Tech
- TIME
Inside Google’s plans to combat election misinformation
informed Summary
- Google's internal Jigsaw unit is launching a series of animated videos to educate voters about online manipulation techniques ahead of the European Union’s June parliamentary elections. The initiative, described as "preventative debunking" or "prebunking," aims to help people recognize common manipulation techniques such as scapegoating or polarization.
Tech4 min read - TIME
Cyberchondria is the new hypochondria
informed Summary
- Caroline Crampton, a cancer survivor, discusses her experience with "cyberchondria", a term coined in the early 2000s to describe health anxiety that escalates as a result of information found online.
Tech5 min read - CNN
The Mona Lisa rapping? New Microsoft AI animates faces from photos
informed Summary
- Microsoft has developed an AI model, VASA-1, that can animate a still image of a face to sync with an audio clip, creating a realistic video of the person speaking. The technology can be used with photorealistic faces, cartoons, or artwork.
Tech2 min read - AP News
A coffee roastery in Finland has launched an AI-generated blend. The results were surprising
informed Summary
- Finnish artisan roastery Kaffa Roastery has introduced a coffee blend developed by artificial intelligence in a trial aimed at easing the workload in the traditionally manual sector.
Tech2 min read - The Verge
Meta’s battle with ChatGPT begins now
informed Summary
- Meta is integrating its AI assistant into the search boxes of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger, and it will also start appearing in the main Facebook feed. The assistant is now accessible via a standalone website at Meta.ai.
Tech5 min read - Politico
Deepfakes, distrust and disinformation: Welcome to the AI election
informed Summary
- Callum Hood, a British researcher, demonstrates the potential of AI tools, capable of swiftly generating realistic images to undermine elections worldwide, highlighting concerns about their misuse in spreading disinformation.
Tech1 min read - TIME
Tech firms are failing to keep elections safe, rights groups say
informed Summary
- More than 160 rights groups from 55 countries have accused tech companies of failing to implement adequate measures to protect people and democratic processes from disinformation, hate speech, and influence operations. The Global Coalition for Tech Justice, a consortium of civil society groups, activists, and experts, shared this information exclusively with TIME.
Tech4 min read - TechCrunch
LinkedIn tests a new paid tier, the Premium Company Page
informed Summary
- LinkedIn is testing a new Premium Company Page subscription service for small and medium businesses. The service, which costs up to $99 per month, includes AI to write content and tools to increase follower counts.
Tech3 min read - Sky News
Why are thousands of video game workers losing their jobs?
informed Summary
- The gaming industry has been hit hard by mass redundancies, with over 8,000 jobs cut globally since the start of 2024. That's after more than 10,500 people lost their jobs in the industry in 2023, and over 8,500 in 2022.
Tech5 min read - CNN
How Mark Zuckerberg is reimagining the classroom
informed Summary
- Meta is developing new software for educators to make it easier to use its Quest virtual reality headsets in classrooms. The software will allow teachers to manage multiple headsets, access educational apps, and monitor student usage.
Tech4 min read - CNBC
How Spotify AI plans to know what's going on inside your head, and find the right track for it
informed Summary
- Spotify has been investing in AI and machine learning to improve its recommendation tools and help its subscribers discover new music. The company's AI DJ, which announces song names and leads into tracks, is an attempt to personalise listening sessions and encourage listeners to explore music outside their comfort zones.
Tech4 min read - CNBC
The No. 1 tip for communicating well over email, according to a language expert
informed Summary
- Esteban Touma, a cultural and linguistics expert at Babbel, emphasizes the importance of timely responses in email communication. Even a simple confirmation email acknowledging receipt of the message is considered professional and fosters trust.
Tech2 min read - Vox
Did smartphones 'destroy' a generation?
informed Summary
- Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues in his new book, "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness," that smartphones and social media are causing a surge in mental health issues among teenagers. He suggests that these technologies are distracting young people from activities crucial to healthy development, such as outdoor play and face-to-face social interaction.
Tech15 min read - El Pais
Artificial intelligence sparks ‘Game of Thrones’ in the chip industry
informed Summary
- The global chip industry is expected to bounce back in 2024, with sales forecasted to beat last year's record figure by about 13%. This is largely down to the rise of cloud platforms and artificial intelligence.
Tech8 min read - Politico
Will American AI kill European culture?
informed Summary
- European countries are rapidly developing AI chatbots in their own languages as an alternative to the U.S. tech giants that dominate the space. They fear that the likes of OpenAI and Google will erode European culture and economies.
Tech1 min read - CNN
Google’s AI blunder over images reveals a much bigger problem
informed Summary
- Google's AI assistant, Gemini, has been criticised for refusing to generate images of historically white figures -- such as Vikings -- and for creating historically inaccurate images, such as depicting America's Founding Fathers as black. Google explained that it was trying to avoid reinforcing harmful racial stereotypes.
Tech5 min read - DW
Is Telegram a threat to Ukraine's national security?
informed Summary
- The Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation has reported that pro-Russian Telegram channels are spreading panic and disinformation about Ukraine's military and political situation. This has sparked a debate about whether to block the platform in Ukraine, a discussion that has reached the Ukrainian parliamentary committee on freedom of speech.
Tech4 min read - CNN
Elon Musk’s reversal on blue checkmarks shows his desperation to lure high-profile users back to X
informed Summary
- Elon Musk has reversed his decision to charge high-profile users of X a fee of $8 a month for the platform's blue checkmark, restoring the verification badges to many prominent accounts.
Tech4 min read - El Pais
‘Sexting’ with robots: How artificial intelligence will be able to ‘read’ our arousal
informed Summary
- The Future of Sex Report predicts that most people will engage in some form of virtual sex by 2030, and by 2035, most will own sex toys that interact with virtual reality sex. By 2050, robot sex could even surpass human sex.
Tech5 min read - Vox
Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness saved a lot of lives — and prevented a catastrophe for the global tech economy
informed Summary
- A 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan's eastern coast on April 3, resulting in nine deaths and hundreds of injuries. Despite being the strongest quake in Taiwan in 25 years, the damage was not as severe as feared -- thanks to the country's stringent building codes and earthquake preparation measures.
Tech4 min read
