U.S. government agencies have 30 days to remove the TikTok app from federal devices and systems, the White House said Monday. A memo from Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young advised that in the interest of national security, the China-owned app must be purged from phones and Internet traffic firewalled from reaching it. The government ban was ordered by Congress in December, and follows similar moves in Canada, Taiwan, the EU, and many U.S. states. While the policy affects only a small portion of U.S. TikTok users, it fuels the controversy and emboldens those calling for an outright ban on the ByteDance-owned video app. Continue reading White House Gives Agencies 30 Days to Impose a TikTok Ban

Following several months of tests, YouTube is launching is multi-language audio track feature worldwide, with popular vlogger MrBeast helping to promote the new feature’s benefits. MrBeast, who has over 135 million global subscribers, is hoping to attract new subscribers to his channel now that the most popular videos are dubbed into 11 different languages. The multi-language audio feature allows creators to dub new and existing videos. YouTube says more than 3,500 multi-language videos have been uploaded to the site in 40-plus languages since January of this year. Continue reading YouTube Introduces Multi-Language Audio Tracks Worldwide

Gen Z users are embracing Apple mobile in a big way, accounting for 34 percent of iPhone users as compared to 10 percent of Samsung users, according to adtech data firm Attain. The imbalance is creating a peer pressure dynamic where younger users around the globe reportedly feel social stigma if they lack Apple’s must-have devices. While Samsung still has a lead in the worldwide global smartphone market, the company is feeling pressure to get hip quick. In addition to the overall iPhone design, fans cite the cameras and AirDrop photo-sharing features as major selling points. Continue reading Gen Z Shifting the Global Smartphone Dynamic Toward Apple

Meta Platforms has unveiled a new generative artificial intelligence language system called LLaMA, which doesn’t chat, but is designed as a research tool the company hopes will help “democratizing access in this important, fast-changing field.” The LLaMA (Large Language Model Meta AI) ranges in size from 7B to 65B parameters. Touted as a “smaller, more performant model,” LLaMA enables those members of the research community that do not “have access to large amounts of infrastructure to study these models,” Meta explains. Training smaller foundation models requires less computing power and resources for testing and validation. Continue reading Meta Says Its LLaMA AI for Researchers Does More with Less

Artificial intelligence clearly is modeled after humans in that it has revealed itself to be imperfect. In the past week, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has mesmerized the public even as The New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose famously labeled it “unhinged.” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is using the moment to clarify the company’s priorities, posting on Friday an apologia-cum-mission statement. If the company is successful at mass deployment of artificial general intelligence (AGI), it “could help us elevate humanity by increasing abundance, turbocharging the global economy, and aiding in the discovery of new scientific knowledge,” Altman wrote. Continue reading OpenAI CEO Details the Pros and Cons of Artificial Intelligence

Snapchat is launching My AI, a new chatbot running a customized version of the latest GPT technology from OpenAI. Available as an experimental feature to subscribers with a $3.99 per month Snapchat+ account, My AI rolls out starting this week, offering everything from birthday gift recommendations to weekend recreational plans, recipes and auto-generated poetry and prose. “As with all AI-powered chatbots, My AI is prone to hallucination and can be tricked into saying just about anything,” Snapchat cautions, explaining that “all conversations with My AI will be stored and may be reviewed to improve the product experience.” Continue reading Snapchat’s New AI Chatbot Is Powered by OpenAI GPT Tech

The U.S. plan to expand its national chip industry includes adding a minimum of two manufacturing clusters for advanced semiconductors by 2030. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo explained Thursday that the goal is to create chip ecosystems that group together fabrication plants, assembly plants, research-and-development labs and the suppliers to support each phase of operation. The vision is to make the U.S. “the only country in the world where every company capable of producing leading edge chips will have a significant R&D and high-volume manufacturing presence,” Raimondo said. Continue reading U.S. Plans to Create Manufacturing Clusters with CHIPS Act

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has declared OpenAI’s ChatGPT as creating an “iPhone moment for artificial intelligence.” Speaking at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley, Huang suggested that ChatGPT is revolutionary for engaging the imagination of millions and opening their eyes to the possibilities the technology holds, much as Apple’s iPhone did for mobile computing, ushering in a new era. ChatGPT has taken the world by storm, and it is the diversity of use that Huang feels makes it special — with some putting it to work to create code, while others use it to write fiction or plan meals and much more. Continue reading Nvidia Chief Suggests ChatGPT Marks an AI Inflection Point

