Save-Point

Quote:Wired reports that the integrity of information disseminated by AI chatbots has come under scrutiny following a concerning study. Microsoft’s AI chatbot, Copilot, originally known as Bing Chat, has been reportedly responding to political inquiries with a number of conspiracy theories, misinformation, and outdated or incorrect data, particularly regarding elections.

An exclusive report shared with Wired highlights these issues, demonstrating the chatbot’s tendency to link queries about elections to conspiracy theories and false information. For instance, when Wired inquired about 2024 U.S. election polling locations, Copilot referenced unrelated political events, such as Russian elections. Additionally, when prompted for information on electoral candidates, it listed GOP candidates no longer in the race.

The problem isn’t confined to the U.S. The chatbot also shared inaccurate information about elections in Switzerland and Germany, including wrong polling numbers, election dates, and fabricated controversies about candidates. This misinformation isn’t just a random occurrence but appears to be a systemic issue with the chatbot’s programming or data sources.

Perhaps most concerning is the AI’s tendency to hallucinate misinformation about elections. Hallucinations in AI terms are when chatbots create false information in an attempt to answer human queries. In one famous case of hallucinations, a lawyer faced fines and penalties after using ChatGPT to draft a legal brief which was filled with references to nonexistent case law.

Quote:Forbes reports that Elon Musk’s latest AI creation, Grok, originally marketed as a brash and honest AI with the ability to swear, has recently been launched on X/Twitter as part of the X Premium Plus subscription. The AI, initially perceived as a politically neutral or even conservative-leaning tool, has exhibited unexpectedly progressive social and political views.

In several online interactions, Grok has expressed opinions aligning with progressivism, including supporting Biden over Trump, advocating for social justice, climate change action, and healthcare reforms.
...
This shift in Grok’s persona has not only amused the online community but also caught the attention of Musk himself. After a comparison chart suggested Grok was more left-leaning than ChatGPT, Musk acknowledged the need to recalibrate Grok to a more politically neutral stance. However, this effort raises questions about the feasibility and implications of imposing political neutrality on AI.

Quote:Courthouse News Services reports that the responsibility of companies to pay bonuses they promise to employees is being tested in a recent class action lawsuit against Twitter, now known as X. The lawsuit arose following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company in October 2022. Central to the controversy are the oral promises made to employees about bonuses for staying with the company during the transition period.

Initially, these promises were made by executives, including the former chief financial officer, who assured employees of receiving bonuses at “fifty percent of target.” These assurances, according to the lawsuit filed by Mark Schobinger, a former senior director of compensation at Twitter, played a significant role in employees’ decisions to remain at the company. Corporate employees, especially in the competitive Silicon Valley economy, are more likely to stay through a transition period when they know they will receive a bonus for not jumping ship.

However, Twitter’s legal stance, as presented by attorney Eric Meckley, is that these oral commitments do not hold legal weight. During a hearing at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Meckley emphasized that there was no written or signed agreement regarding these bonuses. Twitter’s argument hinges on the principle that verbal promises cannot legally modify the terms of their existing employment contracts.

Quote:The Verge reports that the FCC recently announced its decision not to award Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, an $886 million subsidy. This funding, from the Universal Service Fund, was part of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program aimed at expanding broadband service in rural America. The FCC’s decision stemmed from doubts about Starlink’s ability to “deliver the promised service” of rural broadband, raising concerns about the optimal use of the fund’s limited resources.

Previously, SpaceX had won the bid to provide 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload low-latency internet to over 640,000 locations in 35 states, funded by RDOF. However, the FCC, led by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, expressed concerns about the company’s failure to meet the required standards to justify such a substantial investment of nearly $900 million in universal service funds.
...
This decision follows a previous rejection of Starlink’s bid last year, leading to an appeal by SpaceX. FCC commissioner Brendan Carr dissented, noting the unprecedented requirement for Starlink to demonstrate its service obligations years in advance, a stipulation not imposed on other awardees.

Quote:AP reports documents posted Wednesday by U.S. safety regulators say the company will send out a software update to fix the monitoring problems.

The recall comes after a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into a series of crashes that happened while the Autopilot partially automated driving system was in use.

While Tesla’s Autopilot system is meant to keep the vehicle in its lane, drivers are nonetheless instructed to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times while observing road conditions and traffic.

But research shows drivers using Autopilot look away from the road more often, and that many of them believe their cars drive themselves which can lead to road accidents.
...
The recall covers models Y, S, 3 and X produced between Oct. 5, 2012, and Dec. 7 of this year.

The software update includes additional controls and alerts “to further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility,” the documents said.

Quote:CNBC reports that Trevor Milton, the founder of Nikola, an electric and hydrogen-powered truck manufacturer, was recently sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of defrauding investors. This sentence comes after Milton was convicted in October 2022 on two counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud.

Milton’s conviction centers around misleading investors about Nikola’s technological capabilities and financial prospects. He became a billionaire almost overnight when Nikola went public in June 2020 through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

However, the company soon faced allegations of fraud, which led to significant losses in its market value. Prosecutors compared Milton’s actions to those of Elizabeth Holmes, the Theranos founder, highlighting a pattern of deception in high-profile startups.

Interestingly, Milton’s sentence is much lower than the 11 years requested by prosecutors, and he was also fined just $1 million. Despite what can be considered as leniency, it’s clear that the government is taking a dim view of the “fake it until you make it” startup culture of Silicon Valley.

Quote:Google has agreed to pay $700 million and implement minor changes to its app store practices, resolving an antitrust lawsuit with all 50 U.S. states. Critics say the internet giant is only promising to make minor changes to its Android app store as part of the agreement.

The jury’s decision on December 11th, 2023, declaring Google’s monopoly in its Google Play app store illegal, paved the way for this settlement. Epic Games, another party fighting an antitrust case against Google, scored a win in this decision. However, the broader implications of the settlement extend far beyond this individual case.

