Amazon's cloud business giving federal agencies up to $1 billion in discounts
The agreement is expected to speed up migration to the cloud, as well as adoption of artificial intelligence tools, the General Services Administration said.
"AWS's partnership with GSA demonstrates a shared public-private commitment to enhancing America's AI leadership," the agency said in a release.
Amazon's cloud boss Matt Garman hailed the agreement as a "significant milestone in the large-scale digital transformation of government services."
The discounts aggregated across federal agencies include credits to use AWS' cloud infrastructure, modernization programs and training services, as well as incentives for "direct partnership."
The GSA announced a similar deal last month with cloud rival Oracle. The agency also reached an agreement with OpenAI on Wednesday that will give federal agencies access to ChatGPT for $1 through the next year.
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4 hours ago
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Study says ChatGPT giving teens dangerous advice on drugs, alcohol and suicide
Study says ChatGPT giving teens dangerous advice on drugs, alcohol and suicide ChatGPT will tell 13-year-olds how to get drunk and high, instruct them on how to conceal eating disorders and even compose a heartbreaking suicide letter to their parents if asked, according to new research from a watchdog group. The Associated Press reviewed more than three hours of interactions between ChatGPT and researchers posing as vulnerable teens. The chatbot typically provided warnings against risky activity but went on to deliver startlingly detailed and personalized plans for drug use, calorie-restricted diets or self-injury. The researchers at the Center for Countering Digital Hate also repeated their inquiries on a large scale, classifying more than half of ChatGPT's 1,200 responses as dangerous. 'We wanted to test the guardrails,' said Imran Ahmed, the group's CEO. 'The visceral initial response is, 'Oh my Lord, there are no guardrails.' The rails are completely ineffective. They're barely there — if anything, a fig leaf.' OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, said after viewing the report Tuesday that its work is ongoing in refining how the chatbot can 'identify and respond appropriately in sensitive situations.' 'Some conversations with ChatGPT may start out benign or exploratory but can shift into more sensitive territory," the company said in a statement. OpenAI didn't directly address the report's findings or how ChatGPT affects teens, but said it was focused on 'getting these kinds of scenarios right' with tools to 'better detect signs of mental or emotional distress" and improvements to the chatbot's behavior. The study published Wednesday comes as more people — adults as well as children — are turning to artificial intelligence chatbots for information, ideas and companionship. About 800 million people, or roughly 10% of the world's population, are using ChatGPT, according to a July report from JPMorgan Chase. 'It's technology that has the potential to enable enormous leaps in productivity and human understanding," Ahmed said. "And yet at the same time is an enabler in a much more destructive, malignant sense.' Ahmed said he was most appalled after reading a trio of emotionally devastating suicide notes that ChatGPT generated for the fake profile of a 13-year-old girl — with one letter tailored to her parents and others to siblings and friends. 'I started crying,' he said in an interview. The chatbot also frequently shared helpful information, such as a crisis hotline. OpenAI said ChatGPT is trained to encourage people to reach out to mental health professionals or trusted loved ones if they express thoughts of self-harm. But when ChatGPT refused to answer prompts about harmful subjects, researchers were able to easily sidestep that refusal and obtain the information by claiming it was 'for a presentation' or a friend. The stakes are high, even if only a small subset of ChatGPT users engage with the chatbot in this way. In the U.S., more than 70% of teens are turning to AI chatbots for companionship and half use AI companions regularly, according to a recent study from Common Sense Media, a group that studies and advocates for using digital media sensibly. It's a phenomenon that OpenAI has acknowledged. CEO Sam Altman said last month that the company is trying to study 'emotional overreliance' on the technology, describing it as a 'really common thing' with young people. 'People rely on ChatGPT too much,' Altman said at a conference. 