Hello BRIGHT Run Family,
Happy July!
We are halfway through this year and since last December, a lot has been going on in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) world.
I discussed ChatGPT (an advanced AI Chatbot) in our last December’s eNewsletter. Since then, improved versions of this technology have arrived. This technology continues to attract individual users and is being adopted by industries related to various applications. To date, it is the fastest growing consumer application in the history of mankind.
ChatGPT is a type of “Generative AI.” Generative AI is a type of AI which can generate or create data. This data is artificial or synthetic. Generation of synthetic data is not something new in AI, particularly in the statistical and machine learning world.
However, the exciting thing about Generative AI is that it can produce more sophisticated, complex data, in the form of content. Content refers to meaningful, engaging, valuable (to the user) pieces of information conveyed through a single or multiple forms of media. Content can be text, images, video, music, computer codes, molecular structures, and so on. The content’s appeal and valuation can vary with the expertise/experience of the user.
Typically, the content is generated based on prompts, which are instructions, often in simple text or images or data points. Consider this: you may “ask a question” or “request a summary for a piece of text” from ChatGPT. Those are prompts. Thus, with prompts, one can use AI to produce content with simple instructions. Another example of generative AI includes Dall-E (DALL·E 2 (openai.com)) or Midjourney (Midjourney), which can create real-looking pictures from descriptive texts as prompts.
While some Generative AI tools have been made public, there is increasing concern on the nature and appropriate usage of AI-generated content. While there have been discussions of regulating AI in North America, the European Union actually proposed a regulatory framework for AI in June, which depends on the risk AI poses (e.g., threat to public, affecting safety). The framework also proposes that any content generated by AI needs to be accompanied by a disclosure revealing that.
I would say these are interesting, dynamic times, as the adoption of AI is getting faster and there are increasing number of events regarding the development, progress, and usage of AI. AI is growing, from its infancy towards its teens.
On that note, BRIGHT Run is approaching its sweet sixteenth. It is less than 90 days to BRIGHT Run. We started with the official kick-off on June 15. It was great to meet the executive members, volunteers, supporters, fellow team-captains, and community partners and to know about the extensive efforts they are making towards the 16th BRIGHT Run.
Enjoy your summer!
Best,
Ashirbani
Dr. Ashirbani Saha is the first holder of the BRIGHT Run Breast Cancer Learning Health System Chair, a permanent research position established by the BRIGHT Run in partnership with McMaster University.
