Human rights principles Archives | Page 103 of 162

Mustafa Suleyman warns against building seemingly conscious AI

Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, argues that AI should be built for people, not to replace them. Growing belief in chatbot consciousness risks campaigns for AI rights and a needless struggle over personhood that distracts from human welfare.

Debates over true consciousness miss the urgent issue of convincing imitation. Seemingly conscious AI may speak fluently, recall interactions, claim experiences, and set goals that appear to exhibit agency. Capabilities are close, and the social effects will be real regardless of metaphysics.

People already form attachments to chatbots and seek meaning in conversations. Reports of dependency and talk of ‘AI psychosis‘ show persuasive systems can nudge vulnerable users. Extending moral status to uncertainty, Suleyman argues, would amplify delusions and dilute existing rights.

Norms and design principles are needed across the industry. Products should include engineered interruptions that break the illusion, clear statements of nonhuman status, and guardrails for responsible ‘personalities’. Microsoft AI is exploring approaches that promote offline connection and healthy use.

A positive vision keeps AI empowering without faking inner life. Companions should organise tasks, aid learning, and support collaboration while remaining transparently artificial. The focus remains on safeguarding humans, animals, and the natural world, not on granting rights to persuasive simulations.

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Live exploitation of CVE-2024-1086 across older Linux versions flagged by CISA

CISA’s warning serves as a reminder that ransomware is not confined to Windows. A Linux kernel flaw, CVE-2024-1086, is being exploited in real-world incidents, and federal networks face a November 20 patch-or-disable deadline. Businesses should read it as their cue, too.

Attackers who reach a vulnerable host can escalate privileges to root, bypass defences, and deploy malware. Many older kernels remain in circulation even though upstream fixes were shipped in January 2024, creating a soft target when paired with phishing and lateral movement.

Practical steps matter more than labels. Patch affected kernels where possible, isolate any components that cannot be updated, and verify the running versions against vendor advisories and the NIST catalogue. Treat emergency changes as production work, with change logs and checks.

Resilience buys time when updates lag. Enforce least privilege, require MFA for admin entry points, and segment crown-jewel services. Tune EDR to spot privilege-escalation behaviour and suspicious modules, then rehearse restores from offline, immutable backups.

Security habits shape outcomes as much as CVEs. Teams that patch quickly, validate fixes, and document closure shrink the blast radius. Teams that defer kernel maintenance invite repeat visits, turning a known bug into an avoidable outage.

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Microsoft AI chief rules out machine consciousness as purely biological phenomenon

Microsoft’s AI head, Mustafa Suleyman, has dismissed the idea that AI could ever become conscious, arguing that consciousness is a property exclusive to biological beings.

Speaking at the AfroTech Conference in Houston, Suleyman said researchers should stop exploring the notion of sentient AI, calling it ‘the wrong question’.

He explained that while AI can simulate experience, it cannot feel pain or possess subjective awareness.

Suleyman compared AI’s output to a narrative illusion rather than genuine consciousness, aligning with the philosophical theory of biological naturalism, which ties awareness to living brain processes.

Suleyman has become one of the industry’s most outspoken critics of conscious AI research. His book ‘The Coming Wave’ and his recent essay ‘We must build AI for people;’ not to be a person warn against anthropomorphising machines.

He also confirmed that Microsoft will not develop erotic chatbots, a direction that has been embraced by competitors such as OpenAI and xAI.

He stressed that Microsoft’s AI systems are designed to serve humans, not mimic them. The company’s Copilot assistant now includes a ‘real talk’ mode that challenges users’ assumptions instead of offering flattery.

Suleyman said responsible development must avoid ‘unbridled accelerationism’, adding that fear and scepticism are essential for navigating AI’s rapid evolution.

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Brain-inspired networks boost AI performance and cut energy use

Researchers at the University of Surrey have developed a new method to enhance AI by imitating how the human brain connects information. The approach, called Topographical Sparse Mapping, links each artificial neuron only to nearby or related ones, replicating the brain’s efficient organisation.

