#42: Meta’s Segment Anything Model (SAM) for Computer Vision, ChatGPT’s Safety Problem, and the Limitations of ChatGPT Detectors

One step forward, two steps back…or at least made with caution.
Meta announces their Segment Anything Model, and in that same
breath, we’re talking about ChatGPT and safety, as well as the
limitations of being able to detect the usage of ChatGPT. Paul and
Mike break it down: Meta AI announces their Segment Anything Model
An article from Meta introduces their Segment Anything project,
aiming to democratize image segmentation in computer vision. This
project includes the Segment Anything Model (SAM) and the Segment
Anything 1-Billion mask dataset (SA-1B), the largest segmentation
dataset ever. This has wide-ranging applications across different
industries. Meta cites that it could do things like be incorporated
into augmented reality glasses to instantly identify objects you’re
looking at and prompt you with reminders and instructions related
to an object. In marketing and business specifically, Gizmodo calls
the demo of SAM a Photoshop Magic Wand tool on steroids, and one of
its reporters used it to do sophisticated image editing on the fly
with ease by simply pointing and clicking to remove and adjust
images. Right now, the model is available only for non-commercial
testing, but given the use cases, it could find its way into Meta’s
platforms as a creative aid. Paul and Mike discuss the
opportunities for marketers and the business world at large. Does
ChatGPT have a safety problem? Is OpenAI's April 5 statement on
their website is a response to calls for increased AI safety, like
the open letter signed by Elon Musk and others, and Italy’s full
ban on ChatGPT? A new article from WIRED breaks down why and how
Italy’s ban could spur wider regulatory action across the European
Union—and call into question the overall legality of AI tools. When
banning ChatGPT, Italy’s data regulator cited several major
problems with the tool. But, fundamentally, their reasoning for the
ban hinged on GDPR, the European Union’s wide-ranging General Data
Protection Regulation privacy law.  Experts cited by WIRED
said there are just two ways that OpenAI could have gotten that
data legally under EU law. The first would be if they had gotten
consent from each user affected, which they did not. The second
would be arguing they have “legitimate interests” to use each
user’s data in training their models. The experts cited say that
the second one will be extremely difficult for OpenAI to prove to
EU regulators. Italy’s data regulator has already been quoted by
WIRED as saying this defense is “inadequate.” This matters outside
Italy because all EU countries are bound by GDPR. And data
regulators in France, Germany, and Ireland have already contacted
Italy’s regulator to get more info on their findings and actions.
This also isn’t just an OpenAI problem. Plenty of other major AI
companies likely have trained their models in a way that violates
GDPR. This is an interesting conversation and topic to keep our
eyes on. With other countries follow suit? Can we really detect the
use of ChatGPT? OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, just published what
it’s calling “Our approach to AI safety,” an article outlining
specific steps the company takes to make its AI systems safer, more
aligned, and developed responsibly. Some of the steps listed
include delaying the general release of systems like GPT-4 to make
sure they’re as safe and aligned as possible before being
accessible to the public, protecting children by requiring people
to be 18 or older, or 13 or older with parental approval, to use AI
tools. They are also looking into options to verify users. They
cite that GPT-4 is 82% less likely to respond to requests for
disallowed content. Listen for more. Why now? Are we confident
they’re developing AI responsibly?