Merger Rules Get Tougher in Crackdown by US Antitrust Enforcers
US antitrust agencies stepped up the Biden administration’s crackdown on mergers and acquisitions with a sweeping overhaul of
2023-07-19 17:18
Google courts businesses with ramped up cloud AI
Google on Tuesday said it was weaving artificial intelligence (AI) deeper into its cloud offerings as it vies for the business of firms keen...
2023-08-29 22:45
Climate Change Fuels Global Political Volatility, Australia Says
Climate change threatens to exacerbate political instability, particularly in the Pacific region where rising temperatures pose an “existential
2023-11-30 12:49
Kroll’s Message for Critics: ESG Makes Money
For the past few years, ESG investment ratings and scores have been a magnet for controversy. Elon Musk
2023-09-13 18:57
5 times celebrities have spoken out against AI deepfakes
Deepfakes are becoming an increasing concern online with many celebrities and influencers' faces fronting fake scams – and in more sinister cases, NSFW material. For the blissfully unaware, a deepfake is a digitally altered piece of content, often without concern. They're often used with malicious intent for financial gain or to spread false information. The surge in deepfakes has prompted many high profilers to come forward and speak out including MrBeast and Tom Hanks: Martin Lewis The nation's favourite money-saving expert issued a warning over a "disgraceful" scam that could lead vulnerable people to lose money. Lewis said people are using the technology to "pervert and destroy" his reputation to scam people. An advert, which circulated online earlier this year, appeared to show Lewis endorsing an Elon Musk-backed investment scheme. "Musk’s new project opens up new opportunities for British citizens. No project has ever given such opportunities to residents of the country," the AI version of Lewis says in the footage. The real Lewis later told the BBC "it's pretty frightening." He continued: "These people are trying to pervert and destroy my reputation in order to steal money off vulnerable people, and frankly, it is disgraceful, and people are going to lose money and people’s mental health are going to be affected." MrBeast The popular YouTuber took to X/Twitter to address a deepfake video that went viral online. "Lots of people are getting this deepfake scam ad of me… are social media platforms ready to handle the rise of AI deepfakes? This is a serious problem," he posted to the platform. MrBeast included a clip that has been circulating online, that shows an AI version of him saying he's giving away iPhones. "You’re one of the 10,000 lucky people who will get an iPhone 15 pro for just $2," the deceiving clip said. "I’m MrBeast and I am doing the world’s largest iPhone 15 giveaway." Tom Hanks Hanks was forced to issue a warning over a deepfake advert promoting a dental plan using his presence. In a post to Instagram, Hank shared a screenshot of the ad, with overlaid text reading: "BEWARE!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it." Nicki Minaj In a much lighter incident, the rapper was featured in ITV's Deep Fake Neighbour Wars. The programme showed an AI version of Minaj and her 'husband,' Tom Holland. Upon arriving home from their honeymoon, they found an intruder in their living room, Mark Zuckerberg. It plays on an internet rumour that joked Minaj and Holland were dating and expecting a baby in 2019. At the time, the actor joked to Esquire: "This actually really stressed me out... and then I realised I've never met Nicki Minaj. So that was a big relief for me because I'm not ready to have kids." She wrote: "HELP!!! What in the AI shapeshifting cloning conspiracy theory is this?!?!! I hope the whole internet get deleted!!!" Streamer Sweet Anita Meanwhile, popular streamer Sweet Anita was horrified to learn she was targeted by deepfake porn without her consent. "It has all the same consequences of revenge porn, and so now I will be living those consequences for a choice I never made," Sweet Anita told ITV. The streamer said the situation has made her "tired" and heightened her security fears. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-10-08 17:19
Proof that Twitter's new logo is impossible to differentiate between porn sites
Elon Musk’s decision to change the Twitter logo to an X has been mocked for looking like a porn site, with pictures to prove it. Since his takeover of the social media platform Twitter, Musk has made multiple significant changes that have left users baffled. Some changes affect the way users are able to interact with others, based on their verified (i.e. paid for) status, while other changes are more superficial. The latest idea has seen Musk change the iconic blue bird logo of 15 years, replacing it with a white X on a black background that many have compared with porn sites. Porn sites such as XVideos and XNXX feature logos that are variations of the letter X and comedian Jesse McLaren pointed out how true the comparisons are after sharing a screenshot of a Google Chrome page with six tabs all bearing logos that are very similar. