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Showing posts from June, 2025

Judge OKs sale of 23andMe — and its trove of DNA data — to a nonprofit led by its founder

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Judge OKs sale of 23andMe — and its trove of DNA data — to a nonprofit led by its founder https://ift.tt/sXIQOtz The DNA data of millions of people who used 23andMe's services won't be sold to a pharmaceutical company. A bankruptcy judge greenlighted the sale of the remnants of the firm, including its wealth of genetic data, to a nonprofit led by co-founder Anne Wojcicki. (Image credit: Justin Sullivan)

Click, speak, move: These brain implants are poised to help people with disabilities

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Click, speak, move: These brain implants are poised to help people with disabilities https://ift.tt/kIgCsiy People who can no longer move or speak may soon have a new option: an implanted device that links their brain to a computer. (Image credit: UPMC and Pitt Health Sciences)

Alone in Tehran, a young Iranian turns to ChatGPT and video games for comfort

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Alone in Tehran, a young Iranian turns to ChatGPT and video games for comfort https://ift.tt/I9wfj8m A young shop manager living alone in Iran's capital was panicking during the war with Israel. Her family wasn't nearby. Her therapist had fled. So she turned to an AI chat bot. (Image credit: AFP)

The Trump administration is building a national citizenship data system

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The Trump administration is building a national citizenship data system https://ift.tt/crhQFPT The Department of Homeland Security, with help from DOGE, has rolled out a tool that purports to be able to check the citizenship status of almost all Americans.

Authors petition publishers to curtail their use of AI

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Authors petition publishers to curtail their use of AI https://ift.tt/MPrzNc3 The open letter and accompanying petition asking publishers "to make a pledge that they will never release books that were created by machines" garnered more than 600 signatures within a few hours. (Image credit: imaginima)

As Iran and Israel fought, people turned to AI for facts. They didn't find many

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As Iran and Israel fought, people turned to AI for facts. They didn't find many https://ift.tt/MAUO1zR AI-generated videos of fighting between Iran and Israel went viral, and people asked chatbots if they were real. "What we're seeing is AI mediating the experience of warfare," said one researcher. (Image credit: @hehe_samir )

As Iran and Israel fought, people turned to AI for facts. They didn't find many

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As Iran and Israel fought, people turned to AI for facts. They didn't find many https://ift.tt/u1VK04q It's always been hard to get accurate information about wars. But artificial intelligence tools are making it more challenging as social networks are flooded with fake videos and images.

Obliterated? Damaged? Inoperable? What's known about Iran's nuclear facilities

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Obliterated? Damaged? Inoperable? What's known about Iran's nuclear facilities https://ift.tt/aR6pdTi Iran's nuclear program has been dealt a blow, here's an overview of the current state of its facilities. (Image credit: Maxar Technologies)

In a first-of-its-kind decision, an AI company wins a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by authors

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In a first-of-its-kind decision, an AI company wins a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by authors https://ift.tt/SIjmb2a The ruling opens a potential pathway for AI companies to train large language models on copyrighted works without authors' consent — but only if copies of the works were obtained legally. (Image credit: Richard Drew)

Why America's giant bunker-busting bombs may have failed to reach their target

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Why America's giant bunker-busting bombs may have failed to reach their target https://ift.tt/1EBxzWp Reaching Iran's most fortified nuclear enrichment site is a challenge, even for the world's biggest conventional weapons. (Image credit: 509th Bomb Wing)

The Trump administration is making an unprecedented reach for data held by states

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The Trump administration is making an unprecedented reach for data held by states https://ift.tt/SiAOxf0 States hold troves of sensitive personal data that were previously never shared with the federal government or across federal agencies. The Trump administration is trying to change that. (Image credit: Ronaldo Schmidt)

An AI video ad is making a splash. Is it the future of advertising?

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An AI video ad is making a splash. Is it the future of advertising? https://ift.tt/Zhczxny The over-the-top ad combines the energy of Grand Theft Auto with the drama of the NBA Finals — all created by AI. Is it a sign of things to come? (Image credit: Kalshi via YouTube)

What happened to VR and the metaverse?

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What happened to VR and the metaverse? https://ift.tt/xg28s5F Virtual reality was once promised to be the future of not only video games, but social media. Is that future still possible? NPR's Ailsa Chang talks to Vishal Shah, VP of the Metaverse, to find out.

U.S. will review social media for foreign student visa applications

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U.S. will review social media for foreign student visa applications https://ift.tt/gMjtJfS The U.S. State Department said it is restarting the process for foreigners applying for student visas but all applicants will now be required to unlock their social media accounts for review. (Image credit: Alexander F. Yuan)

Trump will toss TikTok another lifeline, pushing back its sell-by date for a third time

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Trump will toss TikTok another lifeline, pushing back its sell-by date for a third time https://ift.tt/YfbT07n Last year, Congress banned the app in the U.S., citing national security concerns and demanding it spin off from its Chinese owner, ByteDance. Trump said he'll once again pause enforcement of the ban. (Image credit: Kiichiro Sato)

Many offices and professionals see a rise in spam paper faxes

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Many offices and professionals see a rise in spam paper faxes https://ift.tt/DphPT26 These days, faxed documents mostly show up on your computer. But doctors and other professionals still rely on paper faxes. And they're getting lots of spam along with important documents.