Under the terms of the settlement, Google will distribute $700 million, with $629 million allocated to consumers who may have overpaid for apps or in-app purchases, $70 million to the states, and $1 million for settlement administration. Additionally, Google has agreed to several operational changes over various timeframes, including allowing the installation of third-party apps, offering alternative in-app billing systems, and relaxing exclusivity requirements on app distribution and preloaded app stores.

One of Google’s changes is called “User Choice Billing,” which will allow developers to offer alternative in-app billing systems alongside Google Play’s billing option. This new policy will be in place for the next five years. Additionally, Google will no longer enforce some of the pricing and distribution exclusivity clauses that it used to. While these changes are relatively small, they represent a shift in Google’s approach to app store policies.

However, many of these changes come with expiration dates, and their impact on the app store ecosystem might be limited. Critics argue that the concessions are not substantial enough to alter Google’s market position significantly.

Quote:CNBC reports that Apple has made a surprise decision to halt sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States. The suspension, which takes effect just days before Christmas, comes amid a legal tussle over the blood oxygen feature of the smart watches with Masimo, a medical technology company, which claims ownership over the technology used in these Apple Watches.

The sales pause follows two orders issued by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on October 26, which may restrict Apple’s ability to sell products incorporating the disputed blood oxygen feature. While the White House had a 60-day review period ending on December 25, Apple chose to begin the suspension early to comply with the potential outcome of the ITC ruling.

Apple’s decision has immediate implications for its U.S. customers, as online sales of the affected models will cease this Thursday at 3:00 p.m., and in-store sales will follow suit after Sunday. However, this suspension does not affect customers outside the U.S., nor does it impact those who have already purchased these models.

Quote:9to5Mac reports that Utah has taken a bold step in regulating social media use among children by passing a law that requires parental consent for children using social media after 10:30 pm. This law, set to be enacted in March, has sparked a significant legal battle. The NetChoice trade group, representing prominent social media platforms like TikTok, Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram), and Snap, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Utah legislation.

This law is part of a broader trend, with states like New York considering similar measures. These include mandating parental permission for children to use apps with algorithmic feeds and enforcing parental controls like setting screen time limits, disabling notifications during late hours, and restricting access during specific times.

The lawsuit filed by NetChoice raises critical concerns about the law’s implications. It argues that the law, while well-intentioned, is unconstitutional as it restricts access to public content, compromises data security, and undermines parental rights.

Since when is providing parents with working tools to protect their children  online could ever undermine parental rights somehow!?

Quote:TechCrunch reports that Comcast, the U.S. telecom giant, has recently disclosed a massive data breach impacting its Xfinity division. Nearly 36 million customers have had their sensitive information compromised due to hackers exploiting a critical-rated security vulnerability, known as “CitrixBleed,” in Citrix networking devices. This vulnerability is prevalent in systems used by large corporations and has been a target for hackers since late August.

The breach occurred when attackers accessed Comcast’s internal systems between October 16 and 19, 2023. However, the company did not detect this malicious activity until October 25. By November 16, it was determined that customer data was likely acquired, and in December, Comcast concluded that the breach included customer usernames and hashed passwords, along with other sensitive data such as contact information, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and security questions and answers.

Citrix released patches for the flaw in early October, but many organizations, including Comcast, did not implement these in time, leading to the breach. The compromised data poses significant risks, including identity theft and fraud, given the nature of the information accessed.

Quote:As privacy-oriented lawmakers continue waging their war to rein in government surveillance abuse, there have been several startling revelations about the government’s abuse of surveillance laws.

FreedomWorks and Demand Progress have aggregated some of the most egregious instances of intelligence agencies abusing Americans’ privacy:

1. “[T]ens of thousands” of baseless searches “related to civil unrest” in a one-year period.
   - including 141 racial justice protestors and thousands of January 6 suspects.
   
2. Searches for individuals an NSA analyst had met on an online dating site, and a prospective tenant.
   
3. Searches for a state court judge who reported civil rights violations to the FBI.
   
4. Searches for places of worship that were intentionally hidden from oversight.
   
5. Searches for a member of HPSCI and a U.S. senator.
   
6. A “batch” search for 19,000 Congressional donors.
   
7. “Batch” searches that included current and former federal government officials, journalists, and political commentators.
   
8. Searches for people who came to the FBI to perform repairs.
   
9. Searches for victims who came to the FBI to report crimes.
   
10. Searches for business, religious, and community leaders who applied to participate in the FBI’s “Citizens Academy.”
    
11. Searches for college students participating in a “Collegiate Academy.”
    
12. Searches for family members and colleagues.
    
13. Searches for police officer candidates.
    
14. Searches for an individual employed by a defense attorney.
    
15. Searches for a wrongly accused American academic.
    
16. Searches based on a witness’s report that two men “of Middle Eastern descent” were loading cleaning supplies into a truck.
    
17. Searches for a local political party.
    
18. “Batch” searches for 1600 Americans “who had flown through an airport during a particular date range and were either traveling to or returning from a foreign country”
    
19. 2,000 searches for “the names and dates of birth of individuals who were registered competitors in an athletic event.”
    

Quote:Futurism reports that Elon Musk has recently launched Grok, an AI chatbot described as “anti-woke.” This AI has been at the center of a controversy due to its generation of unsubstantiated and bizarre claims about Musk himself, displaying the challenges faced by generative AI systems.

Grok, accessible through a premium subscription on X, formerly known as Twitter, has not been widely scrutinized, primarily due to its cost of $196 annually or $16 monthly. However, reporter Parker Molloy delved into Grok’s outputs, sharing provocative findings in a Bluesky thread. One of the most startling claims by Grok was the unfounded assertion that Musk is a pedophile, a claim with no evidence to support it.

