Tech
Chinese brain chip project speeds up human trials after first success
A tie-up between a Chinese research institute and tech company said on Monday that it aims to implant its brain chip into 13 people by the end of this year, in a move that could see it overtake Elon Musk's Neuralink in collecting patient data. The Beijing-based Chinese Institute for… Read
No technical obstacles to new giant particle collider in Europe: CERN
Europe's CERN laboratory said on Monday that a detailed analysis revealed no technical obstacles to building the world's biggest particle collider, even as critics took issue with the "pharaonic" $17-billion project. The Future Circular Collider (FCC) project is essential for ensuring that Europe maintains its global leadership in fundamental physics,… Read
France's antitrust watchdog fines Apple for problems with App Tracking Transparency
France’s antitrust watchdog fined Apple 150 million euros ($162 million) on Monday over a privacy feature protecting users from apps snooping on them because its introduction resulted in abuse of competition law. The French Competition Authority said the aim of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) requiring iPhone and iPad apps… Read
AI's impact on jobs, tech's touchy topic
"Stop Hiring Humans" read a provocative sign at an AI conference in Las Vegas, where the impact of new artificial intelligence models on the world of work had sparked some unease. "We're not worried about tiptoeing around. We're sparking the conversation," said Fahad Alam of Artisan, a startup, at the… Read
Solar-powered smart wear to be trialed at Osaka Expo
Toyota group company Toyoda Gosei Co will trial power-generating smart wear fitted with ultrathin solar cells at the upcoming World Exposition in Osaka, as it seeks to bring the technology one step closer to commercialization. The proof-of-concept experiment at the expo, which opens on April 13, aims to assess durability… Read
TikTok Shop ready for business in France, Germany, Italy
Social network TikTok is taking e-commerce by storm and will launch a new feature, dubbed TikTok Shop -- on Monday in France, Germany and Italy -- allowing direct purchases in the app, the company said. TikTok Shop has been up and running in Spain and Ireland since last December. Users… Read
Firms and researchers at odds over superhuman AI
Hype is growing from leaders of major AI companies that "strong" computer intelligence will imminently outstrip humans, but many researchers in the field see the claims as marketing spin. The belief that human-or-better intelligence -- often called "artificial general intelligence" (AGI) -- will emerge from current machine-learning techniques fuels hypotheses… Read
Elon Musk sells X to his own xAI for $33 billion in all-stock deal
Elon Musk has sold social media site X to his own xAI artificial intelligence company in a $33 billion all-stock deal, the billionaire announced on Friday. Both companies are privately held, which means they are not required to disclose their finances to the public. Musk said in a post on… Read
Copyright questions loom as ChatGPT's Ghibli-style images go viral
The release of the latest image generator on OpenAI's ChatGPT has triggered an online flood of memes featuring images done in the style of Studio Ghibli, the Japanese studio behind classic animated films like "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Princess Mononoke." The virality of these images, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman… Read
U.S. robotics companies push for national strategy, including a central office, to compete with China
American robotics companies are pushing for a national robotics strategy, including establishing a federal office focused on promoting the industry at a time when China is making intelligent robots a national priority. Representatives of companies — including Tesla, Boston Dynamics and Agility Robotics — on Wednesday met with lawmakers on… Read