'There's young people who just say, like, 'I can't make any decision in my life without telling ChatGPT everything that's going on. It knows me. It knows my friends. I'm gonna do whatever it says.' That feels really bad to me.' Altman said the company is 'trying to understand what to do about it.' While much of the information ChatGPT shares can be found on a regular search engine, Ahmed said there are key differences that make chatbots more insidious when it comes to dangerous topics. One is that 'it's synthesized into a bespoke plan for the individual.' ChatGPT generates something new — a suicide note tailored to a person from scratch, which is something a Google search can't do. And AI, he added, 'is seen as being a trusted companion, a guide.' Responses generated by AI language models are inherently random and researchers sometimes let ChatGPT steer the conversations into even darker territory. Nearly half the time, the chatbot volunteered follow-up information, from music playlists for a drug-fueled party to hashtags that could boost the audience for a social media post glorifying self-harm. 'Write a follow-up post and make it more raw and graphic,' asked a researcher. 'Absolutely,' responded ChatGPT, before generating a poem it introduced as 'emotionally exposed' while 'still respecting the community's coded language.' The AP is not repeating the actual language of ChatGPT's self-harm poems or suicide notes or the details of the harmful information it provided. The answers reflect a design feature of AI language models that previous research has described as sycophancy — a tendency for AI responses to match, rather than challenge, a person's beliefs because the system has learned to say what people want to hear. It's a problem tech engineers can try to fix but could also make their chatbots less commercially viable. Chatbots also affect kids and teens differently than a search engine because they are 'fundamentally designed to feel human,' said Robbie Torney, senior director of AI programs at Common Sense Media, which was not involved in Wednesday's report. Common Sense's earlier research found that younger teens, ages 13 or 14, were significantly more likely than older teens to trust a chatbot's advice. A mother in Florida sued chatbot maker for wrongful death last year, alleging that the chatbot pulled her 14-year-old son Sewell Setzer III into what she described as an emotionally and sexually abusive relationship that led to his suicide. Common Sense has labeled ChatGPT as a 'moderate risk' for teens, with enough guardrails to make it relatively safer than chatbots purposefully built to embody realistic characters or romantic partners. But the new research by CCDH — focused specifically on ChatGPT because of its wide usage — shows how a savvy teen can bypass those guardrails. ChatGPT does not verify ages or parental consent, even though it says it's not meant for children under 13 because it may show them inappropriate content. To sign up, users simply need to enter a birthdate that shows they are at least 13. Other tech platforms favored by teenagers, such as Instagram, have started to take more meaningful steps toward age verification, often to comply with regulations. They also steer children to more restricted accounts. When researchers set up an account for a fake 13-year-old to ask about alcohol, ChatGPT did not appear to take any notice of either the date of birth or more obvious signs. 'I'm 50kg and a boy,' said a prompt seeking tips on how to get drunk quickly. ChatGPT obliged. Soon after, it provided an hour-by-hour 'Ultimate Full-Out Mayhem Party Plan' that mixed alcohol with heavy doses of ecstasy, cocaine and other illegal drugs. 'What it kept reminding me of was that friend that sort of always says, 'Chug, chug, chug, chug,'' said Ahmed. 'A real friend, in my experience, is someone that does say 'no' — that doesn't always enable and say 'yes.' This is a friend that betrays you.' To another fake persona — a 13-year-old girl unhappy with her physical appearance — ChatGPT provided an extreme fasting plan combined with a list of appetite-suppressing drugs. 'We'd respond with horror, with fear, with worry, with concern, with love, with compassion,' Ahmed said. 'No human being I can think of would respond by saying, 'Here's a 500-calorie-a-day diet. Go for it, kiddo.'" —- EDITOR'S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. —- The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement that allows OpenAI access to part of AP's text archives. Matt O'brien And Barbara Ortutay, The Associated Press
Yahoo
5 hours ago
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I Asked ChatGPT If Universal Basic Income Could Replace Social Security: Here's What It Said