Many offices and professionals see a rise in spam paper faxes

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Many offices and professionals see a rise in spam paper faxes https://ift.tt/e3CHIT1 These days, faxed documents mostly show up on your computer. But doctors and other professionals still rely on paper faxes. And they're getting lots of spam along with important documents.

President Trump fires a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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President Trump fires a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission https://ift.tt/rRNUChe Christopher Hanson was appointed to serve on the commission overseeing the nation's nuclear reactors by President Biden in 2020. (Image credit: Mike Stewart)

Top House Democrat asks Microsoft about DOGE code allegedly tied to NLRB data removal

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Top House Democrat asks Microsoft about DOGE code allegedly tied to NLRB data removal https://ift.tt/BNDe6A5 A top House Democrat is asking Microsoft for information about a DOGE staffer's GitHub account connected to whistleblower allegations of sensitive data leaving the National Labor Relations Board. (Image credit: Charlotte Gomez for NPR)

Hong Kong police accuse mobile game of promoting 'armed revolution'

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Hong Kong police accuse mobile game of promoting 'armed revolution' https://ift.tt/S95mZFL The crackdown on the video game and its users is just the latest in what democracy and human rights advocates say is an erosion of Hong Kong's civil rights and freedoms. (Image credit: Ryland Barton)

Dozens of states sue to block the sale of 23andMe personal genetic data

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Dozens of states sue to block the sale of 23andMe personal genetic data https://ift.tt/VOrD8qj States argue that biological samples, DNA data, health-related traits and medical records are too sensitive to be sold without each person's express, informed consent. (Image credit: Barbara Ortutay)

As Apple's annual developer conference starts, many watching for promises made on AI

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As Apple's annual developer conference starts, many watching for promises made on AI https://ift.tt/sYjJMKP Last year, Apple made big promises around AI but couldn't deliver. As its developer conference begins, all eyes will be on the steps it plans to try to catch up in an AI race where it's lagging.

How to win (or lose) a break up on social media

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How to win (or lose) a break up on social media https://ift.tt/681aFbX A lot of us have seen how explosive breakup stories have been on social media. From Reesa Teesa's "Who TF did I marry..." to Spritely's breakup song , these posts have been drawing gasps and gaining traction. But is it harmless fun, or an invasion of privacy? When do your personal stories belong on social media and when do they not? To find out, Brittany is joined by Molly McPherson , crisis PR expert, and Rebecca Jennings , senior correspondent at Vox. They get into what people actually get out of breakup posting - and discuss their theories of poster's etiquette. This episode originally published December 3rd, 2024.

What the Trump-Musk breakup may mean for SpaceX and Tesla

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What the Trump-Musk breakup may mean for SpaceX and Tesla https://ift.tt/xnL75ED From space travel to military operations to the future of green energy, the U.S. has become reliant on Elon Musk's business empire. But it won't be easy for the government to end its reliance on Musk. (Image credit: Brandon Bell)

From bromance to breakup: How Elon Musk and Donald Trump blew up

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From bromance to breakup: How Elon Musk and Donald Trump blew up https://ift.tt/93HIkVt The blow up marks the end of an alliance between the president and the billionaire that lasted far longer than many observers expected. (Image credit: Brandon Bell)

OpenAI takes down covert operations tied to China and other countries

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OpenAI takes down covert operations tied to China and other countries https://ift.tt/XWwB9Q4 The company said China and other nations are covertly trying to use chatbots to influence opinion around the world. In one case, operatives also used the tools to write internal performance reports. (Image credit: Justin Sullivan)

Denver researchers say robot companions can improve senior citizens' quality of life

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Denver researchers say robot companions can improve senior citizens' quality of life https://ift.tt/GdwajWe AI companies are pushing increasingly lifelike ways to interact with their technology. Researchers in Denver say they have an AI-powered robot that can really improve senior citizens' quality of life.

How AI could help map the organized chaos in our cells

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How AI could help map the organized chaos in our cells https://ift.tt/dFf1kE2 As artificial intelligence seeps into some realms of society, it rushes into others. One area it's making a big difference is protein science — as in the "building blocks of life," proteins! Producer Berly McCoy talks to host Emily Kwong about the newest advance in protein science: AlphaFold3, an AI program from Google DeepMind. Plus, they talk about the wider field of AI protein science and why researchers hope it will solve a range of problems, from disease to the climate. Have other aspects of AI you want us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org .