Tag: tech

Meta to appeal over tough EU curbs on digital giants

BRUSSELS, Nov 15, 2023 (AFP) – Facebook owner Meta said on Wednesday that it would appeal the inclusion of its Messenger and Marketplace products in tough curbs on digital giants that the EU unveiled in September. Brussels is working through a dense legislative agenda to build tougher regulation of big tech, arguing it needs to protect European consumers online and to encourage competition in an industry dominated by US giants. In early September, it announced […]

Musk teases AI chatbot ‘Grok,’ with real-time access to X

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 4, 2023 (AFP) – Elon Musk on Saturday unveiled details of his new AI tool called “Grok,” which can access X in real time and will be initially available to the social media platform’s top tier of subscribers. Musk, the tycoon behind Tesla and SpaceX, said the link-up with X, formerly known as Twitter, is “a massive advantage over other models” of generative AI. Grok “loves sarcasm. I have no idea who […]

Musk’s xAI to release first AI model to ‘select group’

WASHINGTON, Nov 3, 2023 (AFP) – Elon Musk said his new artificial intelligence company would release a new AI model on Saturday to a “select group” of users as he looks to rival industry leaders OpenAI and Google. The release would be the first from Musk’s new startup, xAI, that he launched in July after hiring researchers from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Tesla and the University of Toronto. “Tomorrow, xAI will release its first AI to […]

YouTube takes aim at teens bingeing on body image videos

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 2, 2023 (AFP) – YouTube on Thursday said it tweaked its recommendation system in the United States to prevent teens from bingeing on videos idealizing certain body types. The move comes about a week after dozens of US states accused Facebook and Instagram owner Meta of profiting “from children’s pain,” damaging their mental health and misleading people about the safety of its platforms. YouTube’s video recommendation engine has been targeted over time […]

White House 2024: AI threatens to ‘supercharge’ disinformation

By Anuj CHOPRA WASHINGTON, Nov 3, 2023 (AFP) – From fabricated images of Donald Trump’s arrest to a video depicting a dystopian future under Joe Biden, the 2024 White House race faces a firehose of tech-enabled disinformation in what is widely billed as America’s first AI election. Campaigners on both sides of the US political aisle are harnessing advanced tools powered by artificial intelligence, which many tech experts view as a double-edged sword. AI programs […]

Taiwan to probe firms over Huawei chip plants in China

TAIPEI, Oct 5, 2023 (AFP) – Taipei has said it will investigate if Taiwanese firms that helped Huawei build semiconductor factories violated US sanctions against the Chinese tech giant. Huawei, a leader in 5G telecom equipment, has been at the centre of the intensifying US-China rivalry over advanced tech in recent years. The United States and its allies have curtailed its access to major markets and advanced tech — including chip making — over fears […]

Trial of disgraced crypto star Bankman-Fried begins

By Thomas URBAIN NEW YORK, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of one of cryptocurrency’s biggest exchanges, began Tuesday with a jury set to determine if he committed massive fraud by stealing billions of dollars from clients. The 31-year-old — once one of the most respected figures in crypto — now faces decades in prison and could see his name stand alongside Bernie Madoff and Elizabeth Holmes as the […]

Meta plans to charge Europeans for ad free Facebook and Instagram: source

WASHINGTON, Oct 3, 2023 (AFP) – Meta is proposing to offer European users a subscription-based version of Instagram and Facebook if they would rather not be tracked for ads, a source said on Tuesday. The idea, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as the social media giant seeks to comply with a growing list of EU regulations designed to curb the power of US big tech. The company founded by Mark Zuckerberg makes […]

Toyota factories in Japan hit by massive glitch

TOKYO, Aug 29, 2023 (AFP) – Toyota said Tuesday it halted operations at 12 of its 14 factories in Japan due to a system glitch, but that it did not appear to be a cyberattack. The world’s biggest automaker refrained from discussing other details of the incident, which began Tuesday morning. “Twelve vehicle factories, affecting 25 lines, are not able to process orders for parts due to a system glitch… At this point, we believe […]

Google testing AI news writing tool

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (Google is working with news publishers to design a new AI-backed tool to help journalists report and write their stories, the company said on Thursday. The project was first reported by The New York Times, which is working with The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal in testing the new product. Citing anonymous sources, the report said the tool — known internally as Genesis — was in an early testing […]

Meta challenges OpenAI and Google with open-source AI

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook owner Meta on Tuesday released a new and free-of-charge version of its artificial intelligence model, making a play against ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Google. OpenAI and Google have developed the impressive large language models that serve as the foundations of the ChatGPT and Bard chatbots, which have drawn excitement with their capabilities to mimic human creativity and expertise. Meta meanwhile has avoided releasing generative AI products straight to the […]

EU ‘enforcer’ visits Twitter, Meta as new rules loom

By Alex PIGMAN Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, 2023 (AFP) – The EU commissioner in charge of enforcing Europe’s new landmark rules on online content is heading to San Francisco on Thursday to ensure that the big platforms are ready. The two-day visit by Thierry Breton comes just weeks before the European Union’s Digital Service Act (DSA) comes into full force for the world’s biggest platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, […]