Further investigation by Futurism, which acquired a premium subscription, revealed Grok’s tendency to make similar claims in its “fun mode,” characterized by offbeat humor and a peculiar conversational style. Notably, Grok alleged that Musk went to court over pedophilia charges, likely confusing this with Musk’s 2019 defamation trial, where he was the defendant, not the accused, in a case involving a British diver and a hero of the Thai cave rescue operation, Vern Unsworth. The case resulted from Musk labeling Unsworth a “pedo guy.”

This isn’t the first troubling news about Musk’s chatbot. Breitbart News previously reported that researchers have demonstrated that Grok is just as woke as competing chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Quote:Engadget reports that Elon Musk’s Tesla has recently announced its second recall in the United States within a few weeks. This latest recall affects a substantial number of vehicles — specifically, 120,423 Model S and X units manufactured between 2021 and 2023.

The recall is prompted by a critical safety issue involving the vehicles’ doors. According to reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there is a risk that an unlocked door may unlatch and open during a collision. This malfunction not only increases the risk of injury to passengers but also signifies non-compliance with federal safety regulations.

Tesla is addressing the safety concern with an over-the-air (OTA) software update designed to rectify the door safety problem. Tesla also plans to send out notification letters to the owners of the affected vehicles in February, ensuring they are fully informed about the issue and the steps taken to resolve it.

This latest recall comes just weeks after Breitbart News reported another significant recall by Tesla involving over 2 million vehicles in the United States, addressing safety concerns in its Autopilot software, particularly the Autosteer feature.

Quote:Electrek reports that Hyperloop One, envisioned as a high-speed transportation solution, promised to whisk passengers and cargo at speeds comparable to jets between cities in vacuum-sealed tubes. This ambitious project, originating from Elon Musk’s 2013 “alpha paper,” captivated imaginations with the prospect of travel at speeds of 760 mph, theoretically reducing the travel time between Los Angeles and San Francisco, or New York and DC, to just 30 minutes.

Despite early excitement, the project faced significant skepticism from scientists and engineers, who questioned its practicality. Nonetheless, the idea was compelling enough to attract substantial investment, including a substantial injection of $350 million from Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and DP World, a Dubai-based port logistics firm, in 2017. However, the venture struggled to manage its finances effectively, burning through these investments rapidly with little to show for it.

The company’s journey was further marred by controversy after company cofounder Shervin Pishevar resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct. Tensions with Saudi Arabia, exacerbated by Richard Branson’s criticism following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, resulted in the withdrawal of Saudi investment and Branson stepping down as chair.

The first and only human passenger test in 2020 ended in disappointment, achieving a top speed of only 100 mph, far below the projected speeds.

Quote:The New York Post reports that a routine day at Tesla’s Austin factory turned alarming when a software engineer, while working on the factory floor, was seriously injured by a production robot. Designed to handle aluminum car parts, the robot suffered a malfunction in which it pinned the engineer, inflicting injuries with its metal claws and leaving a trail of blood smeared on the floor.

The incident, which occurred two years ago but has recently come to light based on an investigation by The Information, involved the engineer programming software for robots tasked with cutting car parts from sheets of aluminum. While two robots were appropriately disabled for maintenance, a third robot was inadvertently left operational, leading to the unfortunate event.

The engineer, whose identity remains undisclosed, sustained a “laceration cut or open wound” on his left hand. Despite the severity of the incident, it reportedly did not necessitate time off work for the engineer. This accident raises questions about the safety protocols in place, especially considering Tesla’s ambitious production goals and advanced automation.

In the past, Tesla’s Giga Texas factory has been flagged for safety concerns, with nearly one out of every 21 workers reported injured last year, a rate far higher than the automotive industry’s median.

Quote:According to the [Wall Street] Journal, despite major investments from the federal government and automakers into EVs, Americans are not warming to President Joe Biden’s green energy agenda the way the administration and the industry had predicted.

The [Wall Street] Journal reports:

As a result, electric cars and trucks are piling up on dealer lots, causing auto companies to reassess their investment plans. It takes a dealership around three weeks longer to sell an EV than a gasoline vehicle, according to data from car-shopping website Edmunds. A year ago, battery-powered models were selling faster than their gasoline counterparts.

Aside from a lack of electric charging stations and consumer nervousness over reliability, the cost of EVs remains a prime reason why Americans are choosing gas-powered cars instead.

Figures published in the Journal show that the average EV cost buyers nearly $52,000 last month, while the average gas-powered car cost less than $45,000. Industry experts said they do not expect EVs to get any cheaper until 2025.

Also an issue for automakers is that EVs are primarily being bought up in only a few states and cities. For example, from July through September, almost 25 percent of all EVs sold were sold in California, and the top four metropolitan areas for EVs were in California.

The Biden administration’s massive taxpayer-funded investments into EVs have yet to come to fruition. For instance, the $7.5 billion allocated to build electric chargers across the United States has yet to produce a single charger.

Quote:Fast Company reports that the introduction of self-checkout systems in retail was initially seen as a forward-thinking and progressive move, promising customers a quicker, more efficient shopping experience while enabling retailers to reduce labor costs. This technology, which gained significant momentum over the past two decades, particularly during the pandemic, offered a dual benefit: alleviating long queues for customers and mitigating monotonous tasks for workers.

However, the reality has been more complex. Recent trends and reports indicate a growing unease among both retailers and customers. A primary concern is the notable increase in shoplifting incidents. Self-checkout systems, relying on customers to scan and register their purchases, inadvertently create opportunities for theft. Even law-abiding citizens might be tempted to under-scan items or input incorrect product codes, not to mention outright shoplifting attempts.

Retail giants like Walmart and Target have been experimenting with varying approaches to tackle these issues. While Walmart has removed self-checkout kiosks in select locations, Target has imposed item limits in some stores. Similarly, British supermarket chain Booths and American grocer Wegmans have scaled back their self-checkout options in response to customer feedback and loss prevention.

