AI/News
Turning chaos to clarity: Our intelligent curation system analyzes thousands of sources daily — from blogs and social media chatter to podcasts and research hubs — synthesizing essential insights into plain English you can actually use.
New report details massive surveillance network being built by streaming services
Streaming TV's surveillance surge: The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) has released a comprehensive report detailing the extensive tracking and targeting practices employed by the connected TV (CTV) industry, raising significant privacy and consumer protection concerns. The 48-page report, titled "How TV Watches Us: Commercial Surveillance in the Streaming Era," argues that streaming services and hardware companies have developed an unprecedented "surveillance system" that undermines viewer privacy. The CDD claims that the CTV industry's practices pose severe risks to consumer privacy and protection, going beyond traditional data collection methods. The report highlights how streaming platforms and device manufacturers are leveraging...
read Oct 7, 2024Grammarly faces widespread outage: latest updates
Grammarly experiences service disruption: The popular AI writing tool Grammarly has encountered a significant outage, impacting users who rely on its features for various writing tasks. Current status and company response: Grammarly has acknowledged the service disruption on its status page, stating that a fix has been implemented and the results are being monitored. The company's support team is actively working to restore full functionality and has assured users that they are investigating the issue. While the outage affected many users, the service should now be back online for most people. Impact on users: The outage has temporarily affected users...
read Oct 7, 2024California’s AI legislation continues to advance despite AI safety bill veto
California's AI regulation leadership: California continues to lead the way in state-level artificial intelligence regulation, building on its history of consumer data protection with new laws addressing AI systems beyond personal data use. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) has already established the state as a leader in data protection, often mentioned alongside the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Recent legislative efforts in California aim to address broader AI and machine learning system regulations, reflecting the state's role as the home of Silicon Valley and the largest state economy in the U.S. SB 1047 veto and controversy: Governor...
read Oct 7, 2024Android’s Gemini AI might soon be just a tap away
Google's AI ambitions expanding to Android lock screens: Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 reveals a hidden feature suggesting Google may introduce a dedicated AI button on the lock screen, potentially linked to its Gemini assistant. The experimental button appears as a pill-shaped icon with a sparkle design, positioned below the fingerprint reader on the lock screen. Currently non-functional, the button's purpose remains unclear, though its sparkle icon is commonly associated with generative AI features and matches Gemini's iconography. This development aligns with Google's aggressive push into generative AI, driven by concerns about maintaining its search dominance amidst the AI boom....
read Oct 7, 2024Super Micro stock surges after company reports massive GPU shipments
AI hardware boom drives Super Micro's growth: Super Micro Computer, a leading server manufacturer, has seen its shares surge 15% following the announcement that it's shipping over 100,000 AI-focused GPUs per quarter, signaling robust demand in the artificial intelligence sector. The company revealed this figure while introducing a new cooling product, highlighting its significant role in supplying hardware for AI applications. Based on the average price of high-end AI GPUs, such as Nvidia's $30,000 chip, Super Micro's quarterly GPU shipments could potentially represent billions of dollars in orders. Super Micro's computers serve as servers for various purposes, including data storage,...
read Oct 7, 2024This Chinese vacuum records video and audio to train its AI
Smart home privacy concerns: The popular Ecovacs Deebot robot vacuums are collecting sensitive user data, including photos, videos, and audio recordings from inside homes, to train the company's AI models. Ecovacs, a Chinese home robotics company, offers a "product improvement program" through its smartphone app, which users can opt into without clear information about the data being collected. The company's privacy policy allows for broad collection of user data, including 2D or 3D maps of homes, voice recordings, and photos or videos captured by the device. Even when users delete recordings, photos, or videos through the app, Ecovacs may continue...
read Oct 7, 2024How to automate emails with ChatGPT while preserving your own voice
Revolutionizing email communication with AI: ChatGPT, OpenAI's powerful language model, is emerging as a valuable tool for enhancing email writing skills and efficiency in professional and personal contexts. ChatGPT can assist users in overcoming writer's block, refining tone, and crafting more impactful messages, making it a versatile asset for various email-related tasks. The AI-powered chatbot offers the potential to significantly improve email communication without sacrificing the writer's personal voice or style. Step-by-step guide to leveraging ChatGPT for email writing: Access ChatGPT: Begin by logging into the ChatGPT platform through a web browser or mobile device. New users can sign up...
read Oct 7, 2024New film explores the emotional complexities of artificial beings
AI-driven art explores robot emotions: Lawrence Lek, winner of the Frieze Artist award 2024, has created a thought-provoking film featuring an AI "carebot" therapist with its own emotional struggles. Lek's latest work, "Guanyin: Confessions of a Former Carebot," will be installed at the Frieze London fair, showcasing a gender-neutral AI character named after the Buddhist goddess of compassion. The film depicts the carebot moving through a desolate cityscape, revealing that insecurity is part of its programming and exploring the emotional complexities of artificial beings. Artist background and inspirations: Lek's diverse background and educational experiences have shaped his unique approach to...
