sports news philippines 2024
sports news philippines 2024
Mathematics- A Universal Subject
Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. “We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time,” said a statement from OpenAI. Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said “appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation.” The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide. His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a “happy, smart and brave young man” who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends. Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT. “Suchir’s contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn’t have succeeded without him,” said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what made him such an exceptional engineer and scientist was his attention to detail and ability to notice subtle bugs or logical errors. “He had a knack for finding simple solutions and writing elegant code that worked,” Schulman wrote. “He’d think through the details of things carefully and rigorously.” Balaji later shifted to organizing the huge datasets of online writings and other media used to train GPT-4, the fourth generation of OpenAI's flagship large language model and a basis for the company's famous chatbot. It was that work that eventually caused Balaji to question the technology he helped build, especially after newspapers, novelists and others began suing OpenAI and other AI companies for copyright infringement. He first raised his concerns with The New York Times, which reported them in an October profile of Balaji . He later told The Associated Press he would “try to testify” in the strongest copyright infringement cases and considered a lawsuit brought by The New York Times last year to be the “most serious.” Times lawyers named him in a Nov. 18 court filing as someone who might have “unique and relevant documents” supporting allegations of OpenAI's willful copyright infringement. His records were also sought by lawyers in a separate case brought by book authors including the comedian Sarah Silverman, according to a court filing. “It doesn’t feel right to be training on people’s data and then competing with them in the marketplace,” Balaji told the AP in late October. “I don’t think you should be able to do that. I don’t think you are able to do that legally.” He told the AP that he gradually grew more disillusioned with OpenAI, especially after the internal turmoil that led its board of directors to fire and then rehire CEO Sam Altman last year. Balaji said he was broadly concerned about how its commercial products were rolling out, including their propensity for spouting false information known as hallucinations. But of the “bag of issues” he was concerned about, he said he was focusing on copyright as the one it was “actually possible to do something about.” He acknowledged that it was an unpopular opinion within the AI research community, which is accustomed to pulling data from the internet, but said “they will have to change and it’s a matter of time.” He had not been deposed and it’s unclear to what extent his revelations will be admitted as evidence in any legal cases after his death. He also published a personal blog post with his opinions about the topic. Schulman, who resigned from OpenAI in August, said he and Balaji coincidentally left on the same day and celebrated with fellow colleagues that night with dinner and drinks at a San Francisco bar. Another of Balaji’s mentors, co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, had left OpenAI several months earlier , which Balaji saw as another impetus to leave. Schulman said Balaji had told him earlier this year of his plans to leave OpenAI and that Balaji didn't think that better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence “was right around the corner, like the rest of the company seemed to believe.” The younger engineer expressed interest in getting a doctorate and exploring “some more off-the-beaten path ideas about how to build intelligence,” Schulman said. Balaji's family said a memorial is being planned for later this month at the India Community Center in Milpitas, California, not far from his hometown of Cupertino. —————- EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. —————-- The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.
AP Business SummaryBrief at 2:35 p.m. EST
TEHRAN – Since Hamas launched its surprise offensive against Israel in October 2023, the face of West Asia has been changing. The operation brought the Palestinian cause back to the forefront of media coverage and became a key topic of discussion in elite circles. Although the "two-state solution" remains a distant prospect, it has gained renewed public support in the West as a potential resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In a recent article for The Hill, Mark Toth and Jonathan Sweet argue that "Iran's nuclear phoenix may yet rise from the ashes of Gaza, Lebanon, Syria." However, their argument is unsupported by the facts on the ground. The authors' suggestion that Iran has been completely defeated by Israel in the region is inaccurate. Since October 2023, Israel has targeted Hezbollah facilities and fighters across Lebanon, without significant success. Hezbollah operations continued in northern occupied Palestine and even into Haifa and Tel Aviv until a ceasefire took effect last month. Israel's operations in southern Lebanon failed to gain significant territory, and Hezbollah successfully repelled those attacks. The Lebanon ceasefire, largely mirroring UN Resolution 1701, offers no substantial changes. Hezbollah retains its weaponry and maintains its capacity to resume operations against Israel at any time. In Gaza, Israel appears to lack a clear plan, and occupying the territory and building settlements is not a viable option due to several factors, including international pressure. The Israeli Prime Minister has actively blocked ceasefire efforts, a move viewed by many as an attempt to evade legal challenges he faces. Furthermore, installing the Palestinian Authority as Gaza's governing body is impractical; the PA lacks popular support and is unlikely to govern effectively without Hamas's cooperation. While the fall of the Assad government in Syria was undoubtedly a setback for the Resistance Axis, it was not catastrophic. The Axis was not solely dependent on Syria; Hezbollah was a significant force long before Damascus became a logistical hub, and Ansarullah in Yemen demonstrates the viability of independent resistance movements. The country has been under siege by the Saudi-led coalition, however, it managed to foil attempts to overthrow the government in Sana’a. Yemenis have been launching attacks in the Red Sea and surrounding waters against U.S.