The hottest Safety Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

To Pause or Not to Pause, that is the Question.

The Cognitive Revolution • 39 implied HN points • 05 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Innovation Safety Development
  1. The Open Letter from The Future of Life Institute urges AI labs to pause for at least six months in training AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 to develop safety standards.
  2. Different experts have varying perspectives on the necessity and benefits of pausing AI development, with concerns about potential risks of superhuman intelligence.
  3. There is caution and optimism regarding the deployment and potential dangers of scaling GPT-4, emphasizing the need for extreme caution and consideration of risks and benefits.

Europe India Trip: Day 17 - Fjellstova to GierangerFjord & back [Apr 29, 2023]

Pocha Life's Learnings • 39 implied HN points • 03 May 23
🏝 Travel Adventure Exploration Tourism Photography Safety
  1. The trip included a ride from Fjellstova to Gierangerfjord and back, meeting bikers and experiencing snow.
  2. The Fjellstova bathrooms were a notable attraction due to cleanliness and music-playing mirrors.
  3. Encountered challenging weather conditions like rain and snow, facing issues with visibility and warm tunnels.
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The 11th MUTCD is Exactly What We Should Expect...

Exasperated Infrastructures • 7 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
📰 News Transportation Policy Safety Engineering Autonomous Vehicles
  1. The 11th edition of the MUTCD addresses the need for updated road safety measures but lacks clear accountability processes.
  2. The controversial '85th percentile speed trap' rule in the MUTCD has received criticism for rewarding law-breaking behavior.
  3. The new version of the MUTCD includes factors like pedestrian activity in speed limit determinations, but lacks clear definitions and enforcement mechanisms.

Gnashing My Teeth and Chewing on Painkillers

The Radar • 39 implied HN points • 28 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Safety Workplace Leadership Physical health
  1. Reflect on past mistakes to learn and improve from them. A moment of stupidity can lead to a lifetime of reflection.
  2. Promote safety consciousness and effective leadership to prevent incidents. Creating a safe environment is crucial for successful leadership.
  3. Design work areas to prioritize safety, minimize risks, and support employees. Safety requires constant evaluation and improvement in work conditions.

It turns out we can, in fact, build things. Time to build sidewalks.

Exasperated Infrastructures • 19 implied HN points • 07 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Infrastructure Federalism Safety Leadership Budgeting
  1. Emphasize the importance of building and maintaining infrastructure like sidewalks to improve safety and reduce pedestrian fatalities.
  2. Highlight the need for collaboration and coordination between different levels of government and private entities to address infrastructure challenges.
  3. Call for leadership from government officials and active participation from citizens to advocate for necessary infrastructure improvements.

Why don't we have better over-the-counter sleep aids?

More is Different • 3 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Regulation Safety Alternatives FDA Approval
  1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia is the best first-line treatment for insomnia.
  2. Sleep medications can help with treatment-resistant insomnia but come with significant negative side effects and should not be used long term.
  3. Benadryl and doxylamine are common over-the-counter sleep aids with safety and efficacy concerns, potential for anticholinergic side effects and long-term safety issues.

Brand Safe AI

Addition • 19 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Design Risk mitigation Safety AI Applications
  1. Brand safety in AI is not a one-size-fits-all concept; it varies based on the specific use case and how AI is implemented.
  2. Design decisions play a crucial role in aligning the level of risk in an AI system with what the organization is willing to accept.
  3. Addressing brand safety creatively involves different approaches like incorporating safety checks, narrow use cases, and extensive testing to mitigate risks.

So what makes a city more walkable?

intellectualinting • 1 HN point • 21 Feb 24
🏝 Travel Urban planning Infrastructure Public Transportation Climate Safety
  1. Walkability in a city is about the ability for a random citizen to live happily without a car or reliance on private transport services.
  2. Factors like density, localized distribution of resources, proper infrastructure, public transportation, connectedness, and climate/play a vital role in determining a city's walkability.
  3. The idea of walkability may differ among individuals, with personal preferences affected by lifestyle, wealth, and cultural norms.

To Serve and Protect

Perspective Agents • 12 implied HN points • 15 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Regulation Safety Policy
  1. OpenAI introduced GPT-4, a powerful language learning model with improved safety measures.
  2. Concerns exist about the extent to which people will rely on AI for thinking, and how it will impact authorship and credibility of knowledge.
  3. Regulating AI for billions of users is challenging, requiring multi-stakeholder collaboration, self-regulation, public awareness, and adaptive policy-making.

West Africa Weekly Aviation Special [Part 1]

westafricaweekly • 10 implied HN points • 18 Jun 23
📰 News Aviation Corruption Safety Regulations Whistleblower
  1. Antigua Airways was involved in exploiting Cameroonian refugees for financial gain, showcasing a shocking abuse within the airline industry.
  2. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Airports Authority faced accusations of mismanagement, fraud, and negligence, posing serious risks to aviation safety in Nigeria.
  3. Whistleblowers highlighted concerning malpractices within the NCAA and FAAN, including ethnic bias, unqualified hires, and bribery, raising alarms about safety standards in the industry.