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter McLaren wrote: “These are all porn except one. That one's Twitter.” The tweet has been viewed over 4 million times and sparked a conversation about the design of the logo. Someone commented: “It’s the fact that if I had to guess which one out of these was a porn site, my immediate first guess would be the Twitter one.” Another said: “I have a feeling that this will become an interesting case study in marketing and branding classes.” “Unethical, degrading, and perverted. Also there are some porn sites there I guess,” one Twitter user joked. Someone else argued: “Twitter is a porn site too.” Industry experts have cast doubt over Musk’s rebrand decision, particularly at a time when other competitors such as Meta’s Threads have entered the market. Mike Proulx, research director at the analysis firm Forrester, told the Guardian: “By changing Twitter’s app name, Elon Musk will have singlehandedly wiped out over 15 years of a brand name that has secured its place in our cultural lexicon.” He continued: “This is an extremely risky move, because with ‘X’, Musk is essentially starting over while its competition is afoot.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-25 19:24
Google to Pay Texas $8 Million to Settle Deceptive Pixel 4 Ad Claim
Google has agreed to shell out $8 million to Texas over deceptive ads it made
2023-05-14 02:45
Biden previews 2024 election pitch to young Black voters in Howard University commencement speech
President Joe Biden previewed his 2024 election pitch to young Black voters Saturday in commencement remarks at a Howard University graduation ceremony in Washington, DC, articulating his vision of a "future for all Americans,"
2023-05-14 02:21
Hamas' social media following has skyrocketed since its attack. America is powerless to stop it
Hamas is barred from most social media platforms. But its following has surged on popular messaging app Telegram since its October 7 terror attack on Israel.
2023-10-17 03:47
Cisco's orders hit by sluggish demand, shares fall
By Richard Francis (Reuters) -Cisco Systems Inc said on Wednesday a large backlog of products due to supply chain constraints
2023-05-18 06:29
Amazon says it will soon sell cars on its website
Amazon has announced plans to start selling cars on its website, marking a major new product category for the online retail giant that made its start selling books. The e-commerce firm said on Thursday that it will launch vehicle sales in the US in the second half of 2024, allowing local car dealers to sell directly to customers on its site. In a joint announcement with South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai, the two companies said Amazon will begin by offering Hyundai vehicles. In turn, Hyundai will name Amazon’s cloud computing unit AWS as its preferred cloud provider and integrate its next-generation vehicles with Alexa, Amazon’s popular voice assistant. The idea, according to Amazon, is to have customers purchase a new car online and pick it up – or have it delivered – from their local dealer. Amazon did not say how many dealers would be participating in the program or if customers across the US would be able to make purchases. An Amazon spokesperson said the company would release more details as it builds the program, which is expected to begin with Hyundai franchised dealers and launch during the later part of next year. Currently, Amazon sells vehicle equipment online and offers a showroom for consumers who want to research different types of cars they may want to buy. But consumers can not directly purchase a vehicle on its platform. The announcement shows Amazon’s ambitions to grow its footprint through dealers in an industry that has strong lobbying forces and heavy state regulations. Nearly all states require manufacturers to sell their vehicles through dealerships to ensure the automakers don’t undercut their own network of franchised dealers. Despite its vision, Amazon might face challenges convincing consumers who might not feel comfortable making such a large purchase on its platform. In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said customers are increasingly purchasing vehicles online and the company will provide a “range of solutions that add transparency” to the car buying process to help them make an informed decision. The latest move comes as Amazon faces another class action lawsuit over refunds on returned products, with plaintiffs accusing the retailer of failing to issue refunds for returned products. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Amazon’s hometown of Seattle this week. Additional reporting from agencies. Read More ‘We are broken’: Armenia looks to technology to rebuild Ring to preview security features with abuse charity to boost safety SpaceX is launching the world’s biggest rocket – follow live Battery breakthrough brings ‘unprecedented performance’ to next-gen cells
2023-11-17 18:46
Olivia Rodrigo sends stranger voicemail thinking it's her doctor
The internet is losing it after a TikToker shared a voicemail from 2019, in which Olivia Rodrigo seemingly mistakes the total stranger for her doctor. In the clip, the singer's distinct voice can be heard, and she even introduces herself, as she goes on to explain how she 'tried to schedule an appointment' and asking them to 'call back'. "I would've called back and told her I loved her", one user joked in the comments. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter
2023-09-13 18:19
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