Nature

In the near future, a handful of AI platforms could shape the way that billions of people see the world. Already, there is evidence that large language models (LLMs)—today’s preeminent form of AI—are persuading some users to change their views. This has generated fears about chatbots’ potential to spread state propaganda. Such anxieties generally center on the prospect of major AI labs consciously designing their LLMs to favor pro-regime perspectives while suppressing dissident ones.

All 22 members of the advisory board that advises and oversees the US National Science Foundation, a leading funder of basic science, were fired on April 24 without explanation. Each member of the NSF’s National Science Board received an e-mail saying that “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump”, their positions were “terminated, effective immediately”.