Chinese military researchers reportedly used Meta AI to develop defense chatbot

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Chinese military researchers reportedly used Meta AI to develop defense chatbot

Chinese research scientists linked to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the military wing of China’s ruling party, reportedly used “open” AI from Meta to develop a tool for defense applications.

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According to Reuters, Chinese researchers, including two affiliated with a PLA R&D group, used Meta’s Llama 2 AI model to create a military-focused chatbot. The chatbot, called ChatBIT, is designed to gather and process intelligence, Reuters reports, as well as offering information for operational decision-making.

Meta told Reuters in a statement that the use of the “single, and outdated” Llama model — Llama 2 is roughly a year old — was “unauthorized” and contrary to its acceptable use policy. Reuters says it wasn’t able to confirm ChatBIT’s capabilities or computing power.

The report provides some of the first evidence that China’s military has been trying to leverage open models for defense purposes — which is sure to fuel the debate over the merits and risks of open AI.

OpenAI Introduces Real-Time Web Search in ChatGPT

Overview: 

OpenAI has launched an integrated web search feature in ChatGPT, positioning the chatbot as a real-time information source and direct competitor to Google and other search engines.

Key Features: 

- Real-Time Information Access: The new search function provides instant updates on topics such as news, sports, stocks, and weather.

- Automatic & Manual Searches: ChatGPT can automatically initiate searches when necessary, while users have the option to trigger searches manually using a globe icon.

- Enhanced Sourcing: Powered by a specialized version of GPT-4, fine-tuned for web search, the platform now includes clickable links and detailed source attributions for credibility and further exploration.

- Publisher Partnerships: OpenAI has secured licensing agreements with leading publishers, including AP, Reuters, and Axel Springer, to deliver high-quality content directly within ChatGPT.

Why This Matters: 

OpenAI’s integration of real-time search into ChatGPT signals a potential shift in how people gather information online. By blending conversational AI with traditional search, this feature could reshape user habits and challenge the dominance of established search engines.