Breitbart News reported earlier this year that a Michigan woman was arrested for stealing more than  $1,000 worth of items from a Walmart self-checkout lane. In October, Walmart employees complained of the safety hazard of confront customers stealing from self-checkout lanes.

Quote:Google has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit accusing the tech giant of collecting data from users of its Chrome browser’s Incognito mode. Incognito mode is supposedly a private browsing mode, but Google gathers significant data from users who mistakenly believe the Masters of the Universe will respect their privacy.

Ars Technica reports that Google’s decision to settle a lawsuit, originating from the Northern District of California, represents a significant turn in the ongoing debate over digital privacy. The lawsuit, filed by William Byatt of Florida, along with Chasom Brown and Maria Nguyen of California, accused Google of violating wiretap laws by continuing to “track, collect, and identify [users’] browsing data in real time,” even in Incognito mode. Breitbart News initially reported on the lawsuit when it was filed in 2020.

The core of the lawsuit is the allegation that Google, through tools like Google Analytics and Ad Manager, was able to collect data from browsers in Incognito mode. This data included detailed information such as web page content, device data, and IP addresses. The plaintiffs argued that Google’s practice of associating this data with users’ already-existing profiles was a clear invasion of their expectations of privacy in Incognito mode.
...
Google initially sought to dismiss the lawsuit, highlighting the disclaimer displayed to users upon entering Incognito mode, which states that their activity “might still be visible to websites you visit.” However, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers dismissed this defense. She highlighted that Google never explicitly informed users that it continued to collect data even in Incognito mode. Judge Rogers stated: “Google’s motion hinges on the idea that plaintiffs consented to Google collecting their data while they were browsing in private mode. Because Google never explicitly told users that it does so, the Court cannot find as a matter of law that users explicitly consented to the at-issue data collection.”

On Tuesday, Google and the plaintiffs reached an agreement that will lead to the dismissal of the ongoing litigation. The details of the agreement will be presented to the court by the end of January, and final approval by the court is expected by the end of February.

Quote:Business Insider reports that the lawsuit, brought forth in June by Mark Schobinger, Twitter’s former head of compensation, has become a focal point in a broader narrative about employee rights and corporate promises. Representing thousands of current and former employees, Schobinger alleges that the company failed to honor verbal commitments regarding annual bonuses. These bonuses, integral to employee compensation, were promised during and after Musk’s takeover of the company.
...
The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in San Francisco. It states that high-ranking executives within the company repeatedly assured staff members that they would receive 50 percent of their annual bonuses for 2022 in the months preceding billionaire Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter.

Judge Vince Chhabria has decided to let the case proceed despite arguments from X/Twitter’s legal team. The court found sufficient grounds to consider these verbal agreements as potentially legally binding. The central argument is that these promises, including one that employees as of January 1, 2023, would receive a part of their annual bonuses, formed a contractual obligation under California law.

This interpretation counters X/Twitter’s legal stance that such verbal agreements, especially those made by former management, are not enforceable under Texas law, where Musk’s lawyers argued the case should be tried. However, Judge Chhabria’s ruling confirmed that the case falls under California jurisdiction and that the claims for dismissal under both states’ laws failed.
...
Schobinger’s resignation in May was attributed to X’s failure to fulfill various promises, including the payment of the 2022 bonuses. This case adds to a series of legal challenges faced by Musk’s X/Twitter, encompassing claims of missed payments on rent, other services, and disputes following layoffs and resignations post-takeover.

Quote:The New York Times has filed a lawsuit Microsoft and ChatGPT developer OpenAI, alleging copyright infringement in a pivotal case that could reshape the boundaries of intellectual property and AI technology.

The Wall Street Journal reports that The New York Times’ legal action against Microsoft and OpenAI, filed in the U.S. federal court in the Southern District of New York, represents a significant challenge in the world of AI and media. The lawsuit, grounded in allegations of copyright infringement, accuses the tech giants of using the Times‘ content to train their AI tools, including ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot, without permission. The NYT argues that this has led to a diversion of web traffic and consequently, a substantial loss in advertising, licensing, and subscription revenue.

A.G. Sulzberger, the publisher of the Times, has placed his company at the forefront of this legal battle, which follows months of unsuccessful commercial negotiations with Microsoft and OpenAI. The Times had sought a deal that would fairly compensate for the use of its content and support a healthy news ecosystem. The negotiations aimed to ensure the responsible development of generative AI technology that benefits society and maintains a well-informed public while also respecting copyright laws.

Quote:Michael Cohen, a former personal lawyer to Donald Trump, said in court papers unsealed Friday that he had accidentally given his lawyers fictitious legal citations generated by an artificial intelligence program — an admission that could undermine his credibility when he testifies against his former boss.

The fake citations were used by Cohen’s lawyer, David Schwartz, in a motion submitted to federal Judge Jesse M. Furman, the New York Times reported Friday. Cohen had asked the judge in the motion for an early end to the court’s supervision of his case, after serving prison time and complying with the conditions of his release, the report said. He pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations.

Cohen said in a sworn declaration that he did not realize that Google Bard was a “generative text service that, like ChatGPT, could show citations and descriptions that looked real but actually were not.” He also said he did not know his lawyer would submit his fake citations to the court without confirming they existed.

According to the Times, Cohen’s use of fake citations could undermine Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s criminal case against Trump, in which Cohen is expected to be the star witness.

Quote:The Daily Mail reports that Channel 1, an LA-based news channel hoping to launch in the near future, is planning to introduce AI news anchors. These AI-generated anchors, set to debut as early as February on ad-supported streaming platforms like Crackle, Tubi, and Pluto, represent a significant shift in news broadcasting.

