Europe’s privacy patrol is spoiling Big Tech’s AI party: Politico reports more than six years into force, Europe’s mighty data protection rulebook is finding its second wind — by stymying Big Tech giants’ artificial intelligence plans. In just a few months, tech giants including Google, Meta, X and LinkedIn have paused or delayed AI projects in the European Union, blaming an old yet familiar foe: Brussels’ red tape.
EU creates 'Appeals Centre' to referee disputes with social media giants: Le Monde reports Appeals Centre Europe, an out-of-court dispute settlement body set up under the EU's Digital Services Act and backed by Meta, is due to 'decide cases relating to Facebook, TikTok and YouTube' to begin with.
America v China: Who controls Asia’s internet? Amid an explosive data and AI boom the superpower contest. Economist
Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao expressed “serious concerns” on the US’s chip policy and its proposed ban on Chinese car software, in a phone call with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Tuesday.
Exploding pagers and spy chips: The rising risk of hardware tampering: Unreliable suppliers can modify devices, yet companies devote few resources to verifying the origin of components. FT
The battle over robots at US ports is on: Striking dockworkers are back to work—but disagreement over automation stands in the way of lasting peace. WSJ
Crypto dot com sues SEC after receiving legal threat from US regulator: FT reports crypto exchange accuses securities watchdog of ‘over-reach’ and argues it ‘cannot lawfully regulate’ token sales.
Breaking up is hard to do: Antitrust officials weigh splitting Google, others: Antitrust enforcers search for tough remedies to counteract alleged monopoly abuses. WSJ
Virginia congressional candidate creates AI chatbot as debate stand-in for incumbent: Reuters reports a long-shot congressional challenger in Virginia is so determined to debate the Democratic incumbent one more time that he created an AI chatbot to stand in for the candidate in case he's a no-show. Bentley Hensel, a software engineer for good government group CivicActions, who is running as an independent, said he was frustrated by what he said was Beyer’s refusal to appear for additional debates since September. So he hatched a unique plan that will test the bounds of both propriety and technology: a debate with Beyer’s artificial intelligence likeness.
AI labeling requirements could have an unintended boomerang effect: According to a new study, researchers at New York University’s Center on Technology Policy found that people rated candidates “less trustworthy and less appealing” when their ads featured AI disclaimers. The first-of-its-kind study examining how the labels affect views of candidates.
Members of Congress pushed back on California’s AI bill: Groups wanting to protect US innovation as well as the public at large helped torpedo legislation. Roll Call
Silicon Valley, the new lobbying monster: From crypto to AI, the tech sector is pouring millions into super PACS that intimidate politicians into supporting its agenda. TNY
States sue TikTok, saying its addictive features hook children: WP reports the child safety lawsuits arrive as the video-sharing app battles a potential ban over national security concerns.
+ @NobelPrize: BREAKING NEWS: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2024 #NobelPrize in Physics to John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.”
Nobel Physics Prize awarded for pioneering AI research by 2 scientists: NYT reports with work on machine learning that uses artificial neural networks, John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton “showed a completely new way for us to use computers,” the committee said.
Nobel physics prize 2024 goes to AI pioneers Hopfield and Hinton: Reuters reports US scientist John Hopfield and British-Canadian Geoffrey Hinton won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for discoveries and inventions that laid the foundation for machine learning, the award-giving body said on Tuesday. Hinton has been widely credited as a godfather of artificial intelligence and made headlines when he quit his job at Google last year to be able to more easily speak about the dangers of the technology he had pioneered.
AI pioneers John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton win Nobel Prize in Physics: WSJ reports Hinton and Hopfield were recognized for inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.
AI innovators win Nobel Prize for physics: FT reports Geoffrey Hinton, co-recipient of award with John Hopfield, warns of potential dangers of artificial intelligence.
AI researchers receive the Nobel prize for physics: The award, to Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield, stretches the definition of the field. Economist
A godfather of AI just won a Nobel. He has been warning the machines could take over the world. Geoffrey Hinton hopes the prize will add credibility to his claims about the dangers of AI technology he pioneered. WSJ
One of the biggest AI boomtowns is rising in a tech-industry backwater: WSJ reports Blackstone and TikTok’s parent are among the companies investing in data centers in a Malaysian state better known for its palm-oil plantations.
New score uses AI to rate brands’ inclusivity in advertising WSJ
Small businesses show high AI adoption rates: Almost all small businesses are using a software tool that is enabled by AI, a new survey reveals. Inc.
OpenAI + Hearst have struck a deal to give ChatGPT access to Hearst's print content.
Bloomberg: Meta launches generative AI video tools for advertisers
No time to read? Google’s new AI will turn anything into a podcast. The new podcast craze is two AIs talking about anything you want. Should you trust it? WP
OpenAI is right to abandon non-profit status: Complicated corporate structures cannot force leaders to agree and makes fundraising more difficult. Nathan Benaich
Google ordered to open Android to app store rivals after court loss: FT reports injunction is a blow to search giant defending three antitrust cases that threaten its core business.
Blockchain businesses like Crypto dot com, Kraken, Bitpanda, and Arkham Intelligence are among those that have signed new sponsorship deals in the world of English and European football this summer, taking the industry’s spending on the sport to a record £130 million ($170 million) this season. As one of the world’s most-watched sports, football has become a favorite route for reaching the masses, and at a much lower price than the sector is used to.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc