The AI ​​race between China and the US escalates, the liberation of OpenAI models, and why you should check your car alarm

Leah Weiger: I do. In the past few days, this phenomenon has emerged. You’re like, “I was hearing them.” It’s like, “Sorry, Zoe, your bill is ready.” And I say, “What’s going on over there?”

Zoe Schiffer: You’ve been hearing them. It’s embarrassing. This is embarrassing.

Leah Weiger: It’s kind of wild. No, honestly, if it makes your life better, I’m happy to hear it. Which is… I’m a fan of using this for your annoying administrative tools. That to me is not… If I said, “And I decided to write a book using AI,” I’d be like, “That’s embarrassing for you.”

Zoe Schiffer: No no. Shoshana said this too. I mean, she works with a lot of clients, and she was like, “Human writing is what sets you apart.” You’ll never want to use it for these things, but there are plenty of things around your actual core business where it can be useful. Brian?

Brian Barrett: Oh, me?

Zoe Schiffer: Yes.

Brian Barrett: Well, my WIRED is life in space.

Zoe Schiffer: Oh, not where I thought this would go.

Brian Barrett: Bear with me. No, and… Look, I think it’s clearly a big mystery of the universe. Are we alone here? I think there are two developments that happened last week that are very interesting. I’m not saying they mean we’re not, but for the first time in history, astronomers have discovered a sugar molecule floating in space tens of thousands of light-years away. You need these types of molecules for life to occur. So it’s not a confirmation that there’s life out there, but it’s a signal like, “Oh, there’s soup out there that could work.” Likewise, just a few days later, 48 light-years away, astronomers confirmed for the first time the existence of a rocky planet with an atmosphere that also lies in the habitable zone, meaning that it is similar to Earth, capable of supporting life. Maybe it contains water, maybe it contains all of those elements. So some major breakthroughs in astronomy suggest we’re not alone.

Zoe Schiffer: Brian, do you believe in aliens?

Brian Barrett: I don’t know… I think the idea that there isn’t any life form on any other planet in the entire universe seems crazy to me. I don’t know if it’s like… yeah, I don’t know if we call it conscious living. I don’t think they have Tinder, but I guess there must be something.

Leah Weiger: I’d love to hear that Brian’s version of mindfulness includes Tinder.

Brian Barrett: This is the tape.

Leah Weiger: This is the tape.

Brian Barrett: Yes. Anything less, I’m sorry. No, it doesn’t count.

Leah Weiger: Well, what’s your tired?

Brian Barrett: The opposite.

Leah Weiger: Oh, my God.

Zoe Schiffer: Yes. Leah, tell me this is wired/tired.

Leah Weiger: Yes. MY WIRED/TIRED, I must say it is a completely scientific topic. So Brian was a perfect entry into this. I’m feeling really tired, I’m really worried about El Niño. I’m watching maps and temperature forecasts literally every day right now. And part of that comes from a really big interest just on a global level, what does this mean? The impact on food security, and the impact on the communities that will be affected. El Niño is historically very bad for marine life, even though it is a natural process. This will be a super El Niño year. All over the world, I have seen areas generally full of life become lifeless during El Niño. And if El Niño continues for a very long time, what will that mean for shark hotspots in the Galapagos Islands and things like that? Humboldt current. So this is what I think about a lot, and I’m very tired of it, and I’m very upset by it. If you’re concerned about El Niño and want to chat, let me know. I’m always around.