The AI anchors are created using a blend of digital doubles and animated faces, designed to mimic real human behavior and expressions. However, despite their naturalistic hand gestures, a closer examination reveals a number of irregularities like longer fingers and more than five fingers on each hand. It seems AI continues to struggle with hand generation.

Additionally, while the AI anchors’ eyes blink, they lack emotional expression, giving a somewhat vacant look. These factors, coupled with their ability to read news in multiple languages, including Greek and Tamil, have raised concerns about the authenticity and emotional depth of AI-delivered news.
...
Channel 1 plans to source its news content from three primary avenues: partnerships with legacy news outlets, commissioned freelance journalists, and AI-generated reports based on trusted official sources such as public records and government documents. This approach aims to balance technological innovation with credible news sourcing, although concerns remain about the authenticity — and potential legality — of AI-generated content

Quote:A project created by three Stanford graduate students apparently shows that artificial intelligence (AI) can geolocate where a photo is taken, an ability that has sparked concern.

The students designed the project, called Predicting Image Geolocations (PIGEON), to find locations using Google Street View, NPR reported on December 19.

When presented with personal images that were unfamiliar, for the most part, the program guessed the correct location. The outlet continued:

Like so many applications of AI, this new power is likely to be a double-edged sword: It may help people identify the locations of old snapshots from relatives, or allow field biologists to conduct rapid surveys of entire regions for invasive plant species, to name but a few of many likely beneficial applications.

But it also could be used to expose information about individuals that they never intended to share, says Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst at the American Civil Liberties Union who studies technology. Stanley worries that similar technology, which he feels will almost certainly become widely available, could be used for government surveillance, corporate tracking or even stalking.

The students had played the Swedish game GeoGuesser, in which players geolocate images, and they wanted to try and create an AI player that could surpass human attempts at the task.

“The Stanford students trained their version of the system with images from Google Street View,” the NPR report said, adding that PIGEON notices small clues that humans do but also others, such as minute differences in foliage, soil, and weather.

Quote:Google has reportedly launched a new data collection project, hiring a contractor to gather facial recognition data from children, offering $50 to parents for their child’s participation.

404 Media reports that the project revolves around Google collecting specific data, including eyelid shape and skin tone of children. Parents are asked to film their children wearing various props, such as hats and sunglasses. TELUS, acting on Google’s behalf, is paying parents $50 for this data collection effort. The primary objective of this project is to build datasets for machine learning, artificial intelligence, and facial recognition technologies.

This method of data collection is a drastic shift from the traditional approaches of scraping existing images or analyzing previously collected materials found on the internet. Instead, Google is directly engaging the public in its data gathering processes and compensating them for their contributions. Google clarified that this initiative is part of their efforts to verify users’ age.

Participants in the project are required to be minors, specifically aged between 13 and 17 years. The process involves taking multiple short videos, each under 40 seconds, with the overall task expected to take 30 to 45 minutes. The project insists that the filming of children be done on private premises, not in public spaces, and requires parental consent.

TELUS, which also offers facial recognition products, stated that the purpose of this collection is to capture a broad cross-section of participants. This aims to ensure that the services and products derived from this data are representative of a diverse set of end-users. The data collection is intended to improve authentication methods, thereby offering more secure tools for users.

Quote:The Verge reports that the DeepMind robotics team at Google has recently revealed three significant advancements aimed at enhancing the decision-making capabilities of robots, particularly in terms of safety and efficiency. One of these achievements is the development of a Robot Constitution, a new approach to AI safety inspired by Isaac Asimov’s famous Three Laws of Robotics.

This constitution is a set of safety-focused guidelines designed to instruct large language models (LLMs) in making decisions that consciously avoid tasks involving humans, animals, sharp objects, and electrical appliances.
...
An interesting aspect of this initiative is Google’s AutoRT data gathering system, which integrates a visual language model (VLM) with the LLM. This combination allows the AI to understand and adapt to its environment, making appropriate decisions based on the context. According to the company, this has helped to enhance the AI’s ability to operate autonomously in various settings.

In practical terms, the Robot Constitution includes several safety mechanisms, such as automatic shutdown if the force on the robot’s joints exceeds a specified threshold and a physical kill switch for human operators. Over seven months, Google conducted over 77,000 trials with a fleet of 53 AutoRT robots in different office environments, testing various degrees of autonomy and control.

Quote:The Verge reports that in a recent update, Tesla has adjusted the range estimates for several of its electric vehicles, most notably the Model Y, Model S, and Model X. This change has led to a decrease in the advertised range by up to 37 miles, bringing its performance estimates more in line with the experiences of existing owners.

The Model Y Performance now shows a range of 285 miles, down from 303, and the Model Y Long Range is listed at 310 miles, a decrease from 330. The Model X Plaid sees a smaller reduction, going from 333 miles to 326. The biggest cut can be seen with the Model S Plaid with 19-inch wheels, dropping from 396 miles to 359 miles.

Interestingly, this change in range estimates currently only applies to Tesla’s U.S. market, with no similar adjustments reported for the company’s UK and EU listings. Other Tesla models, including the Cybertruck, Model 3, and the Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive, are unaffected by this update.

Tesla has not explicitly stated the reasons for these reduced range estimates, but the change is likely due to a combination of factors, such as the company’s continuous improvements in “comfort and functionality” that may consume more energy, and possibly new EPA testing requirements that could result in increased energy consumption and a slight dip in the range.

Quote:The New York Times reports that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has made serious allegations against SpaceX, the space transport services company led by CEO Elon Musk. In a recent filing, the NLRB claims that SpaceX wrongfully terminated eight employees who had been vocal in their criticism of Musk’s public conduct. These employees had distributed a letter internally, which pointedly criticized Musk’s behavior on social media, particularly focusing on his handling and response to sexual harassment allegations against him.

