Generative AI, the future of Facebook & Quantum Computing with Sebastian Hallensleben

04/13/22 • 39 min

Today’s podcast with Sebastian Hallensleben includes topics on the impact of generative AI with tools like deep fake, the future of platforms like Facebook and the creation of new platforms for constructive discourse, quantum computing, using a piece of the sun for energy on earth, and lastly, how to fund foundational research.

Sebastian Hellensleben is the head of digitalization and AI at VDE, and works on concepts and infrastructures for trust in the digital space.

Impact of generative AI - tools such as deep fakes - in the digital space. We haven’t yet understood it properly.

Generative AI tools:

being able to create profiles of people that don’t exist

creating media for people that don’t exist

virtual influencers that can have followers

The contest of quantity between product promoters is who has more bots. How can we trust ratings?

Democratic discourse: if we lose the digital space as a platform for discourse to bots, it’ll have a major impact on the ability of democratic systems to function.

How to regulate this?

Regulation is never going to turn platforms like Facebook into a forum for constructive discourse. And that’s something we really have to understand.

So we have to look elsewhere and we need to create new kinds of platforms where constructive discourse can happen.

You need to create different incentive mechanisms. Like to convince another person of your position, or to gather reputation if you're able to build consensus between groups of 20 or 30 other users.

Where are platforms like Facebook heading?

It is frightening that the owners of these platforms either haven't asked the question or there is no answer, to how these platforms can evolve in a more sustainable way.

What technology are you excited about now?

Quantum computing - because it’ll be more disruptive - it is certainly a very fascinating technology. It's hard to say are we 5 years or 50 away from breakthroughs. It shares that with much older technology like nuclear fusion. But the mere notion of being able to have a piece of the sun on earth and use it to create energy.

Who should be funding all this?

Foundational research will never be funded by commercial investment. Because rewards are 20, 30 or 40 years away and it might not be clear what these rewards are. It's important governments support foundational research. It would be wise to have budgets to do research and just see where it takes us.

How do we get countries that spend less than 3% of their GDP on research and innovation to spend more?

We need to link foundational research to certain megatrends: aging population, finite natural recourses, the need to keep this planet liveable, and also from a perspective of how to keep people living together peacefully. Building resilient democracies for stable economies.
American versus European approach to spurring innovation.

Fresh thinking on what the European Union actually is
Triggered by Brexit and Putin’s war and Trump, but nevertheless triggered. What is the goal and if the facets of that goal are still remnant? And a fresh perspective on the internal structures. Is it an economic union? Yes, to what

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Sebastian Hellensleben is the head of digitalization and AI at VDE, and works on concepts and infrastructures for trust in the digital space.

Impact of generative AI - tools such as deep fakes - in the digital space. We haven’t yet understood it properly.

Generative AI tools:

being able to create profiles of people that don’t exist

creating media for people that don’t exist

virtual influencers that can have followers

The contest of quantity between product promoters is who has more bots. How can we trust ratings?

Democratic discourse: if we lose the digital space as a platform for discourse to bots, it’ll have a major impact on the ability of democratic systems to function.

How to regulate this?

Regulation is never going to turn platforms like Facebook into a forum for constructive discourse. And that’s something we really have to understand.

So we have to look elsewhere and we need to create new kinds of platforms where constructive discourse can happen.

You need to create different incentive mechanisms. Like to convince another person of your position, or to gather reputation if you're able to build consensus between groups of 20 or 30 other users.

Where are platforms like Facebook heading?

It is frightening that the owners of these platforms either haven't asked the question or there is no answer, to how these platforms can evolve in a more sustainable way.

What technology are you excited about now?

Who should be funding all this?

How do we get countries that spend less than 3% of their GDP on research and innovation to spend more?

Previous Episode

Russia's strategy of cognitive dissonance & what will Putin & NATO do next?

What is surprising about the Russian aggression toward Ukraine?
Is it possible Putin didn’t have contingency plans for partial or total failure?
Russian doctrine of power and success
Did the Russian intelligence community really get it wrong or did they try to please Putin with their assessment?
The problem of cognitive dissonance
What will be the biggest challenge now for Ukraine and the Western allies?
What will NATO's worth be for countries in Europe if NATO doesn’t react?
What will happen next?
Is there a development in the Ukrainian public opinion? Greater resilience or exhaustion?
What are the unlikely developments? What is inevitable.
There are a lot of structural conditions that point to a strong possibility that there will be further decoupling and deglobalisation. Will there be a breaking point?

