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Tesla, the electric car giant, is recalling more than 2 million vehicles following an investigation into its autopilot functionality found that it can be fooled and a misuse was possible. The two-year investigation was carried out by the National Highway Traffc Safety Administration (NHTSA), the US auto safety regulator. The watchdog looked into the Autopilot system after series of crashes involving the system. Some of the crashes were deadly.

The NHTSA has said that the autopilot does not adequately monitor whether the drivers are paying attention while the system is on. Contrary to its name, the autopilot is a partially automated system and requires that the human driver keeps their hands on the steering wheel even when the system is on. The regulator has said that this “can lead to foreseeable misuse of the system.”

Watch | Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones reinstated on X after Musk poll

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The more than two million vehicles recalled include models across the Tesla lineup of cars. It covers almost all cars Tesla sold in the US after it activated autopilot in 2015. The Elon Musk-led carmaker will send a software update to fix the issue with autopilot.

The company has said that it will release over-the-air software which will "incorporate additional controls and alerts to those already existing on affected vehicles to further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility whenever autosteer is engaged," as reported by Reuters

As per The Associated Press, Tesla has admitted to NHTSA that autopilot controls “may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse.”

 
Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/teslas-cybertruck-angular-design-sparks-safety-concerns-experts-demand-crash-test-data-667834">Tesla Cybertruck's angular design sparks safety concerns, experts demand crash test data</a>

The documents posted by NHTSA reportedly say that Tesla's software update will add more controls and alerts “to further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility,.”

<h2>The 'autopilot'</h2>

Tesla's autopilot system can automatically steer, accelerate and brake the car within its lane. The enhanced autopilot can help in changing lanes but it is not an autonomous system.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/musk-who-warned-about-threats-of-ai-seeks-to-raise-1-bn-for-his-chatbot-666709">Musk, who warned about 'threats' of AI, seeks to raise $1 billion for his chatbot</a>

Since 2016, the NHTSA has opened more than three dozen investigations into Tesla crashes involving Autopilot system.

The watchdog has pointed out that a driver may potentially deny responsibility for a crash when autopilot was on intentionally or unintentionally if he is not able to intervene to prevent the crash.

Tesla did not immediately release a public statement on this matter.

(With inputs from agencies)

Tesla, the electric car giant, is recalling more than 2 million vehicles following an investigation into its autopilot functionality found that it can be fooled and a misuse was possible.

Tesla, the electric car giant, is recalling more than 2 million vehicles following an investigation into its autopilot functionality found that it can be fooled and a misuse was possible. The two-year investigation was carried out by the National Highway Traffc Safety Administration (NHTSA), the US auto safety regulator. The watchdog looked into the Autopilot system after series of crashes involving the system. Some of the crashes were deadly. The NHTSA has said that the autopilot does not adequately monitor whether the drivers are paying attention while the system is on. Contrary to its name, the autopilot is a partially automated system and requires that the human driver keeps their hands on the steering wheel even when the system is on. The regulator has said that this “can lead to foreseeable misuse of the system.” Watch | Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones reinstated on X after Musk poll × The more than two million vehicles recalled include models across the Tesla lineup of cars. It covers almost all cars Tesla sold in the US after it activated autopilot in 2015. The Elon Musk-led carmaker will send a software update to fix the issue with autopilot. The company has said that it will release over-the-air software which will "incorporate additional controls and alerts to those already existing on affected vehicles to further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility whenever autosteer is engaged," as reported by Reuters As per The Associated Press, Tesla has admitted to NHTSA that autopilot controls “may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse.” Also Read | Tesla Cybertruck's angular design sparks safety concerns, experts demand crash test data The documents posted by NHTSA reportedly say that Tesla's software update will add more controls and alerts “to further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility,.” The 'autopilot' Tesla's autopilot system can automatically steer, accelerate and brake the car within its lane. The enhanced autopilot can help in changing lanes but it is not an autonomous system. Also Read | Musk, who warned about 'threats' of AI, seeks to raise $1 billion for his chatbot Since 2016, the NHTSA has opened more than three dozen investigations into Tesla crashes involving Autopilot system. The watchdog has pointed out that a driver may potentially deny responsibility for a crash when autopilot was on intentionally or unintentionally if he is not able to intervene to prevent the crash. Tesla did not immediately release a public statement on this matter. (With inputs from agencies)

Tesla recalls two million vehicles in US over autopilot issue

Spy cameras disguised as hooks for hanging clothes are being sold on Amazon despite the firm manufacturing them facing legal action. According to a report by BBC early Tuesday (Dec 12), a US judge ruled the firm must face a case brought by a woman who alleged she was filmed in the bathroom using a clothes hook camera purchased on Amazon.

The woman, a student and an aspiring actress, claimed she was filmed at her West Virginia home when she was a child. The woman said she was surreptitiously recorded in the bathroom using a camera disguised as a clothes hook, which she said was purchased on Amazon.

The man alleged to be behind the filming was on trial for the case. Her complaint to a US district court noted that listing on Amazon, from where the camera was purchased was illustrated with a picture of it being used to hang towels along with the phrase "it won't attract attention".

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The woman also said that the use of the camera was foreseeable to the e-commerce giant and sought punitive damages against Amazon Inc, Amazon.com Services LLC and other unnamed defendants, the BBC reported.

In an attempt to stop the case, Amazon argued that it was not responsible for how the camera was used. The BBC searched for similar cameras on Amazon's UK website and found listings including an alarm clock hidden camera, a camera disguised as a USB charger, and a camera hidden inside a smoke alarm.

There was also a camera disguised as a shower radio.

Speaking to the network, Jaya Handa, a privacy partner at law firm Pinsent Masons, said that given the expectation of privacy within the home, "individuals could be committing a crime under a number of other legal frameworks including harassment, child protection, voyeurism, sexual offences or human rights laws."

Meanwhile, activist Gina Martin said that victims of hidden cameras were often women and girls. Martin said that such cameras were being hidden from people who had been filmed "and we should all be able to explicitly consent to being videoed."

(With inputs from agencies)

Spy cameras disguised as hooks for hanging clothes are being sold on Amazon despite the firm manufacturing them facing legal action. According to a report by BBC early Tuesday (Dec 12), a US judge ruled the firm must face a case brought by a woman who alleged she was filmed in the bathroom using a clothes hook camera purchased on Amazon.

Spy cameras disguised as hooks for hanging clothes are being sold on Amazon despite the firm manufacturing them facing legal action. According to a report by BBC early Tuesday (Dec 12), a US judge ruled the firm must face a case brought by a woman who alleged she was filmed in the bathroom using a clothes hook camera purchased on Amazon. The woman, a student and an aspiring actress, claimed she was filmed at her West Virginia home when she was a child. The woman said she was surreptitiously recorded in the bathroom using a camera disguised as a clothes hook, which she said was purchased on Amazon. The man alleged to be behind the filming was on trial for the case. Her complaint to a US district court noted that listing on Amazon, from where the camera was purchased was illustrated with a picture of it being used to hang towels along with the phrase "it won't attract attention". Also read | Amazon's Promotion Dilemma: Return to office or risk career growth The woman also said that the use of the camera was foreseeable to the e-commerce giant and sought punitive damages against Amazon Inc, Amazon.com Services LLC and other unnamed defendants, the BBC reported. In an attempt to stop the case, Amazon argued that it was not responsible for how the camera was used. The BBC searched for similar cameras on Amazon's UK website and found listings including an alarm clock hidden camera, a camera disguised as a USB charger, and a camera hidden inside a smoke alarm. There was also a camera disguised as a shower radio. Speaking to the network, Jaya Handa, a privacy partner at law firm Pinsent Masons, said that given the expectation of privacy within the home, "individuals could be committing a crime under a number of other legal frameworks including harassment, child protection, voyeurism, sexual offences or human rights laws." Meanwhile, activist Gina Martin said that victims of hidden cameras were often women and girls. Martin said that such cameras were being hidden from people who had been filmed "and we should all be able to explicitly consent to being videoed." (With inputs from agencies)

Controversial spy cameras being sold on Amazon despite manufacturing firms facing legal action over gadgets

Emojis are a significant part of our day-to-day texting but they are lacking something - most species, and scientists are not happy about it. In an analysis published on Monday (Dec 11), researchers found that the current emoji library doesn’t accurately represent the “tree of life”, including the breadth of biodiversity seen in nature and it may be affecting conservation efforts.

In the analysis published in the journal iScience, a team of conservation biologists indicated that in our increasingly digitised society, we should not underestimate the power of emojis to raise awareness.

<h2>Power of emojis&nbsp;</h2>

The researchers from the University of Milan found that the current emoji catalogue is not diverse enough when it comes to plants, fungi, and microorganisms, but animals are represented fairly well.&nbsp;

The team analysed emojis related to nature and animals available in Emojipedia, a curated online catalogue of emojis, and tracked the changes between 2015 and 2022. They then assessed how emojis changed in this period to determine whether the library is actually evolving to better represent biodiversity in the real world.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/your-anxiety-is-lying-to-you-saying-no-to-plans-isnt-all-that-bad-finds-study-668806">Your anxiety is lying to you! Saying 'no' to plans isn't all that bad, finds study</a>

“While the biodiversity crisis may seem distant from the online world, in our increasingly digitized society, we should not underestimate the potential of emojis to raise awareness and foster appreciation for the diversity of life on Earth,” conservation biologists Stefano Mammola, Mattia Falaschi, and Gentile Francesco Ficetola wrote.&nbsp;

“The development and maintenance of diverse and inclusive emoji sets are crucial to ensure the equitable representation of the tree of life in digital communication tools and to effectively convey messages on the importance of all the organisms for the functioning of the biosphere,” they added.&nbsp;

Notably, the emojis to be used by people across the world&nbsp;are reportedly decided by the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee.&nbsp;

<h2>What did they find?</h2>

Following the categorisation of every tiny icon related to nature and animals, researchers found that there are a total of 112 emojis of distinct organisms – animals (92), plants (16), one fungus, and one microorganism.&nbsp;

The researchers noted how animals are over-represented in the emoji catalogue, while arthropods were under-represented compared to their actual biodiversity.&nbsp;

“Such strong taxonomic bias is in line with current societal awareness of biodiversity, which tends to prioritize animals over other taxa,” the conservation biologists wrote.&nbsp;

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Furthermore, the library is also heavily biased toward vertebrates which include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and bony fish making up 76 per cent of animal emojis, while only 16 per cent represented arthropods.&nbsp;

To put this into perspective, there are reportedly 1,302,809 described species of arthropod and only 85,423 described species of vertebrate.&nbsp;

The researchers also pointed out how there are no emojis for platyhelminthes (flatworms) or nematodes – despite there being more than 20,000 platyhelminth species and almost 20,000 nematode species.

An ever-updating catalogue would help people “discuss a range of biodiversity-related topics and sentiments more effectively, beyond the icons depicting iconic species,” said the researchers.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/what-are-frostquakes-earthquakes-caused-by-freezing-temperatures-affecting-northern-regions-668763">Ice quakes, or frostquakes, threaten northern regions of earth. What are they?</a>

The process of choosing which emojis should be created also plays a role in this lack of representation, researchers noted, since potential emoji subjects usually need to be Googled with a certain frequency, which is not the case with many unrepresented organisms.&nbsp;

“This rule can be problematic, as it risks hampering the extension of emojis in order to better cover the actual biodiversity of our planet,” the researchers wrote.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Emojis are a significant part of our day-to-day texting but they are lacking something - most species, and scientists are not happy about it. In an analysis published on Monday (Dec 11), researchers found that the current emoji library doesn’t accurately represent the “tree of life”, including the breadth of biodiversity seen in nature and it may be affecting conservation efforts.

Emojis are a significant part of our day-to-day texting but they are lacking something - most species, and scientists are not happy about it. In an analysis published on Monday (Dec 11), researchers found that the current emoji library doesn’t accurately represent the “tree of life”, including the breadth of biodiversity seen in nature and it may be affecting conservation efforts. In the analysis published in the journal iScience, a team of conservation biologists indicated that in our increasingly digitised society, we should not underestimate the power of emojis to raise awareness. Power of emojis The researchers from the University of Milan found that the current emoji catalogue is not diverse enough when it comes to plants, fungi, and microorganisms, but animals are represented fairly well. The team analysed emojis related to nature and animals available in Emojipedia, a curated online catalogue of emojis, and tracked the changes between 2015 and 2022. They then assessed how emojis changed in this period to determine whether the library is actually evolving to better represent biodiversity in the real world. ALSO READ | Your anxiety is lying to you! Saying 'no' to plans isn't all that bad, finds study “While the biodiversity crisis may seem distant from the online world, in our increasingly digitized society, we should not underestimate the potential of emojis to raise awareness and foster appreciation for the diversity of life on Earth,” conservation biologists Stefano Mammola, Mattia Falaschi, and Gentile Francesco Ficetola wrote. “The development and maintenance of diverse and inclusive emoji sets are crucial to ensure the equitable representation of the tree of life in digital communication tools and to effectively convey messages on the importance of all the organisms for the functioning of the biosphere,” they added. Notably, the emojis to be used by people across the world are reportedly decided by the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee. What did they find? Following the categorisation of every tiny icon related to nature and animals, researchers found that there are a total of 112 emojis of distinct organisms – animals (92), plants (16), one fungus, and one microorganism. The researchers noted how animals are over-represented in the emoji catalogue, while arthropods were under-represented compared to their actual biodiversity. “Such strong taxonomic bias is in line with current societal awareness of biodiversity, which tends to prioritize animals over other taxa,” the conservation biologists wrote. ALSO READ | Stunning images of remnants of a supernova caught in HD by James Webb telescope Furthermore, the library is also heavily biased toward vertebrates which include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and bony fish making up 76 per cent of animal emojis, while only 16 per cent represented arthropods. To put this into perspective, there are reportedly 1,302,809 described species of arthropod and only 85,423 described species of vertebrate. The researchers also pointed out how there are no emojis for platyhelminthes (flatworms) or nematodes – despite there being more than 20,000 platyhelminth species and almost 20,000 nematode species. An ever-updating catalogue would help people “discuss a range of biodiversity-related topics and sentiments more effectively, beyond the icons depicting iconic species,” said the researchers. ALSO READ | Ice quakes, or frostquakes, threaten northern regions of earth. What are they? The process of choosing which emojis should be created also plays a role in this lack of representation, researchers noted, since potential emoji subjects usually need to be Googled with a certain frequency, which is not the case with many unrepresented organisms. “This rule can be problematic, as it risks hampering the extension of emojis in order to better cover the actual biodiversity of our planet,” the researchers wrote. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists say current emojis don't adequately represent 'tree of life'

Fortnite maker Epic Games has won&nbsp;its high-profile antitrust trial against Alphabet's Google. On Monday, the Jury in the case decided that Google wields an illegal monopoly through its Play app store. Google said that it would appeal. However, the ruling could upend the entire app store economy if it holds.

