Month: May 2023

‘They’re afraid their AIs will come for them’: Doug Rushkoff on why tech billionaires are in escape mode

The leading intellect on digital culture believes the recent tech reckoning is corrective justice for Silicon Valley barons It was a tough week in tech. The top US health official warned about the risks of social media to young people; tech billionaire Elon Musk further trashed his reputation with the disastrous Twitter launch of a …

‘They’re afraid their AIs will come for them’: Doug Rushkoff on why tech billionaires are in escape mode Read More »

AI will indeed be, but its rise will be mundane not apocalyptic | John Naughton

To understand how ChatGPT will infiltrate the world, cast your mind back to Google’s decision to map the entire planet Cheered by the news that OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, had released a free iPhone app for the language model, I went to the Apple app store to download it, only to find that it …

AI will indeed be, but its rise will be mundane not apocalyptic | John Naughton Read More »

NHS data breach: trusts shared patient details with Facebook without consent

Observer investigation reveals Meta Pixel tool passed on private details of web browsing on medical sites NHS trusts are sharing intimate details about patients’ medical conditions, appointments and treatments with Facebook without consent and despite promising never to do so. An Observer investigation has uncovered a covert tracking tool in the websites of 20 NHS …

NHS data breach: trusts shared patient details with Facebook without consent Read More »

No cellphone? No problem! The vintage radio enthusiasts prepping for disaster

Ham radio users, from teenagers to eightysomethings, are ready to communicate in the next crisis – be it a wildfire, pandemic or ‘the big one’ There’s an ancient fable that Glenn Morrison, a pony-tailed, 75-year-old who lives in the California desert, likes to tell to prove a point. As the lesson goes, one industrious ant …

No cellphone? No problem! The vintage radio enthusiasts prepping for disaster Read More »

‘I’d never seen a woman riding a motorcycle in a dress’: Girma Berta’s best phone picture

The Ethiopian photographer on the thrill of taking to the streets “Serendipity plays a major role in street photography,” Girma Berta says. He shot this in Mali, but lives in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, and had never seen a woman in a dress driving a motorcycle. “Not many women in Addis ride motorcycles, and those …

‘I’d never seen a woman riding a motorcycle in a dress’: Girma Berta’s best phone picture Read More »

The future of AI is chilling – humans have to act together to overcome this threat to civilisation | Jonathan Freedland

The challenge seems daunting. But we have overcome terrifying dangers before It started with an ick. Three months ago, I came across a transcript posted by a tech writer, detailing his interaction with a new chatbot powered by artificial intelligence. He’d asked the bot, attached to Microsoft’s Bing search engine, questions about itself and the …

The future of AI is chilling – humans have to act together to overcome this threat to civilisation | Jonathan Freedland Read More »

‘It’s a massive ask’: is Binance capable of being regulated?

Crypto exchange says it will do everything possible to change UK watchdog’s mind but opacity remains an issue for US as well In 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority was adamant: Binance is not capable of being regulated in the UK. Executives at the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange are not taking no for an answer. This …

‘It’s a massive ask’: is Binance capable of being regulated? Read More »

‘Massive’ Tesla data leak reveals thousands of alleged safety complaints

Whistleblower leaks data revealing customer and employee information plus complaints about driver assistance system Tesla has failed to adequately protect data from customers, employees and business partners and has received thousands of customer complaints regarding the carmaker’s driver assistance system, Germany’s Handelsblatt has reported, citing 100 gigabytes of confidential data leaked by a whistleblower. The …

‘Massive’ Tesla data leak reveals thousands of alleged safety complaints Read More »

Rishi Sunak races to tighten rules for AI amid fears of existential risk

PM pushes allies to draw up agreement that could lead to global regulator, as industry warns new white paper is already out of date • Is No 10 waking up to dangers of AI? Rishi Sunak is scrambling to update the government’s approach to regulating artificial intelligence, amid warnings that the industry poses an existential …

Rishi Sunak races to tighten rules for AI amid fears of existential risk Read More »