Microsoft & OpenAI-Hackers Now Using ChatGPT; Waymo Updates Robotaxi Software After Crashes; Your AI ‘Girlfriend’ = Data-Harvesting Horror Show; Sarah Silverman’s Copyright Suit vs OpenAI Advances

Posted: February 14, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s both unsurprising and scary. Microsoft and OpenAI say hackers are already using ChatGPT to improve their cyberattacks. Theverge.com reports that the companies have picked up attempts by Russian, North Korean, Iranian, and Chinese-backed groups using tools like ChatGPT for research into targets, to improve scripts, and to help build social engineering techniques. Hackers are using large language models  to help with “basic scripting tasks, including file manipulation, data selection, regular expressions, and multiprocessing, to potentially automate or optimize technical operations,” according to Microsoft. Both Microsoft and OpenAI say they haven’t detected any ‘significant attacks’ so far. Microsoft is building a Security Copilot, a new AI assistant that’s designed for cybersecurity professionals to identify breaches and better understand the huge amount of signals and data that’s generated through cybersecurity tools daily.

Waymo has voluntarily recalled the software that powers its robotaxi fleet after two vehicles crashed into the same towed pickup truck in Phoenix, Arizona, in December. It’s the company’s first recall. According to techcrunch.com, Waymo said the crashes were ‘minor’ and that neither vehicle was carrying passengers at the time. There were no injuries. Waymo operates its ride-hailing service in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin. All Waymo robotaxis had been updated by January 12th. This has become much more important after competitor Cruise had to suspend operations after a couple accidents…including one in San Francisco where a Cruise car dragged a pedestrian it had hit. 

So, you are involved with an AI romance chatbot, huh? Well, you may not love this. Mozilla checked out 11 different AI romance chatbots, and they all got a ‘Privacy Not Included’ label. Gizmodo.com notes that the chatbots included popular apps such as Replika, Chai, Romantic AI, EVA AI Chat Bot & Soulmate, and CrushOn.AI. Ten of the 11 are selling or can sell your data, too! Some like CrushOn.AI collect info like sexual health, use of medication, and gender-affirming care. 90% of the apps may sell or share user data for targeted ads and other purposes, and more than half won’t let you delete the data they collect. Security was also a problem. Only one app, Genesia AI Friend & Partner, met Mozilla’s minimum security standards. Give yourself some self-love this Valentine’s Day and stay away from these data gobbling apps. 

Although stripped of a couple parts of the complaint, Sarah Silverman’s suit against OpenAI over their training AI models on her books without consent is moving forward. Engadget.com reports that the case’s primary claim that OpenAI directly infringed on copyrighted material by training LLMs on millions of books without permission survives. The court tossed causes of action for negligence, unjust enrichment, DMCA violations, and accusations of vicarious infringement. Other groups suing OpenAI for alleged copyright-related violations include The New York Times, a collection of nonfiction authors (a group that grew after the initial lawsuit) and The Author’s Guild. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now. 

Appeals Court Pauses Apple Watch Ban; NY Times Sues OpenAI & Microsoft -Copyright Infringement; Amazon Prime Video Gets Ads in January; Get Instant $7500 EV Credit at over 7,000 Car Dealers Now

Posted: December 27, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Even though the Biden Administration didn’t intervene and stop the International Trade Commission ban on current Apple Watch model sales, a court has. Reuters.com reports that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has granted Apple’s emergency request to halt the order after Apple appealed the U.S. International Trade Commission’s (ITC) decision that it had infringed Masimo’s patents over blood oxygen monitoring. Masimo didn’t have an immediate response to the court’s move. The court is considering a longer term pause requested by Apple, and the ITC has until January 10th to respond. 

Meanwhile, in another legal move affecting tech companies, the New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. According to theverge.com, the times claims the two companies built their AI models by “copying and using millions” of the publication’s articles and now “directly compete” with its content as a result. the Times alleges OpenAI and Microsoft’s large language models (LLMs), which power ChatGPT and Copilot, “can generate output that recites Times content verbatim, closely summarizes it, and mimics its expressive style.” The Times alleges that this damages its relationship with readers and deprives it of revenue.

We reported this in September, but just a heads up as the time approaches. Amazon Prime Video will begin showing ads alongside content unless customers pay an additional fee starting in January 2024. Amazon has supposedly sent out a reminder video to Prime Members, although I haven’t gotten one yet. At any rate, 9to5google.com notes that you will need to fork over an extra $2.99 a month to the online giant if you want to avoid betting bombarded by what Amazon calls ‘limited advertisements.’ 

Federal tax credits have been around for a while to help cut the expense of electric vehicles, but there has been that pesky catch…you had to wait for tax time to get the money. In fact, if you bought an EV last April, you could be waiting until April 2024 for the tax credit. Now, as bgr.com reports, there are some 7,000 car dealers that have signed up for a program to get you the credit immediately…right off the price of the car. It’s either $7500 for many new EVs, and $3500 for used. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

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