<h2>The case</h2>

Back in 2020, Epic sued both Google and Apple. It accused the tech titans of abusing their control of the Play Store and App Store, their respective online shops for selling apps.

It also accused Google of taking action to quash competitors and charging unduly high "tax" fees of up to 30 per cent to app developers.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/ai-to-determine-if-the-person-watching-porn-is-too-young-heres-how-667162">AI to determine if the person watching porn is too young. Here's how</a>

As per Reuters, among the more sensational allegations was that&nbsp;to conceal its anti-competitive behaviour, Google had a system for deleting texts and internal messages.&nbsp;

Jurors found Google guilty of various illegal strategies to maintain its app store monopoly on Android phones.

If the ruling holds, it has the potential to give developers more sway over how their apps are distributed and how they profit from them.

<h2>Google to Appeal&nbsp;</h2>

The ruling marks a stunning, albeit rare, defeat for Google, which alongside Apple operates one of the world's largest app stores.&nbsp;

Following it, Google said that it would seek rectification via an appeal.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/taken-our-time-to-get-this-right-meta-to-roll-out-end-to-end-encryption-for-facebook-and-instagram-667011">'Taken our time to get this right': Meta to roll out end-to-end encryption for Facebook &amp; Instagram</a>

"We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem," said Wilson White, vice president of government affairs and public policy at Google.

Google has denied any wrongdoing. The company argued that it competes "intensely on price, quality, and security" against Apple's App Store.

Watch |&nbsp;Google and Epic Games face off at trial over Play Store rules

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<h2>Proof of Google's 'illegal' practices</h2>

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated the ruling on the social media site X.

In a statement on its website, Epic said that the verdict "proves that Google's app store practices are illegal, and they abuse their monopoly to extract exorbitant fees, stifle competition and reduce innovation."

Epic's similar antitrust case against Apple failed in September 2021, when a US judge largely ruled in favour of the iPhone maker.

(With inputs from agencies)

Fortnite maker Epic Games has won its high-profile antitrust trial against Alphabet's Google. On Monday, the Jury in the case decided that Google wields an illegal monopoly through its Play app store.

Fortnite maker Epic Games has won its high-profile antitrust trial against Alphabet's Google. On Monday, the Jury in the case decided that Google wields an illegal monopoly through its Play app store. Google said that it would appeal. However, the ruling could upend the entire app store economy if it holds. The case Back in 2020, Epic sued both Google and Apple. It accused the tech titans of abusing their control of the Play Store and App Store, their respective online shops for selling apps. It also accused Google of taking action to quash competitors and charging unduly high "tax" fees of up to 30 per cent to app developers. Also read | AI to determine if the person watching porn is too young. Here's how As per Reuters, among the more sensational allegations was that to conceal its anti-competitive behaviour, Google had a system for deleting texts and internal messages. Jurors found Google guilty of various illegal strategies to maintain its app store monopoly on Android phones. If the ruling holds, it has the potential to give developers more sway over how their apps are distributed and how they profit from them. Google to Appeal The ruling marks a stunning, albeit rare, defeat for Google, which alongside Apple operates one of the world's largest app stores. Following it, Google said that it would seek rectification via an appeal. Also read | 'Taken our time to get this right': Meta to roll out end-to-end encryption for Facebook & Instagram "We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem," said Wilson White, vice president of government affairs and public policy at Google. Google has denied any wrongdoing. The company argued that it competes "intensely on price, quality, and security" against Apple's App Store. Watch | Google and Epic Games face off at trial over Play Store rules Proof of Google's 'illegal' practices Epic CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated the ruling on the social media site X. In a statement on its website, Epic said that the verdict "proves that Google's app store practices are illegal, and they abuse their monopoly to extract exorbitant fees, stifle competition and reduce innovation." Epic's similar antitrust case against Apple failed in September 2021, when a US judge largely ruled in favour of the iPhone maker. (With inputs from agencies)

Epic Games' 'epic' win: Jury finds Google guilty of monopolistic practices in antitrust trial

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's account on X that had been banned was reinstated by Elon Musk after nearly five years, on Sunday (Dec 10). The United States conspiracy theorist’s account was reinstated after a poll organised by owner Musk backed his return.&nbsp;

The poll was posted on Saturday (Dec 9) and was active for more than 12 hours. Musk had asked users to vote on whether or not to lift a ban on Jones, which was imposed before he bought the platform, adding that he would listen to the people and honour the result.&nbsp;

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Nearly two million people voted by the time the poll closed and around 70 per cent voted in favour of Jones’ return. In a subsequent post, Musk said, “The people have spoken and so it shall be.”&nbsp;

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Reinstate Alex Jones on this platform? 
 
Vox Populi, Vox Dei.
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While there is no confirmation from Musk, X or Alex Jones himself that his account has been reinstated, his account “@RealAlexJones” no longer indicates that it was banned with the last post from September 6, 2018, the day X, then Twitter, had permanently banned his account and website Infowars from its platform.&nbsp;

At the time, Twitter had said that Jones’ accounts had violated its behaviour policies weeks after most platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Google, and Apple had taken down his podcasts and channels citing community standards.

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<h2>Who is the infamous conspiracy theorist?</h2>

Alex Jones has repeatedly made headlines for all the wrong reasons, including his outlandish conspiracy theories on his website Infowars. However, he is most famous for falsely claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting which claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults was “staged” as part of a government plot to seize Americans’ guns.

He has since been ordered to pay $1.5 billion in damages to the victims’ family members by the American courts who said that the Infowars host’s claims have incited death threats and harassment. They also reportedly received regular abuse from his followers on social media, including threats of digging up the coffins of their loved ones.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/aint-going-to-be-happening-alex-jones-denies-to-pay-965-million-damages-to-sandy-hook-victims-families-525426">‘Ain’t going to be happening': Alex Jones refuses to pay $965 million damages to Sandy Hook victims' families</a>

Jones was banned from Twitter&nbsp;in 2018. It is worth noting that Musk, who is a self-described free-speech absolutist, had previously ignored calls from the Infowars host’s supporters to reinstate his account.&nbsp;

The X owner cited the death of his 10-week-old baby, in 2022, as motivation for not reversing the ban saying, “I have no mercy for anyone who would use the death of children for gain, politics or fame.”

Musk, on Saturday in response to one user’s post, said he “vehemently” disagreed with Jones’ statements about Sandy Hook, adding “but are we a platform that believes in freedom of speech or are we not?”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's account on X that had been banned was reinstated by Elon Musk after nearly five years, on Sunday (Dec 10). The United States conspiracy theorist’s account was reinstated after a poll organised by owner Musk backed his return.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's account on X that had been banned was reinstated by Elon Musk after nearly five years, on Sunday (Dec 10). The United States conspiracy theorist’s account was reinstated after a poll organised by owner Musk backed his return. The poll was posted on Saturday (Dec 9) and was active for more than 12 hours. Musk had asked users to vote on whether or not to lift a ban on Jones, which was imposed before he bought the platform, adding that he would listen to the people and honour the result. ALSO READ | Musk’s Twitter, now X, sues non-profit that documented rise in hate speech on platform Nearly two million people voted by the time the poll closed and around 70 per cent voted in favour of Jones’ return. In a subsequent post, Musk said, “The people have spoken and so it shall be.” Reinstate Alex Jones on this platform? Vox Populi, Vox Dei. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2023 × While there is no confirmation from Musk, X or Alex Jones himself that his account has been reinstated, his account “@RealAlexJones” no longer indicates that it was banned with the last post from September 6, 2018, the day X, then Twitter, had permanently banned his account and website Infowars from its platform. At the time, Twitter had said that Jones’ accounts had violated its behaviour policies weeks after most platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Google, and Apple had taken down his podcasts and channels citing community standards. ALSO READ | Musk brings back Trump's Twitter account, but he's not back, yet Who is the infamous conspiracy theorist? Alex Jones has repeatedly made headlines for all the wrong reasons, including his outlandish conspiracy theories on his website Infowars. However, he is most famous for falsely claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting which claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults was “staged” as part of a government plot to seize Americans’ guns. He has since been ordered to pay $1.5 billion in damages to the victims’ family members by the American courts who said that the Infowars host’s claims have incited death threats and harassment. They also reportedly received regular abuse from his followers on social media, including threats of digging up the coffins of their loved ones. ALSO READ | ‘Ain’t going to be happening': Alex Jones refuses to pay $965 million damages to Sandy Hook victims' families Jones was banned from Twitter in 2018. It is worth noting that Musk, who is a self-described free-speech absolutist, had previously ignored calls from the Infowars host’s supporters to reinstate his account. The X owner cited the death of his 10-week-old baby, in 2022, as motivation for not reversing the ban saying, “I have no mercy for anyone who would use the death of children for gain, politics or fame.” Musk, on Saturday in response to one user’s post, said he “vehemently” disagreed with Jones’ statements about Sandy Hook, adding “but are we a platform that believes in freedom of speech or are we not?” (With inputs from agencies)

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' account reinstated on X after being banned for nearly five years

The low-income and non-Western lifestyles are portrayed&nbsp;less accurately by OpenAI's CLIP, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)&nbsp;model integral to the&nbsp;the popular DALL-E image generator.

CLIP stands for&nbsp;Contrastive Language-Image Pretraining. A foundational model used in various applications, CLIP operates by pairing text and images to create a score indicating the degree of alignment between the two.

The conclusion was made in a recent study conducted at the University of Michigan.

<h2>What does it mean?</h2>

According to the researchers involved in the study, there is a&nbsp;critical need for comprehensive representation in AI tools deployed globally.

Also watch |&nbsp;Future of AI: Benefits &amp; Challenges

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The study showed that a&nbsp;significant portion of the population, particularly those with lower social incomes, is not accurately reflected in these applications, potentially furthering the inequality.

<h2>How the study was done?</h2>

The researchers evaluated CLIP's performance using Dollar Street, a diverse image dataset from the Gapminder Foundation, with an image-base of over 38,000 which&nbsp;depicts households across different income levels globally.

Monthly incomes in the dataset ranged from $26 to nearly $20,000, and thus provided&nbsp;a broad socio-economic spectrum.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/gemini-ai-boosts-alphabets-stock-as-google-seeks-to-regain-ai-leadership-from-microsoft-667458">Gemini AI boosts Alphabet's stock as Google seeks to regain AI leadership from Microsoft</a>

Results of the study showed that CLIP consistently assigned higher scores to images from higher income households, indicating a significant bias.

The study also identified geographic bias, with lower scores predominantly associated with low-income African countries.

This bias could potentially result in the underrepresentation of diverse demographics in large image datasets and applications relying on CLIP.

<h2>Is there any solution to rectify this AI bias?</h2>

Researchers proposed actionable steps for AI developers, including investing in geographically diverse datasets, defining evaluation metrics that account for location and income, and&nbsp;documenting the demographics of&nbsp;data on which the AI is trained.

The study presented its findings at the Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing conference, held on December 8 in Singapore. The paper is available on the arXiv preprint server. 
 
(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The low-income and non-Western lifestyles are portrayed less accurately by OpenAI's CLIP, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model integral to the the popular DALL-E image generator.

The low-income and non-Western lifestyles are portrayed less accurately by OpenAI's CLIP, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model integral to the the popular DALL-E image generator. CLIP stands for Contrastive Language-Image Pretraining. A foundational model used in various applications, CLIP operates by pairing text and images to create a score indicating the degree of alignment between the two. The conclusion was made in a recent study conducted at the University of Michigan. What does it mean? According to the researchers involved in the study, there is a critical need for comprehensive representation in AI tools deployed globally. Also watch | Future of AI: Benefits & Challenges × The study showed that a significant portion of the population, particularly those with lower social incomes, is not accurately reflected in these applications, potentially furthering the inequality. How the study was done? The researchers evaluated CLIP's performance using Dollar Street, a diverse image dataset from the Gapminder Foundation, with an image-base of over 38,000 which depicts households across different income levels globally. Monthly incomes in the dataset ranged from $26 to nearly $20,000, and thus provided a broad socio-economic spectrum. Also read | Gemini AI boosts Alphabet's stock as Google seeks to regain AI leadership from Microsoft Results of the study showed that CLIP consistently assigned higher scores to images from higher income households, indicating a significant bias. The study also identified geographic bias, with lower scores predominantly associated with low-income African countries. This bias could potentially result in the underrepresentation of diverse demographics in large image datasets and applications relying on CLIP. Is there any solution to rectify this AI bias? Researchers proposed actionable steps for AI developers, including investing in geographically diverse datasets, defining evaluation metrics that account for location and income, and documenting the demographics of data on which the AI is trained. The study presented its findings at the Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing conference, held on December 8 in Singapore. The paper is available on the arXiv preprint server. (With inputs from agencies)

OpenAI’s CLIP shows bias for wealthy, scores poor African nations low, finds study

Diamonds are not just jewels but can also act like data storage devices, a new research has established.

City College researchers of New York have achieved this significant breakthrough by harnessing the unique properties of diamonds.&nbsp;

This groundbreaking approach, detailed in a study published in Nature Nanotechnology, revolves around utilising "colour centres" within diamonds – minute flaws where atoms are absent.&nbsp;

The research was led by Richard G. Monge and Tom Delord, and it has transformed these gems into potent data storage devices.

<h2>Science behind the storage breakthrough</h2>

The key lies in these "colour centres," where tiny flaws create spots capable of absorbing light. Tom Delord, a postdoctoral research associate at CCNY, explained that the team exploited this feature to store various images at the same location in the diamond.&nbsp;

This was achieved by using a laser of a slightly different colour to input different information into different atoms within the same microscopic spots.

<h2>Challenges that researchers faced</h2>

One common obstacle in optical data storage is the diffraction limit, a physical constraint preventing the close packing of data. However, the CCNY method ingeniously sidesteps this issue.&nbsp;

By adjusting the colour (or wavelength) of the light used, the researchers can target different colour centres in close proximity, enabling the packing of more data into a confined space.

