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On this day, 54 years ago, the University of Utah joined ARPANet as the fourth and final node of the network's initial design, laying the groundwork for the development of the modern Internet.
Here's the latest tech news from the last 24 hours:
🤖 Klarna freezes hiring because AI can do the job instead
💰 Prominent disinformation scholar accuses Harvard of being influenced by $500m Meta donation
🤝 Meta and IBM form open-source alliance to counter big AI players
👩⚖️ Judge: Amazon “cannot claim shock” that bathroom spycams were used as advertised
📈 US crypto industry lobby spending on track for new record in 2023
🤖 Klarna freezes hiring because AI can do the job insteadLINK
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski has implemented a hiring freeze, anticipating that AI advancements will allow technology to perform tasks previously done by humans.
Despite recently achieving its first quarterly profit in four years and planning for an IPO, Klarna is not recruiting new staff, with Siemiatkowski citing AI's ability to streamline operations and reduce the need for human labor.
The company, which employs over 5,000 people, is already using AI tools to analyze customer service records and automate order disputes.
💰 Prominent disinformation scholar accuses Harvard of being influenced by $500m Meta donationLINK
Joan Donovan, a disinformation researcher, accuses Harvard University of stifling her work following a $500 million donation from Mark Zuckerberg's foundation.
The whistleblower alleges Harvard's actions were influenced by corporate interests, compromising academic freedom and research integrity.
Harvard's Kennedy School denies firing Donovan or allowing donor interference, and states the decision was due to project leadership transitioning to a faculty member.
🤝 Meta and IBM form open-source alliance to counter big AI playersLINK
Meta and IBM have formed the AI Alliance with 50 companies, universities, and other entities to promote responsible, open-sourced AI, positioning themselves as competitors to OpenAI and other leaders in the AI industry. The alliance includes major open-sourced AI models like Llama2, Stable Diffusion, StarCoder, and Bloom, and features notable members such as Hugging Face, Intel, AMD, and various educational institutions. The alliance's objectives also include enhancing AI foundation models, creating responsible AI development tools, and increasing public and regulatory awareness about AI technology's potential and challenges.>
👩⚖️ Judge: Amazon “cannot claim shock” that bathroom spycams were used as advertisedLINK
Amazon faces a lawsuit for selling a hidden camera resembling a towel hook which was used to invade the privacy of a minor.
The judge rejected Amazon's dismissal request, citing product descriptions approved by Amazon that implied the camera was meant for surreptitious recording.
The outcome of the case could have significant implications for Amazon and the legality of selling disguised surveillance cameras.
📈 US crypto industry lobby spending on track for new record in 2023LINK
The cryptocurrency industry is on track to set a new record in federal lobbying spending in 2023, having spent $18.96 million in the first three quarters, surpassing the $16.1 million spent in the same period in 2022. Major crypto firms like Coinbase, Crypto.com, the Blockchain Association, and Binance are leading the lobbying efforts, focusing on repairing reputations and influencing legislation favorable to the industry. The efforts include combating regulatory scrutiny, especially from the SEC, and pushing for the approval of a bitcoin ETF, with notable progress in the House of Representatives on crypto-related bills.
Other news you might like
ChatGPT and J. Robert Oppenheimer dominated Wikipedia views in 2023, highlighting a strong public interest in AI and historical figures.LINK
Cruise faces potential fines for not fully disclosing an accident where its robotaxi dragged a pedestrian, undermining trust and regulatory compliance.LINK
Brain implants helped 5 people recover from traumatic injuries.LINK
23andMe admits hackers accessed data of 6.9 million users, leveraging credential stuffing to exploit the DNA Relatives feature.LINK
University of Michigan researchers propose a method to track space debris smaller than 1mm using electric bursts from collisions.LINK
Visual Electric unveils an AI image generator catering to designers, integrating a non-linear workflow with a spatial generative canvas for creative flexibility.LINK
Mastercard launches Shopping Muse, an AI-powered shopping assistant.LINK
Runway ML partners with Getty Images to create AI video models for Hollywood and advertising, promising enhanced content creation and professional workflows.LINK
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