Author: Oliver Dale

TLDR: Alibaba’s international arm launched an updated AI translation tool The tool claims to outperform Google, DeepL, and ChatGPT It supports 15 languages and is based on large language models The tool aims to help merchants improve their bottom line It has been used for over 100 million product listings since last fall Alibaba’s international arm has introduced an updated version of its artificial intelligence-powered translation tool, Marco MT, which it claims surpasses the capabilities of Google, DeepL, and ChatGPT. The tool, designed to support e-commerce merchants in expanding their global reach, is based on large language models and supports…

TLDR: High school senior and family sue Hingham High School officials over AI use punishment Student used AI for research on history project, received D grade and detention Punishment impacted student’s GPA, National Honor Society eligibility, and college prospects Parents claim school lacked clear AI policy at the time of the incident Lawsuit seeks grade restoration, record expungement, and AI training for school officials The family of a Hingham High School senior has filed a federal lawsuit against school officials, alleging their son was unfairly punished for using artificial intelligence (AI) in a history research project. According to the lawsuit,…

TLDR: U.S. officials considering caps on AI chip exports to certain countries Focus is on Middle Eastern nations with growing AI data center demand Concerns include potential misuse and national security risks Move could impact sales for companies like Nvidia and AMD Nvidia stock fell 5% following reports of potential export limits The U.S. government is reportedly considering new restrictions on the export of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips to certain countries, particularly in the Middle East. This move comes as officials aim to address national security concerns surrounding the proliferation of cutting-edge AI technologies. According to recent reports, the…

TLDR UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to increase the use of live facial recognition technology in response to recent far-right riots across the country. The riots were triggered by false claims about the identity of a suspect in a stabbing incident at a Taylor Swift-themed summer holiday club. Starmer announced a new national violent disorder program that will consider broader use of facial recognition to track and prevent potential rioters from traveling. Civil rights groups, including Big Brother Watch, have criticized the plan, calling it an ineffective use of police resources and a threat to democracy. The use…

TLDR Yum Brands plans to implement AI-powered drive-thru ordering at hundreds of Taco Bell locations in the U.S. by the end of 2024 The company has been testing the Voice AI technology for over two years and reports improved order accuracy and reduced wait times Taco Bell currently uses Voice AI at more than 100 U.S. restaurants across 13 states Yum Brands claims the AI technology enhances employee experience by allowing them to focus on other tasks This move comes after McDonald’s recently ended its trial of AI-powered drive-thru ordering due to accuracy issues Yum Brands, the parent company of…

TLDR The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Nvidia’s acquisition of Israeli AI startup Run:ai on antitrust grounds The investigation is part of broader scrutiny into AI industry concentration by global regulators Run:ai’s technology allows for virtualization of GPUs, potentially enabling customers to do more with fewer chips The DOJ is also separately investigating Nvidia’s business practices, including potential conditional sales tactics Nvidia announced the acquisition of Run:ai in April 2024 for a reported $700 million The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an antitrust investigation into Nvidia’s acquisition of Run:ai, an Israeli artificial intelligence startup, according to reports…

TLDR Apple reported better-than-expected iPhone sales in Q3, with revenue growing 4.9% The company is betting on AI features to drive future iPhone upgrades Apple’s China sales declined 6.5%, wider than the expected 2.4% drop New AI features, dubbed “Apple Intelligence,” will require at least an iPhone 15 Pro Early versions of Apple Intelligence are available in developer beta, with more significant updates expected in future releases Apple’s third-quarter earnings report revealed a mix of positive results and ongoing challenges, with the tech giant pinning its hopes on artificial intelligence (AI) to drive future iPhone upgrades. The company reported better-than-expected…

TLDR Nothing has introduced a new AI-powered “News Reporter” widget for its smartphones The widget provides 1-minute AI-summarized news stories read by a synthesized version of Nothing’s CFO’s voice Nothing has also launched the Phone (2a) Plus, a slightly upgraded version of their Phone (2a) The Phone (2a) Plus features minor improvements in processor, selfie camera, and charging speed The new phone will be available for $399 through Nothing’s beta program in the US Nothing, the tech company known for its innovative smartphone designs, has announced two new offerings: an AI-powered “News Reporter” widget and the Phone (2a) Plus, an…

