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In today's Techpresso:

🤖 Apple leaks tabletop robot prototype

🫠 UK government demands Apple backdoor to encrypted cloud data

📱 New iPhone SE possibly launching next week

🚫 US lawmakers want DeepSeek banned from government devices

🏴‍☠️ Meta allegedly pirated 81.7TB of books to train AI

💸 Amazon to invest over $100B in AI this year

🎁 + 11 other news you might like

🔮 + 3 handpicked research papers and tools

🤖 Apple leaks tabletop robot prototype LINK

Apple is reportedly developing a tabletop robot for home use, as revealed in a blog post on the company's Machine Learning Research site, which was first noticed by MacRumors.

The robot prototype features expressive movements and interactive capabilities, including responding to voice commands and gestures, and is equipped with a camera, speaker, projector, and LED light.

Apple's potential tabletop robot could serve as a personal assistant with Siri, a FaceTime calling device, and a smart home control center, with a possible release in 2026 or 2027 and an estimated price of $1,000.

🫠 UK government demands Apple backdoor to encrypted cloud data LINK

The UK government has reportedly demanded Apple create a backdoor for global access to users' encrypted iCloud backups under the UK's Investigatory Powers Act of 2016.

Apple plans to cease offering its Advanced Data Protection service in the UK in response to the demand, though this action does not fulfill the UK’s requirements for accessing users' files globally.

Security officials in the UK argue that end-to-end encryption aids criminals, while Apple and other tech companies have resisted similar demands, citing the importance of user privacy and security.

📱 New iPhone SE possibly launching next week LINK

Reliable sources indicate that Apple's budget-friendly iPhone SE, priced at $429, may receive a new update as soon as next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature a design akin to the iPhone 14, incorporating a display notch with Face ID and a USB-C port.

While the internal specifications remain unclear, the device may include an OLED display, a single-lens rear camera, and potentially be powered by an A17 Pro or A18 chip with 8GB of RAM.

🚫 US lawmakers want DeepSeek banned from government devices LINK

U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Darin LaHood plan to introduce legislation called the "No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act" to ban the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek from federal devices.

Security expert findings indicate that DeepSeek's code sends user data directly to China Mobile, a government-owned entity, raising national security concerns and prompting comparisons to the TikTok ban.

The US Navy and NASA have already banned DeepSeek, while Texas is the only state with similar restrictions, and countries like Italy, South Korea, and Australia have already prohibited the app.

🏴‍☠️ Meta allegedly pirated 81.7TB of books to train AI LINK

Meta faces accusations from book authors for illegally using pirated books to train its AI models, supported by newly unsealed emails in a copyright case.

The unredacted emails reveal Meta downloaded at least 81.7 terabytes of data, including pirated books from LibGen and Z-Library, using the site Anna’s Archive.

Despite concerns about copyright infringement, Meta resisted authors' discovery attempts, but evidence gathering continued, highlighting internal discomfort over legal risks.

💸 Amazon to invest over $100B in AI this year LINK

Amazon plans to invest over $100 billion in artificial intelligence by 2025, with most of the funds directed towards enhancing its AWS cloud services, according to CEO Andy Jassy.

This investment marks a significant increase from Amazon's expected $75 billion expenditure in 2024, as the company anticipates growing demand for AI despite potential cost reductions.

Other technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet, and Microsoft, are also committing substantial capital to AI, with investments aimed at capitalizing on increased usage and new applications.

Other news you might like

• Google faked Gemini AI output in Super Bowl ad LINK

• Rocket Report: Another hiccup with SpaceX upper stage; Japan’s H3 starts strong LINK

• GitHub Copilot brings mockups to life by generating code from images LINK

• Google's Magic Editor will watermark its AI-tweaked photos LINK

• Softbank to invest $40 billion in OpenAI at $260 billion valuation, reports LINK

• Mistral AI's Le Chat update brings up to 1,000 words per second responses and new mobile apps LINK

• OpenAI co-founder John Schulman leaves Anthropic to join OpenAI ex-CTO Mira Murati's startup LINK

• AI datasets have human values blind spots: New research LINK

• Malicious apps on Android and iOS scan screenshots to steal cryptocurrencies LINK

• Bill Gates 'Stunned' by Intel's Decline LINK

Latest research and tools

GITHUB • 206 points View Source
Copilot stops working on code that contains hardcoded banned words from GitHub (2023): Copilot: an AI-driven coding assistant that stops functioning if code contains certain banned words, ensuring compliance with community guidelines.

GITHUB • 104 points View Source
R1 Computer Use: R1 Computer Use: an experimental project that uses large-scale Reinforcement Learning to train agents for interacting effectively with computer environments like file systems and web browsers by employing a neural reward model for action verification.

GITHUB • 90 points View Source
AI by Hand Exercises in Excel: AI by Hand Exercises in Excel: a collection of exercises designed to help users learn artificial intelligence concepts step-by-step by using Excel as a hands-on tool, making AI more accessible and understandable without requiring complex programming knowledge.

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