-Israeli interests. It has also launched missiles and drones on occupied Palestine successfully despite being constantly under attack by a U.S.-led coalition. Toth and Sweet suggest Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons; however, Tehran's continued cooperation with the IAEA and adherence to the NPT render these comments irrelevant. Iran's actions were reactive measures taken in response to escalations against the country. The U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA initiated Tehran's retaliatory measures, which included a gradual increase in uranium enrichment. Moreover, even if Israel could destroy Iranian nuclear sites, such an attack would eliminate any basis for negotiations and leave Iran's existing expertise intact. Furthermore, such an operation might trigger further escalation, potentially including attacks on U.S. military sites in the region. The authors criticize the previous U.S. administration for its perceived leniency toward Iran and praise Israel's decision to launch large-scale attacks on Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria, despite the significant loss of life. They claim Iran received $10 billion due to sanctions relief; however, the fact is that the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" policy, continued under Biden, proved ineffective. Biden's administration attempted to pressure Iran back to the negotiating table, but these efforts have so far failed. Toth and Sweet defend Israeli actions in West Asia and portray Iran negatively; however, the reality on the ground is far different. The Israeli war on Gaza has resulted in over 45,000 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, over 107,000 injuries, and thousands unaccounted for. A similar situation, though less severe, occurred in Lebanon and cannot be described as "self-defense." Israel has also repeatedly attacked Syrian infrastructure since the fall of the government and occupies parts of Syria, seemingly intending a permanent presence, in violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement. Iran’s ties with Russia and China have been growing throughout recent years yet, it can’t be called a “strategic partnership” due to several factors. Iran and Russia share interests on several issues. For example, while their ultimate goals differ, their presence in Syria and the fight against terrorism represent a shared objective. Moscow sought to maintain air and naval bases, while Iran aimed to protect Shia holy shrines and establish a new supply route to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Despite the article's claims, these factors do not indicate Russia's willingness to provide Iran with nuclear detonation technology. Moscow has historically been cautious about Iran's nuclear program, even supporting anti-Iran resolutions in the UN Security Council and elsewhere. Similarly, China's economic interests in West Asia facilitated the normalization of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.Amazon invests another $4 bn in AI firm Anthropic
Two innocent children will be abandoned outside of the Canada Life Centre Thursday night before the Winnipeg Jets take on the Vegas Golden Knights. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Two innocent children will be abandoned outside of the Canada Life Centre Thursday night before the Winnipeg Jets take on the Vegas Golden Knights. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Two innocent children will be abandoned outside of the Canada Life Centre Thursday night before the Winnipeg Jets take on the Vegas Golden Knights. It’s all part of a penniless single father’s plan to give his kids a leg-up, says Debbie Patterson, the director and co-writer of Sick + Twisted Theatre’s Hansel & Gretel in Portage Place, premièring Thursday night in the Colin Jackson Theatre at Prairie Theatre Exchange and running to Dec. 22. “We’re imagining that Hansel (Emily King), Gretel (Carlyn Graff-Czehryn) and their father (Michael Schellenberg) live in a tiny house in the old parking lot behind the mall, and that the house is going to be demolished during the (mall’s upcoming) renovation,” explains Patterson, who co-wrote the show with Fiona Smith and Andrea von Wichert. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS From left: Emily King (Hansel), Michael Schellenberg (Father) and Carlyn Graff-Czehryn (Gretel) star in Sick + Twisted’s take on the Brothers’ Grimm classic., Hansel and Gretel. “The dad can’t afford to get a new place, so he decides to abandon the kids outside a Jets game, hoping that someone rich enough to buy tickets would be rich enough to give his kids a better life.” Soon, the overall-clad kinder make their way to the last candy shop in Portage Place, where they’re in for an unsavoury surprise. Fictionalized with inspiration drawn from reality, is Sick + Twisted’s second annual holiday panto, the company’s take on a genre of live theatre teeming with comedy, musical numbers, gags and slapstick. With the audience encouraged to cheer for its heroes and boo any villains, the panto style engages playfully with the rigid barriers one might expect from a production in a seated theatre setting. For this year’s show, the writers decided to put a theatrical twist on arguably the biggest story in the ongoing saga