TLDR Meta’s AI assistant incorrectly stated that the recent attempted assassination of Donald Trump didn’t happen Meta initially programmed its AI to not respond to questions about the shooting, then removed that restriction Meta executive Joel Kaplan attributed the incorrect responses to “hallucinations,” a common issue in generative AI systems Google faced accusations of censoring search results about the assassination attempt Both Meta and Google say they are working to improve their systems to provide more accurate, up-to-date information Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has come under fire after its AI assistant provided incorrect information about the recent attempted…

TLDR Microsoft’s Q4 earnings beat estimates, but AI and cloud growth fell short of expectations Azure cloud computing growth slowed to 29%, below the projected 31% Microsoft stock dropped around 7% after hours following the earnings report The company’s AI-related capital expenditure increased significantly Other big tech stocks like Alphabet and Meta also fell after Microsoft’s results Microsoft reported strong overall earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter, but growth in key artificial intelligence and cloud segments fell short of expectations, causing the company’s stock to drop sharply in after-hours trading. For the quarter ending June 30, 2024, Microsoft posted earnings…

TLDR Apple used Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) to train two AI models for its upcoming Apple Intelligence feature. The models are called Apple Foundation Model (AFM)-on-device and AFM-server. AFM-on-device was trained on 2,048 TPUv5p chips, while AFM-server was trained on 8,192 TPUv4 chips. Apple did not use Nvidia’s GPUs, which dominate about 80% of the AI chip market. The decision to use Google’s chips over Nvidia’s is considered notable in the industry. Apple has chosen to use Google’s chips instead of industry leader Nvidia’s to train two key artificial intelligence (AI) models for its upcoming Apple Intelligence feature. This…

TLDR A parody video using AI to clone Vice President Kamala Harris’s voice was shared by Elon Musk on X The video mimics a real Harris campaign ad but includes fake audio making controversial statements. Musk initially shared the video without clearly labeling it as parody, raising concerns about misinformation. The incident has sparked debate about the need for AI regulation in politics and social media. Some lawmakers and officials are calling for new laws or “guardrails” to govern AI use in political content. The Harris campaign criticized the video as “fake, manipulated lies.” A recent incident involving a manipulated…

TLDR FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed challenges in accessing encrypted content on devices belonging to Trump’s would-be assassin. Privacy activists met to discuss ways to protect digital information from government access. The FBI was able to access some of Thomas Matthew Crooks’s devices but faced obstacles with encrypted messaging apps. The FBI has a history of attempting to break through encrypted platforms. Privacy advocates argue that creating backdoors in encryption could lead to security vulnerabilities. Legislation has been proposed to prohibit FBI funding for undermining encryption. The recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has reignited the debate between…

TLDR SideWinder, a nation-state threat actor believed to be affiliated with India, is conducting a new cyber espionage campaign. The campaign targets ports and maritime facilities in countries around the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Attackers use spear-phishing emails with malicious Microsoft Word documents as the initial attack vector. The attack exploits old vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office (CVE-2017-0199 and CVE-2017-11882) to deliver malware. Targeted countries include Pakistan, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and the Maldives. A new cyber espionage campaign targeting maritime facilities in multiple countries has been uncovered by security researchers. The campaign, attributed to a group known…

TLDR Researchers discovered an XSS attack that could impact millions of websites using OAuth for social logins The vulnerability affects major services like HotJar and Business Insider, potentially exposing user data The attack combines OAuth implementation flaws with cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities HotJar, used by over 1 million websites, could expose sensitive user data if compromised Researchers believe this issue is widespread due to the popularity of OAuth and XSS vulnerabilities A new security threat has emerged that could affect millions of websites worldwide. Researchers from Salt Labs, part of API security firm Salt Security, have uncovered a cross-site scripting…