AROUND THE WORLD

One year later, we’re still figuring out what to do with ChatGPT

Is OpenAI’s ChatGPT a search engine replacement, second brain, or speculative asset? It’s no exaggeration to say that it has been an absolutely wild year since OpenAI released ChatGPT, its all-purpose chatbot, to the world on November 30, 2022. Running initially on a modified version of the company’s GPT-3.5 large language model (LLM), ChatGPT could produce surprisingly fluid responses to prompts, but regularly offered up false information, limited in part by a dataset that ended in 2021. Flash forward to 2023 and the chatbot is now used by 100 million people a week and OpenAI has released multiple updates to support web browsing, document parsing, and image generation, including using an entirely new model called GPT-4 that’s noticeably improved ChatGPT’s performance. None of that happened in a vacuum, of course. AI features have proliferated all over consumer tech products since ChatGPT’s launch, whether they're made by Google, Microsoft, or the dozens of startups looking for a piece of the pie. Many of them also happen to use OpenAI’s models, even the ones that power ChatGPT. But looking past all of that “progress,” and the several new zeros behind OpenAI’s valuation, it’s no more clear what the ultimate purpose of ChatGPT is than why AI matters at all. A lot of that has to do with overwhelming and unrealistic expectations generative AI is burdened with to inflate its value. READ MORE FROM INVERSE

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A physicist reveals the one quantum breakthrough that could disrupt scientific innovation

There are some types of problems that are impractical for classical computers to solve. Quantum advantage is the milestone the field of quantum computing is fervently working toward, where a quantum computer can solve problems that are beyond the reach of the most powerful non-quantum or classical computers. Quantum refers to the scale of atoms and molecules where the laws of physics as we experience them break down, and a different, counterintuitive set of laws apply. Quantum computers take advantage of these strange behaviors to solve problems. There are some types of problems that are impractical for classical computers to solve, such as cracking state-of-the-art encryption algorithms. Research in recent decades has shown that quantum computers have the potential to solve some of these problems. If a quantum computer can be built that actually does solve one of these problems, it will have demonstrated quantum advantage. READ MORE FROM INVERSE

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DeepMind’s AI discovers ‘800 years’ worth of knowledge’

‘We’ve multiplied the number of technologically viable materials known to humanity,’ company says. Google’s leading AI division DeepMind claims to have unlocked “800 years’ worth of knowledge” after discovering 2.2 million new crystals. The materials found through the research could be used to transform industries, DeepMind said, while simultaneously opening up brand new avenues for making future discoveries. Of the 2.2 million crystals, roughly 380,000 of them are reportedly stable enough for developing next-generation technologies, ranging from better electric car batteries to superconductors for ultra-efficient computers. In order to discover the crystals, DeepMind developed a state-of-the-art neural network tool called GNoME (Graph Networks for Materials Exploration). DeepMind researchers Amil Merchant and Ekin Dogus Cubuk wrote in a blog post that using GNoME bypassed centuries of “painstaking experimentation” that would have been required to discover the new materials. READ MORE FROM THE INDEPENDENT

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Elon Musk invested in Deep Mind after its founder told him that AI could destroy human colonies on Mars: NYT

DeepMind cofounder Demis Hassabis scored an investment from Elon Musk after he pointed out the shortcomings in Musk's plans to colonize Mars. Musk told Hassabis that he'd hoped humanity could avoid the threats from living on Earth by colonizing Mars, per a story by The New York Times published on Sunday. According to The Times, Musk was chatting with Hassabis after giving the latter a tour of the SpaceX headquarters in 2012. Hassabis told Musk that the plan would work if artificial intelligence didn't make the trip to Mars. According to Hassabis, AI being in the mix would lead to the human colony's destruction, too. READ MORE FROM BUSINESS INSIDER

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Does my indoor cat need a collar? A veterinarian reveals an unexpected answer

You don’t need the bells and whistles, but a collar is crucial for your dog or cat. Modern collars are much more than a loop of fabric with an engraved tag. They boast wi-fi connection and AI capability and might be nicer than your fanciest pair of shoes. But strip back the superfluous parts, collars serve a basic, important function of identifying your fur baby if they ever get out of your sight. While collars are arguably important for humans, our smooth-brained friends don’t know what they’re wearing or why. Are there potential drawbacks to making our pets wear collars? And do indoor cats need them as much as the most trail-blazing dog? The health effects of collars, unsurprisingly, are far more beneficial than they are detrimental. READ MORE FROM INVERSE

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Madālasā | SANSKRIT SONG from The Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDd3iupKUyI

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Avatar 3 release date confirmed by James Cameron

The next two Avatar films are on the way. Speaking with TV New Zealand, director James Cameron recently confirmed the release date of Avatar 3. "We're into a very hectic two years of post production right now, so it'll be Christmas of '25," Cameron said of Avatar 3’s release, which is officially named Avatar: The Seed Bearer. That means its on track to launch exactly on the date he said it would previously: December 19, 2025. READ MORE FROM MEN'S JOURNAL

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Scott Pilgrim Takes Off reveals a disturbing Netflix trend

What happens when creators lose complete faith in their Hollywood bosses? Over the past 20 years, television has expanded and evolved more than almost any other art form. The popularity of shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad inspired other networks and creators to not only pursue more experimental ideas, but also test the limits of serialized, episodic storytelling. The Netflix-driven streaming boom has also resulted in more TV shows being made than ever before. Unfortunately, not all of the trends established by Netflix and other streamers have been good. One need look no further than some recent comments from the creators of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, one of this year’s most acclaimed animated shows, for proof the future of television is looking far more limited than it should. READ MORE FROM INVERSE