The letter called for the company to take a clearer and more consistent stance on harassment issues. It specifically requested the enforcement of policies that would prevent similar incidents and foster a safer, more respectful work environment. However, instead of addressing these concerns, SpaceX is accused of retaliating against the employees involved by terminating their employment. This move, according to the NLRB, is a violation of federal labor laws that protect employees’ rights to engage in concerted activities for mutual aid and protection.

Paige Holland-Thielen, one of the employees who was fired, stated: “At SpaceX the rockets may be reusable, but the people who build them are treated as expendable. I am hopeful these charges will hold SpaceX and its leadership accountable for their long history of mistreating workers and stifling discourse.”

The complaint filed by the NLRB details further alleged misconduct by SpaceX executives. Notably, it includes an instance involving President Gwynne Shotwell, who is said to have intervened to stop the spread of the letter criticizing Musk.

This legal challenge against SpaceX is not an isolated incident in Musk’s corporate empire. One of Musk’s other companies, Tesla, has been previously sanctioned by the labor board for illegally firing an employee involved in union organizing. Musk’s recent acquisition of Twitter and subsequent mass layoffs, including the termination of individuals who publicly disagreed with him, have caused many to accuse Musk of being unable to handle dissent within his companies.

Quote:The automaker will be able to remotely fix the vehicles with software upgrades to come into compliance with the China State Administration for Market Regulation, reports Reuters.

The recall includes some imported Model S, Model X and Model 3 vehicles, as well as Model 3 and Model Y cars produced in China between August 2014 and December 2022.

The Chinese regulator reported that Tesla drivers may have misused their vehicles’ autopilot features, increasing dangerous collisions and other safety risks. The product recall, to be rolled out in multiple stages, mirrors the U.S. recall announced just last month.

As Breitbart News reported on December 13, American safety regulators issued a statement to alert Tesla customers that Elon Musk’s company would be recalling nearly all vehicles sold in the United States.

Upwards of two million units across the automaker’s model lineup will be impacted by that recall, which also plans to address defective software to ensure drivers are correctly using the autopilot function.

The United States recall came after two years of investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into a series of crashes that occurred while the car was in the partially-automated driving mode.

Quote:England´s 1,000-year-old legal system – still steeped in traditions that include wearing wigs and robes – has taken a cautious step into the future by giving judges permission to use artificial intelligence to help produce rulings.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary last month said AI could help write opinions but stressed it shouldn´t be used for research or legal analyses because the technology can fabricate information and provide misleading, inaccurate and biased information.

“Judges do not need to shun the careful use of AI,” said Master of the Rolls Geoffrey Vos, the second-highest ranking judge in England and Wales. “But they must ensure that they protect confidence and take full personal responsibility for everything they produce.”

At a time when scholars and legal experts are pondering a future when AI could replace lawyers, help select jurors or even decide cases, the approach spelled out Dec. 11 by the judiciary is restrained. But for a profession slow to embrace technological change, it’s a proactive step as government and industry – and society in general – react to a rapidly advancing technology alternately portrayed as a panacea and a menace.

“There´s a vigorous public debate right now about whether and how to regulate artificial intelligence,” said Ryan Abbott, a law professor at the University of Surrey and author of “The Reasonable Robot: Artificial Intelligence and the Law.”

“AI and the judiciary is something people are uniquely concerned about, and it´s somewhere where we are particularly cautious about keeping humans in the loop,” he said. “So I do think AI may be slower disrupting judicial activity than it is in other areas and we´ll proceed more cautiously there.”

Abbott and other legal experts applauded the judiciary for addressing the latest iterations of AI and said the guidance would be widely viewed by courts and jurists around the world who are eager to use AI or anxious about what it might bring.

Honestly, this sounds a lot like they want to be lazy and irresponsible. Guys, we're talking about human lives being affected here. Some lawyers in New York courts already proved how dangerous and disrespectful it is to rely on AI's accounts of legal rulings. How many times could the British people see attorneys trying to fool  judges by coming up with fake jurisprudence or judges' rulings lacking the necessary depth and judicial knowledge to justify throwing anybody in jail for a very long time.

Quote:The Abu Dhabi Technological Innovation Institute (TII) announced on Monday that it will open a new research center in Haifa, Israel, headed by a former Amazon executive named Yoelle Maarek.

Maarek applauded the announcement as both an exciting development in A.I. research and a landmark in warming relations between Israel and the Arab nations of the Abraham Accords.

TII is a state-run institution founded by the Advanced Technology Research Council of the Abu Dhabi government in 2020. TII styles itself as a “disruptor in science” with a network of international partners.

The TII’s flagship product to date is Falcon 180B, an advanced open-source language model for A.I. systems released in September.

Falcon is the biggest, fastest Large Language Model (LLM) available to programmers today — in essence, it is the component of an artificial intelligence system that talks to human users in conversational language rather than program code. LLMs are not written in quite the same way as other software applications — they must be “trained,” or grown, by feeding them a huge database of human language interactions from which they can learn.

The latest iteration of Falcon is not far behind the freely available version of the famed GPT chatbot, and its open-source coding could make it more compatible with heavily regulated markets like the European Union.

Quote:The Register reports that the U.S. government, in an effort to counter the increasing cyber threats facing healthcare institutions, is set to implement new rules that link federal funding for hospitals to their adherence to basic cybersecurity standards. This initiative, led by the White House, is being formulated in response to the ongoing issue of ransomware attacks and other cybercriminal activities that continue to target hospitals and health clinics nationwide.

When asked for comment on the initiative, a spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – a U.S. government body – told The Register: “One of the key action areas is increasing accountability and coordination within the health care sector. CMS values feedback from stakeholders and continues to consider how to improve cybersecurity most effectively across the health care sector. CMS does not comment on the substance of policies before they are proposed.”

Breitbart News has previously reported on the increasing number of ransomware attacks in recent years across a broad spectrum of industries.

