It’s been a busy few months for AI hype, with companies making breathless claims about hacking, mathematical breakthroughs, and the prospect of self-improving superintelligence.

In all these cases, massive fanfare from the companies, presented as mea culpas in the hacking incidents, has been accompanied by intense press coverage. But once experts have had time to examine what happened, very different stories emerge.

There’s a strong commercial incentive to overstate AI capabilities. The authors argue that the illusion of speed and urgency promulgated by the tech companies is also a ploy to misdirect policymakers and the public.

Here’s why they say we must remain skeptical about AI hype.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 22 nations have called for a new global body to oversee AI
They want pre-deployment testing and common safety standards. (Politico)
+ But neither the US nor China are part of the new declaration. (NBC News)
+ Meanwhile, OpenAI has proposed its own global AI safety standards. (Axios)
+ The company wants the US to lead the international effort. (Reuters $)
+ Could AI really kill us all? (MIT Technology Review)

2 Texas and California have moved to rein in data centers
Texas has halted new permits pending a grid audit. (NBC News)
+ California has passed new laws covering power and water use. (LA Times $)
+ Data centers are amazing. Everyone hates them. (MIT Technology Review)