Technology category, Page 13
AI companies pledge to develop tech safely at AI summit, countries agree on safety institutes
SEOUL, South Korea — Leading artificial intelligence companies made a fresh pledge at a mini-summit Tuesday to develop AI safely, while world leaders agreed to build a network of publicly backed safety institutes to advance research and testing of the technology. Google, Meta and OpenAI were among the companies that...
Former OpenAI leader: Safety has ‘taken a backseat’ at the AI company
A former OpenAI leader who resigned from the company this week said Friday that safety has “taken a backseat to shiny products” at the influential artificial intelligence company. Jan Leike, who ran OpenAI’s “Super Alignment” team alongside a company co-founder who also resigned this week, wrote in a series of...
Billionaire Frank McCourt says he’s putting together a consortium to buy TikTok
Billionaire businessman and real estate mogul Frank McCourt said he’s putting together a consortium to purchase TikTok’s U.S. business, adding to the number of investors hoping to benefit from a new federal law that requires TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the popular platform or face a ban. The announcement,...
Google’s unleashes AI in search, raising hopes for better results and fears about less web traffic
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Google on Tuesday rolled out a retooled search engine that will frequently favor responses crafted by artificial intelligence over website links, a shift promising to quicken the quest for information while also potentially disrupting the flow of money-making internet traffic. The makeover announced at Google’s annual...
Lawmakers issue ultimatum to tech platforms over data privacy
WASHINGTON — For years Congress has held dozens of hearings aiming to enact laws on data privacy and kids’ online safety, and to curb the freewheeling collection and sale of Americans’ data without enacting any substantial legislation. The frustration is showing. Two House lawmakers, who direct blame squarely at tech...
Technology crushing human creativity? Apple’s new iPad ad has struck a nerve onlineVideo
NEW YORK — A newly released ad promoting Apple’s new iPad Pro has struck quite a nerve online. The ad, which was released by the tech giant Tuesday, shows a hydraulic press crushing just about every creative instrument artists and consumers have used over the years — from a piano...
TikTok to start labeling AI-generated content as technology becomes more universal
TikTok will begin labeling content created using artificial intelligence when it’s been uploaded from outside its own platform in an attempt to combat misinformation. “AI enables incredible creative opportunities, but can confuse or mislead viewers if they don’t know content was AI-generated,” the company said in a prepared statement Thursday....
Apple’s biggest announcements from its iPad event: brighter screen, faster chips and the Pencil ProVideo
CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple on Tuesday unveiled its next generation of iPad Pros and Airs — models that will boast faster processors, new sizes and a new display system as part of the company’s first update to its tablet lineup in more than a year. The showcase at Apple’s headquarters...
How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat
SAN FRANCISCO — If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form? Starting in 2017, when the Chinese social...
Net neutrality restored as FCC votes to regulate internet providers
SAN FRANCISCO — The FCC on Thursday restored “net neutrality” rules that prevent broadband internet providers such as Comcast and AT&T from favoring some sites and apps over others. The move effectively reinstates a net neutrality order the commission first issued in 2015 during the Obama administration; under then-President Donald...
Will TikTok survive in the U.S.? ‘It’s not over till it’s over’
The clock is ticking on the fate of the wildly popular TikTok social media app after the U.S. Senate voted this week in favor of legislation that could potentially result in its ban in the United States, and a local lawmaker and an IT expert have differing opinions on concerns...
Microsoft and Amazon face scrutiny from UK competition watchdog over recent AI deals
LONDON — British competition regulators said Wednesday they’ll scrutinize recent artificial intelligence deals by Microsoft and Amazon over concerns that the moves could thwart competition in the AI industry. The Competition and Markets Authority said it’s looking into Microsoft’s partnership with France’s Mistral AI and the company’s hiring of key...
Bitcoin’s latest ‘halving’ has arrived. Here’s what you need to know
NEW YORK — The “miners” who chisel bitcoins out of complex mathematics are taking a 50% pay cut — effectively reducing new production of the world’s largest cryptocurrency, again. Bitcoin’s latest “halving” appeared to occur Friday night. Soon after the highly anticipated event, the price of bitcoin held steady at...
Instagram begins blurring nudity in messages to protect teens and fight sexual extortion
LONDON — Instagram says it’s deploying new tools to protect young people and combat sexual extortion, including a feature that will automatically blur nudity in direct messages. The social media platform said in a blog post Thursday that it’s testing out the features as part of its campaign to fight...
FCC plans to restore net neutrality repealed by Trump administration
WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday said it plans to vote later this month to restore the principle of net neutrality adopted during the Obama administration but repealed under Donald Trump. “After the prior administration abdicated authority over broadband services, the FCC has been handcuffed from acting to...
Google to purge billions of files containing personal data in settlement of Chrome privacy case
SAN FRANCISCO — Google has agreed to purge billions of records containing personal information collected from more than 136 million people in the U.S. surfing the internet through its Chrome web browser. The massive housecleaning comes as part of a settlement in a lawsuit accusing the search giant of illegal...
Kia recalls over 427,000 Telluride SUVs because they might roll away while parked
NEW YORK — Kia is recalling more than 427,000 of its Telluride SUVs due to a defect that may cause the cars to roll away while they’re parked. According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft of certain 2020-2024 Tellurides...
AT&T data breach impacts 70 million with unknown amounts of information leaked
The personal information of more than 70 million current and former AT&T customers was leaked after a data breach that occurred two weeks ago, the company announced Saturday. Information could have included names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, email addresses, mailing addresses and AT&T account numbers and passcodes, according to...
Trump’s social media company approved to go public, potentially netting former president billions
NEW YORK — Donald Trump is returning to the stock market, and the former president stands to reap a sizeable payout in the process. Shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded shell company, approved a deal to merge with the Trump’s media business in a Friday vote. That...
TikTok creators warn of economic impact if app sees ban, call it a vital space for the marginalized
Alex Pearlman shut the door on dreams of a standup comedy career almost a decade ago, pivoting from the stage to an office cubicle where he worked a customer service job. Then he started posting random jokes and commentary about pop culture and politics on TikTok. Just over 2.5 million...
Across the U.S., batteries and green energies like wind and solar combine for major climate solution
In the Arizona desert, a Danish company is building a massive solar farm that includes batteries that charge when the sun is shining and supply energy back to the electric grid when it’s not. Combining batteries with green energy is a fast-growing climate solution. “Solar farms only produce when the...
What to know about the bill that could ban TikTok
WASHINGTON — TikTok once again finds itself in a precarious position as lawmakers in Washington move forward with a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban on the platform. The House on Wednesday passed legislation that would ban TikTok if its China-based owner ByteDance doesn’t sell its stakes in...
House passes a bill that could lead to a TikTok ban if Chinese owner refuses to sellVideo
WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn’t sell, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company’s current ownership structure is a national security threat. The bill, passed by a vote...
House Republicans move ahead with TikTok vote even as Trump voices opposition to possible ban
NEW YORK — House Republicans are moving ahead with a bill that would require Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban in the United States even as former President Donald Trump is voicing opposition to the effort. House leadership has scheduled a vote on the measure for...
Most teens report feeling happy or peaceful when they go without smartphones, Pew survey finds
Nearly three-quarters of U.S. teens say they feel happy or peaceful when they don’t have their phones with them, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. In a survey published Monday, Pew also found that despite the positive associations with going phone-free, most teens have not limited...
