To make medical masks more form-fitting, knot the ear loops where they attach to the mask. Then fold and tuck the loose material under the edges.

But with the benefits, there are also risks. Because of the speed at which the technology is advancing, it can be an unpredictable, or even a malicious tool that policy-makers are ill equipped to deal with, especially because of the speed at which the technology is advancing.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing masks if you choose to, and in specific places and situations.

Also called surgical masks, these are loosefitting disposable masks. They're meant to protect the wearer from contact with droplets and sprays that may contain germs. A medical mask also filters out large particles in the air when the wearer breathes in.

The CDC has said surgical N95 masks should be reserved for health care professionals. Like surgical masks, N95 masks are intended to be disposable. But researchers are testing ways to disinfect and reuse them.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more common in our everyday lives. The technology is being used in a wide range of areas, such as advertising, health care, banking and manufacturing, to name a few. It is a massive advance in the tech sector that can benefit almost all levels of society.

Masking suggestions are a bit different for people at higher risk of serious illness. This includes people with risk factors such as older age. It also includes people with weakened immune systems and those who live with or care for someone with these risk factors.

This became apparent with the development of an AI system called GPT-3. GPT-3 was designed to be simple AI tasked with learning how to auto-complete a sentence, but it taught itself a suite of seemingly unrelated tasks, including how to write articles that are indistinguishable from writing done by a human. Its evolution raised alarm bells within the AI developing community, who had concerns about its impact on public safety.

Some people choose to wear a medical mask under a cloth mask. In that case, the cloth mask should press the edges of the medical mask against the face. Don't add layers if they make it hard to breathe or block your vision. And don't use another mask with a KN95 or N95 mask.

Experts do not recommend using face shields instead of masks. It's not clear how much protection shields provide. But wearing a face mask may not be possible in every situation. If you must use a face shield instead of a mask, choose one that wraps around the sides of your face and extends below your chin.

Your mask works best if it fits your face closely and has no gaps around the edges. This helps air and breath move through the mask, not around the edges.

Proper use, storage and cleaning of masks also affects how well they protect you. Follow these steps for putting on and taking off your mask:

Some N95 masks, and even some cloth masks, have valves that make them easier to breathe through. But these masks don't filter the air the wearer breathes out. For this reason, they've been banned in some places.

A cloth mask is intended to trap respiratory droplets released when the wearer talks, coughs or sneezes. It also acts as a barrier to protect the wearer from breathing in droplets released by others.

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For people at high risk, the CDC suggests you wear a mask that provides you with the most protection possible. Wear a mask while in public indoor spaces when your area has a high number of people with COVID-19 in the hospital.

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After getting vaccinated, you can more safely return to doing activities that you might not have been able to do because of high numbers of people with COVID-19 in your area. However, if you are in an area with a high number of people with COVID-19 in the hospital, the CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public. You are considered up to date with your vaccines if you have gotten all recommended COVID-19 vaccine shots when you become eligible.

Our guest today is dedicated to filling the knowledge gap between AI developers and policy- makers. Jérémie Harris is a former physicist and Silicon Valley tech start-up founder who left the tech industry to collaborate with AI policy leaders around the world, including the former heads of AI policy at the U.S. Department of Defense, the World Economic Forum, and top AI labs like OpenAI and Anthropic. He has developed a plan that will enable the federal government to monitor and create policy around AI so that Canada can stay ahead of the curve. Jérémie joins the podcast to discuss the current public safety risks posed by AI, and what the government can do to mitigate them.

An N95 mask is a type of respirator that meets U.S. quality standards. An N95 offers the highest level of protection. It offers more protection than a medical mask does because it filters out both large and small particles when the wearer inhales. Nonsurgical N95s can be used by the general public.

Yes. When used with measures such as getting vaccinated, hand-washing and physical distancing, wearing a face mask slows how quickly the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads.

You should feel warm air going out the front of the mask when you breathe out. You shouldn't feel your breath coming out under the edges of the mask.

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A KN95 mask is a type of respirator that meets certain international standards. It offers more protection than a medical mask does because it filters out both large and small particles when the wearer inhales. But be cautious when buying a KN95. Some may not meet the quality standards, so consider researching the source carefully.

A child's mask should be specifically made for children in order to fit properly. Make sure it fits close over the nose, mouth and chin.

Respirators such as nonsurgical N95s give the most protection. KN95s and medical masks provide the next highest level of protection. Cloth masks provide less protection. The CDC says that surgical N95 masks should be reserved for health care professionals.

The most effective cloth masks are made of many layers of tightly woven fabric like cotton. A mask with layers will stop more droplets from getting through the mask or escaping from it.