<h2>Reusable approach: Data can be erased and re-uploaded</h2>

Notably, the method developed at CCNY isn't a one-time solution. The data written into these diamond defects can be erased and rewritten repeatedly. According to Delord, this new technique allows the team to write and read tiny bits of data at a molecular level, reaching down to a single atom.

Watch:&nbsp;New York city is sinking the way India's Joshimath did

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The achieved data density is an impressive 25GB per square inch – a feat that envisions storing the entirety of a Blu-Ray disc's content within a space smaller than a postage stamp.

<h2>Is diamond storage commercially viable?</h2>

While the idea of using diamonds for data storage might initially evoke concerns about cost, the researchers suggest that lab-grown diamonds could potentially make this technology commercially acceptable.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/decoded-will-lab-grown-diamonds-get-lucky-this-festive-season-656047">Also read:&nbsp;Decoded: Will lab-grown diamonds get lucky this festive season?</a>

Furthermore, this innovative approach aligns with a broader trend in exploring unconventional materials for data storage. For instance, Microsoft's Project Silica is investigating the use of quartz glass for cloud storage solutions, leveraging the durability of glass to preserve large volumes of digital data over extended periods.

(With inputs from agencies)

Diamonds are not just jewels but can also act like data storage devices, a new research has established. City College researchers of New York have achieved this significant breakthrough by harnessing the unique properties of diamonds.

Diamonds are not just jewels but can also act like data storage devices, a new research has established. City College researchers of New York have achieved this significant breakthrough by harnessing the unique properties of diamonds. This groundbreaking approach, detailed in a study published in Nature Nanotechnology, revolves around utilising "colour centres" within diamonds – minute flaws where atoms are absent. The research was led by Richard G. Monge and Tom Delord, and it has transformed these gems into potent data storage devices. Science behind the storage breakthrough The key lies in these "colour centres," where tiny flaws create spots capable of absorbing light. Tom Delord, a postdoctoral research associate at CCNY, explained that the team exploited this feature to store various images at the same location in the diamond. This was achieved by using a laser of a slightly different colour to input different information into different atoms within the same microscopic spots. Challenges that researchers faced One common obstacle in optical data storage is the diffraction limit, a physical constraint preventing the close packing of data. However, the CCNY method ingeniously sidesteps this issue. By adjusting the colour (or wavelength) of the light used, the researchers can target different colour centres in close proximity, enabling the packing of more data into a confined space. Reusable approach: Data can be erased and re-uploaded Notably, the method developed at CCNY isn't a one-time solution. The data written into these diamond defects can be erased and rewritten repeatedly. According to Delord, this new technique allows the team to write and read tiny bits of data at a molecular level, reaching down to a single atom. Watch: New York city is sinking the way India's Joshimath did × The achieved data density is an impressive 25GB per square inch – a feat that envisions storing the entirety of a Blu-Ray disc's content within a space smaller than a postage stamp. Is diamond storage commercially viable? While the idea of using diamonds for data storage might initially evoke concerns about cost, the researchers suggest that lab-grown diamonds could potentially make this technology commercially acceptable. Also read: Decoded: Will lab-grown diamonds get lucky this festive season? Furthermore, this innovative approach aligns with a broader trend in exploring unconventional materials for data storage. For instance, Microsoft's Project Silica is investigating the use of quartz glass for cloud storage solutions, leveraging the durability of glass to preserve large volumes of digital data over extended periods. (With inputs from agencies)

Researchers shock the world by converting diamonds into data storage devices

Social media giant Meta's decision to start fully encrypting messages on Facebook and Messenger has been criticised by US prosecutors and child safety groups, a report by The Guardian said late Friday (Dec 8). On Wednesday, Meta said that the end-to-end encryption feature would be available for use immediately. However, it may take some time for all Messenger accounts to be updated with default end-to-end encryption.

Encryption hides the contents of a message from anyone apart from the sender and the recipient by converting text and images into unreadable cyphers that are unscrambled on receipt. Meta has argued that encryption can help keep users safe from hackers, fraudsters, and criminals.

However, prosecutors and child safety groups said that the encryption would hamstring the rescue of child sex trafficking victims and the prosecution of predators.

The Guardian report on Friday said that social media companies have been legally obligated to send any evidence of child sexual abuse material they detect to the United States' National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children (NCMEC). From here, the evidence is forwarded to relevant domestic and international law enforcement agencies.

An NCMEC spokesperson said that encryption on platforms "without the ability to detect known child sexual abuse material and create actionable reports will immediately cripple online child protection as we know it."

“NCMEC anticipates the number of reports of suspected child sexual abuse from the larger reporting companies will plummet by close to 80 per cent,” the spokesperson added.

Ali Burns, an assistant US attorney in Illinois, also told the publication that the identification and rescue of exploited children would be made more difficult by encryption, as investigators would often only be able to identify victims by gaining access to a suspect’s social media accounts and private messages.

“It would make it more challenging to corroborate evidence, to be able to verify. I can see this being a challenge for law enforcement,” Burns added.

Civil groups, however, argued that encryption protects individuals’ data and free expression, the report said.

In October, the American Civil Liberties Union, a non-profit human rights organisation, said, "This level of security not only protects individuals from cyber-attacks but also empowers citizens to communicate freely without fear of surveillance, censorship, and warrantless searches – whether by the government, Big Tech, data brokers, or anyone else."

(With inputs from agencies)

Social media giant Meta's decision to start fully encrypting messages on Facebook and Messenger has been criticised by US prosecutors and child safety groups, a report by The Guardian said late Friday (Dec 8).

Social media giant Meta's decision to start fully encrypting messages on Facebook and Messenger has been criticised by US prosecutors and child safety groups, a report by The Guardian said late Friday (Dec 8). On Wednesday, Meta said that the end-to-end encryption feature would be available for use immediately. However, it may take some time for all Messenger accounts to be updated with default end-to-end encryption. Encryption hides the contents of a message from anyone apart from the sender and the recipient by converting text and images into unreadable cyphers that are unscrambled on receipt. Meta has argued that encryption can help keep users safe from hackers, fraudsters, and criminals. However, prosecutors and child safety groups said that the encryption would hamstring the rescue of child sex trafficking victims and the prosecution of predators. The Guardian report on Friday said that social media companies have been legally obligated to send any evidence of child sexual abuse material they detect to the United States' National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). From here, the evidence is forwarded to relevant domestic and international law enforcement agencies. An NCMEC spokesperson said that encryption on platforms "without the ability to detect known child sexual abuse material and create actionable reports will immediately cripple online child protection as we know it." “NCMEC anticipates the number of reports of suspected child sexual abuse from the larger reporting companies will plummet by close to 80 per cent,” the spokesperson added. Ali Burns, an assistant US attorney in Illinois, also told the publication that the identification and rescue of exploited children would be made more difficult by encryption, as investigators would often only be able to identify victims by gaining access to a suspect’s social media accounts and private messages. “It would make it more challenging to corroborate evidence, to be able to verify. I can see this being a challenge for law enforcement,” Burns added. Civil groups, however, argued that encryption protects individuals’ data and free expression, the report said. In October, the American Civil Liberties Union, a non-profit human rights organisation, said, "This level of security not only protects individuals from cyber-attacks but also empowers citizens to communicate freely without fear of surveillance, censorship, and warrantless searches – whether by the government, Big Tech, data brokers, or anyone else." (With inputs from agencies)

Meta's decision to encrypt messages on Facebook, Messenger criticised. Here's why

WhatsApp on Friday (Dec 8), revealed the details of its latest feature: the ability for users to send voice messages that automatically disappear after being listened to.&nbsp;

While the "View Once" feature has been in place for photos and videos since 2021, the messaging platform is now extending this privacy-focused functionality to audio messages.&nbsp;

Notably, these messages cannot be forwarded, saved, or starred.

<h2>What does it mean?</h2>

In practice, this means heightened privacy for sensitive voice messages, offering users additional reassurance when sharing information like credit card details. But on the different side of the same coin, this also means that the trail of potentially incriminating voice messages will cease to exist, once this functionality becomes part of popular messenger app in the smartphones all over the world.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/view-once-multiple-device-connection-and-more-here-are-whatsapps-new-features-389205">'View once', multiple device connection, and more: Here are WhatsApp's new features</a>

But WhatsApp said that recipients have a 14-day window to open and view a "View Once" photo, video, or audio message. After this period, the message will expire and disappear from the chat.&nbsp;

For added security, WhatsApp stated that unopened "View Once" media and voice messages can be restored from backups.&nbsp;

Also watch |&nbsp;WION Fineprint: 500 million WhatsApp users at risk of data breach

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However, once opened, the content will not be included in backups and, therefore, cannot be restored. Additionally, users won't be able to take screenshots of "View Once" media.

<h2>How will it work?</h2>

The View Once audio messages will share similarities with their visual counterparts, as they will bear a distinct "one-time" icon, ensuring they can only be played once.

To send a View Once audio message, users will need to select the "View Once" option when sending a voice message. This process involves opening an individual or group chat, tapping the microphone, swiping up to lock the recording, holding down the record button, and finally selecting the "view once" icon before hitting send.

The global rollout of View Once audio messages on WhatsApp is expected to take place in the immediate future.&nbsp;

WhatsApp says that this feature will give the users an extra layer of privacy for their disappearing voice messages.

(With inputs from agencies)

WhatsApp on Friday (Dec 8), revealed the details of its latest feature: the ability for users to send voice messages that automatically disappear after being listened to.

WhatsApp on Friday (Dec 8), revealed the details of its latest feature: the ability for users to send voice messages that automatically disappear after being listened to. While the "View Once" feature has been in place for photos and videos since 2021, the messaging platform is now extending this privacy-focused functionality to audio messages. Notably, these messages cannot be forwarded, saved, or starred. What does it mean? In practice, this means heightened privacy for sensitive voice messages, offering users additional reassurance when sharing information like credit card details. But on the different side of the same coin, this also means that the trail of potentially incriminating voice messages will cease to exist, once this functionality becomes part of popular messenger app in the smartphones all over the world. Also read | 'View once', multiple device connection, and more: Here are WhatsApp's new features But WhatsApp said that recipients have a 14-day window to open and view a "View Once" photo, video, or audio message. After this period, the message will expire and disappear from the chat. For added security, WhatsApp stated that unopened "View Once" media and voice messages can be restored from backups. Also watch | WION Fineprint: 500 million WhatsApp users at risk of data breach × However, once opened, the content will not be included in backups and, therefore, cannot be restored. Additionally, users won't be able to take screenshots of "View Once" media. How will it work? The View Once audio messages will share similarities with their visual counterparts, as they will bear a distinct "one-time" icon, ensuring they can only be played once. To send a View Once audio message, users will need to select the "View Once" option when sending a voice message. This process involves opening an individual or group chat, tapping the microphone, swiping up to lock the recording, holding down the record button, and finally selecting the "view once" icon before hitting send. The global rollout of View Once audio messages on WhatsApp is expected to take place in the immediate future. WhatsApp says that this feature will give the users an extra layer of privacy for their disappearing voice messages. (With inputs from agencies)

WhatsApp rolls out 'View Once' voice message feature

A $4 cheque from 1976 written by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to Radio Shack sold for over $36,000 at the Boston-based RR Auction on Wednesday. The cheque joined the hot market for Steve Jobs' signature, who drew the cheque against the Apple Computer Company account at a Wells Fargo Bank in Los Altos, California.

A $4 cheque from 1976 written by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to Radio Shack sold for over $36,000 at the Boston-based RR Auction on Wednesday. The cheque joined the hot market for Steve Jobs' signature, who drew the cheque against the Apple Computer Company account at a Wells Fargo Bank in Los Altos, California. However, it is not the first time a Steve Jobs-signed item sold for such a high price. In 2022, a $9.18 Apple Computer cheque signed by Steve Jobs in 1976 sold for $55,000, and another cheque of $13.36 from the same year to Elmar sold for $37,654 in March 2023. In 2018, Steve Jobs' signature on a job application for "electronics tech or designer engineer" from 1973 sold for $174,757. The auctioneer classified it as the Apple co-founder's earliest known signature. ALSO READ | Gemini AI boosts Alphabet's stock as Google seeks to regain AI leadership from Microsoft In December 2011, Sotheby's sold the signature that appeared on the original Apple founding contract signed by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronal Wayne in 1976, when Jobs was 21. They auctioned it for $1,594,500. On Wednesday, the RR Auction sold the $4 cheque to Radio Shack for $36,850. RR Auction said, "The biggest tech innovations of the 20th century are all, in varying degrees, indebted to the Boston-based electronics store". They described the item on sale as "a superb cheque signed by the innovative persona." Not only Steve Jobs' signatures but also his business cards have high value. In May 2015, a high school charity auction in California auctioned his three business cards from three companies for $10,050. ALSO READ | Trial of groundbreaking HIV vaccine halted in Africa Furthermore, it's not just Jobs whose signatures have increased in value. In a Julien's Auction in New York last year, Steve Jobs' old pair of brown suede Birkenstock sandals, which he wore during the early days of Apple, sold for $218,750. It was the highest price ever paid for a pair of sandals at an auction. Apple's first official address at 770 Welch Rd, Ste 154, Palo Alto, will be next on the auction list. The auction house said it was "the location of an answering service and mail drop they used while operating out of the famous Jobs family garage." A private collector has had the artefact in his collection since the 1990s, according to an auction house, Mercury News reported. (With inputs from agencies)

A $4 cheque signed by Steve Jobs in 1976 fetches more than $36,000 at auction

Google has deleted 17 SpyLoan apps from the Play Store with millions of downloads. According to a report by Slovak software company ESET on Tuesday (Dec 5), since the beginning of this year, the company observed an alarming growth of deceptive Android loan apps, which present themselves as legitimate personal loan services, promising quick and easy access to funds.

