BlueDot Narrated

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. Most conversations around the societal impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) come down to discussing some quality of an AI system, such as its truthfulness, fairness, potential for misuse, and so on. We are able to talk about these characteristics because we can technically evaluate models for their performance in these areas. But what man...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. The UK recognises the enormous opportunities that AI can unlock across our economy and our society. However, without appropriate guardrails, such technologies can pose significant risks. The AI Safety Summit will focus on how best to manage the risks from frontier AI such as misuse, loss of control and societal harms. Frontier AI organisatio...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. This article from Holden Karnofsky, now a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discusses "If-Then" commitments as a structured approach to managing AI risks without hindering innovation. These commitments offer a framework in which specific responses are triggered when particular risks arise, allowing...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. This article by Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, explains existing use cases for AI in the scientific community and outlines ways that sufficiently advanced, narrow AI models might transform scientific discovery in the near future. As you read, pay close attention to the existing case studies he describes. Original text: https://www.techn...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. This resource is the second of two on the benefits and risks of open-weights model release. In contrast, this paper expresses strong skepticism toward releasing highly capable foundation model weights, arguing that the risks may outweigh the benefits. While recognizing the advantages of openness, such as encouraging innovation and external o...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. This paper by academic Michael Mintrom defines policy entrepreneurs as "energetic actors who engage in collaborative efforts in and around government to promote policy innovations". He describes five methods they use: Problem framing, Using and expanding networks, Working with advocacy coalitions, Leading by example, and Scaling up...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. This resource is the first of two on the benefits and risks of open-weights model release. This paper broadly supports the open release of foundation model weights, arguing that such openness can drive competition, enhance innovation, and promote transparency. It contends that open models can distribute power more evenly across society, redu...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. In the fall of 2023, the US Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group held insight forms with global leaders. Participants included the leaders of major AI labs, tech companies, major organizations adopting and implementing AI throughout the wider economy, union leaders, academics, advocacy groups, and civil society organizations. This document, re...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses.  This paper explores the under-discussed strategies of adaptation and resilience to mitigate the risks of advanced AI systems. The authors present arguments supporting the need for societal AI adaptation, create a framework for adaptation, offer examples of adapting to AI risks, outline the concept of resilience, and provide concrete recomme...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses.  In this paper from CSET, Ben Buchanan outlines a framework for understanding the inputs that power machine learning. Called "the AI Triad", it focuses on three inputs: algorithms, data, and compute. Original text:   https://cset.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/CSET-AI-Triad-Report.pdf Author(s): Ben Buchanan A podcast by BlueDot...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses.  This document from the OECD is split into two sections: principles for responsible stewardship of trustworthy AI & national policies and international co-operation for trustworthy AI. 43 governments around the world have agreed to adhere to the document. While originally written in 2019, updates were made in 2024 which are reflected in...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses.  This report by the UK's Department for Science, Technology, and Innovation outlines a regulatory framework for UK AI policy. Per the report, "AI is helping to make our jobs safer and more satisfying, conserve our wildlife and fight climate change, and make our public services more efficient. Not only do we need to plan for the cap...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses.  This statement was released by the UK Government as part of their Global AI Safety Summit from November 2023. It notes that frontier models pose unique risks and calls for international cooperation, finding that "many risks arising from AI are inherently international in nature, and so are best addressed through international cooperati...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses.  This summary of UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of AI outlines four core values, ten core principles, and eleven actionable policies for responsible AI governance. The full text was agreed to by all 193 member states of the United Nations. Original text:   https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000385082 Author(s):   The United...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. This yearly report from Stanford’s Center for Humane AI tracks AI governance actions and broader trends in policies and legislation by governments around the world in 2023. It includes a summary of major policy actions taken by different governments, as well as analyses of regulatory trends, the volume of AI legislation, and different focus...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. This high-level overview by CISA summarizes major US policies on AI at the federal level. Important items worth further investigation include Executive Order 14110, the voluntary commitments, the AI Bill of Rights, and Executive Order 13859. Original text:   https://www.cisa.gov/ai/recent-efforts Author(s):   The US Cybersecurity and Infrast...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses.  This fact sheet from The White House summarizes President Biden's AI Executive Order from October 2023. The President's AI EO represents the most aggressive approach to date from the US executive branch on AI policy. Original text:   https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/30/fact-sheet-president-biden...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses.  This primer by the Future of Life Institute highlights core elements of the EU AI Act. It includes a high level summary alongside explanations of different restrictions on prohibited AI systems, high-risk AI systems, and general purpose AI. Original text:   https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/high-level-summary/ Author(s):   The Future of...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses.  This report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace summarizes Chinese AI policy as of mid-2023. It also provides analysis of the factors motivating Chinese AI Governance. We're providing a more structured analysis to Chinese AI policy relative to other governments because we expect learners will be less familiar with the C...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses.  This report by the Center for Security and Emerging Technology first analyzes the tensions and tradeoffs between three strategic technology and national security goals: driving technological innovation, impeding adversaries’ progress, and promoting safe deployment. It then identifies different direct and enabling policy levers, assessing ea...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. This report from the Centre for Emerging Technology and Security and the Centre for Long-Term Resilience identifies different levers as they apply to different stages of the AI life cycle. They split the AI lifecycle into three stages: design, training, and testing; deployment and usage; and longer-term deployment and diffusion. It also intr...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. This report by the Nuclear Threat Initiative primarily focuses on how AI's integration into biosciences could advance biotechnology but also poses potentially catastrophic biosecurity risks. It’s included as a core resource this week because the assigned pages offer a valuable case study into an under-discussed lever for AI risk mitigat...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. This excerpt from CAIS’s AI Safety, Ethics, and Society textbook provides a deep dive into the CAIS resource from session three, focusing specifically on the challenges of controlling advanced AI systems. Original Text: https://www.aisafetybook.com/textbook/1-5 Author: The Center for AI Safety A podcast by BlueDot Impact .

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. To solve rogue AIs, we’ll have to align them. In this article by Adam Jones of BlueDot Impact, Jones introduces the concept of aligning AIs. He defines alignment as “making AI systems try to do what their creators intend them to do.” Original text: https://aisafetyfundamentals.com/blog/what-is-ai-alignment/ Author: Adam Jones A podcast by Bl...

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. This article from the Center for AI Safety provides an overview of ways that advanced AI could cause catastrophe. It groups catastrophic risks into four categories: malicious use, AI race, organizational risk, and rogue AIs. The article is a summary of a larger paper that you can read by clicking here . Original text: https://www.safe.ai/ai-...