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Showing posts from August, 2024

A bill to protect performers from unauthorized AI heads to California governor

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A bill to protect performers from unauthorized AI heads to California governor https://ift.tt/MGqTyEd California Assembly Bill 2602 would regulate the use of generative AI for performers – not only those on-screen in films, TV and streaming series but also audiobooks and video games. (Image credit: Justin Sullivan)

Why the U.S. isn't ready for wars of the future, according to experts

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Why the U.S. isn't ready for wars of the future, according to experts https://ift.tt/Q5IgByG These experts argue technological developments have changed warfare more in the past several years than the decades spanning from the introduction of the airplane. (Image credit: Anton Petrus)

Brazil's Supreme Court judge suspends X in the country

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Brazil's Supreme Court judge suspends X in the country https://ift.tt/q0R2JBL A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has ordered the suspension of Elon Musk's social media giant X in Brazil after the tech billionaire refused to name a legal representative in the country. (Image credit: Eraldo Peres)

How AI-generated memes are changing the 2024 election

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How AI-generated memes are changing the 2024 election https://ift.tt/AMVkf3l Donald Trump has repeatedly shared AI-generated content on social media in the latest example of how artificial intelligence is showing up in the 2024 election. (Image credit: @TRUMP_ARMY/screenshot by NPR)

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov indicted in France

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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov indicted in France https://ift.tt/4xyJpbL The Russian-born tech billionaire was arrested by French authorities on Saturday. Prosecutors in Paris had been questioning him in connection with an investigation focused on drug trafficking (Image credit: Tatan Syuflana)

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov transferred to French court for ‘possible indictment’

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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov transferred to French court for ‘possible indictment’ https://ift.tt/4xyJpbL The Russian-born tech billionaire was arrested by French authorities on Saturday. Prosecutors in Paris had been questioning him in connection with an investigation focused on drug trafficking (Image credit: Tatan Syuflana)

Will the U.S. go after Telegram, too?

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Will the U.S. go after Telegram, too? https://ift.tt/879iEom France's move to arrest Telegram founder Pavel Durov -- after the app has been on the radar of governments for years -- is raising questions about whether the U.S. might follow suit.

Australia is the latest country to give workers the 'right to disconnect' after hours

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Australia is the latest country to give workers the 'right to disconnect' after hours https://ift.tt/R0Q42JU Australia is the latest country to protect workers who ignore work calls and messages after hours, under certain circumstances. The "right to disconnect" hasn't caught on in the U.S. just yet.

Preserving humanity in the age of robots

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Preserving humanity in the age of robots https://ift.tt/UOVniKQ Human beings are hardwired for social connection – so much so that we think of even the most basic objects as having feelings or experiences. (Yup, we're talking to you, Roomba owners!) Social robots add a layer to this. They're designed to make us feel like they're our friends. They can do things like care for children, the elderly or act as partners. But there's a darker side to them, too. They may encourage us to opt out of authentic, real-life connections, making us feel more isolated. Today on the show, host Regina G. Barber explores the duality of social robots with Eve Herold , author of the book Robots and the People Who Love Them . Curious about other innovations in technology? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

French officials question Telegram CEO about child sexual abuse images and drugs

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French officials question Telegram CEO about child sexual abuse images and drugs https://ift.tt/4JnXW7N Authorities in Paris said on Monday that Durov is being held on questions stemming from an investigation into criminal activity on the app, including the spread of child pornography and facilitating the selling of illegal drugs. (Image credit: Tatan Syuflana)

Telegram's CEO has been arrested

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Telegram's CEO has been arrested https://ift.tt/Th3ysXz

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France, reports say

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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France, reports say https://ift.tt/6IFwBu0 The Russian-born tech billionaire is a citizen of France and the UAE. Telegram, which he co-founded in 2013, has nearly 1 billion users. It’s known for its hands-off approach to content moderation. (Image credit: Steve Jennings)

DOJ accuses real estate software company of helping landlords collude to raise rents

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DOJ accuses real estate software company of helping landlords collude to raise rents https://ift.tt/bkt5RZp The lawsuit says RealPage’s algorithmic pricing software lets landlords effectively collude and set rents above market rate. The Texas-based company has denied the allegations. (Image credit: Nam Y. Huh)

Meta takes down more accounts tied to Iranian hackers targeting the U.S. election

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Meta takes down more accounts tied to Iranian hackers targeting the U.S. election https://ift.tt/ockRVeO The company says the hackers posed as tech support to target people affiliated with President Biden and Donald Trump, in the latest evidence of Iran’s attempts to influence the 2024 election (Image credit: JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