Google has deleted 17 SpyLoan apps from the Play Store with millions of downloads. According to a report by Slovak software company ESET on Tuesday (Dec 5), since the beginning of this year, the company observed an alarming growth of deceptive Android loan apps, which present themselves as legitimate personal loan services, promising quick and easy access to funds. "Despite their attractive appearance, these services are in fact designed to defraud users by offering them high-interest-rate loans endorsed with deceitful descriptions, all while collecting their victims’ personal and financial information to blackmail them, and in the end gain their funds," the report said. ESET, therefore, recognised these apps using the detection name SpyLoan, which directly refers to their spyware functionality combined with loan claims. What are SpyLoan apps? SpyLoan apps falsely represent themselves as a legitimate financial service for personal loans, promising easy access to funds, a report by Dark Reading said. This is done only to trick users into signing up for high-interest payments. During the signing-up process, the threat actors also collect the personal and financial details of the victims to blackmail them. Victims of these apps have said that the annual cost of loans offered (on these apps) is much higher than stated, and the loan tenure is shorter. These loans are marketed through SMS messages and social media. Which apps have been deleted? Google has deleted 17 apps from the Play Store. These are AA Kredit, Amor Cash, GuayabaCash, EasyCredit, Cashwow, CrediBus, FlashLoan, PréstamosCrédito, Préstamos De Crédito-YumiCash, Go Crédito, Instantáneo Préstamo, Cartera grande, Rápido Crédito, Finupp Lending, 4S Cash, TrueNaira, and EasyCash. ESET said these apps targeted users living in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. "As an ADA (App Defense Alliance) member, ESET identified 18 SpyLoan apps and reported them to Google, who subsequently removed 17 of these apps from their platform. These apps had a total of more than 12 million downloads from Google Play before their removal. The final app listed changed its behaviour; ESET therefore no longer detects it as a SpyLoan app," the company said in its report.

Google removes 17 'SpyLoan' apps. Delete these right away!

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta Platforms will now start fully encrypting messages on its social media platforms by default.

Announcing the launch, Loredana Crisan, Head of Messenger on the Meta website said, "We take our responsibility to protect your messages seriously, and we’re thrilled that after years of investment and testing, we’re able to launch a safer, more secure and private service."

<h2>Here's what to expect from Meta's new update</h2>

From this week onwards, the social media giant&nbsp;will begin automatically shifting Facebook users to end-to-end encryption for their messages. The global rollout, she said, will "take a number of months to complete".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ancestry-website-23andme-confirms-recent-data-breach-affected-69-million-users-666347">Ancestry website 23andMe confirms recent data breach affected 6.9 million users&nbsp;</a>

Facebook Messenger had the option for users to turn on end-to-end encryption since 2016. However, now this will be the default setting for both calls and messages.

On Instagram, too, users will be shifted to Meta's new end-to-end encryption by default.

<h2>What is end-to-end encryption?</h2>

The encryption feature secures communication, making it so that messages etc. can only be read by the sender and the recipient. This can help keep users safe from hackers, fraudsters, and criminals.

Users will be prompted to set up a PIN for the recovery of the encrypted messages in case they lose, change or add a device.

Meta's product WhatsApp, another popular instant messaging app, introduced the feature back in 2014, completing the rollout in April 2016.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/landmark-stability-ai-vs-getty-images-copyright-lawsuit-to-move-ahead-to-trial-666377">Landmark Stability AI vs Getty Images copyright lawsuit to move ahead to trial</a>

Crisan says that Meta "has taken years to deliver because we've taken our time to get this right."

"Our engineers, cryptographers, designers, policy experts and product managers have worked tirelessly to rebuild Messenger features from the ground up. We’ve introduced new privacy, safety and control features along the way like delivery controls that let people choose who can message them, as well as app lock, alongside existing safety features like report, block and message requests," she added.

The change means that Facebook and Instagram users would not have to turn on the encryption feature, which allows a message to be read only by the sender and its recipients.

<h2>What other features have been introduced?</h2>

Messenger users can now edit their messages for up to 15 minutes after sending them. Disappearing messages on the application will now last for 24 hours.

Furthermore, to increase privacy controls, Messenger will now allow users to control their read receipts. Additionally, there is an upgrade to the quality of images users can share, along with the introduction of "added fun layouts".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-launches-gemini-its-most-advanced-ai-model-that-powers-bard-intensifying-competition-with-openai-666952">Google launches Gemini, its most advanced AI model that powers Bard, intensifying competition with OpenAI</a>

Another feature similar to that available in WhatsApp is that voice messages can now be sped up to 1.5x and 2x speeds.&nbsp;

End-to-end encryption has been a bone of contention between companies and governments. The British government had urged Meta back in September not to roll out encryption on Instagram and Facebook Messenger without safety measures to protect children from sexual abuse.

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta Platforms will now start fully encrypting messages on its social media platforms by default. Announcing the launch, Loredana Crisan, Head of Messenger on the Meta website said, "We take our responsibility to protect your messages seriously, and we’re thrilled that after years of investment and testing, we’re able to launch a safer, more secure and private service.

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta Platforms will now start fully encrypting messages on its social media platforms by default. Announcing the launch, Loredana Crisan, Head of Messenger on the Meta website said, "We take our responsibility to protect your messages seriously, and we’re thrilled that after years of investment and testing, we’re able to launch a safer, more secure and private service." Here's what to expect from Meta's new update From this week onwards, the social media giant will begin automatically shifting Facebook users to end-to-end encryption for their messages. The global rollout, she said, will "take a number of months to complete". Also read | Ancestry website 23andMe confirms recent data breach affected 6.9 million users Facebook Messenger had the option for users to turn on end-to-end encryption since 2016. However, now this will be the default setting for both calls and messages. On Instagram, too, users will be shifted to Meta's new end-to-end encryption by default. What is end-to-end encryption? The encryption feature secures communication, making it so that messages etc. can only be read by the sender and the recipient. This can help keep users safe from hackers, fraudsters, and criminals. Users will be prompted to set up a PIN for the recovery of the encrypted messages in case they lose, change or add a device. Meta's product WhatsApp, another popular instant messaging app, introduced the feature back in 2014, completing the rollout in April 2016. Also read | Landmark Stability AI vs Getty Images copyright lawsuit to move ahead to trial Crisan says that Meta "has taken years to deliver because we've taken our time to get this right." "Our engineers, cryptographers, designers, policy experts and product managers have worked tirelessly to rebuild Messenger features from the ground up. We’ve introduced new privacy, safety and control features along the way like delivery controls that let people choose who can message them, as well as app lock, alongside existing safety features like report, block and message requests," she added. The change means that Facebook and Instagram users would not have to turn on the encryption feature, which allows a message to be read only by the sender and its recipients. What other features have been introduced? Messenger users can now edit their messages for up to 15 minutes after sending them. Disappearing messages on the application will now last for 24 hours. Furthermore, to increase privacy controls, Messenger will now allow users to control their read receipts. Additionally, there is an upgrade to the quality of images users can share, along with the introduction of "added fun layouts". Also read | Google launches Gemini, its most advanced AI model that powers Bard, intensifying competition with OpenAI Another feature similar to that available in WhatsApp is that voice messages can now be sped up to 1.5x and 2x speeds. End-to-end encryption has been a bone of contention between companies and governments. The British government had urged Meta back in September not to roll out encryption on Instagram and Facebook Messenger without safety measures to protect children from sexual abuse.

'Taken our time to get this right': Meta to roll out end-to-end encryption for Facebook & Instagram

The Porto Alegre City Council in Brazil unanimously passed a bill related to water meters, a legislative feat that gained attention due to its unconventional origin. The bill, effective from November 23, was entirely drafted&nbsp;by the AI language model ChatGPT, a creation of OpenAI, as reported by the Washington Post.

Councilman Ramiro Rosario, the sponsor of the bill, said&nbsp;that ChatGPT swiftly executed a 250-character command in just 15 seconds—a task that would typically require three days if done manually.

&nbsp;"I go back to that phrase that has already become a sort of cliche in this subject: No one will be replaced by artificial intelligence, but we could all be replaced by those who know how to use artificial intelligence. So we have to prepare ourselves for this path," he told the Washington Post.&nbsp;

The command entered into ChatGPT was eared towards creating&nbsp;a municipal law prohibiting the Municipal Water and Sewage Department from charging property owners for new water meters in case of theft.

Rosario said&nbsp;that the AI not only expedited the process but also provided creative solutions. These suggestions included a 30-day deadline for replacing stolen water meters and a clause to waive water bills if the deadline wasn't met.

Also watch |&nbsp;Indigenous women bring tribe back from brink of extinction

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<h2>AI's speed and precision</h2>

Rosario marveled at AI's ability to access references on best practices in bill drafting from its database, a task that would take days through traditional methods.&nbsp;

"If I had followed the usual process, it would've taken days to sit down with my team and legal sources. But in a fraction of that time, AI looked into the best references regarding good practice in drafting bills inside and outside the country on its database. This was an unprecedented process of an AI-drafted bill that brought in suggestions that were in line with the principles and values of my mandate - I knew I had to sign it," he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-instagram-turn-haven-for-child-predators-as-algorithm-preys-on-kids-new-lawsuit-claims-667185">Also read |&nbsp;Facebook, Instagram turn haven for child predators as algorithm preys on kids, new lawsuit claims</a>

A week after the bill's passage, Rosario announced on social media that Porto Alegre had enacted the "first Brazilian law made exclusively by artificial intelligence."

While some council members expressed surprise and initial concerns about the precedent set by AI-generated legislation, others accepted&nbsp;it as a potential trend.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Porto Alegre City Council in Brazil unanimously passed a bill related to water meters, a legislative feat that gained attention due to its unconventional origin.

The Porto Alegre City Council in Brazil unanimously passed a bill related to water meters, a legislative feat that gained attention due to its unconventional origin. The bill, effective from November 23, was entirely drafted by the AI language model ChatGPT, a creation of OpenAI, as reported by the Washington Post. Councilman Ramiro Rosario, the sponsor of the bill, said that ChatGPT swiftly executed a 250-character command in just 15 seconds—a task that would typically require three days if done manually. "I go back to that phrase that has already become a sort of cliche in this subject: No one will be replaced by artificial intelligence, but we could all be replaced by those who know how to use artificial intelligence. So we have to prepare ourselves for this path," he told the Washington Post. The command entered into ChatGPT was eared towards creating a municipal law prohibiting the Municipal Water and Sewage Department from charging property owners for new water meters in case of theft. Rosario said that the AI not only expedited the process but also provided creative solutions. These suggestions included a 30-day deadline for replacing stolen water meters and a clause to waive water bills if the deadline wasn't met. Also watch | Indigenous women bring tribe back from brink of extinction AI's speed and precision Rosario marveled at AI's ability to access references on best practices in bill drafting from its database, a task that would take days through traditional methods. "If I had followed the usual process, it would've taken days to sit down with my team and legal sources. But in a fraction of that time, AI looked into the best references regarding good practice in drafting bills inside and outside the country on its database. This was an unprecedented process of an AI-drafted bill that brought in suggestions that were in line with the principles and values of my mandate - I knew I had to sign it," he said. Also read | Facebook, Instagram turn haven for child predators as algorithm preys on kids, new lawsuit claims A week after the bill's passage, Rosario announced on social media that Porto Alegre had enacted the "first Brazilian law made exclusively by artificial intelligence." While some council members expressed surprise and initial concerns about the precedent set by AI-generated legislation, others accepted it as a potential trend. (With inputs from agencies)

Brazil makes history by passing first-ever law entirely drafted by ChatGPT

Pornography is freely available on the internet, and is often accessed by children. To protect the young ones from accessing inappropriate porn content online, Britain has now proposed a new age-check guidance that may use artificial intelligence.

<h2>How will AI do that?</h2>

As per a Reuters report, Artificial Intelligence will evaluate if a viewer looks of age. It would do so by analysing the viewer's feature. This, as per the report, would likely require the user to click and upload a selfie.

This comes as Britain on Tuesday (Dec 5th) recommended a new age-check guidance to protect children from accessing pornography online. The nation recently passed the Online Safety Act that requires websites and applications that display and/or publish pornographic material to ensure that children under the age of 18 years do not stumble across pornography on their service.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/350-year-old-steamy-explicit-sketch-expected-to-sell-for-half-million-dollars-see-it-here-667104">350-year-old steamy, 'explicit' sketch expected to sell for half million dollars. See it here!</a>

"Regardless of their approach, we expect all services to offer robust protection to children from stumbling across pornography, and also to take care that privacy rights and freedoms for adults to access legal content are safeguarded," said media regulator Ofcom CEO Melanie Dawes, as reported by the news agency.

Among its guidance are other proposals like photo identification matching, making it mandatory for users to upload a photo ID such as passport or driving licence to prove their age, and even credit card checks. Further suggestions include open banking — where to confirm that they are over 18, users can authorise their bank to share information with online porn sites.

The regulator, as per Reuters, spoke against weak verification methods like self-declaration of age, online payment methods that do not have any age restrictions, and disclaimers or warnings. It said that these would no longer meet the standards in its new guidance, which is expected to be published in early 2025.

<h2>Britain and pornography</h2>

In Britain, the legal age to watch porn is 18 years or more. However, as per a 2021-2022 study by the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England, on average, children first access pornographic content online at the young age of 13. Nearly a quarter of children actually stumble across porn at an even younger age — around 11 years. Shockingly, one in 10 people reported seeing their first porn content at the tender young age of nine years.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/world/europe/how-young-is-too-young-to-watch-porn--1675153977278" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/world/europe/how-young-is-too-young-to-watch-porn--1675153977278&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjz3J72-fyCAxUpa_UHHUaVBMYQFnoECAgQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw3WRUx5covEa5QUObvR6J9_" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/world/europe/how-young-is-too-young-to-watch-porn--1675153977278" target="_blank">How young is too young to watch&nbsp;porn?</a>

In spite of that, not everyone is in favour of mandatory age verification. The Institute of Economic Affairs, a free-market think tank, contends that it threatens user privacy and that by increasing the amount of sensitive data held by third parties, this could potentially expose users to breaches and abuse.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pornography is freely available on the internet, and is often accessed by children. To protect the young ones from accessing inappropriate porn content online, Britain has now proposed a new age-check guidance that may use artificial intelligence.

