Organisms Created in Laboratory Are “Third State” Beyond Life and Death, Scientists Say
By NEOSCOPE Published on September 14, 2024 “The third state challenges how scientists typically understand cell behavior.” Over the past several years, scientists have repeatedly demonstrated that the cells of various organisms can be repurposed into biological robots, representing stunning advancements in the field of synthetic biology. Some types, like anthrobots, […]
Billionaire Larry Ellison says a vast AI-fueled surveillance system can ensure ‘citizens will be on their best behavior’
By Business Insider Published on September 10, 2024 Walking down a suburban neighborhood street already feels like a Ring doorbell panopticon. But this is only the start of our surveillance dystopia, according to Larry Ellison, the billionaire cofounder of Oracle. He said AI will usher in a new era of surveillance that […]
42 state attorneys general demand a Surgeon General warning label for social media apps
By CNN Business Published on September 10, 2024 It’s hard to get 42 states to agree on much. But a bipartisan group of attorneys general on Tuesday demanded that Congress require Surgeon General warning labels on social media apps to help curtail addiction and a mental health crisis among young adults. “As […]
Google’s Breakup Is Starting to Get Priced In
By The Wall Street Journal Published on September 14, 2024 The federal government is a long way from actually breaking Google up. Investors are starting to treat the possibility as a foregone conclusion. The trial for the Justice Department’s second antitrust case against the internet titan started Monday. That comes a month […]
Science Editors Raise New Doubts on Meta’s Claims It Isn’t Polarizing
By The Wall Street Journal Published on September 26, 2024 Meta Platforms claims that Facebook doesn’t polarize Americans came under new doubt as the journal Science raised questions about a prominent research paper the tech giant has cited to support its position. In an editorial Thursday, Science said that Meta’s emergency efforts to […]
Instagram makes all teen accounts private, in a highly scrutinized push for child safety
By npr Published on September 17, 2024 Instagram on Tuesday unveiled a round of changes that will make the accounts of millions of teenagers private, enhance parental supervision and set messaging restrictions as the default in an effort to shield kids from harm. Meta said users under 16 will now need a […]
The Geniuses in Nevada’s Government Are Letting a Half-Baked AI Decide Whether People Should Get Unemployment Benefits
By The Byte Published on September 12, 2024 Despite little evidence that it’s a good idea, Nevada is moving forward with plans to use artificial intelligence to decide who gets unemployment benefits. In an interview with Gizmodo, the director of Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation agency — which, yes, is ironically […]
What the heck is the Global Digital Compact and why is it so important?
By WIRED Published on August 08, 2024 You may not have heard of the Global Digital Compact yet, but if you are interested in tech policy, you will have by September. It’s one of three international agreements expected to be approved during this fall’s global Summit of The Future event at the UN. The two-day […]
Scientist Claims His AI Can Tell Disturbing Things About You Just by Looking at Your Face
By The Byte Published on August 06, 2024 A Stanford University psychologist named Michal Kosinski claims that AI he’s built can detect your intelligence, sexual preferences, and political leanings with a great degree of accuracy just by scanning your face, Business Insider reports. Needless to say, Kosinski’s work raises many ethical questions. Is […]