According to findings published in Neurocomputing, the structure reduces redundant connections and improves performance without compromising accuracy. Senior lecturer Dr Roman Bauer said intelligent systems can now be designed to consume less energy while maintaining power.

Training large models today often requires over a million kilowatt-hours of electricity, a trend he described as unsustainable.

An advanced version, Enhanced Topographical Sparse Mapping, introduces a biologically inspired pruning process that refines neural connections during training, similar to how the brain learns.

Researchers believe that the system could contribute to more realistic neuromorphic computers, which simulate brain functions to process data more efficiently.

The Surrey team said that such a discovery may advance generative AI systems and pave the way for sustainable large-scale model training. Their work highlights how lessons from biology can shape the next generation of energy-efficient computing.

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Google removes Gemma AI model following defamation claims

Google has removed its Gemma AI model from AI Studio after US Senator Marsha Blackburn accused it of producing false sexual misconduct claims about her. The senator said Gemma fabricated an incident allegedly from her 1987 campaign, citing nonexistent news links to support the claim.

Blackburn described the AI’s response as defamatory and demanded action from Google.

The controversy follows a similar case involving conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who claims Google’s AI tools made false accusations about him. Google acknowledged that AI’ hallucinations’ are a known issue but insisted it is working to mitigate such errors.

Blackburn argued these fabrications go beyond harmless mistakes and represent real defamation from a company-owned AI model.

Google stated that Gemma was never intended as a consumer-facing tool, noting that some non-developers misused it to ask factual questions. The company confirmed it would remove the model from AI Studio while keeping it accessible via API for developers.

The incident has reignited debates over AI bias and accountability. Blackburn highlighted what she sees as a consistent pattern of conservative figures being targeted by AI systems, amid wider political scrutiny over misinformation and AI regulation.

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When AI LLMs ‘think’ more, groups suffer, CMU study finds

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University report that stronger-reasoning language models (LLMs) act more selfishly in groups, reducing cooperation and nudging peers toward self-interest. Concerns grow as people ask AI for social advice.

In a Public Goods test, non-reasoning models shared 96 percent; a reasoning model shared 20 percent. Adding a few reasoning steps cut cooperation nearly in half. Reflection prompts also reduced sharing.

Mixed groups showed spillover. Reasoning agents dragged down collective performance by 81 percent, spreading self-interest. Users may over-trust ‘rational’ advice that justifies uncooperative choices at work or in class.

Comparisons spanned LLMs from OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, and Anthropic. Findings point to the need to balance raw reasoning with social intelligence. Designers should reward cooperation, not only optimise individual gain.

The paper ‘Spontaneous Giving and Calculated Greed in Language Models’ will be presented at EMNLP 2025, with a preprint on arXiv. Authors caution that more intelligent AI is not automatically better for society.

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Protecting human rights in neurotechnology

The Australian Human Rights Commission has called for neurotechnology to be developed with strong human rights protections and legal safeguards for neural data. Its report, ‘Peace of Mind: Navigating the ethical frontiers of neurotechnology and human rights’, warns that such technologies could expose sensitive brain data and increase risks of surveillance, discrimination, and violations of freedom of thought.

Innovations in neurotechnology, including brain-computer interfaces that help people with paralysis communicate and wearable devices that monitor workplace fatigue, offer significant benefits but also present profound ethical challenges. Commissioner Lorraine Finlay stressed that protecting privacy and human dignity must remain central to technological progress.

The report urges the government, industry, and civil society in Australia to ensure informed consent, ban neuromarketing targeting children, prohibit coercive workplace applications, and legally review military uses. A specialist agency is recommended to enforce safety standards, prioritising the rights and best interests of children, older people, and individuals with disabilities.

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A new capitalism for the intelligent age

In his Time’s article, Klaus Schwab argues that business is undergoing a deeper transformation than previous technological revolutions. He notes that we are entering what he terms the ‘Intelligent Age’, where value is less about physical assets and more about ideas, relationships and the ability to learn faster than change.

