Some brainstormed using custom agents in advocacy work, while others pitched cultivating meat with AI tools. But the real talk of the event was a flood of funding they expect will soon flow to animal welfare charities, not from individual megadonors, but from AI lab employees.
Some attendees also probed an even more controversial idea: AI may develop the capacity to suffer—and this could constitute a moral catastrophe. Read the full story to find out why their ideas are gaining momentum and sparking controversy.
—Michelle Kim & Grace Huckins
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 The White House has unveiled its AI policy blueprint
Trump wants Congress to codify the light-touch framework into law. (Politico)
+ He also wants to block state limits on AI. (WP $)
+ A backlash against the tech has formed within MAGA. (FT $)
+ A war over AI regulation is brewing in the US. (MIT Technology Review)
2 Elon Musk has been found liable for misleading Twitter investors
A jury ruled that he defrauded shareholders ahead of the $44 billion acquisition. (CNBC)
+ But it absolved him of some fraud allegations. (NPR)
3 The Pentagon is adopting Palantir AI as the core US military system
The move locks in long-term use of Palantir’s weapons-targeting tech. (Reuters)
+ The DoD wants it to link up sensors and shooters for combat. (Bloomberg)
+ Palantir is also getting access to sensitive UK financial regulation data. (Guardian)
+ AI is turning the Iran conflict into theater. (MIT Technology Review)