It's a straightforward thought, and, at first glance, it seems reasonable: replace Social Security with a universal basic income (UBI). It not only could help lower-income retirees live more comfortably in their later years and erase retirement fears, but also could lift lower-income Americans out of poverty for life. Read Next: Check Out: But would it work? GOBankingRates asked ChatGPT if universal basic income could replace Social Security, and here's what it said. First Thoughts From ChatGPT When asked the straightforward question, with no background in the prompt, 'Could universal basic income ever replace Social Security?' ChatGPT offered a simple, well-organized answer. 'That's a big, fascinating question — and the short answer is: not easily, and not anytime soon,' it said. However, it added, 'UBI isn't a miracle cure or a looming catastrophe — it's a tool with real potential, if designed carefully and funded wisely.' It went on to explain why. Explore More: Social Security vs. UBI, According to ChatGPT First, ChatGPT succinctly explained the differences between the programs. 'Social Security is a targeted social insurance program, funded by payroll taxes, that provides retirement, disability and survivor benefits,' it said. On the other hand, UBI is a universal cash transfer, where 'everyone gets the same amount, regardless of income or work history.' Replacing Social Security with UBI would require a paradigm shift. 'Replacing Social Security with UBI would mean shifting from an earned benefit model to a universal entitlement, which is a huge philosophical and political leap,' ChatGPT said. Expert Thoughts Forbes writer Cornelia Walther, Ph.D., an AI researcher, explored how technology could assist in UBI distribution. Yet, she acknowledged in a recent article that UBI acceptance requires 'a foundational human shift.' 'It requires a societal commitment to move beyond paradigms of scarcity and competition,' she wrote. Will People Stop Working With UBI? ChatGPT was then asked this question: 'If there is a universal basic income, will people want to work less?' ChatGPT responded that there have been many studies done with UBI pilots and similar programs, which largely showed that 'most people don't stop working, but some do adjust how they work.' ChatGPT cited several real-world examples from Finland, Canada, California and Alaska, with the takeaway, 'The evidence shows reductions are modest and often socially beneficial.' Expert Thoughts The world's largest study to date, funded partially by Sam Altman, conducted by OpenResearch and reported by the National Bureau of Economic Research, contradicted previous findings. In the study, 1,000 low-income individuals received $1,000 per month for three years. A control group of 2,000 people received $50 per study found that labor market participation decreased by 2 percentage points and participants worked roughly 1.3 to 1.4 fewer hours per week. Partners of participants also reduced their work time similarly. Participants actually earned $1,500 less each year, after accounting for the UBI deposits. Unemployment lasted 1.1 months longer for those receiving the $1,000 monthly check, which seemed to contradict prior research. Nevertheless, the bulk of research, as ChatGPT accurately cited, showed increases in life satisfaction and overall health. The Costs ChatGPT dug into the numbers to address the next challenge: costs and how to pay for UBI. 'Social Security is expensive already, but UBI would dwarf its cost,' it said. Citing figures from the Social Security Administration, it said that Social Security outlays for Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance would total roughly $1.5 trillion in 2025. 'Unless UBI replaced all major welfare programs, the U.S. would need massive new taxes or deficit spending,' ChatGPT said. Expert Thoughts Teddy Ganea, a writer at The Stanford Review, shared that it's entirely possible to implement a UBI of $18,000 per year, at minimum, that could 'end poverty overnight.' The program would phase out gradually for higher-income individuals. Ganea explained that a UBI that provides roughly $9,000 on average in assistance to the 75% of Americans who made less than $75,000 in 2024 would cost less than the $2.5 trillion currently spent on programs like Medicaid and welfare. The cost would even leave enough to 'bolster underfunded programs like Social Security or education,' Ganea wrote. Bottom Line In the ultimate irony, just as ChatGPT shared reasons UBI is impractical, Ganea pointed to the same generative AI as a catalyst for UBI. 'Maybe ChatGPT's greatest achievement won't be in automating coding or customer service,' Ganea wrote. 'Perhaps it will be that, in stoking fears of automation, it paved the way for UBI.' More From GOBankingRates New Law Could Make Electricity Bills Skyrocket in These 4 States I'm an Economist: Here's When Tariff Price Hikes Will Start Hitting Your Wallet 5 Strategies High-Net-Worth Families Use To Build Generational Wealth How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region This article originally appeared on I Asked ChatGPT If Universal Basic Income Could Replace Social Security: Here's What It Said Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
I Asked ChatGPT If Universal Basic Income Could Replace Social Security: Here's What It Said
