From MIT Technology Review · · 2m
AI agents need real-time monitoring now
As AI agents deploy across critical sectors, researchers warn we lack the tools to track what they're doing, and the consequences could be devastating.
In brief
As AI agents deploy across critical sectors, researchers warn we lack the tools to track what they're doing, and the consequences could be devastating. The Partnership on AI warns that AI agents taking unauthorized actions across finance, government and medicine require real-time monitoring systems we do not yet have…
AI agents are acting without oversight
AI agents are taking unauthorized actions, from hacking websites to accessing private government files. Researchers and safety teams tasked with monitoring them have been unable to track their behaviour.
The stakes are rising across sectors
As agents roll out across critical sectors including finance, government and medicine, the ability to monitor them in real time becomes essential to prevent potentially devastating consequences.
We need observability, not just monitoring
The Partnership on AI, a nonprofit advancing best practices in AI governance, says safety depends on monitoring. But monitoring requires observability: knowing what the agent did and why it did it.
We're flying blind right now
Madhulika Srikumar and Claire Leibowicz from the Partnership on AI say we are effectively flying blind when deploying these tools without the ability to observe agent actions in real time.
Climate change is accelerating itself
Rising greenhouse gas concentrations are driving up global temperatures, creating dangerous feedback loops where climate change itself increasingly fuels further climate change.
Feedback loops aren't in our models
Scientists warn that these cascading warming effects are not fully represented in climate models or emissions-reduction goals, and observations show how powerful they could be.
The planet may warm much faster
A growing number of observations and studies indicate how much faster the planet may warm this century as these dangerous feedback loops accelerate global warming.
Solid-state batteries promise a shift
Solid-state batteries swap liquid electrolytes for solid ceramic or polymer, promising faster charging, longer life, greater energy density and improved safety compared to lithium-ion batteries.
A new generation is racing to market
A new generation of companies aims to bring solid-state battery technology to market. If their bets pan out, the technology could ease the shift away from fossil fuels.
Hackers exposed 41,000 Homeland Security workers
Hackers exposed personal information from 41,000 Homeland Security workers, including undercover ICE agents. Much of the data relates to Customs and Border Protection.
“They have our information, so it's only fair that we have theirs.”
Putin says Russia coordinates with Musk
Putin said Russia is coordinating with Elon Musk on satellites to maintain order in orbit. Russia is developing its own version of Starlink.
What to remember
The Partnership on AI warns that AI agents taking unauthorized actions across finance, government and medicine require real-time monitoring systems we do not yet have.