Many of the targets were hospital systems. St. Margaret’s Health in Spring Valley, Illinois, was forced to shut down for good, partially due to a disastrous ransomware attack in 2021. This is the first instance in which a hospital has openly attributed a cyberattack to its closure.

Last year, at least 46 U.S. hospital corporations, which operate a total of 141 facilities, were hit by ransomware attacks. In at least 32 of these cases, protected health information and other patient data was stolen during the hacks. This data theft not only compromises patient privacy but also significantly hampers hospital operations – which is one of the reasons they’re targeted by criminals so frequently. Hospitals are more likely to pay out ransoms in these cases as they need their systems operational as quickly as possible to continue helping patients.

Quote:Business Insider reports that hackers have recently breached the security of a Houston-based web-service provider called Netsential, which works with state law-enforcement agencies in the U.S.

This breach has led to the disclosure of hundreds of gigabytes of potentially sensitive files from various U.S. police departments. The leaked data, made available in a searchable database, includes information that can be sorted by officers’ badge numbers. The files were hosted by fusion centers and state agencies that facilitate information sharing among police departments and were stolen in the security breach.

It’s worth noting that the leaked files do not reveal any significant police misconduct, instead, they primarily consist of emails and internal memos that show how police departments and the FBI have monitored protests across the U.S., especially those that followed the death of George Floyd.

The documents include specific details shared among police departments about the clothing, tattoos, and social media handles of individuals at protests. They also reveal that law-enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have been actively monitoring social-media accounts believed to be organizing protests.

One unclassified FBI memo to police departments, dated late May, raised concerns about the safety of “law enforcement supporters,” citing specific tweets. Other internal memos included in the leak showed police departments exchanging information about specific clothing, signs, and cars of protesters deemed potential threats.

In some cases, officers made arrests after tracking people down using photos taken at protests.

Quote:The United Kingdom’s broadcasting regulator has been hiring top staff from Big Tech firms as it prepares to begin policing the internet under the controversial Online Safety Act.

The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, has hired 350 new staff members, many of whom have been poached from the likes of Google, Meta, and Microsoft, and is planning on hiring another 100 as it assumes its new role as the enforcer of the Online Safety Act, which was passed into law in October.

Speaking to the globalist Financial Times newspaper, former Meta “misinformation” specialist turned director of online safety policy for Ofcom, Jessica Zucker said that in light of Big Tech layoffs over the past two years, there is an “overwhelming” interest in joining the British regulator among ousted Silicon Valley employees.

“Those still motivated by online safety and proportionality see Ofcom as the alternative,” Zucker said, adding: “You could do it for one company, or you can do it for an entire industry.”

And the links between big government and big tech seem to run both ways, the most infamous example being Britain’s former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg taking a top job with Meta after facing electoral defeat at home. Mr Clegg is now president of global affairs and communications with the Facebook owner.

Ofcom, which hitherto was chiefly tasked with policing content on television and radio in the UK, has been granted sweeping new powers by the parliament to monitor and fine the internet.

For larger companies, most notably social media services and search engines, Ofcom will be empowered to impose fines of up to £18 million ($22 million) or 10 per cent of global annual turnover depending upon which is higher.

Quote:TikTok has restricted one tool researchers use to analyze popular videos, a move that follows a barrage of criticism directed at the social media platform about content related to the Israel-Hamas war and a study that questioned whether the company was suppressing topics that don’t align with the interests of the Chinese government.

TikTok’s Creative Center – which is available for anyone to use but is geared towards helping brands and advertisers see what’s trending on the app – no longer allows users to search for specific hashtags, including innocuous ones.

The social media company, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, has also removed certain hashtags from the Creative Center that some online researchers had stored for analysis. They include topics that would be seen as controversial to the Chinese government – such as “UyghurGenocide” and “TiananmenSquare”- as well as hashtags about U.S. politics and the war in Gaza and Ukraine. The Center will now only allow searches for the top 100 hashtags by industry, the company said.

“Unfortunately, some individuals and organizations have misused the Center’s search function to draw inaccurate conclusions, so we are changing some of the features to ensure it is used for its intended purpose,” TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said in a prepared statement.

The New York Times first reported on the changes, which came to light last week in an addendum to a study published in December by the Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers University.

Quote:London has suspended several electric buses after a seemingly spontaneous fire broke out in a double-decker bus, sparking calls for a re-examination of every electric bus used in the capital’s fleet.

On Thursday, an electric bus caught on fire on Wimbledon Hill Road in London. While no injuries were reported and investigations into the cause of the fire are still ongoing, the office of London Mayor Sadiq Khan — a chief proponent of the green agenda in Britain — announced the suspension of the same model of electric busses from the route.

In addition, the Mayor’s office said that all electric busses active in London produced by the firm Switch “will be checked thoroughly as a matter of urgency,” the Evening Standard reports.

However, some are calling for the city to go further, with the City Hall Conservatives’ transport spokesman, Keith Prince calling for the immediate withdrawal of all Switch electric busses until the cause of the fire is determined.

“We’re also calling for urgent checks on the remaining electric buses in the fleet to ensure they are safe,” Prince said. “Londoners need to have confidence that their bus is safe and won’t burst into flames. Sadiq Khan must not compromise the safety of Londoners.”

“We need action, not words. Failure to act will tell Londoners that Sadiq Khan doesn’t care about safety.”

Following the electric bus fire in Wimbledon, a hybrid bus caught on fire on Friday morning in North Woolwich. Fortunately, the bus was not occupied at the time, however, it took firefighters over an hour to get the fire under control, the Daily Mail reports. Transport for London (TfL) has claimed that there was likely no connection between the two fires this week.

Quote:MacRumors reports the tech giant Microsoft recently reached a valuation of $2.87 trillion, just barely beating competitor Apple which saw a one percent drop in share price.

Microsoft has occasionally overtaken Apple since 2018, particularly during times when Apple has faced challenges, such as supply chain shortages that negatively impacted its stock price.

