OpenAI’s AI Safety Team Disbands

OpenAI disbanded its "Superalignment" team. This team worked on AI safety. The move follows the exit of co-founder Ilya Sutskever and team leader Jan Leike.

OpenAI will now spread the safety team's work across all research departments.

The team, formed less than a year ago, focused on preventing potential risks from advanced AI systems.

The change raises concerns. Jan Leike, in a series of posts, criticized OpenAI. He believes the company focuses more on flashy products than safety. Leike argues that building smarter-than-human AI is risky and needs careful handling.

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Crypto VC Comeback

Global venture capital investment in crypto startups surged to $2.4 billion in Q1 2024. This marks a rebound after seven quarters of decline from a peak of $11.1 billion in early 2022.

The crypto market suffered major setbacks in 2022, with multiple bankruptcies and investors losing fortunes. However, investor confidence is returning.

Investment has spread across 518 deals, with startups in blockchain infrastructure leading the way.

Together AI, a decentralized cloud platform, secured the largest deal, raising $106 million.

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Iranian President Dies in Helicopter Crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and others died in a helicopter crash.

The crash occurred in a foggy, mountainous region of northwestern Iran. A search team found the wreckage after hours of effort.

Raisi was 63. He was a protégé of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Raisi's tenure included overseeing uranium enrichment and a drone-and-missile attack on Israel.

Raisi’s death leaves a power vacuum and renews debate over his potential successor.

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Blue Origin Returns to Space Tourism

Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ space firm, has launched six people to space. This is the first crewed mission since August 2022 when an engine malfunction halted operations.

On Sunday, the New Shepard rocket took off from West Texas. The six passengers included: a software engineer, a retired accountant, an aviator, a former U.S. Air Force captain, a venture capitalist, and a brewery founder.

Ed Dwight, at 90, is the oldest person to travel to space. He was chosen by JFK as the first Black astronaut candidate but never joined NASA. Despite his age, he seized the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream.

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