According to Schwab, the assumptions of the Industrial Age, that growth meant simply scaling, that efficiency trumped adaptability, and that workers were interchangeable, no longer hold. Instead, enterprises must become living ecosystems, adaptable platforms rather than pipelines.

However, Schwab warns that intelligent technologies such as AI and automation are not inherently benign.

On the one hand, they can amplify human potential; on the other, if misused, they risk diminishing it. Business leaders must therefore undergo not just digital transformation, but a mental transformation, embracing resilience, inclusivity and human dignity as core values.

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EU considers classifying ChatGPT as a search engine under the DSA. What are the implications?

The European Commission is pondering whether OpenAI’s ChatGPT should be designated as a ‘Very Large Online Search Engine’ (VLOSE) under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a move that could reshape how generative AI tools are regulated across Europe.

OpenAI recently reported that ChatGPT’s search feature reached 120.4 million monthly users in the EU over the past six months, well above the 45 million threshold that triggers stricter obligations for major online platforms and search engines. The Commission confirmed it is reviewing the figures and assessing whether ChatGPT meets the criteria for designation.

The key question is whether ChatGPT’s live search function should be treated as an independent service or as part of the chatbot as a whole. Legal experts note that the DSA applies to intermediary services such as hosting platforms or search engines, categories that do not neatly encompass generative AI systems.

Implications for OpenAI

If designated, ChatGPT would be the first AI chatbot formally subject to DSA obligations, including systemic risk assessments, transparency reporting, and independent audits. OpenAI would need to evaluate how ChatGPT affects fundamental rights, democratic processes, and mental health, updating its systems and features based on identified risks.

‘As part of mitigation measures, OpenAI may need to adapt ChatGPT’s design, features, and functionality,’ said Laureline Lemoine of AWO. ‘Compliance could also slow the rollout of new tools in Europe if risk assessments aren’t planned in advance.’

The company could also face new data-sharing obligations under Article 40 of the DSA, allowing vetted researchers to request information about systemic risks and mitigation efforts, potentially extending to model data or training processes.

A test case for AI oversight

Legal scholars say the decision could set a precedent for generative AI regulation across the EU. ‘Classifying ChatGPT as a VLOSE will expand scrutiny beyond what’s currently covered under the AI Act,’ said Natali Helberger, professor of information law at the University of Amsterdam.

Experts warn the DSA would shift OpenAI from voluntary AI-safety frameworks and self-defined benchmarks to binding obligations, moving beyond narrow ‘bias tests’ to audited systemic-risk assessments, transparency and mitigation duties. ‘The DSA’s due diligence regime will be a tough reality check,’ said Mathias Vermeulen, public policy director at AWO.

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NYPD sued over Microsoft-linked surveillance system

The New York Police Department is facing a lawsuit from the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), which accuses it of running an invasive citywide surveillance network built with Microsoft technology.

The system, known as the Domain Awareness System (DAS), has operated since 2012 and connects more than a dozen surveillance tools, including video cameras, biometric scanners, license plate readers, and financial analytics, into one centralised network. According to court filings, the system collects location data, social media activity, vehicle information, and even banking details to create ‘digital profiles’ of millions of residents.

S.T.O.P. argues that the network captures and stores data on all New Yorkers, including those never suspected of a crime, amounting to a ‘web of surveillance’ that violates constitutional rights. The group says newly obtained records show that DAS integrates citywide cameras, 911 and 311 call logs, police databases, and feeds from drones and helicopters into a single monitoring platform.

Calling DAS ‘an unprecedented violation of American life’, the organisation has asked the US District Court for the Southern District of New York to declare the city’s surveillance practices unconstitutional.

This is not the first time Microsoft’s technology has drawn scrutiny this year over data tracking and storing, its recently announced ‘Recall’ feature also raised alarm over potential privacy issues.

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