Let's talk about the Olympics

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 25 Jan 21
🎾 Sports Olympics Economics Safety Vaccination International cooperation
  1. The costs of proceeding with the Olympics are trivial, and it is safe to go ahead with the event even with minimal attendance in stadiums.
  2. The number of people required to stage the Olympics and be vaccinated is relatively low, making the cost of prioritizing their vaccinations over others very small.
  3. Continuing with the Olympics despite the pandemic provides a sense of normality and value to many countries, with minimal costs and the potential for international cooperation towards global vaccination efforts.

What AI ethicists get wrong – and right – about AI safety

More is Different • 4 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Safety Funding
  1. Two camps raise concerns about AI: AI safety focuses on future risks, AI ethics on present-day issues.
  2. AI safety efforts, funded by Effective Altruism, are critiqued for possibly contributing to the rise of dangerous AI systems.
  3. Billionaires funding AI safety raise concerns about their motivations, but their contributions are viewed as overall positive in advancing AI alignment.

When We Forecast AGI, Do We Mean In The Lab Or In The Field?

Am I Stronger Yet? • 2 HN points • 01 Sep 23
🕹 Technology AGI Artificial Intelligence Adoption Safety
  1. The arrival of AGI will happen gradually over decades, not with a sudden flip of a switch.
  2. To estimate AGI arrival, we need to consider factors like cost, availability, quality, and real-world applicability.
  3. AGI timelines need to map out the entire process from lab creation to broad deployment, rather than focusing on a single date.

Why AI X-Risk Gets Overestimated

Abstraction • 2 HN points • 16 May 23
🕹 Technology AI Risk Assessment Artificial Intelligence Ethics Safety
  1. AI takeover requires a confluence of conditions that must align perfectly, making it less likely than some might think.
  2. AI might lack the motive to take over the world, as it may lack agency, self-preservation, or perfect alignment.
  3. AI could lack the means to successfully take over, as scaling limitations, diminishing returns to intelligence, and overwhelming complexity pose significant obstacles.

OpenAI's Product Leader Discusses Their Strategy & the Future of AI

Unsupervised Learning • 1 implied HN point • 09 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Open Source Safety Research
  1. Value accrual in AI is likely to happen at the application layer, enabling more builders to create products on top of AI technology.
  2. The debate between open source and closed source Language Model Models (LLMs) continues, with closed source models currently dominating.
  3. One of the biggest risks in AI is the lack of understanding of what goes on inside AI models, including interpretability and goal specification.

One week with an e-bike has changed my life

Wheel’s Substack • 1 HN point • 27 Mar 23
🏝 Travel Transportation Infrastructure Safety
  1. Electric bikes are faster, safer, more comfortable, and healthier than cars for city commutes.
  2. Infrastructure improvements, like connected bike paths and dedicated lanes, are crucial for promoting electric bike use.
  3. An e-bike charging network, better cargo bike parking, lockable storage, and a shift away from car-centric cities are essential for making electric bikes a viable alternative.

Geoff Hinton on Navigating the Risks and Potential of Artificial Intelligence

drpawd • 1 HN point • 14 May 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Development Safety Regulation
  1. Geoff Hinton highlighted the remarkable progress in AI and deep learning, with models like Palm and ChatGPT demonstrating advanced understanding.
  2. Hinton raised concerns about risks in AI development, such as misuse by unethical actors, biases in AI systems, and potential socioeconomic impact.
  3. Despite the challenges, Hinton believes AI can bring significant benefits if developed responsibly and ethically, emphasizing the need for safety measures and regulatory frameworks.

Decoding Laxatives: Unraveling Their Effects and Interactions( Part 3/5)

Gutsphere - Your Ultimate Guide to Optimal Gut Health • 0 implied HN points • 31 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Medication Mental health Safety Nutrition Side Effects
  1. Laxatives can interact with other medications, affecting their effectiveness and causing side effects.
  2. Long-term laxative use may impact mental health by altering gut microbiota, potentially leading to mood disorders.
  3. Laxatives should be used cautiously in children and the elderly, under healthcare provider supervision, due to potential risks and interactions.

Why self driving cars are/aren't better than human drivers long term

Hazy Bridge • 0 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Transportation Autonomous Vehicles Safety Future Technology
  1. Self-driving cars offer increased safety by eliminating human error on the roads.
  2. Self-driving cars can optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion through 24/7 operation.
  3. Self-driving cars enhance accessibility for individuals with limited mobility and offer productivity and convenience benefits for all passengers.

🔮 Weekly Dose of AI: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority”

Definite Optimism • 0 implied HN points • 05 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Jobs Investments Safety
  1. Top AI researchers emphasize the need to prioritize mitigating the risk of extinction from AI globally.
  2. Instances of fake legal cases caused by AI highlight the potential pitfalls of relying on generative AI models for critical tasks.
  3. Misinformation led to false reports of an AI drone attacking operators, showcasing the need for accurate understanding and communication regarding AI developments.

Robotaxi up in flames after crowd attacks vehicle

Global Community Weekly (GloCom) • 0 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
📰 News Autonomous Vehicles Social media San Francisco Crime Technology Events Safety Local
  1. A crowd in San Francisco's Chinatown attacked a Waymo robotaxi, setting it on fire, prompting an investigation by authorities.
  2. The incident damaged the autonomous vehicle, leading to concerns of potential similar actions during festivities like the Super Bowl.
  3. City officials, including Supervisor Aaron Peskin, are taking measures to ensure safety, with police presence boosted for potential security threats.