Pornography is freely available on the internet, and is often accessed by children. To protect the young ones from accessing inappropriate porn content online, Britain has now proposed a new age-check guidance that may use artificial intelligence. How will AI do that? As per a Reuters report, Artificial Intelligence will evaluate if a viewer looks of age. It would do so by analysing the viewer's feature. This, as per the report, would likely require the user to click and upload a selfie. This comes as Britain on Tuesday (Dec 5th) recommended a new age-check guidance to protect children from accessing pornography online. The nation recently passed the Online Safety Act that requires websites and applications that display and/or publish pornographic material to ensure that children under the age of 18 years do not stumble across pornography on their service. Also read | 350-year-old steamy, 'explicit' sketch expected to sell for half million dollars. See it here! "Regardless of their approach, we expect all services to offer robust protection to children from stumbling across pornography, and also to take care that privacy rights and freedoms for adults to access legal content are safeguarded," said media regulator Ofcom CEO Melanie Dawes, as reported by the news agency. Among its guidance are other proposals like photo identification matching, making it mandatory for users to upload a photo ID such as passport or driving licence to prove their age, and even credit card checks. Further suggestions include open banking — where to confirm that they are over 18, users can authorise their bank to share information with online porn sites. The regulator, as per Reuters, spoke against weak verification methods like self-declaration of age, online payment methods that do not have any age restrictions, and disclaimers or warnings. It said that these would no longer meet the standards in its new guidance, which is expected to be published in early 2025. Britain and pornography In Britain, the legal age to watch porn is 18 years or more. However, as per a 2021-2022 study by the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England, on average, children first access pornographic content online at the young age of 13. Nearly a quarter of children actually stumble across porn at an even younger age — around 11 years. Shockingly, one in 10 people reported seeing their first porn content at the tender young age of nine years. Also read | How young is too young to watch porn? In spite of that, not everyone is in favour of mandatory age verification. The Institute of Economic Affairs, a free-market think tank, contends that it threatens user privacy and that by increasing the amount of sensitive data held by third parties, this could potentially expose users to breaches and abuse. (With inputs from agencies)

AI to determine if the person watching porn is too young. Here's how

Google on Wednesday infused its Bard chatbot with a new-generation artificial intelligence model called Gemini, which it touts as being able to reason better than ChatGPT and other rivals.

Google on Wednesday infused its Bard chatbot with a new-generation artificial intelligence model called Gemini, which it touts as being able to reason better than ChatGPT and other rivals. The search engine juggernaut is aiming to take the generative AI lead from ChatGPT-maker OpenAI as that company deals with the aftermath of a boardroom coup that saw chief executive Sam Altman fired and then rehired within a matter of days. Google has for years discreetly developed AI powers but was caught off guard when OpenAI late last year released ChatGPT and teamed up with Microsoft to make its capabilities available to users worldwide. "This is incredible momentum, and yet, we're only beginning to scratch the surface of what's possible," Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said in a release. "This new era of models represents one of the biggest science and engineering efforts we've undertaken as a company." It is the first AI model to outperform human experts in certain benchmarks involving problem-solving, math, physics, history, law, medicine and ethics, Google DeepMind Vice President of Product Eli Collins said during a briefing. A demonstration showed Gemini recognising what it was shown, from a person acting out a "Matrix" movie scene to someone drawing a duck and then holding up a rubber duck. Gemini commented on what was shown, making comparisons, drawing conclusions, and offering suggestions. Performance of an "Ultra" version of Gemini "far exceeds" that of other state-of-the-art models in 30 benchmark tests measuring capabilities such as image understanding or mathematical reasoning, according to Collins. A "Pro" version of Gemini built into Bard is designed to handle a wide range of tasks. A "Nano" version is tailored for smartphones, coming first to Google's top-of-the-line Pixel 8 handset. Google raced out its own Bard chatbot earlier this year, continually updating the chatbot based on people's feedback, according to Bard vice president Sissie Hsiao. "All of that rapid innovation is bringing us to what we see as a truly transformative moment," Hsiao said during the briefing. "With Gemini, Bard is getting its biggest upgrade yet." Watch | Bard Gets Smarter: Google AI Chatbot gets new features × AI collaborator Bard will use Gemini for more advanced reasoning, planning, and understanding capabilities, a demonstration showed. It will be available in English in more than 170 countries and territories, with more languages added soon, according to Hsiao. Gemini-infused Bard will be expanded to be "multi-modal," meaning it will be able to work with auditory and visual input as well as text prompts, executives said. "With Gemini we are one step closer to our vision of bringing you the best AI collaborator in the world," Hsiao said. Gemini ramps up the quality of Bard's performance, whether in writing poetry or computer code to shopping queries or research projects, according to Hsiao. The "Ultra" version of Gemini designed to handle highly complex tasks will be released early next year, Google said. "I'm in awe of what it's capable of," Collins said of Gemini. "This is the start of a new era for us at Google as we continue to rapidly innovate and advance the model's capabilities." Also read | Google rolls out Bard AI chatbot. Here’s how it differs from ChatGPT Google in September integrated Gmail, YouTube and other tools into its Bard chatbot as tech giants seek to persuade users that generative AI is useful and not dangerous or just a fad. Those capabilities closely match offerings from Microsoft that infuse its Office 365 apps with AI powers, though those come at an extra cost to customers and are not available through the chatbot on its search engine Bing. The staying power of generative AI chatbots, once the initial excitement has faded, is yet to be confirmed. Moreover, the integration of the OpenAI-based chatbot into Microsoft's search engine earlier this year failed to make an impact on Google's overwhelming dominance of search. Governments and tech companies however insist that generative AI is technology's next big chapter and have ramped up spending on new products, research, and infrastructure.

Google launches Gemini, its most advanced AI model that powers Bard, intensifying competition with OpenAI

The advent of ChatGPT marked the initial foray of generative AI into the mainstream, taking the world by storm. However, its unexpected success reportedly caught rival companies, including Google, off guard, leading to internal concerns and declarations of a "code red".

As ChatGPT gained prominence, Google found itself in an unexpected competition and was reportedly taken aback. Internally, the situation was deemed a "code red", reflecting the urgency and seriousness of the newfound challenge.

<h2>Meta's response to generative AI wave</h2>

Meta, focusing on its mixed-reality metaverse ambitions, also felt the impact of ChatGPT's success. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg received warnings that the dominance of Facebook and Instagram could wane unless a competitive response to OpenAI's ChatGPT was swiftly developed.

Dr&nbsp;LeCun, Meta’s chief AI&nbsp;scientist, cautioned Zuckerberg about OpenAI's advancements. The warning emphasized the need for Meta to match OpenAI's technology and delve into creating an AI&nbsp;assistant capable of internet-related tasks, foreseeing potential obsolescence for platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/openai-may-go-bankrupt-by-end-of-2024-costs-700k-to-operate-chatgpt-daily-report-625016">Also read |&nbsp;OpenAI may go bankrupt by end of 2024, costs $700k to operate ChatGPT daily: Report</a>

Zuckerberg eventually aligned with Dr. LeCun's perspective, leading to the creation of the LLaMa model, or Large Language Model Meta AI, by Meta's Paris team. This marked the beginning of Meta's sustained investment in AI, with the subsequent release of the next-generation LLaMa model, Llama 2.

<h2>Meta's open-source approach and AI products</h2>

Meta released Llama 2 as open source, allowing free access for both commercial and research purposes. However, acknowledging its relative limitations compared to competitors like Google’s Bard and OpenAI’s GPT-4, Meta maintained its commitment to AI development.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-bard-vs-chatgpt-which-is-better-ai-tool-know-how-to-access-google-chatbot-all-you-need-to-know-559622">Also read |&nbsp;Google Bard vs ChatGPT: Which is better AI tool? Know how to access Google chatbot, all you need to know</a>

In addition to Llama 2, Meta expanded its AI endeavours by introducing various products, including the Meta AI chatbot. This chatbot is set to be available across Meta apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and in the future, integrated into Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and Quest 3.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

The advent of ChatGPT marked the initial foray of generative AI into the mainstream, taking the world by storm. However, its unexpected success reportedly caught rival companies, including Google, off guard, leading to internal concerns and declarations of a "code red".

The advent of ChatGPT marked the initial foray of generative AI into the mainstream, taking the world by storm. However, its unexpected success reportedly caught rival companies, including Google, off guard, leading to internal concerns and declarations of a "code red". As ChatGPT gained prominence, Google found itself in an unexpected competition and was reportedly taken aback. Internally, the situation was deemed a "code red", reflecting the urgency and seriousness of the newfound challenge. Meta's response to generative AI wave Meta, focusing on its mixed-reality metaverse ambitions, also felt the impact of ChatGPT's success. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg received warnings that the dominance of Facebook and Instagram could wane unless a competitive response to OpenAI's ChatGPT was swiftly developed. Dr LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist, cautioned Zuckerberg about OpenAI's advancements. The warning emphasized the need for Meta to match OpenAI's technology and delve into creating an AI assistant capable of internet-related tasks, foreseeing potential obsolescence for platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Also read | OpenAI may go bankrupt by end of 2024, costs $700k to operate ChatGPT daily: Report Zuckerberg eventually aligned with Dr. LeCun's perspective, leading to the creation of the LLaMa model, or Large Language Model Meta AI, by Meta's Paris team. This marked the beginning of Meta's sustained investment in AI, with the subsequent release of the next-generation LLaMa model, Llama 2. Meta's open-source approach and AI products Meta released Llama 2 as open source, allowing free access for both commercial and research purposes. However, acknowledging its relative limitations compared to competitors like Google’s Bard and OpenAI’s GPT-4, Meta maintained its commitment to AI development. Also read | Google Bard vs ChatGPT: Which is better AI tool? Know how to access Google chatbot, all you need to know In addition to Llama 2, Meta expanded its AI endeavours by introducing various products, including the Meta AI chatbot. This chatbot is set to be available across Meta apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and in the future, integrated into Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and Quest 3. (With inputs from agencies)

Caught off guard by ChatGPT: Meta’s chief scientist warned Zuckerberg, nudged him to delve into AI

The parent company of Facebook, Meta, and IBM on Tuesday (Dec 5) launched a new group named 'AI Alliance' which advocates for an “open-science” approach to the development of AI which has now placed them at odds with rivals Google, Microsoft and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. 
 
The two opposing camps – the open and the closed – disagreed about whether AI should be built in a way which makes the underlying technology widely accessible. At the heart of the debate remains safety and also who gets profit from the advances of AI.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/musk-who-warned-about-threats-of-ai-seeks-to-raise-1-bn-for-his-chatbot-666709">Musk, who warned about 'threats' of AI, seeks to raise $1 billion for his chatbot</a>

IBM senior vice-president Dario Gil, who directs the company's research division, said that the approach which is “not proprietary and closed” is favoured by the open advocates. “So it’s not like a thing that is locked in a barrel and no one knows what they are,” he added, as per The Guardian.

<h2>AI Alliance to restructure future of AI?</h2>

The AI Alliance, which is headed by IBM and Meta and includes Sony, Dell, Intel, the chipmakers AMD and many universities and AI startups – is “coming together to articulate, simply put, that the future of AI is going to be built fundamentally on top of the open scientific exchange of ideas and open innovation, including open source and open technologies," said Gil, while speaking to Associated Press before the launch. 
 
The alliance will most probably lobby regulators to ensure that the new legislation works in their favour. 
 
Taking aim at Google, OpenAI and startup Anthropic, Meta’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun wrote on social media that these companies – which he called the “massive corporate lobbying” - write the rules in a way so as to benefit their high-performing AI models and concentrate their power over the development of the technology.

Watch:&nbsp;Wine tasting with AI? Scientists achieve spirited breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence domain

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wine-tasting-with-ai-scientists-achieve-spirited-breakthrough-in-artificial-intelligence-domain-666259/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The three companies, along with Microsoft – a key partner of OpenAI, have constituted their own industry group called the Frontier Model Forum. 
 
Taking to X, LeCun said that he was worried that fearmongering from fellow scientists regarding AI “doomsday scenarios” has given a push to those people who want to ban open-source research and development. 
 
“In a future where AI systems are poised to constitute the repository of all human knowledge and culture, we need the platforms to be open source and freely available so that everyone can contribute to them,” wrote LeCun. “Openness is the only way to make AI platforms reflect the entirety of human knowledge and culture,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

The parent company of Facebook, Meta, and IBM on Tuesday (Dec 5) launched a new group named 'AI Alliance' which advocates for an “open-science” approach to the development of AI which has now placed them at odds with rivals Google, Microsoft and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.

The parent company of Facebook, Meta, and IBM on Tuesday (Dec 5) launched a new group named 'AI Alliance' which advocates for an “open-science” approach to the development of AI which has now placed them at odds with rivals Google, Microsoft and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. The two opposing camps – the open and the closed – disagreed about whether AI should be built in a way which makes the underlying technology widely accessible. At the heart of the debate remains safety and also who gets profit from the advances of AI. Also read: Musk, who warned about 'threats' of AI, seeks to raise $1 billion for his chatbot IBM senior vice-president Dario Gil, who directs the company's research division, said that the approach which is “not proprietary and closed” is favoured by the open advocates. “So it’s not like a thing that is locked in a barrel and no one knows what they are,” he added, as per The Guardian. AI Alliance to restructure future of AI? The AI Alliance, which is headed by IBM and Meta and includes Sony, Dell, Intel, the chipmakers AMD and many universities and AI startups – is “coming together to articulate, simply put, that the future of AI is going to be built fundamentally on top of the open scientific exchange of ideas and open innovation, including open source and open technologies," said Gil, while speaking to Associated Press before the launch. The alliance will most probably lobby regulators to ensure that the new legislation works in their favour. Taking aim at Google, OpenAI and startup Anthropic, Meta’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun wrote on social media that these companies – which he called the “massive corporate lobbying” - write the rules in a way so as to benefit their high-performing AI models and concentrate their power over the development of the technology. Watch: Wine tasting with AI? Scientists achieve spirited breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence domain The three companies, along with Microsoft – a key partner of OpenAI, have constituted their own industry group called the Frontier Model Forum. Taking to X, LeCun said that he was worried that fearmongering from fellow scientists regarding AI “doomsday scenarios” has given a push to those people who want to ban open-source research and development. “In a future where AI systems are poised to constitute the repository of all human knowledge and culture, we need the platforms to be open source and freely available so that everyone can contribute to them,” wrote LeCun. “Openness is the only way to make AI platforms reflect the entirety of human knowledge and culture,” he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta, IBM join AI race, launch ‘AI Alliance' with 'open-science' approach

An appeals court in the US on Monday (December 4) overturned a previous verdict awarding USD 2.18 billion to VLSI Technology in a patent infringement case against Intel Corp. This decision has overturned one of the largest verdicts in the history of US patent law.

VLSI Technology holds the patent over which the case was fought.

In 2021, a jury verdict said that Intel infringed one VLSI patent. The case was then sent to Texs in order to determine the amount Intel owes for its infringement of a second VLSI patent.

On Monday, the Federal Circuit Court held that there was insufficient evidence for the jury to have found that there was patent infringement by Intel on one of the two patents.