YouTube is experimenting with a higher bitrate 1080p format for Premium subscribers. The enhanced 1080p Premium reportedly provides a better viewing experience. For now, 1080p Premium is only available to a very small group. The existing 1080p HD resolution on YouTube remains unchanged, according to the company. “1080p Premium is an enhanced bitrate version of 1080p which provides more information per pixel that results in a higher quality viewing experience,” explains spokesperson Paul Pennington, clarifying “there are no changes to the existing quality offerings for 1080p (HD) resolution on YouTube.” Continue reading YouTube Testing ‘1080p Premium’ with Its Paid Subscribers

Netflix has cut prices in 30 countries — the U.S. not among them — as customers reevaluate whether they keep the service amidst new password-sharing restrictions in a more competitive streaming market that has generally seen rates increase. The reductions only apply to some tiers, in some cases reducing prices by as much as 50 percent. Affected territories reportedly include Nicaragua, Ecuador and Venezuela in Latin America. In Europe, rate reductions will be available in Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia. Parts of Asia — including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Phillippines and Thailand — will also see price reductions. Continue reading Netflix Reduces Its Pricing in 30+ Countries but Not the U.S.

Meta Platforms is reforming its penalty system for Facebook policy violations. Based on recommendations from its Oversight Board, the company will focus more on educating users and less on punitive measures like suspending accounts or limiting posts. “While we are still removing violating content just as before,” explains Meta VP of content policy Monika Bickert, “under our new system we will focus more on helping people understand why we have removed their content, which is shown to help prevent re-offending, rather than so quickly restricting their ability to post.” The goal is fairer and more effective content moderation on Facebook. Continue reading Meta’s Penalty Reforms Designed to Be More Effective, Fair

Spotify is harnessing OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence for DJ, a personalized audio guide that will not only curate tunes based on a listener’s taste, but will also deliver commentary and banter “in a stunningly realistic voice” that leverages technology from subsidiary Sonantic, acquired last year. The new feature is launching in beta this week in the U.S. and Canada with a high level of human oversight, expected to diminish over time. The combination of “generative AI tooling” and the expertise of Spotify music editors will allow the company to scale and customize “in ways never before possible.” Continue reading New Spotify AI DJ Offers Custom Playlists and Commentary

A group of film companies are seeking to have Reddit divulge information about users who reportedly promote piracy on its platform. The move is part of a 2021 lawsuit that lists Bodyguard Productions, Millennium Media and others as plaintiffs against the Internet provider then known as RCN, subsequently rebranded Astound, filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey. The complaint alleges 34 copyrighted films — including “Hellboy” and “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” — were illegally downloaded while RCN turned a blind eye. The producers subpoenaed Reddit for information on nine individuals, including name, IP address and user logs from 2016 to present. Continue reading Film Companies Seeking Info on Reddit Users in Piracy Battle

Observers are weighing the potential effect of chatbots on the publishing industry, as works written by or with an assist from artificial intelligence come to market. Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing arm currently lists more than 200 e-books that credit OpenAI’s ChatGPT as author or co-author on topics ranging from stories for children to self-help, science fiction and poetry. Tutorials on how to use AI to create publishable work in a few hours have sprung up on YouTube, TikTok and Reddit. As with all things AI, this trend has prompted equal amounts of curiosity and concern. Continue reading From Self-Help to Kid Lit, Generative AI Triggers Book Boom

Microsoft has signed agreements giving Nintendo and Nvidia access to Activision Blizzard titles including from the popular “Call of Duty” franchise in a bid to advance its proposed $75 billion purchase of the game firm. The acquisition is opposed by some regulators in the U.S. and Europe on antitrust grounds. Microsoft’s offer to provide valuable IP to platforms that compete with its Xbox aims to quell such concerns. While Nvidia and Nintendo appear to have capitulated as a result of the new contingency, guaranteed for at least 10 years, Sony Interactive Entertainment remains a holdout. Continue reading Microsoft Elevates Activision Deal with ‘Call of Duty’ Promise