What are the 3 things to watch in the next few weeks to watch in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine?

1. Use of chemical weapons by Russia won’t make any difference to NATO - it didn’t in Syria.

2. The Russians won't use a tactical nuclear weapon at this stage. They want to maintain a tactical war of attrition. Nuclear Weapons are not the sort of things you’d use in that.

3. Putin wants to reach some sort of victory by the 9th of May. The question is what can constitute victory? - Maybe a Russian defeat of Donbas - a mass levelling of Ukrainian cities at a much greater level than now, can precipitate a reaction of other countries to give some air defence to Ukraine. Intercepting Russian aircrafts from neighbouring countries.

4. Another possibility for a shift, would be a situation in Moscow where somebody will suggest to Putin to change course and instability in the Kremlin would have a lot of impact. But destabilisation within the Kremlin will put pressure on Putin to take more drastic action, to achieve victory at any cost. That is where tactical nuclear weapons will come in. The US will have to raise the nuclear alert.
Shmuel Bar: https://il.linkedin.com/in/shmuelbar
More on Intuview: https://www.intuview.com/
More on the Global Arena Research Institute: https://www.globari.org/

Next Episode

Quantum computing and it's applications in industry with Florian Neukart - Terra Quantum

Today I’m chatting with Florian Neukart from Terra Quantum about all things quantum, what is quantum physics and technology, how can it be applied and what will it look like in the automotive, medical, pharmacy, finance, and energy sectors, and why is combining the first and second quantum revolutions exciting?
To see more of the transcript, please see the transcript ;)

What is quantum computing? Where did it start?
Difference between referring to quantum physics, science, and computing?

What is the coolest thing about quantum technology to you?

How much of quantum physics is already understood?

Quantum sensors are way more powerful than we have today. Let’s say with vehicles, self-automated vehicles, sensors are very receptive to environmental influences, it cannot see through rain, snow, or fog. We need new sensors. Quantum radar systems can see through all this.

Cryptography is the third pillar of quantum. Quantum algorithms have the potential to crack current encryption.

What does Terra Quantum do?

High-performance computing will still develop, it isn’t over just because quantum computing is here. Combining these two in terms of software is important.
(from https://terraquantum.swiss/)Terra Quantum is a deep tech pioneer, developing revolutionary quantum applications to shape the technology of the future. Our international team of experts brings together the best minds from science, academia and industry to address the most fundamental questions of quantum physics and their manifestations in the world around us. We are building quantum technology for a better future, breaking down the barriers between science and industry, and laying the foundations of a real quantum tech ecosystem and value chain.

Applications of quantum computing outside of the realms of technology - what can it improve in other sectors and industries?

Material science - automotive industry, all production industries.

Pharmacy - simulating drugs, simulate the molecule exactly - how a molecule acts on a protein - if you can do that, you can find personalized treatment for every disease you can think of. Quantum computers can simulate all reactions - simulates what a particle does to any part of the body.

Finance - trading, optimization of portfolios - here we’re at the border of what classical machines/computers can do. You can save 240 million eur by running a quantum algorithm.

Society - Environment and environmental problems - from energy (fusion). Quantum simulation is important.

Carbon dioxide or monoxide extraction - material simulation, you can find materials that carbon monoxide can attach to well and make very powerful extractors. For fleets of vehicles or cities, that want to improve the traffic simulation, you can optimize traffic light switching and routing so that emission output is reduced, and delivery of goods and people is prioritized and optimized.

The Global Arena Research Institute specializes in high-level research & analysis using big data and AI. In our podcast, we bring you experts from various fields for fascinating and useful discussions. Your host was Odessa Primus, Executive Director at Global Arena Research Institut

Last Week on Earth with GARI - Generative AI, the future of Facebook & Quantum Computing with Sebastian Hallensleben

Transcript

Generative AI, the future of Facebook & Quantum Computing with Sebastian Hallensleben

Welcome to the Last Week on Earth with the Global Arena Research Institute with your host Odessa Primus. Today’s podcast with Sebastian Hallensleben includes topics on the impact of generative AI with tools like deep fake, the future of platforms like Facebook and the creation of new platforms for constructive discourse, quantum computing, using a piece of the sun for ener