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One of the best Batman movies ever, Robert Pattinson's The Batman, just dropped on Netflix

No movie goes deeper into the mind of the Caped Crusader than this slow-burn thriller. When a character like Batman has already been brought to life multiple times onscreen, how do you find new things to say about him? That’s the question that every filmmaker who decides to introduce their own version of the Caped Crusader has to ask themself. What can they do to make their Batman movie fresh, rather than stale and overly familiar? For The Batman director Matt Reeves, the solution to that problem was two-fold. He would, for starters, make the first Batman movie that feels like an actual detective thriller. On top of that, he’d make a movie that explores Bruce Wayne’s scarred psyche more deeply than any other that has come before it. The resulting film is not only one of the most visually stunning comic book movies in history but also the most atmospheric and contemplative Batman movie ever made. The Batman’s visual and narrative accomplishments are apparent from the moment it begins to the moment it ends, which means one need only watch it once to understand just how impressive it is. Fortunately, it’s streaming now on Netflix. READ MORE FROM INVERSE

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Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer confirms 2025 release, Vice City setting, and more

Rockstar is back in a big way. It’s been over ten years since the release of Grand Theft Auto V, and after all that time we finally have a glimpse at Rockstar Games’ vision for the future of the franchise. In what is bound to be some of the biggest gaming announcements of the year, the nearly one-and-a-half-minute reveal trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 gives us our first glimpse of the re-imagined Vice City (GTA’s take on Florida) which was rumored as the game’s setting for years. Rockstar is currently targeting a 2025 release date window for the sequel. The GTA 6 trailer plunges us into some of Grand Theft Auto’s bread and butter: scenes of women twerking, stores being held up at gunpoint, plenty of carjacking, and crime heists making national headlines. It opens on a woman named Lucia. She’s wearing a correctional facility outfit. Someone asks, “Do you know why you’re here?” She responds, “Bad luck, I guess.” READ MORE FROM INVERSE

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Why are Miyazaki movie dubs so good?

It may be the secret weapon behind Miyazaki’s unprecedented success in America. For as long as there has been an international anime fandom, there has been a debate over the merits of subs vs. dubs, with the latter historically regarded as the inferior option by hardcore fans. Not by legend Hayao Miayazki, however. In a 2005 interview with The Guardian around the release of Howl’s Moving Castle, the Japanese animation auteur refused to rank the two localization formats, saying: “When you watch the subtitled version, you are probably missing just as many things. There is a layer and a nuance you’re not going to get. Film crosses so many borders these days. Of course it is going to be distorted.” In other words: Back off, dubs haters. READ MORE FROM INVERSE

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Kevin Feige confirms Marvel won't ruin the most powerful Avengers moment

...That rules out bringing Iron Man back for future adventures... but it doesn’t rule out the past, or a lateral move. The MCU has been exploring all eras and the depths of the multiverse, so there’s nothing stopping us from seeing a previous or alternate version of Iron Man. If we could have an entire adventure with a de-aged Sam Jackson in Captain Marvel, we could revisit Tony Stark during his Avengers golden age... if there was good cause to do so. READ MORE FROM INVERSE

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PlayStation Plus just quietly released the most relaxing Sim Game of the decade

Squeaky clean. There have been some exceedingly ridiculous simulator games over the years, from the infamous Goat Simulator to niche titles like Euro Truck Simulator. Beyond everything, one unlikely underdog simulator has managed to see monumental and enduring success. As it turns out, people simply love washing dirty stuff until it's sparkling clean, and PowerWash Simulator provides that in spades. Amid all the massive AAA experiences and 100-hour RPGs of 2023, PowerWash Simulator is the perfect laid-back title to just chill out with for hours on end, and PlayStation users can get it for free through PlayStation Plus in December. READ MORE FROM INVERSE

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Tom Cruise’s historical war epic The Last Samurai remains controversial — and underrated

The Last Samurai may be a product of its time, but it was also a step forward for representation. Discussions of The Last Samurai often focus on the obvious incongruity of a movie where Tom Cruise dons samurai armor to become the steward of traditional Japanese culture. The picture of Cruise’s bearded, American-Jesus-like face, writ large on a movie poster under the word “samurai,” was more a symbol of Hollywood tradition when the film appeared in theaters on December 5, 2003. Yes, this is a white-savior narrative — Cruise’s cosplaying can’t disguise it — but the first face onscreen is Ken Watanabe, who received an Oscar nomination for his role as Katsumoto, the samurai leader. What the actors represent offscreen, culturally, is the reciprocal of their characters and the film’s central conflict between tradition and modernization. READ MORE FROM INVERSE

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This Xbox Controller has a mini screen that shows all your phone notifications

Check your messages in between matches without ever having to put your controller down. Like clockwork, everyone checks their Instagram or Discord messages in between rounds of Fortnite, but Turtle Beach is letting us do that without ever having to put down the controller. Turtle Beach revealed its Stealth Ultra Wireless Smart Game Controller which has a mini 1.5-inch screen as its defining feature. The tiny full-color display acts as the controller’s command center where you can customize a ton of settings and check your social app notifications. READ MORE FROM INVERSE