of downtown Winnipeg: the proposed redevelopment of Portage Place. Having seen an early rendering of a reimagined mall, the writers considered how to comment, landing on a Brothers Grimm tale of cautionary consumption, navigational breadcrumbs and the cannibalistic tendencies of capitalistic adventures. “After they’re left outside, the kids find their way to Portage Place where a single candy store is still in operation,” Patterson says, a subtle allusion to the downtown as a food desert. Under pressure to change their business model to better suit the wellness bent of the mall’s new owners, the chocolatiers pivot to health bars, but where oh where will they find a cheap source of protein? After writing the script in September, the production was given renewed relevance when in November the real estate development arm of True North, the entity which owns the Winnipeg Jets, officially acquired the 37-year-old shopping centre, along with the land it stands on and all associated assets. The $650-million redevelopment plan will include 216 housing units, a health services tower, a main-floor grocery store, community centres and social agency spaces. The news of Portage Place’s next phase of life piqued Patterson’s interest. After moving to Winnipeg from Thunder Bay in 1992, her first job was in the mall, running Prairie Theatre Exchange’s annual Robert Munsch show, adapting the children’s author’s work for a live audience. “Back then it was a fancy new mall. They had Holt Renfrew and Birks,” she says. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. In recent years, though the mall’s food court has remained a vital gathering space and the Pitikwe Skate Park (inside the former Staples) has become an exciting beacon of youth-centred community space, most of the neighbours PTE had when it moved to the mall in 1989 have jumped ship. The corporate exodus from Portage Place, and the mall’s upcoming redevelopment, stimulated the writers to consider the way land is used in the city and “how capitalism changes the way we interact with each other and with the land,” Patterson says. That’s very much in line with the ethos of Sick + Twisted, a company that consistently challenges the status quo while poking fun at real-world issues. Founded in 2016, the company was created to address the lack of representation of deaf and disabled people in the professional theatre industry. The latest transformation of Portage Place, which True North Real Estate Development expects to be complete by 2028, will continue to dominate headlines for the next three years and beyond. With its version of , Sick + Twisted will get out ahead of the conversation. If it were up to Patterson, a newly imagined Portage Place would begin with an open door. “I think making the community feel welcome here should be the priority,” she says. ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com “The face of the city is changing,” a full-page advertisement declared in the Sept. 16, 1987 edition of the Winnipeg Free Press. When the ribbon was cut on Portage Place, the vision was grand: in addition to more than 150 storefronts, the mall touted a 10,000-square-foot town square featuring a massive clocktower, with “a showcase of extensive cultural, community and entertainment events featured under the 100-foot-high skylight atrium. The retailers included Radio Shack — complete with a Plus Computer Centre; the Muffin Oven, “the originator of the sugar-free muffin,”; Faces, a cosmetics store; Pantorama, which sold not only trousers but “tops, jackets and sweaters galore,”; a two-floor restaurant called Picasso’s; W.H. Smith and McNally Robinson booksellers; Mariposa/Boppers, selling “casual clothes for mom and daughter,”; Tall Girl, specializing in sizes 18-20; Baskin Robbins, named in part for Winnipeg-born founder Irv Robbins; a short-lived downtown excursion by Gunn’s Bakery; Lawley’s of London, for all your Royal Doulton needs; and Wicks ‘n Sticks, which invited customers to “light a little fire under your life with this array of candles, lanterns and candlestick holders.” Need something else to light? Check out the United Cigar Store. When the mall officially opened on Sept. 17, a draw was held for one lucky customer to drive away in their choice of a 1988 Lincoln Mark VII or a Merkur Scorpio luxury sedan, courtesy of Landau and McPhillips Lincoln-Mercury dealers. Based in Germany, where Hansel and Gretel were raised, the Merkur brand shut down in 1989, effectively ending Scorpio Season and putting Merkur in the same conversation as the Edsel when it comes to notorious automotive flops. Ben Waldman is a National Newspaper Award-nominated reporter on the Arts & Life desk at the . Born and raised in Winnipeg, Ben completed three internships with the while earning his degree at Ryerson University’s (now Toronto Metropolitan University’s) School of Journalism before joining the newsroom full-time in 2019. . Every piece of reporting Ben produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.NoneGovernor Gavin Newsom and California's state lawmakers reconvened Monday for a special session aimed at fortifying the state's progressive policies against potential actions of another Trump presidency. The session signifies California's strategic resistance to expected federal challenges. In anticipation of Trump's conservative agenda, Democrats, holding supermajorities, are preparing to bolster the state attorney general's office with enhanced legal resources. Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel has already introduced legislation for USD25 million in legal fees, safeguarding state policies on civil rights, climate change, and immigration. The session also saw protests against Trump's perceived threats, while Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta worked on securing California's stances on immigration and reproductive rights. The actions underscore California's commitment to safeguarding its values amidst political tensions. (With inputs from agencies.)
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