandboxAQ, told The National. "So if it's not on the internet, it doesn't know it … we produce data in a very different way [like] from actual equations."
What is Zuckerberg promising?
Much like his highly criticised metaverse plans, Mr Zuckerberg is, again, vowing a lot - including the big bucks.
On another Threads post, he said his company is "going to invest hundreds of billions of dollars to build superintelligence". To hammer down that point, he stressed that Meta has "the capital from our business to do this".
As of Tuesday, Meta has a market capitalisation of $1.81 trillion, which is the sixth highest globally and one of only 11 companies with a trillion-dollar value, data from CompaniesMarketCap shows.
In its fiscal first quarter, Meta's revenue jumped 16 per cent annually to $42.31 billion, while profit leapt 35 per cent year-on-year to $16.6 billion - more than analyst estimates and defying worries over the effects of US-imposed tariffs.
Meta is scheduled to report its second-quarter results on July 30, with sales in the range of between $42.5 billion and $44.5 billion, according to chief financial officer Susan Li, in line with analyst projections.
The company and its boss have been obsessed with futuristic technology and have pledged to invest in both costs - billions, reportedly - and recruitment.
When is ASI expected to be realised?
This is where it gets a little sticky, as predictions on when ASI - or even AGI - will become a reality range from the near future to decades away.
A study conducted in February by AIMultiple Research principal analyst Cem Dilmegani found AI experts expect a 50 per cent chance that machines may achieve human-level intelligence anytime between 2040 and 2061.
Meanwhile, a 2024 study conducted by researchers from AI Impacts, Germany's University of Bonn and the UK's University of Oxford found the possibility "of unaided machines outperforming humans in every possible task was estimated at 10 per cent by 2027 and 50 per cent by 2047 ... if science continues undisrupted".
The updated analysis, conducted in February by Cem Dilmegani, principal analyst at AIMultiple Research, combed through about 8,600 predictions from scientists, AI experts and entrepreneurs between 2009 and 2023 to understand when experts believe it may happen.
A subsection of the analysis encompassed 10 surveys that queried a total of 5,288 AI researchers and experts. Based on an averaging of the data, there is a 50 per cent probability that we would achieve human-level intelligence in machines at some point between 2040 and 2061, the analysis found.
Is there a body dedicated to ASI?
Yes - the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance, a collective that describes itself as "the largest open-sourced, independent entity in AI research and development", according to its LinkedIn page.
The group comprises Fetch.ai, SingularityNET and Ocean Protocol and Cudos, and aims to "accelerate the advancement of decentralised AGI and, ultimately, ASI".
More on animal trafficking
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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AT%20A%20GLANCE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Stage 2
1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin-Fenix 4:18:30
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:06
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma 0:00:06
4. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:06
5. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:08