read Oct 7, 2024Meta’s new AI tool generates and edits realistic videos
Meta unveils Movie Gen: A new frontier in AI-generated video and audio: Meta has announced Movie Gen, a cutting-edge AI tool capable of creating and editing realistic video and audio content based on text prompts, marking a significant advancement in the field of AI-generated media. Capabilities and features: Movie Gen boasts an impressive array of functionalities that position it as a powerful contender in the rapidly evolving AI video generation landscape. The system can generate 1080p videos up to 16 seconds long in various aspect ratios, offering flexibility for different platforms and use cases. Movie Gen extends its capabilities to...
read Oct 7, 2024How ChatGPT Voice is making the world more accessible
AI-powered voice interaction revolutionizes accessibility: ChatGPT's new Advanced Voice feature is transforming communication and education by breaking down language barriers and offering personalized, interactive learning experiences. Key features of Advanced Voice mode: Enables natural, flowing audio conversations with the AI chatbot using GPT-4's audio capabilities Available to ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers via the mobile app Understands context, responds to emotions, and maintains coherent dialogues even when interrupted Supports 50 languages, making it a powerful tool for language learning and global communication Remembers past conversations for more personalized and contextual interactions over time Development and launch challenges: The launch was...
read Oct 7, 2024Apple Intelligence’s new writing tools will give Grammarly a run for its money
AI writing assistants evolve: Apple Intelligence's introduction of systemwide Writing Tools for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS has sparked a comparison with Grammarly, a long-standing leader in AI-powered writing assistance. Both Apple Intelligence and Grammarly offer features aimed at improving writing quality, but they differ in their approach, integration, and specific functionalities. The emergence of Apple Intelligence raises questions about Grammarly's continued relevance in the evolving landscape of AI writing tools. Grammarly's comprehensive toolkit: Grammarly has established itself as a versatile writing assistant with a wide range of features catering to diverse writing needs across multiple platforms. The platform offers real-time...
read Oct 7, 2024Google may release new AI feature to prevent phone theft
New Android security features to combat phone theft: Google is reportedly rolling out advanced AI-powered security measures for Android devices in the United States, aimed at protecting users from phone snatchers and thieves. Key features and functionality: Theft Detection Lock: This feature uses machine learning to identify potential phone-snatching incidents, automatically locking the device if it detects someone grabbing the phone and running away on foot, by bike, or by car. Offline Device Lock: Designed to counter thieves who attempt to keep stolen phones disconnected from the internet, this feature automatically locks the screen after an extended period offline. Remote...
read Oct 7, 2024A simple guide to using ChatGPT for job interview prep
ChatGPT as an interview preparation tool: ChatGPT, the AI language model, can serve as a powerful assistant for job seekers looking to ace their upcoming interviews, offering a range of capabilities to enhance preparation and boost confidence. ChatGPT can function as a 24/7 personal interview coach, providing tailored assistance without time constraints or judgment. The AI tool can help with various aspects of interview preparation, including company research, generating relevant questions, and offering feedback on responses. Step-by-step guide to leveraging ChatGPT for interview success: Access ChatGPT: Begin by logging into ChatGPT through your preferred browser or device, creating an account...
read Oct 7, 2024HBR: Do ‘lean startup’ methods work for deep tech?
The rise of deep-tech innovation: Over the past decade, deep-tech innovation has emerged as a powerful force in the technology sector, delivering groundbreaking advancements and attracting significant investment. Deep-tech innovation harnesses cutting-edge scientific understanding to create previously inconceivable technologies, as exemplified by companies like SpaceX and products such as mRNA vaccines. Emerging deep-tech companies are tackling global challenges, with examples including MIT researchers' discovery of "halicin" to combat antibiotic resistance, Terrapower's pursuit of sustainable nuclear energy, and Quandela's advancements in quantum computing. These deep-tech innovations have the potential to transform industries, economies, and individual lives on a global scale. Unique...
read Oct 7, 2024ByteDance’s new web scraper is hoovering up data at an unprecedented rate
ByteDance's aggressive web scraping: ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has launched a new web crawler called Bytespider that is rapidly collecting online data at an unprecedented rate. Bytespider, introduced in April, has quickly become one of the most aggressive web scrapers on the internet, surpassing the data collection efforts of major tech companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, and Anthropic. According to research by Kasada, a bot management company, Bytespider is scraping data at approximately 25 times the rate of GPTbot, which collects data for OpenAI's ChatGPT platform. The bot's scraping activity has shown significant spikes over the past...
read Oct 7, 2024Tech giants are uniting in the name of more efficient and sustainable AI
AI Platform Alliance expands to foster open and efficient AI solutions: The consortium, originally formed to bring together AI accelerator companies, has broadened its scope to include cloud managed service providers, system suppliers, integrators, and software companies. Key developments in the alliance: The AI Platform Alliance has grown to include over 30 organizations across five key sectors of the AI inference industry. New members include Adlink, ASRock Rack, Canonical, Deepgram, Giga Computing, and Supermicro, among others. The alliance has launched a marketplace on its website, offering practical and easily adoptable AI solutions. Focus on AI inference efficiency: Alliance members are...
