Field: Big Tech
In a future with brain-computer interfaces like Elon Musk’s Neuralink, we may need to rethink freedom of thought
In a future with more "mind reading," thanks to computer-brain interfaces, we may need to rethink freedom of thought.
OpenAI and Microsoft are reportedly planning a $100B supercomputer
Microsoft is reportedly planning to build a $100 billion data center and supercomputer, called "Stargate," for OpenAI.
Sam Altman on the future of AI
In the Davos session, "Technology in a Turbulent World," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman explained where he sees AI heading.
Google AI is searching the world for methane leaks from space
Google will provide computing resources to MethaneSAT, a project to identify climate-harming methane leaks from space.
OpenAI’s text-to-video AI, Sora, is futurism come to life
Sora will let anyone transform their ideas directly into video and the implications are breathtaking.
Google’s Lumiere has created a new paradigm for text-to-video AI
Google's new text-to-video model, Lumiere, promises a new architecture that will make video AI models more modern and powerful.
Google’s Gemini Ultra AI has been released
Google just made its most capable generative AI — Gemini Ultra — available to the public, while killing the “Bard” brand.
AI is here – and everywhere: 3 AI researchers look to the challenges ahead in 2024
AI scholars look ahead to 2024 and describe the issues developers, regulators, and everyday people are likely to face.
6 tech trends at CES 2024 that are shaping the future
From AI to health and the metaverse, these tech trends promise to change our lives long after the excitement of the newest TV wears off.
Are modern cars keeping us safe, or invading our privacy? Or both?
Modern cars have cameras to track your speed, your lane position, and if you're distracted, all in the name of safety. What about privacy?
Microsoft is training an AI to help get nuclear reactors approved
Microsoft is training an AI to generate the paperwork needed to get next-gen nuclear reactors approved by regulators.
Supercomputer uses machine learning to set new speed record
Frontier, the ORNL supercomputer, used machine learning to set a new speed record of 9.95 quintillion calculations per second.
Google’s new Gemini AI beats GPT-4 in 30 of 32 tests
Tech giant Google has unveiled the multimodal Gemini AI, its “largest and most capable” AI model ever released.
Technology expert tells us why the AI “doomer” narrative is all wrong
Alex Kantrowitz believes “doomerism” is born of our misplaced and exaggerated human propensity for fear. Plus, fear sells.
Should you charge your phone overnight? Will “overcharging” make it explode?
Does prolonged (or overnight) charging wreak havoc on your phone battery? An expert answers this and other common battery questions.
Hackers get AI to share credit card info and endorse hate speech
At DEFCON 2023, ethical hackers targeted generative AIs by OpenAI, Google, and other tech leaders to aid responsible AI development.
Apple has reportedly built its own ChatGPT
Apple is reportedly exploring the potential of generative AI, but hasn't decided how to incorporate the tech into its products yet.
Open-source “Davids” are taking on GPT-4 and other Goliaths
Powerful tech companies keep LLMs like GPT-4 shrouded in secrecy. But a new wave of open-source LLMs is giving the power of chatbots to the people.
Your smartphone may become a thermometer
Researchers at the University of Washington are developing an app that can turn the ubiquitous smartphone into an accurate thermometer.
Neuralink’s monkey can play Pong with its mind. Elon Musk says human trials are next.
If Neuralink’s monkey can play Pong with its mind, imagine what humans could do with the same technology in just a few years.
To fear AI is to fear Newton and Einstein. There are no “dragons” here.
Who’s afraid of utopia? AI doubters have cold feet. History can warm them.
Apple Vision Pro wasn’t the only major announcement at WWDC23
On Day 1 of WWDC23, Apple announced three new Macs, several new operating systems, and the world’s most powerful personal computer chip.
Apple announces the Vision Pro XR headset
Apple has unveiled the Vision Pro, a VR/AR headset, at their annual WorldWide Developers Conference.
4 dangers of artificial intelligence—and why they won’t end the world
AI doomsday fears are vague. This framework for the future of AI offers concrete solutions.
What AI can teach us about copyright and fair use
A copyright lawyer and fair use expert weighs in on the legal implications of these new AI technologies.
How to stop runaway AI
Professor Stuart J. Russell warns that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity unless we can ensure that these systems remain aligned with human values and goals.
Insiders say Apple is building an “AI health coach”
Tech giant Apple is developing an app with an AI health coach to help you live a healthier lifestyle, according to a Bloomberg report.
