1 . In 1992, Edward de Bono argued that “creativity is the most important human resource of all.” But might computers have the capacity to be creative? Could artificial intelligence outperform us in even the most human of phenomena? These questions have moved to the forefront of society with the launch of ChatGPT and DALL-E, two powerful deep learning models capable of creating art.

Where human creativity comes from is a complex and heavily-debated topic. One theory supposes that creativity emerges from solving problems in new ways. The game designer Mark Rosewater explains that “if you use the same neural pathways, you get to the same answers, and with creativity, that’s not your goal.” But studies from the University of Virginia suggest humans most default (默认) to solving problems by building on known solutions, restricting originality. Some neuroscientists propose another theory regarding creativity. Research from the University of Calgary reveals that when being creative, humans don’t use the same brain regions associated with thought and problem-solving, implying that creativity is primarily an unconscious process. According to this theory, the brain solves problems best when not directly focusing on them using the frontal lobe (前额叶) , instead letting the other parts of the brain take over.

A. I. cannot currently emulate (仿真) the full complexity of the human mind. Do these deep learning networks even have the required components that we use when we are creative? Douglas Hofstadter explains how “emergent phenomena,” such as creativity, correspond to connections between levels within mental systems. Similar connections could exist in artificial neural networks, even if the mechanics differ. For example, modern artificial intelligence employs attention circuits that may cause it to behave similarly to the frontal lobe where most of the brain’s focusing tendencies come from.

The emergent nature of creativity opens the door for similar tendencies in machines, but they are tuned so carefully to copy existing ideas that it may not be enough for true originality. Mr. Rosewater’s theory on creativity suggests that for A. I. to be creative, it should be able to solve problems in new ways, which is difficult because A. I. is based so heavily on already existing ideas. Alternatively, if creativity is an unconscious process as the University of Calgary research suggests, then it occurs mostly outside the frontal lobe and may not exist in machine learning networks. Either way, current A. I. probably lacks the capacity for genuine creativity and originality, but it can combine existing ideas in interesting ways.

The question of machine creativity has repercussions in many areas, such as developing copyright law regarding A. I. works, considering A. I. submissions in art contests, and determining the use of ChatGPT as a tool for school assignments. Creativity may be, at least for now, a unique human quality. Computers are not yet starting revolutionary artistic movements, but they are already combining what exists into something new, challenging us to look deeper into our own creativity.

2 . Whenever anyone asks me what tech I’d like to see invented, I always say the universal translator, which lets you understand and speak any language.

Meta AI recently announced the start of the universal speech translator (UST) project, which aims to create AI systems that enable real-time speech-to-speech translation across all languages, even those that are spoken but not commonly written. Meta says that today’s AI translation models are focused on widely-used written languages, and that more than 40% of primarily spoken languages are not covered by such translation technologies.

According to Meta, the model is the first AI-powered speech translation system for the unwritten language Hokkien (闽南语), a Chinese language spoken in southeastern China. The system allows Hokkien speakers to hold conversations with English speakers, a significant step toward bringing people together wherever they are located.

To build UST, Meta AI focused on overcoming three important translation system challenges. It addressed data scarcity by getting more training data in more languages and finding new ways to use the data it had found. It solved the modeling problems that arise as models grow to serve many more languages. And it sought new ways to improve on its results.

Meta AI claims that the techniques it pioneered with Hokkien can be extended to many other unwritten languages—and eventually work in real time. For this purpose, Meta has released the Speech Matrix, a large collection of speech-to-speech translations, which enables other research teams to create translation models for other languages.

Artificial (人工的) speech translation could play a significant role in our world. For interactions, it will enable people from around the world to communicate with each other more smoothly, making the social net more interconnected.   For content, using artificial speech translation allows you to easily localize content.

Yashar Behzadi, CEO and founder of Synthesis AI, believes that technology needs to enable more natural experiences if the digital world is to succeed.   He says that one of the current challenges for UST models is the computationally expensive training that’s needed because of the wide range and very slight differences in meaning or sound of languages. Also, to train strong AI models requires vast amounts of typical data. A significant bottleneck to building these AI models in the near future will be to ensure training data collect the privacy in agreement with rules and law.

3 . Slow schools and slow education can refer to different aspects of education. Some people use the term slow schools to refer to schools that are attempting to bring slow food to the cafeteria or dining room. For others it has far more implications and includes aspects of connection to knowledge, tradition, moral purpose and all that is important in life. In this sense it refers to the curriculum (课程), the way it is delivered, the process of learning, management of the school, and even if school is the best vehicle through which to educate our children. So in this sense, it refers to bringing the slow movement into education.

In many Western countries that have Anglo-Saxon origins, governments and schools have strict control structures in place and schools are driven by standardised curricula with tests and targets to ensure uniform outcomes. The emphasis is on the outcome not on the process. The process is about things like how ideas are conceptualised, how can we support learning and the knowing of how to learn, as well as the love of learning and investigating.

Slow education is also about connection to knowledge and to learning—real learning. It is about doing no harm and having respect for all living and non-living things. Slow education is a concept of ‘ecological literacy’. Michael Stone and Zenobia Barlow have put together a collection of authors in Ecological Literacy: Educating our Children for a Sustainable World to give us ways to adapt to the way we live on Earth and the way we can educate our children to their highest capacities. This book is recommended to parents and educators who are engaged in creative efforts to develop new curricula and improve children’s ecological understanding. Slow education is about supporting our children to develop values and ethics (道德规范) that will enable them to live a joyous life in the slow lane.

