Misleading claims about the gunman who killed eight people at a Dallas-area shopping center are swirling on Twitter, thanks in part to the platform's owner, Elon Musk

When Tesla Inc. starts delivering Cybertrucks to customers next week, it will answer a question with major implications

After Elon Musk hinted last month that X could start charging all users, the company (formerly known as Twitter) announced a test of such a system.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 18, 2023--

(Reuters) -Vietnamese electric-vehicle maker VinFast on Thursday reported a 131.2% rise in revenue in its first quarterly report since going

Lack of data protection laws in the UK could see an increasing problem of AI “ghostbots” made from people’s digital footprints, new research from Queen’s University Belfast has suggested. “Ghostbot” is a term used to describe what happens when artificial intelligence is used to create digital reincarnations of the dead. The technology used to create this includes chatbots, deepfakes or holographs that can replicate the voice, face and even personality of a dead person using data from social media. 'Ghostbots' lie at the intersection of many different areas of law, such as privacy and property, and yet there remains a lack of protection for the deceased’s personality, privacy, or dignity after death Dr Marisa McVey, Queen’s University Belfast As the concept of digital reincarnation moves into the mainstream, celebrities are beginning to showcase the capabilities of such technology, for example, a hologram of the late Robert Kardashian created using deepfake technology was gifted to Kim Kardashian by Kanye West in 2020, which used her father’s likeness and spoke in his voice. A research study titled Governing Ghostbots from Queen’s University Belfast, Aston Law School and Newcastle University Law School, has suggested that greater societal awareness of “ghostbots” and a “do not bot me” clause in wills and other contracts could prevent people from being digitally reincarnated without permission. The research looked at potential legal avenues to protect privacy (including post-mortem privacy), property, personal data, and reputation. Dr Marisa McVey from the School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast said there was a lack of protection for people’s privacy or dignity after death. Currently, in the absence of specific legislation in the UK and further afield, it’s unclear who might have the power to bring back our digital persona after we die Dr Marisa McVey, Queen’s University Belfast “’Ghostbots’ lie at the intersection of many different areas of law, such as privacy and property, and yet there remains a lack of protection for the deceased’s personality, privacy, or dignity after death,” she said. “Furthermore, in the UK, privacy and data protection laws do not extend to heirs after death,” she said. “While it is not thought that ‘ghostbots’ could cause physical harm, the likelihood is that they could cause emotional distress and economic harm, particularly impacting upon the deceased’s loved ones and heirs. “Currently, in the absence of specific legislation in the UK and further afield, it’s unclear who might have the power to bring back our digital persona after we die.” In the US and EU there is increasing momentum to legislate on who has ownership over a person’s digital identity, for example the EU AI Act which requires greater transparency for deepfakes and chatbots. In the absence of legislation in the UK, one way to protect our post-mortem selves might be through the drafting of a legally binding ‘do not bot me’ clause that could be inserted into wills and other contracts while people are still alive Dr Marisa McVey, Queen’s University Belfast Dr McVey has suggested that in addition to more formal legislation, an increased understanding of the phenomenon of “ghostbots” could help people to protect their data. “In the absence of legislation in the UK, one way to protect our post-mortem selves might be through the drafting of a legally binding ‘do not bot me’ clause that could be inserted into wills and other contracts while people are still alive,” she said. “This, combined with a global searchable database of such requests, may prove a useful solution to some of the concerns raised by ‘ghostbots’. “We also suggest that in addition to legal protections, greater societal awareness of the phenomenon of ‘ghostbots’, education on digital legacies and cohesive protection across different jurisdictions is crucial to ensure that this does not happen without our permission.” The research was a part of the Leverhulme Trust-funded project Modern Technologies, Privacy Law And The Dead. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Banking app feature allows economic abuse survivors to mute malicious messages Augmented reality headset Vision Pro is ‘most advanced device ever’ – Apple Revealed: The delivery apps charging you double for your food shop

Stewart Butterfield was down in front for two major turning points in modern technology. First, he co-founded the

Two Spiders-Man are better than one. During Sony's big gaming showcase on Wednesday, developer Insomniac

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 21, 2023--

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 20, 2023--

In late July, a programmer at Estonia’s CoinsPaid, the world’s biggest crypto payment provider, met over video link

Bad news for milk tea drinkers, as the beverage - which comes in different forms such as bubble tea - has some disturbing links to depression, according to a new study. Milk tea is widely consumed worldwide, but it has become particularly popular among young people in China over recent years. While many of us buy the drink as a sweet treat or pick-me-up, researchers from Tsinghua University and the Central University of Finance and Economics in China investigated whether milk tea addiction is a thing. After 5,281 university students in Beijing were surveyed as part of the research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, they found that milk tea addiction does exist and also spotted connections between this issue with anxiety and depression. Researchers noted the "tremendous growth" the beverage has had with youth as well as their findings from the study. "Our findings highlighted that milk tea consumption might lead to addiction, and it is associated with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation," they wrote in the paper. Nearly half of the students surveyed said they had at least one cup of milk tea on a weekly basis, while a scale of addiction was used to understand the symptoms such as cravings, immoderation and how this affects daily life. Given that milk tea includes both caffeine and extra sugar, the effects of these ingredients cause worry - with low moods and social isolation as examples. "The results indicate that milk tea consumption might lead to addiction symptoms, including frequency, dependence/craving, intention to stop, unable to stop, tolerance, and guilty feelings," the paper read. Milk tea addiction has been compared to social media and drugs in terms of how damaging it can be, particularly when used to try and regulate emotions. However, a large study would be needed over a longer period of time to gain further understanding of this. To conclude, researchers want further regulation and safeguarding against both the physical and mental symptoms possibly connected to drinking milk tea, for example addiction, depression and obesity. "Current findings can assist policymakers in developing regulations such as restricting advertising, providing psycho-education, establishing food hygiene standards for such a prosperous youth-dominant consumption industry while protecting their mental health," they stated. Sign up to 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.