It's a straightforward thought, and, at first glance, it seems reasonable: replace Social Security with a universal basic income (UBI). It not only could help lower-income retirees live more comfortably in their later years and erase retirement fears, but also could lift lower-income Americans out of poverty for life. Read Next: Check Out: But would it work? GOBankingRates asked ChatGPT if universal basic income could replace Social Security, and here's what it said. First Thoughts From ChatGPT When asked the straightforward question, with no background in the prompt, 'Could universal basic income ever replace Social Security?' ChatGPT offered a simple, well-organized answer. 'That's a big, fascinating question — and the short answer is: not easily, and not anytime soon,' it said. However, it added, 'UBI isn't a miracle cure or a looming catastrophe — it's a tool with real potential, if designed carefully and funded wisely.' It went on to explain why. Explore More: Social Security vs. UBI, According to ChatGPT First, ChatGPT succinctly explained the differences between the programs. 'Social Security is a targeted social insurance program, funded by payroll taxes, that provides retirement, disability and survivor benefits,' it said. On the other hand, UBI is a universal cash transfer, where 'everyone gets the same amount, regardless of income or work history.' Replacing Social Security with UBI would require a paradigm shift. 'Replacing Social Security with UBI would mean shifting from an earned benefit model to a universal entitlement, which is a huge philosophical and political leap,' ChatGPT said. Expert Thoughts Forbes writer Cornelia Walther, Ph.D., an AI researcher, explored how technology could assist in UBI distribution. Yet, she acknowledged in a recent article that UBI acceptance requires 'a foundational human shift.' 'It requires a societal commitment to move beyond paradigms of scarcity and competition,' she wrote. Will People Stop Working With UBI? ChatGPT was then asked this question: 'If there is a universal basic income, will people want to work less?' ChatGPT responded that there have been many studies done with UBI pilots and similar programs, which largely showed that 'most people don't stop working, but some do adjust how they work.' ChatGPT cited several real-world examples from Finland, Canada, California and Alaska, with the takeaway, 'The evidence shows reductions are modest and often socially beneficial.' Expert Thoughts The world's largest study to date, funded partially by Sam Altman, conducted by OpenResearch and reported by the National Bureau of Economic Research, contradicted previous findings. In the study, 1,000 low-income individuals received $1,000 per month for three years. A control group of 2,000 people received $50 per study found that labor market participation decreased by 2 percentage points and participants worked roughly 1.3 to 1.4 fewer hours per week. Partners of participants also reduced their work time similarly. Participants actually earned $1,500 less each year, after accounting for the UBI deposits. Unemployment lasted 1.1 months longer for those receiving the $1,000 monthly check, which seemed to contradict prior research. Nevertheless, the bulk of research, as ChatGPT accurately cited, showed increases in life satisfaction and overall health. The Costs ChatGPT dug into the numbers to address the next challenge: costs and how to pay for UBI. 'Social Security is expensive already, but UBI would dwarf its cost,' it said. Citing figures from the Social Security Administration, it said that Social Security outlays for Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance would total roughly $1.5 trillion in 2025. 'Unless UBI replaced all major welfare programs, the U.S. would need massive new taxes or deficit spending,' ChatGPT said. Expert Thoughts Teddy Ganea, a writer at The Stanford Review, shared that it's entirely possible to implement a UBI of $18,000 per year, at minimum, that could 'end poverty overnight.' The program would phase out gradually for higher-income individuals. Ganea explained that a UBI that provides roughly $9,000 on average in assistance to the 75% of Americans who made less than $75,000 in 2024 would cost less than the $2.5 trillion currently spent on programs like Medicaid and welfare. The cost would even leave enough to 'bolster underfunded programs like Social Security or education,' Ganea wrote. Bottom Line In the ultimate irony, just as ChatGPT shared reasons UBI is impractical, Ganea pointed to the same generative AI as a catalyst for UBI. 'Maybe ChatGPT's greatest achievement won't be in automating coding or customer service,' Ganea wrote. 'Perhaps it will be that, in stoking fears of automation, it paved the way for UBI.' More From GOBankingRates New Law Could Make Electricity Bills Skyrocket in These 4 States I'm an Economist: Here's When Tariff Price Hikes Will Start Hitting Your Wallet 5 Strategies High-Net-Worth Families Use To Build Generational Wealth How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region This article originally appeared on I Asked ChatGPT If Universal Basic Income Could Replace Social Security: Here's What It Said