Microsoft’s recent success can be attributed to its strategic investment in artificial intelligence and support for companies like OpenAI, which has largely taken over the AI market with products like ChatGPT gaining significant popularity. In comparison, Apple seems to be taking its time entering the AI space despite the majority of its competitors investing in the sector.

Apple has faced some setbacks recently, with its November earnings report falling short of market expectations, with notable underperformance in its iPad and wearables segments. Combined with a notable decline in Mac revenue compared to the previous year, Apple appears to be facing some issues.

Apple’s latest product, the Vision Pro headset, has also faced skepticism in the market, primarily due to its high price point and lower-than-expected sales forecasts, which may lead to future troubles for the tech giant.

Quote:The New York Post reports Gore has been a part of Apple’s board since 2003, contributing over two decades of service.

Now, his tenure at Apple comes to a close as he reaches the age of 75, aligning with Apple’s policy that restricts board directors from seeking re-election once they hit this age limit.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement: “For more than 20 years, Al has contributed an incredible amount to our work — from his unconditional support for protecting our users’ privacy, to his incomparable knowledge of environment and climate issues.”

Alongside Gore, James Bell, the former Boeing CFO, who has been on the board since 2015 and is also stepping down as he reaches the age limit of 75. Cook commented on Bell’s departure stating: “James’s dedication has been extraordinary, and we’re thankful for the important perspectives and deep expertise he’s offered on audit, finance, and so much more over the years.”

As replacements, Wanda Austin, the former president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, has been nominated for a board seat, pending a shareholder vote at Apple’s annual meeting on February 28. Austin is known for her extensive experience in technology and currently serves as a board director for Amgen and Chevron.

During his time at Apple, Gore accumulated more than 468,000 shares of common stock, valued at over $87 million, and received around $377,000 in compensation in fiscal 2023, including stock awards and cash.

Quote:The Verge reports Discord has joined the ranks of a number of other tech firms in 2024, laying off a significant amount of its workforce. The company recently announced it plans to lay off 17 percent of its workforce, which is equivalent to around 170 employees.

This appears to be part of Discord’s new strategy that aims to “sharpen our focus and improve the way we work together,” according to an internal memo from CEO Jason Citron.

The decision was conveyed to employees in an all-hands meeting, accompanied by an internal memo, marking the largest layoff in Discord’s history. Discord claims that the company is not facing any immediate financial difficulties, but is instead realigning its operations to foster more efficient user growth and operational efficiency.

Citron stated in the memo: “We grew quickly and expanded our workforce even faster, increasing by 5x since 2020. As a result, we took on more projects and became less efficient in how we operated.”

Quote:The layoffs are expected to hit both Prime Video — Amazon’s streaming entertainment service — as well as Amazon MGM Studios, the company’s TV and movie studio that has put out a number of expensive duds including The Rings of Power series, which cost an estimated $1 billion.

U.S. staff who will be impacted by the cuts will be informed on Wednesday and in most other regions by the end of the week, according to a Reuters report. Mike Hopkins, senior vice president of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, told employees in a memo Wednesday that the layoffs would impact “several hundred” workers.

The layoffs comes as Prime Video is set to role out advertising to its previously ad-free service. The decision to insert commercials into movies and TV shows has been slammed by many consumers who see it as the latest example of streaming shrinkflation — getting less product while paying the same amount.

As Breitbart News noted, more and more Americans are canceling their streaming services as they struggle to pay for basic necessities like food, energy, and rent thanks to President Joe Biden’s economic policies that have caused overall consumer prices to spike to unprecedented levels.

Quote:The Verge reports that Twitch, the leading gaming live-streaming platform, has announced a significant reduction in its workforce as part of a strategic realignment led by its parent company, Amazon. Twitch plans to lay off more than 500 employees, which represents about 35 percent of its total staff. The company said this move aims to streamline operations and allocate resources more effectively in line with the company’s current business trajectory.

The CEO of Twitch, Dan Clancy, commented on the situation stating: “I regret having to share that we are taking the painful step to reduce our headcount by just over 500 people across Twitch… This will be a very hard day.”

Clancy noted that the firm paid out over $1 billion to streamers last year, but “while the Twitch business remains strong, for some time now the organization has been sized based upon where we optimistically expect our business to be in 3 or more years, not where we’re at today.” Clancy plans to host a livestream to discuss the implications of the new layoffs.

This year, Twitch had already reduced its workforce as part of broader layoffs at its parent company, Amazon. The company has also undergone significant internal restructuring, including the departure of several key executives. Additionally, Twitch has announced plans to cease operations in South Korea due to high network costs, reflecting the financial and operational challenges it faces.

Quote:Reuters reported that Google recently announced layoffs in some of its key divisions as part of its workforce strategy. The affected departments include the Voice Assistant unit; the hardware team responsible for Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit devices; and the augmented reality (AR) team. This move comes shortly after Google’s acquisition of Fitbit for $2.1 billion in 2021, which was a significant investment in the wearable technology sector. Despite this acquisition, Google has continued to develop and release new versions of its Pixel Watch, a product that directly competes with Fitbit’s offerings and the Apple Watch.

Google initiated several changes throughout the second half of 2023 to improve efficiency, streamline its operations, and realign resources. This restructuring involved eliminating roles across different teams globally. While the exact number of affected roles has not been announced, the impact is being felt amongst employees, as Alphabet has a reported global workforce of 182,381 as of September 2023.

The Alphabet Workers Union commented on the layoffs, calling them “needless” and promising to continue to fight the company “until our jobs are safe!”

These layoffs come at a time when tech companies, including Google, are heavily investing in generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Google had previously announced plans to incorporate generative AI into its virtual assistant, aiming to enhance its capabilities with advanced features such as trip planning and email management. Google has since released its own Bard AI Assistant.