Google chatbot “Bard” can now code in 20 languages
Google has rolled out a suite of coding capabilities for Bard AI in 20 different programming languages.
AI chatbots don’t actually “know” anything. Can we fix that?
New AI models, called ALMs, could help chatbots stay connected to reality.
ChatGPT: why it will probably remain just a tool that does inefficient work more efficiently
ChatGPT could do inefficient tasks more efficiently — but that doesn't answer the question of whether the tasks are worth doing at all.
Technology over the long run: See how dramatically the world can change within a lifetime
Bringing to mind how dramatically the world has changed can help us see how different the world could be in a few years or decades.
GPT-4 is surprisingly good at explaining jokes
OpenAI's latest language model can grasp visual jokes, too.
How Stripe is using GPT-4 to fight fraud
Stripe has incorporated OpenAI’s large language model GPT-4 into their business.
Microsoft unveils AI Copilot for its 365 apps
Microsoft has just unveiled Copilot, a new AI-based tool for its Microsoft 365 apps, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
You can run this text-generating AI on your own devices, no giant servers needed
By fine-tuning a large language model, Stanford researchers have created a text-generating AI you can run for a fraction of the price.
7 creative ways people are already using GPT-4
Users are already demonstrating the wide array of uses the new AI tool may have.
Starlink: SpaceX’s new internet service could be a gamechanger in Africa
SpaceX’s Starlink service is slowly arriving in Africa, starting with Nigeria and Rwanda. It could be a game-changer.
Apple has a secret project to help people with diabetes
Apple is developing tech that could put noninvasive blood glucose monitoring right into its smartwatches, according to a Bloomberg report.
ChatGPT versus AI-enabled Bing. How do they differ?
Microsoft has integrated an AI language tool into its Bing search engine that it claims is more powerful than ChatGPT.
Amazon TVs can now stream directly to cochlear implants
Amazon is making it possible for people with hearing impairments to stream audio from its smart TVs directly into their cochlear implants.
Microsoft adds “AI copilot” to Edge web browser
Microsoft is incorporating the tech behind ChatGPT into its Edge web browser, giving users an "AI copilot" to assist them on the internet.
Google announces Bard, a ChatGPT-like AI (Updated)
Google has announced Bard, a conversational AI similar to ChatGPT, and plans to integrate similar AI into its search platform “soon.”
Twitter’s founder donated a quarter of a million to a new social media app
Jack Dorsey has donated 14 bitcoins to Nostr, a decentralized protocol on top of which developers can build apps, such as a social network.
The biggest AI breakthroughs of the last year
Last year saw breakthroughs from AI tools such as ChatGPT, DeepMind, and DALL-E, which generate text and code.
Why 2023 will be “the year of mixed reality”
Mixed reality, in which immersive virtual content is seamlessly combined with our physical world, is set to transform the world.
Will 2023 be the year of the private social network?
Many tech leaders think the future of social media is private social networks, not the public squares that previously dominated.
Scientists use laser beam to divert lightning strikes
Since the time of Benjamin Franklin, we’ve looked for ways to control, or at least deflect, lightning strikes. Enter laser-guided lightning.
Sony announces new adaptive PlayStation controller
Sony has announced a new, “out of the box” adaptive PlayStation controller, dubbed Project Leonardo.
Deepfake audio has a tell – researchers use fluid dynamics to spot artificial imposter voices
Audio deepfakes potentially pose a huge threat, as people often communicate via phone calls, radio, and voice recordings.
From CDs to NFTs: Starbucks’ surprising history of embracing new tech
Starbucks’ newly-announced blockchain platform is just the latest example of the chain’s early embracement of tech.
Starlink turns on coverage over Iran to bypass censorship
Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet is active over Iran, but the terminals to access it must make it inside the country.
Meta can (kinda) guess what you’ve heard via your brain waves
Meta has created an AI that can tell what you’re hearing based on non-invasive brain scan measurements.
How to be a techno-optimist
Technology will not save the world, and it is inherently neither good nor bad. But, when tech is coupled to human virtue, good will prevail.
Apple Watch now approved to track Parkinson’s symptoms
Apple Watch motion data will now be incorporated into Rune Labs’ StrivePD app, which tracks Parkinson’s symptoms.
A more efficient way of urban mining gold
Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology say they have developed the world’s most efficient way of urban mining gold
Bluetooth hack breaks into cars and smart locks
Researchers in the UK have identified a vulnerability in Bluetooth-based locks, including Kwikset smart locks and Teslas.