read Oct 7, 2024The race to block OpenAI’s web crawlers is slowing
AI Data Scraping Landscape Shifts: OpenAI's recent licensing agreements with publishers have led to a significant change in how news outlets approach web crawler access, particularly for AI training data collection. The initial surge in blocking OpenAI's GPTBot through robots.txt files has reversed, with the number of high-ranking media websites disallowing access dropping from a peak of over one-third to around a quarter. Among the most prominent news outlets, the block rate remains above 50%, but this is down from nearly 90% earlier in the year. The trend towards increased blocking appears to have ended, at least temporarily, as more...
read Oct 7, 2024Artist challenges copyright ruling on AI-generated prize winner
AI-generated art sparks copyright controversy: The denial of copyright registration for Jason Allen's AI-assisted artwork "Théâtre D'opéra Spatial" has ignited a debate about the intersection of artificial intelligence and copyright law. Jason Allen, an artist who won a state fair art competition with his AI-generat-ed piece, is appealing the US Copyright Office's decision to refuse copyright registration for his work. The Copyright Office justified its denial by claiming the artwork was predominantly generated by AI and lacked sufficient human authorship to qualify for copyright protection. Allen's appeal challenges this decision, arguing that the Copyright Office misunderstood the creative process involved...
read Oct 7, 2024CERN is training an AI model to revolutionize cancer treatment
CERN's AI innovations in healthcare: CERN, renowned for its particle physics research, is now applying its artificial intelligence expertise to revolutionize cancer treatment and other healthcare applications. CERN's AI innovations, originally developed for particle accelerator maintenance, are being repurposed to address critical healthcare challenges. The organization is leveraging its extensive experience in managing large, decentralized datasets to assist hospitals in protecting patient privacy while advancing medical research. CERN's initiatives span various healthcare domains, including radiotherapy optimization, breast cancer prevention, stroke patient monitoring, and brain abnormality detection. Truckstroke: Enhancing stroke treatment: One of CERN's successful AI applications, Truckstroke, is already making...
read Oct 7, 2024AI climate gamble: Eric Schmidt’s bold $125M venture
AI's environmental impact and climate change solutions: Eric Schmidt's recent comments on betting on AI to solve climate change, despite its significant energy demands, have sparked a debate about the potential benefits and risks of artificial intelligence in addressing environmental challenges. • In a brief interview clip, Schmidt stated his preference for betting on AI to solve climate problems rather than constraining its development, despite acknowledging the technology's energy consumption issues. • Schmidt's position is influenced by his significant investments in AI companies, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest in his assessment. Questioning the premise: The assumption that AI's...
read Oct 7, 2024Google stuffs ads into AI search, frustrating users
AI-powered search takes a controversial turn: Google's integration of ads into its AI-generated search summaries marks a significant shift in the company's approach to monetizing artificial intelligence technology while raising concerns about user experience and content quality. Google announced that its AI Overviews feature will now include ads above, below, and within the AI-generated summaries, aiming to demonstrate the technology's revenue-generating potential. This move is designed to address concerns that AI chatbots could potentially reduce search ad revenues, which are crucial to Google's business model. The company is also introducing AI-organized Search results pages for mobile users, starting with recipe...
read Oct 7, 2024Rankin’s ad agency collapses as creative landscape shifts
British photographer Rankin's advertising agency faces bankruptcy: Renowned British photographer Rankin's advertising agency, Rankin Group, has filed for bankruptcy amid challenging market conditions and a shifting creative landscape. Financial implications and debts: The bankruptcy filing reveals significant financial obligations for Rankin Group. The company owes employees more than £300,000, primarily in redundancy and notice payments. The UK tax authority (HMRC) is owed over £1 million. Trade creditors are owed £258,000, including £73,000 in prepayments for the year. Inter-company creditors are owed £980,000, indicating substantial support from other Rankin businesses. Rankin's perspective on the bankruptcy: The photographer provides insights into the...
read Oct 7, 2024AI-assisted students risk learning deficit, warns analyst
AI as a collaborative tool: Ethan Mollick, a professor at the Wharton School of Business, advocates for using artificial intelligence as a companion for various tasks while cautioning against its misuse. In his new book "Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI," Mollick explores the potential of AI as a collaborative tool rather than a replacement for human intelligence. He recommends spending at least 10 hours with AI tools to gain a comprehensive understanding of their capabilities and limitations. Mollick emphasizes the importance of using AI as "co-intelligence" to enhance human capabilities rather than as a crutch that hinders learning and...
read Oct 7, 2024Apple Intelligence features could debut on iPhone 16 this month
Apple's AI push gathers momentum: Apple is set to release its first Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone 16 and other compatible devices on October 28th with the iOS 18.1 update, signaling a significant step in the company's AI strategy. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that AI-powered notification summaries will be among the first Apple Intelligence features to debut. The iOS 18.1 beta has already showcased Siri improvements, including better speech recognition and new writing tools. A new rainbow-colored glowing edge graphic will appear when Siri is summoned on iPhones and iPads. Device compatibility and rollout: Apple Intelligence features will be...
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