The similarities of debate about Fast Food vs Slow Food and the debate about Fast Schools vs Slow Schools are self- evident upon reflection. Fast schools like fast food are not concerned with the process, preparation and connection. They are concerned with the standardised end product which in the case of schools is the results from standardised tests and targets, and in the case of food is the standardised hamburger or fried chicken etc. ，that look like all others the outlet produce quickly.

The process of education is not about supplying students with lumps of information to be repeated on demand. It is about enabling students to learn how to learn. It is also about giving them opportunities to hear what others have learnt (knowledge) and to then discuss, argue, and reflect on this knowledge to gain a greater understanding of its truth for them and of how this knowledge will be of use to them.

5 . The term “metaverse (元宇宙)” is the latest popular word to catch the tech industry’s imagination. Neal Stephenson coined this term in his novel Snow Crash:“In the lingo, this imaginary place is known as the metaverse. Hiro spends a lot of time in the metaverse.” In its current meaning, it generally refers to the concept of a world of endless, interconnected virtual communities where people gather to socialize, play and work, using VR headsets, AR glasses, smartphone apps or other devices. It is a “virtual environment” you can go inside of — instead of just looking at on a screen. It also could be a game-changer for the work-from-home shift during the COVID-19 epidemic. Instead of seeing co-workers on a video call, employees could join them in a virtual office.

A big reason why metaverse is popular with young people is the more real gaming experience.Gamers will feel that they themselves are playing in an alternate world rather than controlling a game character.This creates a real-time experience for all the players.

In addition, it has more far-reaching significance. Some advocates believe that blockchain (区域链) technology and decentralized (分散式的) apps will be the keys to unlocking the next big step forward for the Web: the metaverse, a place where AR, VR, next-generation data networks and decentralized financing and payment systems contribute to a more realistic digital world where people can socialize, work and trade digital goods. It is known that many products need to be tested and it costs a lot. With metaverse, the variables and environment can be changed within the digital world to obtain more comprehensive results and the new product will be tested with minimum cost. In the medical field, using metaverse patients just do not have any need to visit doctors physically. They can just interact with them face to face in real-time in the digital world. Additionally, the newcomer to medicine can learn and practice inside the alternate world by gaining experience before they can take on real-world tasks.

Metaverse brings many new and advanced technologies such as VR headsets, blockchain and other requirements. However, every individual on this planet does not have access to advanced technologies. For example, fast Internet connectivity is one of the mandatory (强制性的) requirements for participating in the metaverse. Majority of people worldwide cannot access fast Internet and cannot capitalize on the full potential of the metaverse. Furthermore, with the objective of introducing immersive experiences to users, the metaverse makes the gap between real and virtual worlds less clear. It also brings the possibilities of influencing the ways in which people perceive real relationships and interactions.

Despite the arguing, metaverse is a new windfall for the future development of the Internet. The companies can seize the opportunity that the metaverse presents to connect with audiences in ways that were never possible before and provide exciting and memorable brand experiences.

6 . I bet your grandparents never imagined they would see the day when they could plug in a car like a lamp. No more smelly gasoline (汽油)! No more waste gases polluting the atmosphere! One way to address the climate crisis, we are told, is to electrify transport. This will remove our dependence on fossil fuels like gasoline that pollute the atmosphere and trap greenhouse gases that make our planet warmer. Currently, electric vehicles make up 2 percent of the global car market. The U.S. plans to have at least half of all vehicles sold in the U.S. run completely on electricity by 2035 and stop making gas-powered cars within the next 20 years.

However, electric cars use 1-2 kg of magnets (磁体) to power them and each of these magnets uses special materials. It turns out that getting the required supplies is harder than you think. Let’s find out why.

Rare earth metals (also called Rare Earth Elements or REEs) have strong magnetic properties that make them ideal for powering many of the devices we use today, such as smartphones, computers and electric car batteries. REEs aren’t really rare, at least not in the way you might think. Even the rarest REE is 125 times more common than gold! REEs are “rare” because they are mostly found only in small quantities. Generally, they are found in a rare igneous rock (火成岩) called carbonate (碳酸盐), which contains 17 minerals — which must all be separated. The process is hard, dirty and can be very expensive. Keep in mind, however, that producing and processing are different steps. Producing is the act of mining metals; processing is the act of separating the minerals. Many countries mine carbonate including the United States, Australia, Brazil and Canada. China alone produces 63 percent of REEs today, which is down from a high of 90 percent! China now controls 85 percent of REEs processing. That is because the producing countries send their REEs to China for processing.

Electric cars are increasing in popularity with many traditional car companies introducing all-electric models. This switch will increase the demand for REEs which is prompting car companies to work directly with the mines to save costs. Many people still have concerns about the environmental effects of increased mining. Though several companies are working to go green, mining is known to have a history with known dangers such as pollution and the risk of deadly accidents. The mining of these metals is even known to produce radioactive (放射性的) wastewater!

A new chapter in climate history is possible if mining can be done safely. In fewer than a hundred years, most cars on the road will use electricity or two different types of power. The traditional cars, harmful to the environment, will be a thing of the past.