From robotic dogs to magnetic slime: 6 ways robots are helping humans
Robots are helping humans in a growing number of places - from archaeological sites to disaster zones to sewers.
Google Maps’ “Immersive View” shows cities in a whole new way
Combining satellite and Street View images, Google Maps’ “immersive view” will let you explore select neighborhoods soon.
Should we build high-speed public WiFi into street lights?
Better public WiFi networks could be created by broadcasting signals over the 60 GHz frequency band from transmitters attached to light poles.
Google Career Certificate programs are now free for US businesses
Google has announced a new Career Certificate program and a plan to give any US business $100,000 in free tech training.
What will happen if Elon Musk does buy Twitter? (Updated)
Billionaire Elon Musk is trying to buy Twitter, and if successful, he plans to make several major changes to the social media giant.
Computer scientists explain how to stop smart devices from spying on you
"Smart" appliances tempt you with useless conveniences, but myriad privacy violations lie just beneath their shiny exterior.
What is 3G and why is it being shut down? An electrical engineer explains
3G networks are built using completely different equipment and algorithms than its newer replacements.
4 things you need to know about the metaverse
Technology that merges the virtual and physical worlds could start to become a reality for consumers in just a few years.
Starlink lands in Ukraine
Starlink satellite internet service has been established in Ukraine.
Airbnb offering free temporary housing to refugees of Russo-Ukrainian war
Airbnb has announced that it will help temporarily house up to 100,000 refugees of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Microsoft posts video of DIY laptop teardown
In response to pressure from right-to-repair advocates, Microsoft has released a new teardown video for its Surface Laptop SE.
We can now explore Meta’s first virtual world
Meta (formerly Facebook) has opened up access to Horizon Worlds, its virtual world for the metaverse, to all adults in the U.S. and Canada.
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Challengers
Shipping is broken. Flexport’s CEO has a plan to fix the supply chain
Supply chains are collapsing under pressure. Can new technology make them resilient?
Traditional colleges are recognizing Google career certificates
Google career certificates are now being accepted for college credit at some universities, helping students obtain degrees more cheaply.
Apple finally agrees you have a right to repair its tech
In a reversal of its previous stance on the right to repair, Apple is now giving customers access to parts and tools for DIY repairs.
Fashion, art, and games: here’s what a decentralized metaverse could mean
The idea of the metaverse has gone from the realm of science fiction to the latest business model of major companies from Facebook to Nike.
Data centers need to be greener — Microsoft is leading the way
Microsoft’s plan for sustainable data centers includes more renewable energy, better temperature control, and new construction materials.
Billionaire plans to build a block-chain Facebook alternative
Billionaire entrepreneur Frank McCourt is funding Project Liberty, a new blockchain-based technology that decentralizes users’ social media data.
Meta is here — and it’s a big deal
Meta and other companies are building the next-level digital world right now — and this will completely change how we interact with each other.
Facebook robot winds fiber-optic cable around power lines
A Facebook robot that wraps fiber-optic cables around power lines could help bridge the digital divide by expanding internet access.
Google unveils “magic window” for 3D video chat
Google’s Project Starline is a new 3D video chat technology designed to make online communication feel more like real life.
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Catalysts
Research grants, the silicon valley way
In partnership with Stand Together
What if there was a way to fast-forward innovation? An economist and tech billionaire recently joined forces to make research grants available within 14 days.
Underwater data center could lead to a more reliable internet
After spending two years on the ocean’s floor, Microsoft’s underwater data center had a much lower server failure rate than land-based data centers.
Google announces cheaper alternatives to college degrees
Google’s new certificate program provides alternatives to college degrees that are cheaper to obtain, but potentially worth the same in the job market.
How thread became critical in a pandemic
In partnership with SAP
Tech giants have teamed up to help innovate the PPE supply chain and lessen the risk of future shortages, starting with the world's leading thread supplier.
Fighting child exploitation with big data
In partnership with Palantir
Last year, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received 18 million reports of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. Now, they’re using a new technology to confront this issue with the force necessary to eradicate it.
Getting aerial ridesharing off the ground
It’s been the ultimate futuristic dream for decades: flying cars! But now, the future finally has a deadline. At least to start, it will land in the form of a small air taxi operated by Uber, not something you’ll park in your garage.
A quiet revolution in trucking
In partnership with SAP
She’s a veteran, a single mom, and a trucker, who used to have to wait around for hours for her cargo. Now, a revolutionary solution from SAP and Uber Freight is getting her back on the road and home to her son sooner.