Scrolling might make you MORE bored, not less

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Scrolling might make you MORE bored, not less https://ift.tt/yf7gYDE Have you ever scrolled through a TikTok without finishing it? Switched between YouTube videos halfway through one or the other? Pressed "fast forward" on a Netflix episode that just wasn't holding your interest? That habit is called "digital switching" — and it might be causing the exact thing you're trying to avoid: boredom. Emily and Regina break that and more of the week's news down with the help of All Things Considered 's Ailsa Chang . Read this study on digital switching and boredom in the Journal of Experimental Psychology . Interested in hearing more psychology news? Email us at shortwave@npr.org . (Image credit: Tippapatt)

Court to decide who can see secret evidence U.S. has filed against TikTok

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Court to decide who can see secret evidence U.S. has filed against TikTok https://ift.tt/ftpRPZc The fate of TikTok in the U.S. will be determined by a high-stakes court hearing set for September. But TikTok is demanding the government turn over its classified documents on the app. (Image credit: Michael Dwyer)

Everyone wants Taylor Swift's vote. But celebrity endorsements are complicated.

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Everyone wants Taylor Swift's vote. But celebrity endorsements are complicated. https://ift.tt/kdGEc7f How much sway do stars really have when it comes to putting the next President in the White House? (Image credit: Evan Agostini)

Ford scraps all-electric SUV plan, saying drivers want hybrids

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Ford scraps all-electric SUV plan, saying drivers want hybrids https://ift.tt/cwZsbmi Ford will write down hundreds of millions of dollars because of the pivot. A key reason for the change, an analyst tells NPR, is that big batteries bring big costs. (Image credit: Mario Tama)

Who are Mike Lynch and the other people missing after a yacht sank in Sicily?

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Who are Mike Lynch and the other people missing after a yacht sank in Sicily? https://ift.tt/IXmTOxr Lynch, a tech entrepreneur, had recently been acquitted on federal fraud charges in the U.S. The yacht he was on, the Bayesian, sank two days after Lynch's co-defendant was killed by a car. (Image credit: Dan Kitwood)

OpenAI says Iranian group using ChatGPT tried to sow division ahead of U.S. election

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OpenAI says Iranian group using ChatGPT tried to sow division ahead of U.S. election https://ift.tt/lBSsURK OpenAI said it banned several ChatGPT accounts that generated fake online articles and comments, adding that the content gained little to no reach. (Image credit: Leon Neal)

U.S. presses the ‘reset button' on technology that lets cars talk to each other

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U.S. presses the ‘reset button' on technology that lets cars talk to each other https://ift.tt/QA2LRkm Safety advocates have long touted the potential of technology that lets vehicles communicate wirelessly. Now the Transportation Department is releasing a new plan that aims to speed up the rollout. (Image credit: Charly Triballeau)

San Francisco lawsuit goes after websites that create sexually explicit 'deepfakes'

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San Francisco lawsuit goes after websites that create sexually explicit 'deepfakes' https://ift.tt/zltZA23 This week, San Francisco filed a lawsuit against some of the largest websites responsible for nonconsensual AI-generated pornography. It seeks to shut the sites down completely.

X’s chatbot can now generate AI images. A lack of guardrails raises election concerns

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X’s chatbot can now generate AI images. A lack of guardrails raises election concerns https://ift.tt/toQZ1vp NPR was able to produce depictions that appear to show ballot drop boxes being stuffed and of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump holding firearms.

TikTok fights for survival in latest filing as ban approaches

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TikTok fights for survival in latest filing as ban approaches https://ift.tt/CsX6Nuo In the latest salvo in the fight over the hit app’s future in the U.S., lawyers for TikTok say the government’s push to ban TikTok is unconstitutional and lacks proof that TikTok is a real security risk. (Image credit: Damian Dovarganes)

Why false claims that a picture of a Kamala Harris rally was AI-generated matter

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Why false claims that a picture of a Kamala Harris rally was AI-generated matter https://ift.tt/tBoATRK “This is a photo of an event in one city on one day,” said one AI researcher. “I mean, what hope do we have to actually tackle complex problems in society if we can't agree on this?” (Image credit: Tamara Keith)

AI is changing video games -- and striking performers want their due

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AI is changing video games -- and striking performers want their due https://ift.tt/Ku0FhLs Performers are on strike against major video game companies, and AI is the sticking point. Here’s how game development has evolved since early animation. (Image credit: Andi Norris)

Meta shutters tool used to fight disinformation, despite outcry

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Meta shutters tool used to fight disinformation, despite outcry https://ift.tt/DU7HOlk The social media company discontinues its CrowdTangle tool, which researchers have used to track misinformation. Amid fears of election interference, lawmakers have urged Meta to keep it running. (Image credit: Justin Sullivan)