1st Starlink Satellites for Mobile Phones Launched; Facial Recognition to Replace Passports at UK Airports; Supreme Court Warns About AI in Legal System; Microsoft Copilot Now Available on iOS and Android

Last night, the first 6 Starlink satellites designed to connect mobile phone users anywhere in the world were launched. Theverge.com reports that there will be ultimately be 21 of the birds handling cell traffic in the company’s new Direct to Cell service. SpaceX will now test the service with ordinary 4G LTE-compatible phones on T-Mobile in the US before the text messaging service goes live in multiple countries this year. Voice and data (and IoT devices) will be added in 2025 as more Direct to Cell satellites come online. 

In an upcoming change that is both exciting and scary, Britain  is set to test facial verification tech that removes the need for passports, but experts have dashed hopes of a full launch this year.  According to thenextweb.com, the project was unveiled this week by Phil Douglas, the director-general of the UK’s Border Force. Douglas told the Times that he aims to install new e-gates at airports that create an “intelligent border.” By integrating enhanced facial verification, the system would make physical travel documents unnecessary. Trials of the tech are expected to start this year. A full rollout, however, remains a more distant prospect. Before travel, the passenger downloads the app, authenticates their ID, scans their face, and links their ticket. On arrival at St Pancras Station in London, they stroll through a dedicated lane for the tech, which verifies their entry. The Brits acknowledge that before the system is fully implemented, the reliability of facial recognition tech will have to become nearly 100% accurate. 

The US Supreme Court rarely comments on anything, but has put out a warning about the use of AI in the legal system. Mashable.com says the Supremes caution about “dehumanizing the law.” The remarks were in the 2023 Year End Report on the Federal Judiciary, which dropped Sunday. Chief Justice Roberts wrote “For those who cannot afford a lawyer, AI can help. It drives new, highly accessible tools that provide answers to basic questions, including where to find templates and court forms, how to fill them out, and where to bring them for presentation to the judge — all without leaving home.” However, though Roberts acknowledged the benefits AI may offer, he also noted that it comes with risks, particularly when inappropriately applied. In particular, he noted that much decision-making in the judicial system requires human assessment, discretion, and understanding of nuance. Simply entrusting such power to an algorithm is likely to result in unsatisfactory and unjust results, especially considering that AI models often contain inadvertent bias.

Microsoft had launched its AI chatbot Copilot for Android right before the holidays, and over the holidays, rolled out versions for iOS and iPadOS. TechCrunch.com reports that it works pretty much like any other chatbot…you can type in a question or a prompt and receive responses generated by artificial intelligence. Users can leverage the AI assistant to draft emails, compose stories or scripts, summarize complex texts, create personalized travel itineraries, write and update job resumes and more. Plus, You can use the app’s Image Creator feature, which is powered by DALL·E 3, to explore new styles and ideas, curate social media content, develop brand motifs, generate logo designs, create custom backgrounds, build a portfolio, visualize film and video storyboards and more. Microsoft says they have already had 1.5 million downloads. The big draw? It’s free for now…and is powered by OpenAI Chat GPT-4 tech…which OpenAI charges for. 

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