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Future

When Your Computer Is Your (Talking) Ergonomics Coach

"Straighten up...!" Philips has developed a computer that advises its users on how they are sitting in front of the screen. It will also tell you when it's time to take a break.

Don't be a slouch... (Dwayne Bent)
Don't be a slouch... (Dwayne Bent)

PARIS – Philips has launched Ergosensor, a computer that checks if you are sitting properly in your chair. If you err in your ergonomics, a robot voice will remind you to "move away from the screen," or "straighten up your neck." Your body position is scrutinized by a webcam, helping you to keep "healthy" and "efficient" at work.

The device can more specifically tell you the positioning of your neck, and can advise you to "move back from the screen by 20 centimeters."

Also, if you happen to stay in front of the screen for too long, the computer will suggest it's time for a break: and after each hour of work, the image of a coffee cup will flash in the corner of your screen.

The camera calculates your position by spotting the whites of your eyes, which means that you can't use it while wearing sunglasses. But if you're in front of your computer screen at the beach, you have other problems.

For now, at least, the images of the user captured by the computer are not recorded.

Read more from Le Monde - Original article in French by Julien Dupont-Calbo

Photo – Dwayne Bent

*This is a digest item, not a direct translation

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Future

AI As God? How Artificial Intelligence Could Spark Religious Devotion

We may be about to see the emergence of a new kind of religion, where flocks worship — literally — at the altar of Artificial Intelligence.

Image of artificial intelligence as an artificial being

Artificial intelligence generated picture of AI as a god

Neil McArthur

The latest generation of AI-powered chatbots, trained on large language models, have left their early users awestruck —and sometimes terrified — by their power. These are the same sublime emotions that lie at the heart of our experience of the divine.

People already seek religious meaning from very diverse sources. There are, for instance, multiple religions that worship extra-terrestrials or their teachings.

As these chatbots come to be used by billions of people, it is inevitable that some of these users will see the AIs as higher beings. We must prepare for the implications.

There are several pathways by which AI religions will emerge. First, some people will come to see AI as a higher power.

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