Watch | Dark side of Artificial Intelligence

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The Washington-based court said that Intel did infringe another VLSI patent, but problems with analysis that led to damages required a fresh trial to be held and a fresh trial to assess how much money needs to be awarded in damages.

Investment funds managed by Fortress Investment Group own VLSI. Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Investment Co consented to the acquisition of a majority stake in Fortress from Softbank.

<h2>Fight across the US</h2>

VLSI has taken Intel to court across the US and has made allegations that Intel infringed several of its patents that covered semiconductor technology.

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The first trial that came out of this dispute was heard in Waco, Texas. The jury awarded USD 2.18 billion to VLSI. It found that the patents VLSI acquired from Dutch chipmaker NXP Semiconductors were infringed by Intel microprocessors.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-sidesteps-ban-by-us-appeals-researchers-to-gather-moon-samples-from-china-665484">NASA sidesteps ban by US, appeals researchers to gather moon samples from China</a>

On Monday morning, Intel stock was down by more than 4 per cent and other chipmakers also saw declines.

In 2021, Intel defeated another bid by VLSI to get more than USD 3 billion in damages in another trial. A separate case before a different jury in Austin, Texas resulted in a USD 949 million award from Intel. This was last year.

(With inputs from agencies)

An appeals court in the US on Monday (December 4) overturned a previous verdict awarding USD 2.18 billion to VLSI Technology in a patent infringement case against Intel Corp.

An appeals court in the US on Monday (December 4) overturned a previous verdict awarding USD 2.18 billion to VLSI Technology in a patent infringement case against Intel Corp. This decision has overturned one of the largest verdicts in the history of US patent law. VLSI Technology holds the patent over which the case was fought. In 2021, a jury verdict said that Intel infringed one VLSI patent. The case was then sent to Texs in order to determine the amount Intel owes for its infringement of a second VLSI patent. On Monday, the Federal Circuit Court held that there was insufficient evidence for the jury to have found that there was patent infringement by Intel on one of the two patents. Watch | Dark side of Artificial Intelligence × The Washington-based court said that Intel did infringe another VLSI patent, but problems with analysis that led to damages required a fresh trial to be held and a fresh trial to assess how much money needs to be awarded in damages. Investment funds managed by Fortress Investment Group own VLSI. Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Investment Co consented to the acquisition of a majority stake in Fortress from Softbank. Fight across the US VLSI has taken Intel to court across the US and has made allegations that Intel infringed several of its patents that covered semiconductor technology. Also Read | NASA sidesteps ban by US, appeals researchers to gather moon samples from China The first trial that came out of this dispute was heard in Waco, Texas. The jury awarded USD 2.18 billion to VLSI. It found that the patents VLSI acquired from Dutch chipmaker NXP Semiconductors were infringed by Intel microprocessors. Also Read | NASA sidesteps ban by US, appeals researchers to gather moon samples from China On Monday morning, Intel stock was down by more than 4 per cent and other chipmakers also saw declines. In 2021, Intel defeated another bid by VLSI to get more than USD 3 billion in damages in another trial. A separate case before a different jury in Austin, Texas resulted in a USD 949 million award from Intel. This was last year. (With inputs from agencies)

Intel succeeds in overturning $2.18bn patent verdict, one of the largest in US

The first trailer for "Grand Theft Auto VI" was put on YouTube in a surprise, ahead-of-schedule post on Monday, promising a 2025 release for the latest installment in the mega-popular video game franchise.

True to rumors, the video game will be set in fictional Vice City, reminiscent of Miami, and appears to feature the first playable female character in the franchise.

The early release of the trailer, prompted by a leak of it online, came on the eve of Tuesday's scheduled first glimpse for GTA VI.

"Our trailer has leaked so please watch the real thing," Rockstar Games, the company behind GTA, said on a post on X, formerly Twitter.

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The video garnered some 2.2 million likes on YouTube within about 30 minutes of being posted on the site.

Released a decade ago, GTA V has sold around 190 million copies, according to Rockstar-parent Take-Two Interactive, making it the best-selling game in the United States for the past decade based on both unit and dollar sales.

The entire GTA franchise has sold a mammoth 410 million units so far, according to Take-Two.

Wedbush analyst Nick McKay estimated that predecessor GTA V and an ongoing, online multiplayer extension of the game have brought in nearly $10 billion in revenue.

With the wild success has come a wave of controversies. Critics have from the beginning accused the series of glorifying violence and encouraging players to engage in criminal behavior -- allegations Take-Two executives have denied.

Strongly influenced by gangsta rap culture, GTA V players sell drugs, fight, rob, go on car rampages and more.

Game play options also included assaulting prostitutes and going to strip clubs.

Earlier installments also saw players take on roles in the Italian mafia or follow in the footsteps of "Scarface" kingpin Tony Montana.&nbsp;

GTA V included transgender characters, but "they were sex workers that were grotesque caricatures of transgender women," said Blair Durkee, associate director of gaming at nonprofit LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD.

Videos of players beating those trans characters with baseball bats in the game can readily be found online, according to Durkee.

"We certainly hope that GTA VI will reflect a more inclusive attitude toward LGBTQ characters and players," Durkee said.

GTA protagonists have historically been flawed but likable characters in a virtual world "that takes its cues from the craziness of what we read about in the news every day," according to McKay.

The release of GTA V a decade ago came with the launch of an online multiplayer option, delivering high-quality experiences in a virtual Los Angeles-like city of hijinks and criminality.

"I can play according to the main storyline, or I can just explore the world and cause mayhem to fill the time," McKay said.

"Very little is off-limits to the player."

Rockstar has consistently added fresh content to GTA online.

Playing GTA online is free, after buying the game, and users can spend money on in-game items.

The first trailer for "Grand Theft Auto VI" was put on YouTube in a surprise, ahead-of-schedule post on Monday, promising a 2025 release for the latest installment in the mega-popular video game franchise.

The first trailer for "Grand Theft Auto VI" was put on YouTube in a surprise, ahead-of-schedule post on Monday, promising a 2025 release for the latest installment in the mega-popular video game franchise. True to rumors, the video game will be set in fictional Vice City, reminiscent of Miami, and appears to feature the first playable female character in the franchise. The early release of the trailer, prompted by a leak of it online, came on the eve of Tuesday's scheduled first glimpse for GTA VI. "Our trailer has leaked so please watch the real thing," Rockstar Games, the company behind GTA, said on a post on X, formerly Twitter. The video garnered some 2.2 million likes on YouTube within about 30 minutes of being posted on the site. Released a decade ago, GTA V has sold around 190 million copies, according to Rockstar-parent Take-Two Interactive, making it the best-selling game in the United States for the past decade based on both unit and dollar sales. The entire GTA franchise has sold a mammoth 410 million units so far, according to Take-Two. Wedbush analyst Nick McKay estimated that predecessor GTA V and an ongoing, online multiplayer extension of the game have brought in nearly $10 billion in revenue. With the wild success has come a wave of controversies. Critics have from the beginning accused the series of glorifying violence and encouraging players to engage in criminal behavior -- allegations Take-Two executives have denied. Strongly influenced by gangsta rap culture, GTA V players sell drugs, fight, rob, go on car rampages and more. Game play options also included assaulting prostitutes and going to strip clubs. Earlier installments also saw players take on roles in the Italian mafia or follow in the footsteps of "Scarface" kingpin Tony Montana. GTA V included transgender characters, but "they were sex workers that were grotesque caricatures of transgender women," said Blair Durkee, associate director of gaming at nonprofit LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD. Videos of players beating those trans characters with baseball bats in the game can readily be found online, according to Durkee. "We certainly hope that GTA VI will reflect a more inclusive attitude toward LGBTQ characters and players," Durkee said. GTA protagonists have historically been flawed but likable characters in a virtual world "that takes its cues from the craziness of what we read about in the news every day," according to McKay. The release of GTA V a decade ago came with the launch of an online multiplayer option, delivering high-quality experiences in a virtual Los Angeles-like city of hijinks and criminality. "I can play according to the main storyline, or I can just explore the world and cause mayhem to fill the time," McKay said. "Very little is off-limits to the player." Rockstar has consistently added fresh content to GTA online. Playing GTA online is free, after buying the game, and users can spend money on in-game items.

'Grand Theft Auto VI' trailer drops, flagging 2025 release

Facebook parent Meta has said that it took down five co-ordinated influence networks originating form China, consisting of thousands of accounts aimed at influencing online opinion about 2024 US elections. Talking about the action it took this year, the tech giant warned that efforts were on to influence public opinion ahead of 2024 US Presidential Election.

"Foreign threat actors are attempting to reach people across the Internet ahead of next year's elections, and we need to remain alert," Meta global threat intelligence lead Ben Nimmo said during a briefing about its latest security report, as quoted by AFP.

The company said that in one of the campaign, it found that 4789 fake Facebook accounts were involved. It took action against these accounts and they have now been removed. The campaign was posting content about politics and US-China relations.

These accounts, said Meta, praised China and lashed out at its critics. The accounts even copy-pasted real content posted by US politicians potentially to sow divisions.

Watch | Meta shuts down China-based network of 4800 fake accounts

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"As election campaigns ramp up, we should expect foreign influence operations to try and leverage authentic parties and debate rather than creating original content themselves," Nimmo said.&nbsp;

"We anticipate that if relations with China become an election topic in a particular country, we may see China-based influence operations pivot to target those debates."&nbsp;

Meta has found that these networks originated from China, but has not attributed the efforts to the Chinese government.

<h2>Russia at the top</h2>

The company said that maximum such network continue to originate from Russia. These operations are based inside the country and are mainly focused of information surrounding the Ukraine war.

The security report said that websites that have links to such Russia-based campaigns have of late, also been using the Israel-Hamas war to tarnish the image of the US.

The security team at Meta expects that efforts will be made in coming days and months to sway elections.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-presses-for-antitrust-action-against-rival-microsoft-reuters-664856">Google presses for antitrust action against rival Microsoft: Reuters</a>

"We hope that people will try to be careful when engaging with political content across the internet," Nimmo said.&nbsp;

"For political groups, it's important to be aware that heightened partisan tensions can play into the hands of foreign threat actors."&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/complexity-of-cyberattacks-continues-to-rise-what-should-be-worlds-immediate-focus-665130">As complex cyberattacks continue to rise, what should be the world's immediate focus?</a>

Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy, said during the briefing that generative artificial intelligence (AI) has introduced a new element into these efforts, and tools, like ChatGPT, are being used to churn out bogus content that looks convincing.

"Threat actors can use generative AI to create larger volumes of convincing content, even if they don't have the cultural or language skills to speak to their audiences," Gleicher said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Facebook parent Meta has said that it took down five co-ordinated influence networks originating form China, consisting of thousands of accounts aimed at influencing online opinion about 2024 US elections.

Facebook parent Meta has said that it took down five co-ordinated influence networks originating form China, consisting of thousands of accounts aimed at influencing online opinion about 2024 US elections. Talking about the action it took this year, the tech giant warned that efforts were on to influence public opinion ahead of 2024 US Presidential Election. "Foreign threat actors are attempting to reach people across the Internet ahead of next year's elections, and we need to remain alert," Meta global threat intelligence lead Ben Nimmo said during a briefing about its latest security report, as quoted by AFP. The company said that in one of the campaign, it found that 4789 fake Facebook accounts were involved. It took action against these accounts and they have now been removed. The campaign was posting content about politics and US-China relations. These accounts, said Meta, praised China and lashed out at its critics. The accounts even copy-pasted real content posted by US politicians potentially to sow divisions. Watch | Meta shuts down China-based network of 4800 fake accounts × "As election campaigns ramp up, we should expect foreign influence operations to try and leverage authentic parties and debate rather than creating original content themselves," Nimmo said. "We anticipate that if relations with China become an election topic in a particular country, we may see China-based influence operations pivot to target those debates." Meta has found that these networks originated from China, but has not attributed the efforts to the Chinese government. Russia at the top The company said that maximum such network continue to originate from Russia. These operations are based inside the country and are mainly focused of information surrounding the Ukraine war. The security report said that websites that have links to such Russia-based campaigns have of late, also been using the Israel-Hamas war to tarnish the image of the US. The security team at Meta expects that efforts will be made in coming days and months to sway elections. Also Read | Google presses for antitrust action against rival Microsoft: Reuters "We hope that people will try to be careful when engaging with political content across the internet," Nimmo said. "For political groups, it's important to be aware that heightened partisan tensions can play into the hands of foreign threat actors." Also Read | As complex cyberattacks continue to rise, what should be the world's immediate focus? Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy, said during the briefing that generative artificial intelligence (AI) has introduced a new element into these efforts, and tools, like ChatGPT, are being used to churn out bogus content that looks convincing. "Threat actors can use generative AI to create larger volumes of convincing content, even if they don't have the cultural or language skills to speak to their audiences," Gleicher said. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta takes down China-based networks influencing opinion on 2024 US elections, issues warning

A UK court has ruled that Getty Images' copyright dispute against leading artificial intelligence (AI) company Stability AI can move on to trial.

Dismissing Stable Diffusion creators contentions against the lawsuit, the court found merit in Getty's insistence that its copyright materials were used to train the company's AI models.

<h2>Stability AI vs Getty Images: The case</h2>

Getty Images has sued Stability AI, a competitor of the popular OpenAI, over the use of its copyrighted content. The US stock image provider alleges that Stability scrapped millions of its images online to train its image generation tool, called Stable Diffusion.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ancestry-website-23andme-confirms-recent-data-breach-affected-69-million-users-666347">Ancestry website 23andMe confirms recent data breach affected 6.9 million users&nbsp;</a>

Stability AI, which is valued at $1 billion (£790 million), attempted to have the case brought by Getty Images dismissed. It contended that its models were largely trained in Munich — by a team from Munich University, and not in the UK. This, it said, meant that the case should not be held in a British court.

"I am confident that no Stability employee based in the UK has ever worked on developing or training Stable Diffusion," said Stability CEO Emad Mostaque, as reported by the Telegraph.

<h2>Judge's decision</h2>

Casting doubt on Stability AI's claims, Justice Joanna Smith, as per the Telegraph report, suggested that evidence provided by Mostague may be "inaccurate, or incomplete".

"These documents raise the spectre that Mr Mostaque’s evidence is either inaccurate or incomplete; at the very least they suggest a conflict of evidence."

