Month: August 2022

William MacAskill: ‘There are 80 trillion people yet to come. They need us to start protecting them’

The moral philosopher gives most of his earnings to charity, says we need more not less economic growth to tackle global heating, and in a striking new book argues that it’s our duty to ensure the wellbeing of our distant descendants Although most cultures, particularly in the west, provide a great many commemorations of distant …

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Are these guys for real? How to keep your business safe from deepfakes

Scammers are using manipulated video and audio to dupe employees into handing over money. But protection is possible Is that really Tom Cruise about to wrestle an alligator? Keanu Reeves dancing like nobody is watching? Or Robert Pattinson getting shade from his cat? No – it’s a deepfake. Deepfake technology is advanced artificial intelligence that …

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We can make our phones harder to hack but complete security is a pipe dream | John Naughton

Even the latest iPhone scare won’t persuade us to choose safety over convenience Apple caused a stir a few weeks ago when it announced that the forthcoming update of its mobile and laptop operating systems would contain an optional high-security mode that would provide users with an unprecedented level of protection against powerful “spyware” software …

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AI-generated art illustrates another problem with computers | John Naughton

Artificial intelligence is being used to design magazine covers and provide pictures for internet newsletters. What could possibly go wrong? It all started with the headline over an entry in Charlie Warzel’s Galaxy Brain newsletter in the Atlantic: “Where Does Alex Jones Go From Here?” This is an interesting question because Jones is an internet …

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The Storm is Upon Us review: indispensable QAnon history, updated

Donald Trump welcomed the conspiracy at the White House. Its followers stormed Congress. Big Tech still seems not to care. Mike Rothschild’s book should sound the alarm for us all What is it that has hypnotized so many addled souls who devote themselves to decoding the Delphic clues of the QAnon conspiracy? What they think …

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‘When the sun sets, there is this incredible pink’: Thomas Jordan’s best phone picture

The US-based photographer on finding a warm, quiet moment in West Chicago Thomas Jordan was faced with a problem. In the summer of 2021, the US-based photographer was actively focusing more on his own health, both physical and mental, and finding respite in nature. He was looking for what he describes as “warm, quiet moments” …

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Adam Neumann’s latest big idea? To become America’s biggest landlord

The WeWork co-founder is reportedly at the helm of Flow, a new company looking to reinvent apartment living – but have any lessons been learned? Adam Neumann presided over one of the most spectacular business collapses in recent history. A New Age-spouting, barefoot business messiah, he managed to build and burn his last startup, the …

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British judge rules dissident can sue Saudi Arabia for Pegasus hacking

Ghanem Almasarir’s victory opens way for other hacking victims in UK to bring cases against foreign governments A British judge has ruled that a case against the kingdom of Saudi Arabia brought by a dissident satirist who was targeted with spyware can proceed, a decision that has been hailed as precedent-setting and one that could …

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