"The apparent inconsistencies between Mr Mostaque's evidence and other available evidence casts doubt over the credibility of his statements generally," read Judge Smith's judgement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/barclay-family-reclaims-telegraph-newspaper-after-abu-dhabi-aids-with-debt-repayment-666339">Barclay family reclaims Telegraph newspaper after Abu Dhabi aids with debt repayment</a>

Smith said that previous comments by the Stability CEO made during media appearances and YouTube interviews warrant a further investigation. She said that because of "unanswered questions" a full trial is needed, and that "Disclosure may establish that Mr Mostaque’s evidence is unimpeachable."

In a 2022 interview, Mostaque said that the company "fast-tracked" residency applications of Ukrainian and Russian developers to allow them to come to the UK.&nbsp;

Accusing Getty Images of "kicking up dust", Stability AI argued that the developers may have been working on other projects. It further said that the evidence provided by the stock image provider&nbsp;was "speculative".

(With inputs from agencies)

A UK court has ruled that Getty Images' copyright dispute against leading artificial intelligence (AI) company Stability AI can move on to trial. Dismissing Stable Diffusion creators contentions against the lawsuit, the court found merit in Getty's insistence that its copyright materials were used to train the company's AI models.

A UK court has ruled that Getty Images' copyright dispute against leading artificial intelligence (AI) company Stability AI can move on to trial. Dismissing Stable Diffusion creators contentions against the lawsuit, the court found merit in Getty's insistence that its copyright materials were used to train the company's AI models. Stability AI vs Getty Images: The case Getty Images has sued Stability AI, a competitor of the popular OpenAI, over the use of its copyrighted content. The US stock image provider alleges that Stability scrapped millions of its images online to train its image generation tool, called Stable Diffusion. Also read | Ancestry website 23andMe confirms recent data breach affected 6.9 million users Stability AI, which is valued at $1 billion (£790 million), attempted to have the case brought by Getty Images dismissed. It contended that its models were largely trained in Munich — by a team from Munich University, and not in the UK. This, it said, meant that the case should not be held in a British court. "I am confident that no Stability employee based in the UK has ever worked on developing or training Stable Diffusion," said Stability CEO Emad Mostaque, as reported by the Telegraph. Judge's decision Casting doubt on Stability AI's claims, Justice Joanna Smith, as per the Telegraph report, suggested that evidence provided by Mostague may be "inaccurate, or incomplete". "These documents raise the spectre that Mr Mostaque’s evidence is either inaccurate or incomplete; at the very least they suggest a conflict of evidence." "The apparent inconsistencies between Mr Mostaque's evidence and other available evidence casts doubt over the credibility of his statements generally," read Judge Smith's judgement. Also read | Barclay family reclaims Telegraph newspaper after Abu Dhabi aids with debt repayment Smith said that previous comments by the Stability CEO made during media appearances and YouTube interviews warrant a further investigation. She said that because of "unanswered questions" a full trial is needed, and that "Disclosure may establish that Mr Mostaque’s evidence is unimpeachable." In a 2022 interview, Mostaque said that the company "fast-tracked" residency applications of Ukrainian and Russian developers to allow them to come to the UK. Accusing Getty Images of "kicking up dust", Stability AI argued that the developers may have been working on other projects. It further said that the evidence provided by the stock image provider was "speculative". (With inputs from agencies)

Landmark Stability AI vs Getty Images copyright lawsuit to move ahead to trial

Access to the internet on computers, tablets, and smartphones is an essential part of our lives today. Electronic devices open a stunning virtual world through the internet, but the same window also invites many massive risks that harm the data and other personal information saved on our systems.&nbsp;

"Given the constant exposure to various cyber-attacks, people frequently encounter challenges such as ransomware attacks, phishing, system intrusion, confirmed data disclosure, mobile threats, and social engineering," Maninder Bharadwaj, Global Head - Cybersecurity and Risk Management, Tech Mahindra told WION. He weighed in on the prominent challenges of shortage of skilled professionals in the cybersecurity landscape.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-presses-for-antitrust-action-against-rival-microsoft-reuters-664856">Google presses for antitrust action against rival Microsoft</a>&nbsp;

<h2>What should be the immediate&nbsp;focus?&nbsp;</h2>

When cyber attacks and other related incidents are rising, there's an urgent need to spread awareness about cybersecurity, which provides a fortress-like wall of defence in the digital world. It defends against hackers, malware, and all sorts of online mischief. Just like the military of a country, cybersecurity is the guardian that prevents unauthorised access and helps in keeping the virtual chaos at bay.&nbsp;

"As the frequency and complexity of cyber-attacks continue to rise, it becomes imperative to evaluate the accessibility of cybersecurity professionals and expertise," said Bharadwaj, further highlighting the need for cybersecurity and risk management.

He said that organisations around the world must continuously revisit their cybersecurity measures to defend against the onslaught.&nbsp;

A report by PWC, titled 2023 Global Digital Trust Insights, revealed that less than 40 per cent of organisations have fully addressed emerging cyber risks, emphasising the gaps in cybersecurity preparedness.&nbsp;

"One of the prominent challenges in cybersecurity today is the shortage of skilled professionals. In early 2023, about 30% of the 40,000 cybersecurity positions remained vacant due to a lack of skilled experts," Bharadwaj added.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tesla-begins-cybertruck-delivery-price-starts-from-60990-know-more-664847">Tesla begins Cybertruck delivery, price starts from $60,990</a>&nbsp;

<h2>How to tackle this situation?&nbsp;</h2>

Bharadwaj said that several strategies can be employed to bridge the gap and bolster the cybersecurity workforce worldwide. He added that developing cybersecurity talent requires industry-wide initiatives and strategies, which are crucial.

In addition to the above-mentioned, organisations must play an active role in offering opportunities for their employees to upskill and reskill, he added.&nbsp;

<h2>Cybersecurity in the age of AI&nbsp;</h2>

Experts have raised concerns that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will replace humans, but Bharadwaj argued that automation will not replace cybersecurity experts but rather enhance their capabilities by automating routine tasks.&nbsp;

He said, "Reskilling individuals with adjacent technology knowledge, such as cloud-skilled individuals becoming cloud security experts, can effectively address the skill shortage."&nbsp;

"Furthermore, collaboration between organisations and universities is key to promoting knowledge-sharing and establishing recruitment channels for new talent. This partnership can help create a continuous learning environment where cybersecurity knowledge is continually updated to keep pace with the evolving threat landscape," he said.&nbsp;

Access to the internet on computers, tablets, and smartphones is an essential part of our lives today. Electronic devices open a stunning virtual world through the internet, but the same window also invites many massive risks that harm the data and other personal information saved on our systems.

Access to the internet on computers, tablets, and smartphones is an essential part of our lives today. Electronic devices open a stunning virtual world through the internet, but the same window also invites many massive risks that harm the data and other personal information saved on our systems. "Given the constant exposure to various cyber-attacks, people frequently encounter challenges such as ransomware attacks, phishing, system intrusion, confirmed data disclosure, mobile threats, and social engineering," Maninder Bharadwaj, Global Head - Cybersecurity and Risk Management, Tech Mahindra told WION. He weighed in on the prominent challenges of shortage of skilled professionals in the cybersecurity landscape. Also read: Google presses for antitrust action against rival Microsoft What should be the immediate focus? When cyber attacks and other related incidents are rising, there's an urgent need to spread awareness about cybersecurity, which provides a fortress-like wall of defence in the digital world. It defends against hackers, malware, and all sorts of online mischief. Just like the military of a country, cybersecurity is the guardian that prevents unauthorised access and helps in keeping the virtual chaos at bay. "As the frequency and complexity of cyber-attacks continue to rise, it becomes imperative to evaluate the accessibility of cybersecurity professionals and expertise," said Bharadwaj, further highlighting the need for cybersecurity and risk management. He said that organisations around the world must continuously revisit their cybersecurity measures to defend against the onslaught. A report by PWC, titled 2023 Global Digital Trust Insights, revealed that less than 40 per cent of organisations have fully addressed emerging cyber risks, emphasising the gaps in cybersecurity preparedness. "One of the prominent challenges in cybersecurity today is the shortage of skilled professionals. In early 2023, about 30% of the 40,000 cybersecurity positions remained vacant due to a lack of skilled experts," Bharadwaj added. Also read: Tesla begins Cybertruck delivery, price starts from $60,990 How to tackle this situation? Bharadwaj said that several strategies can be employed to bridge the gap and bolster the cybersecurity workforce worldwide. He added that developing cybersecurity talent requires industry-wide initiatives and strategies, which are crucial. In addition to the above-mentioned, organisations must play an active role in offering opportunities for their employees to upskill and reskill, he added. Cybersecurity in the age of AI Experts have raised concerns that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will replace humans, but Bharadwaj argued that automation will not replace cybersecurity experts but rather enhance their capabilities by automating routine tasks. He said, "Reskilling individuals with adjacent technology knowledge, such as cloud-skilled individuals becoming cloud security experts, can effectively address the skill shortage." "Furthermore, collaboration between organisations and universities is key to promoting knowledge-sharing and establishing recruitment channels for new talent. This partnership can help create a continuous learning environment where cybersecurity knowledge is continually updated to keep pace with the evolving threat landscape," he said.

As complex cyberattacks continue to rise, what should be the world's immediate focus?

Google has called on Britain’s antitrust regulator to take action against Microsoft, claiming its business practices had left rivals at a significant disadvantage, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

Microsoft and Amazon have faced mounting scrutiny around the world over their dominance of the cloud computing industry, with regulators in Britain, the European Union, and the U.S. probing the leading providers’ market power.

The CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) launched an investigation into Britain’s cloud computing industry in October, following a referral from media regulator Ofcom which highlighted Amazon and Microsoft’s dominance of the market.

In 2022, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft's Azure had a combined 70-80 per cent share of Britain's public cloud infrastructure services market, Ofcom said. Google’s cloud division was their closest competitor, at around 5-10 per cent.

In a letter submitted to the CMA, Google said Microsoft’s licensing practices, unfairly discouraged customers from using competitor services, even as a secondary provider alongside Azure.

“With Microsoft’s licensing restrictions in particular, UK customers are left with no economically reasonable alternative but to use Azure as their cloud services provider, even if they prefer the prices, quality, security, innovations, and features of rivals,” Google said in its letter to the CMA.

Such practices directly harmed customers, and were the only significant barrier to competition in Britain’s cloud computing market, the company said.

Microsoft last year updated its licensing rules to address such concerns and promote competition, though the changes did not satisfy rivals. Microsoft declined to comment for this story.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-suing-google-for-anti-trust-violations-us-state-allies-not-seeking-monetary-penalty-wion-635324">Watch |&nbsp;US suing Google for anti-trust violations; US &amp; state allies not seeking monetary penalty</a>

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Speaking to Reuters, Google Cloud Vice President Amit Zavery criticised Microsoft’s practices and said his company was committed to a multi-cloud approach, in which customers could easily move between providers depending on their needs.

"A lot of our software and cloud services interoperate and can run on AWS or on Azure as well, so you're not restricted," he said.

"If you don't fix this, eventually you will have fewer cloud providers, and then innovation will not really happen, and investments will start shrinking."

At issue was Microsoft's decision to update the terms for when customers wanted to use their Windows or other software licenses in the cloud, effectively resulting in higher costs if they used Google or AWS instead of Microsoft's Azure.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/us-concludes-main-arguments-against-google-in-antitrust-case-659493">Also read |&nbsp;US concludes main arguments against Google in antitrust case</a>

Asked why Amazon, which boasts a larger share of the cloud market than Microsoft, did not pose a similarly anticompetitive risk, Zavery said AWS consumers were not facing the same restrictions.

“There are some issues, in terms of cloud interoperability, but we can fix that. That's a discussion between providers, which is much understood, and customers are forcing that conversation,” he said.

“The problem we run into with Microsoft is that there's no technical issue, but you have licensing restrictions which means we are now being prevented from competing.”&nbsp;

Google made six recommendations to the CMA, including forcing Microsoft to improve interoperability for customers using Azure and alongside other cloud services, and banning it from withholding security updates from those that switch.

The CMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Google has called on Britain’s antitrust regulator to take action against Microsoft, claiming its business practices had left rivals at a significant disadvantage, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

Google has called on Britain’s antitrust regulator to take action against Microsoft, claiming its business practices had left rivals at a significant disadvantage, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Microsoft and Amazon have faced mounting scrutiny around the world over their dominance of the cloud computing industry, with regulators in Britain, the European Union, and the U.S. probing the leading providers’ market power. The CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) launched an investigation into Britain’s cloud computing industry in October, following a referral from media regulator Ofcom which highlighted Amazon and Microsoft’s dominance of the market. In 2022, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft's Azure had a combined 70-80 per cent share of Britain's public cloud infrastructure services market, Ofcom said. Google’s cloud division was their closest competitor, at around 5-10 per cent. In a letter submitted to the CMA, Google said Microsoft’s licensing practices, unfairly discouraged customers from using competitor services, even as a secondary provider alongside Azure. “With Microsoft’s licensing restrictions in particular, UK customers are left with no economically reasonable alternative but to use Azure as their cloud services provider, even if they prefer the prices, quality, security, innovations, and features of rivals,” Google said in its letter to the CMA. Such practices directly harmed customers, and were the only significant barrier to competition in Britain’s cloud computing market, the company said. Microsoft last year updated its licensing rules to address such concerns and promote competition, though the changes did not satisfy rivals. Microsoft declined to comment for this story. Watch | US suing Google for anti-trust violations; US & state allies not seeking monetary penalty × Speaking to Reuters, Google Cloud Vice President Amit Zavery criticised Microsoft’s practices and said his company was committed to a multi-cloud approach, in which customers could easily move between providers depending on their needs. "A lot of our software and cloud services interoperate and can run on AWS or on Azure as well, so you're not restricted," he said. "If you don't fix this, eventually you will have fewer cloud providers, and then innovation will not really happen, and investments will start shrinking." At issue was Microsoft's decision to update the terms for when customers wanted to use their Windows or other software licenses in the cloud, effectively resulting in higher costs if they used Google or AWS instead of Microsoft's Azure. Also read | US concludes main arguments against Google in antitrust case Asked why Amazon, which boasts a larger share of the cloud market than Microsoft, did not pose a similarly anticompetitive risk, Zavery said AWS consumers were not facing the same restrictions. “There are some issues, in terms of cloud interoperability, but we can fix that. That's a discussion between providers, which is much understood, and customers are forcing that conversation,” he said. “The problem we run into with Microsoft is that there's no technical issue, but you have licensing restrictions which means we are now being prevented from competing.” Google made six recommendations to the CMA, including forcing Microsoft to improve interoperability for customers using Azure and alongside other cloud services, and banning it from withholding security updates from those that switch. The CMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Google presses for antitrust action against rival Microsoft: Reuters

Bitcoin transactions are not only guzzling electricity, but are also thirsty for so much water that the amount used for one transaction would be enough to fill “a backyard swimming pool,” a recent analysis found.

Billions of people across the world are struggling with shortages of fresh water, and with climate change and extreme weather events the situation may worsen in the coming decades.

<h2>How much water is too much water?</h2>

The study based on the analysis done by Alex de Vries of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam says that Bitcoin’s water footprint has rapidly increased in recent years.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Bitcoin's growing enviornmental problems, every bitcoin payment 'uses a swimming pool of water'

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As of 2023, Bitcoin’s annual water footprint may cross 2,200 billion litres or gigaliters (GL), according to the study in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability. According to de Vries, that is over six million times more water than a credit card swipe.&nbsp;

Between 2020 and 2021, the water footprint of Bitcoin increased by as much as 166 per cent, from 591.2 to 1,573 GL, said the study.&nbsp;

<h2>What is this water being used for?</h2>

Bitcoin uses such large amounts of water for its enormous amount of computing and with that, it burns through a lot of energy. Therefore, the systems use a great deal of water in their cooling systems to keep the bitcoin mining machines from overheating.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/heres-how-much-youd-be-worth-if-you-had-invested-in-bitcoin-on-day-1-653829">Here's how much you'd be worth if you had invested in Bitcoin on day 1</a>

In fact, Bitcoin is so power-hungry that, according to the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), it consumes only a little less electricity than the entire country of Poland, which is home to around 38 million people.&nbsp;

In his study, de Vries noted how most of the research about the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining has been focused on its energy consumption, carbon footprint, and the electronic waste it generates but given the shortage of water and the estimated use of it in the Bitcoin network it is crucial to understand the water footprint of the cryptocurrency usage.

As the amount of water that Bitcoin uses, not only can it potentially impact different countries’ climate goals, but also potentially poses an additional stress to water resources in drought-prone areas.&nbsp;

Notably, the numbers are based on the assumption that Bitcoin mines run on water-dependent cooling systems but some data centres and crypto mines also use a different system which not only keeps the computers cool but also cuts down water consumption by immersing them in a non-conductive liquid, reported The Verge.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/wall-street-awaits-100-bn-crypto-boom-with-bitcoin-etfs-report-661050">Wall Street awaits $100 bn crypto boom with Bitcoin ETFs: Report</a>

The author of the study also argues that Bitcoin does not actually need this much water and it is a process of “mining” the cryptocurrency which requires an enormous amount of water since miners compete against each other and the same transaction is being worked on several times by multiple power-hungry computers.&nbsp;

“All of these machines combined are generating 500 quintillion guesses every second of the day, non stop – that is 500 with 18 zeros behind it,” de Vries told the BBC.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Bitcoin transactions are not only guzzling electricity, but are also thirsty for so much water that the amount used for one transaction would be enough to fill “a backyard swimming pool,” a recent analysis found.

Bitcoin transactions are not only guzzling electricity, but are also thirsty for so much water that the amount used for one transaction would be enough to fill “a backyard swimming pool,” a recent analysis found. Billions of people across the world are struggling with shortages of fresh water, and with climate change and extreme weather events the situation may worsen in the coming decades. How much water is too much water? The study based on the analysis done by Alex de Vries of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam says that Bitcoin’s water footprint has rapidly increased in recent years. ALSO WATCH | Bitcoin's growing enviornmental problems, every bitcoin payment 'uses a swimming pool of water' As of 2023, Bitcoin’s annual water footprint may cross 2,200 billion litres or gigaliters (GL), according to the study in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability. According to de Vries, that is over six million times more water than a credit card swipe. Between 2020 and 2021, the water footprint of Bitcoin increased by as much as 166 per cent, from 591.2 to 1,573 GL, said the study. What is this water being used for? Bitcoin uses such large amounts of water for its enormous amount of computing and with that, it burns through a lot of energy. Therefore, the systems use a great deal of water in their cooling systems to keep the bitcoin mining machines from overheating. ALSO READ | Here's how much you'd be worth if you had invested in Bitcoin on day 1 In fact, Bitcoin is so power-hungry that, according to the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), it consumes only a little less electricity than the entire country of Poland, which is home to around 38 million people. In his study, de Vries noted how most of the research about the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining has been focused on its energy consumption, carbon footprint, and the electronic waste it generates but given the shortage of water and the estimated use of it in the Bitcoin network it is crucial to understand the water footprint of the cryptocurrency usage. As the amount of water that Bitcoin uses, not only can it potentially impact different countries’ climate goals, but also potentially poses an additional stress to water resources in drought-prone areas. Notably, the numbers are based on the assumption that Bitcoin mines run on water-dependent cooling systems but some data centres and crypto mines also use a different system which not only keeps the computers cool but also cuts down water consumption by immersing them in a non-conductive liquid, reported The Verge. ALSO READ | Wall Street awaits $100 bn crypto boom with Bitcoin ETFs: Report The author of the study also argues that Bitcoin does not actually need this much water and it is a process of “mining” the cryptocurrency which requires an enormous amount of water since miners compete against each other and the same transaction is being worked on several times by multiple power-hungry computers. “All of these machines combined are generating 500 quintillion guesses every second of the day, non stop – that is 500 with 18 zeros behind it,” de Vries told the BBC. (With inputs from agencies)

Bitcoin transactions not only guzzle electricity, but also need ‘swimming pools’ worth of water

The United States, Britain and more than a dozen other countries on Sunday unveiled what a senior U.S. official described as the first detailed international agreement on how to keep artificial intelligence safe from rogue actors, pushing for companies to create&nbsp;AI&nbsp;systems that are "secure by design."

In a 20-page document unveiled Sunday, the 18 countries agreed that companies designing and using&nbsp;AI&nbsp;need to develop and deploy it in a way that keeps customers and the wider public safe from misuse.

The agreement is non-binding and carries mostly general recommendations such as monitoring&nbsp;AI&nbsp;systems for abuse, protecting data from tampering and vetting software suppliers.

Still, the director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Jen Easterly, said it was important that so many countries put their names to the idea that&nbsp;AI&nbsp;systems needed to put safety first.

"This is the first time that we have seen an affirmation that these capabilities should not just be about cool features and how quickly we can get them to market or how we can compete to drive down costs," Easterly told Reuters, saying the guidelines represent "an agreement that the most important thing that needs to be done at the design phase is security."

The agreement is the latest in a series of initiatives - few of which carry teeth - by governments around the world to shape the development of&nbsp;AI, whose weight is increasingly being felt in industry and society at large.

In addition to the United States and Britain, the 18 countries that signed on to the new guidelines include Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Australia, Chile, Israel, Nigeria and Singapore.

The framework deals with questions of how to keep&nbsp;AI&nbsp;technology from being hijacked by hackers and includes recommendations such as only releasing models after appropriate security testing.

It does not tackle thorny questions around the appropriate uses of&nbsp;AI, or how the data that feeds these models is gathered.

The rise of&nbsp;AI&nbsp;has fed a host of concerns, including the fear that it could be used to disrupt the democratic process, turbocharge fraud, or lead to dramatic job loss, among other harms.

Europe is ahead of the United States on regulations around&nbsp;AI, with lawmakers there drafting&nbsp;AI&nbsp;rules. France, Germany and Italy also recently reached an agreement on how artificial intelligence should be regulated that supports "mandatory self-regulation through codes of conduct" for so-called foundation models of&nbsp;AI, which are designed to produce a broad range of outputs.

The Biden administration has been pressing lawmakers for&nbsp;AI&nbsp;regulation, but a polarized U.S. Congress has made little headway in passing effective regulation.

The White House sought to reduce&nbsp;AI&nbsp;risks to consumers, workers, and minority groups while bolstering national security with a new executive order in October.

The United States, Britain and more than a dozen other countries on Sunday unveiled what a senior U.S. official described as the first detailed international agreement on how to keep artificial intelligence safe from rogue actors, pushing for companies to create AI systems that are "secure by design.

The United States, Britain and more than a dozen other countries on Sunday unveiled what a senior U.S. official described as the first detailed international agreement on how to keep artificial intelligence safe from rogue actors, pushing for companies to create AI systems that are "secure by design." In a 20-page document unveiled Sunday, the 18 countries agreed that companies designing and using AI need to develop and deploy it in a way that keeps customers and the wider public safe from misuse. The agreement is non-binding and carries mostly general recommendations such as monitoring AI systems for abuse, protecting data from tampering and vetting software suppliers. Still, the director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Jen Easterly, said it was important that so many countries put their names to the idea that AI systems needed to put safety first. "This is the first time that we have seen an affirmation that these capabilities should not just be about cool features and how quickly we can get them to market or how we can compete to drive down costs," Easterly told Reuters, saying the guidelines represent "an agreement that the most important thing that needs to be done at the design phase is security." The agreement is the latest in a series of initiatives - few of which carry teeth - by governments around the world to shape the development of AI, whose weight is increasingly being felt in industry and society at large. In addition to the United States and Britain, the 18 countries that signed on to the new guidelines include Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Australia, Chile, Israel, Nigeria and Singapore. The framework deals with questions of how to keep AI technology from being hijacked by hackers and includes recommendations such as only releasing models after appropriate security testing. It does not tackle thorny questions around the appropriate uses of AI, or how the data that feeds these models is gathered. The rise of AI has fed a host of concerns, including the fear that it could be used to disrupt the democratic process, turbocharge fraud, or lead to dramatic job loss, among other harms. Europe is ahead of the United States on regulations around AI, with lawmakers there drafting AI rules. France, Germany and Italy also recently reached an agreement on how artificial intelligence should be regulated that supports "mandatory self-regulation through codes of conduct" for so-called foundation models of AI, which are designed to produce a broad range of outputs. The Biden administration has been pressing lawmakers for AI regulation, but a polarized U.S. Congress has made little headway in passing effective regulation. The White House sought to reduce AI risks to consumers, workers, and minority groups while bolstering national security with a new executive order in October.

US, Britain, other countries ink agreement to make AI 'secure by design'

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, intentionally made its platforms such that it is&nbsp;addictive to children, a recent unsealed legal complaint claimed. Media reports published on Monday (Nov 27) say that the lawsuit alleged that Meta knowingly allowed underage users to hold accounts to gather personal data and sell it to advertisers.&nbsp;

The federal lawsuit against Meta was filed by the attorney&nbsp;generals in 33 states in October, but the details were not revealed in the report. The lawsuit was filed by states ranging from California to Wisconsin.&nbsp;

Now the complaint has unveiled further details as it alleged that Meta harmed young users on Facebook and Instagram with highly manipulative algorithms and technological tools. &nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/chatgpt-offers-better-advice-than-professional-columnists-study-finds-663300">ChatGPT offers better advice than professional columnists, study finds</a>&nbsp;

The complaint alleged that the social media giant knew about the issue, but it opted to never disclose it. Millions of complaints were also sent to Meta but it didn't take action in a broader perspective, but&nbsp;it did disable a fraction of those accounts.&nbsp;

Citing internal company documents, media reports mentioned that the large number of underage users was an "open secret" at the company.&nbsp;

When the complaint was filed in October, 33 states in a joint statement claimed that Meta's business practices violated the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and other state consumer protection laws. Similar actions were also taken by eight other states in state courts.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/way-of-the-future-former-google-engineer-anthony-levandowski-relaunches-ai-church-663284">Former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski relaunches AI church</a>&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;New iPhone feature raises privacy concerns amid iOS17 update&nbsp;

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As per the complaint, Meta in 2021 received over 402,000 reports that under 13 users are on Instagram. The tech company disabled only 164,000 accounts — a number half of the reported accounts and apparently with still a backlog of up to 2.5 million accounts of younger children awaiting action.&nbsp;

The 233-page complaint noted that attorney&nbsp;generals alleged that compulsive use of Facebook or Instagram by teens and children can cause physical and mental harm.&nbsp;

The case is based on snippets of emails, earnings call transcripts and other internal communications. The mentioned documents served as evidence which suggested how valuable personal information and time of young users are to the company.&nbsp;

As quoted by reports, a Meta spokesperson said in a statement on Monday: "The complaint mischaracterizes our work using selective quotes and cherry-picked documents."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, intentionally made its platforms such that it is addictive to children, a recent unsealed legal complaint claimed.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, intentionally made its platforms such that it is addictive to children, a recent unsealed legal complaint claimed. Media reports published on Monday (Nov 27) say that the lawsuit alleged that Meta knowingly allowed underage users to hold accounts to gather personal data and sell it to advertisers. The federal lawsuit against Meta was filed by the attorney generals in 33 states in October, but the details were not revealed in the report. The lawsuit was filed by states ranging from California to Wisconsin. Now the complaint has unveiled further details as it alleged that Meta harmed young users on Facebook and Instagram with highly manipulative algorithms and technological tools. Also read: ChatGPT offers better advice than professional columnists, study finds The complaint alleged that the social media giant knew about the issue, but it opted to never disclose it. Millions of complaints were also sent to Meta but it didn't take action in a broader perspective, but it did disable a fraction of those accounts. Citing internal company documents, media reports mentioned that the large number of underage users was an "open secret" at the company. When the complaint was filed in October, 33 states in a joint statement claimed that Meta's business practices violated the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and other state consumer protection laws. Similar actions were also taken by eight other states in state courts. Also read: Former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski relaunches AI church Watch: New iPhone feature raises privacy concerns amid iOS17 update × As per the complaint, Meta in 2021 received over 402,000 reports that under 13 users are on Instagram. The tech company disabled only 164,000 accounts — a number half of the reported accounts and apparently with still a backlog of up to 2.5 million accounts of younger children awaiting action. The 233-page complaint noted that attorney generals alleged that compulsive use of Facebook or Instagram by teens and children can cause physical and mental harm. The case is based on snippets of emails, earnings call transcripts and other internal communications. The mentioned documents served as evidence which suggested how valuable personal information and time of young users are to the company. As quoted by reports, a Meta spokesperson said in a statement on Monday: "The complaint mischaracterizes our work using selective quotes and cherry-picked documents." (With inputs from agencies)

Meta intentionally allowed children to hold accounts and get addicted, lawsuit alleges

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