Trump’s Truth Social warns company may be forced to shut down amid huge losses
Truth Social’s parent company lost almost $23m (£18.7m) in the first half of this year alone, according to a new securities filing that raises concerns about its “ability to continue”. The filing released on Monday marks the first time any financial details about Donald Trump’s social media platform have been shared publicly, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Truth Social was launched in February last year after Mr Trump was banned from most social networks in the aftermath of the 6 January 2021 Capitol riots. The former US president – who announced his candidacy for the 2024 elections in November last year – has since returned to X (formerly known as Twitter), but says Truth Social is still his primary social media platform and that he won’t post anywhere else until six hours after he sends a “Truth”. Having Mr Trump on board has not translated into revenue for the platform’s parent company Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), however. Over the first half of 2023 it has lost $23m while bringing in only $2.3m in net sales, the filing showed. This has raised doubts about the viability of the company and its social media startup, according to the filing. “TMTG’s independent registered public accounting firm has indicated that TMTG’s financial condition raises substantial doubt as to its ability to continue as a going concern,” the company noted in the filing. The company said the “management has substantial doubt that TMTG will have sufficient funds to meet its liabilities as they fall due, including liabilities related to promissory notes previously issued by TMTG”. The remarks were made in its assessment of business till the end of December last year and as of 30 June 2023. Concerns have also been raised over Digital World Acquisition Corporation (DWAC), a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), that had some years ago announced plans to merge with TMTG. An SPAC is a shell corporation which raises money by listing itself on a stock exchange with the aim of using the funds for a merger with a different and usually more well-known entity. The filing said DWAC has “until 8 September 2024 to consummate a business combination”. It raised concerns that both TMTG and DWAC may not survive unless this merger is completed. “It is uncertain that Digital World will be able to consummate a business combination by this time. If a business combination is not consummated by this date, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of Digital World,” the filing said. “TMTG believes that it may be difficult to raise additional funds through traditional financing sources in the absence of material progress toward completing its merger with Digital World,” the filing further said. “A number of companies that had licence agreements with President Trump have failed. There can be no assurances that TMTG will not also fail,” the filing said. TMTG also cited a number of risks to its business in the new filing, including a dedicated section titled “Risks related to our chairman, president Donald J Trump”. The section lists his ongoing legal hurdles. “TMTG’s success depends in part on the popularity of its brand and the reputation and popularity of its chairman, president Donald J Trump,” the filing said. “The value of TMTG’s brand may diminish if the popularity of President Trump were to suffer. Adverse reactions to publicity relating to President Trump, or the loss of his services, could adversely affect TMTG’s revenues, results of operations and its ability to maintain or generate a consumer base.” Read More Return of original Fortnite map causes record traffic on Virgin Media O2 network Elon Musk unveils new sarcasm-loving AI chatbot for premium X subscribers Elon Musk mocks politicians at AI summit Tesla to offer ‘beast mode’ version of Cybertruck with bulletproof panels X now valued at $19bn – less than half of what Elon Musk paid for it Solar panel world record smashed with ‘miracle material’
2023-11-14 16:22
AI among biggest threats to next UK general election, cyber security agency warns
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI), as well aggressive state-aligned groups pose a significant threat to critical infrastructure, the UK’s cyber security agency has said. In its annual review, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warned ongoing geopolitical challenges and AI also posed a threat to UK elections. Published on Tuesday, the NCSC’s Annual Review said the Centre, which is part of GCHQ, had seen the emergence of a new type of cyber adversary in the last year – state-aligned actors who are ideologically, rather than financially, motivated. The NCSC highlighted China and Russia as enduring and significant threats to UK cyber security, noting that many of the new state-aligned groups it had seen appear were sympathetic to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On artificial intelligence, the NCSC warned that the next general election in the UK, expected next year, will be the first to take place against the backdrop of significant advances in AI, which it said would enable and enhance existing challenges. The cyber security agency said that large language models (LLMs) – the technology apps such as ChatGPT are built on – would almost certainly be used to generate fake content as part of disinformation campaigns to disrupt the democratic process. Beyond the present challenges, we are very aware of the threats on the horizon, including rapid advancements in tech and the growing market for cyber capabilities Lindy Cameron, NCSC At the first AI Safety Summit, held in the UK earlier this month, industry figures and world leaders warned of the potential for AI to help cybercriminals carry out more sophisticated cyber attacks. “The last year has seen a significant evolution in the cyber threat to the UK – not least because of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine but also from the availability and capability of emerging tech,” NCSC chief executive Lindy Cameron said. “As our annual review shows, the NCSC and our partners have supported government, the public and private sector, citizens, and organisations of all sizes across the UK to raise awareness of the cyber threats and improve our collective resilience. “Beyond the present challenges, we are very aware of the threats on the horizon, including rapid advancements in tech and the growing market for cyber capabilities. “We are committed to facing those head on and keeping the UK at the forefront of cyber security.” The annual review said work needed to be done to ensure the UK kept pace with the changing threats, particularly in relation to enhancing cyber resilience in the nation’s infrastructure. Read More Private parole hearing for one of killers of James Bulger to begin Papers react to Sunak’s reshuffle ‘gamble’ over return of Cameron Thunderstorm warning in effect as downpours continue in parts of UK Immigration minister Robert Jenrick vows to see Rwanda deportation plan through Cost-of-living payments not enough to meet scale of the problem, say MPs Applications open for owners to register XL bully dogs before ban
2023-11-14 15:48
AI can create Caucasian faces that look more real than actual humans – study
Artificial intelligence (AI) can generate Caucasian faces that seem more realistic than actual human faces, according to a new study. As per the research, published in Psychological Science and led by experts at the Australian National University (ANU), more people thought the AI-generated white faces were human than the faces of real people. The study found, however, that the same did not apply to faces generated of people of colour. If white AI faces are consistently perceived as more realistic, this technology could have profound implications for people of colour by ultimately reinforcing racial biases online Dr Amy Dawel According to senior author of the paper, Dr Amy Dawel, the reason for the notable difference between generated Caucasian faces and people of colour comes down to the fact that AI algorithms are trained disproportionately on white faces. Dr Dawel said: “If white AI faces are consistently perceived as more realistic, this technology could have profound implications for people of colour by ultimately reinforcing racial biases online. “This problem is already apparent in current AI technologies used to create professional-looking headshots. “When used for people of colour, the AI is altering their skin and eye colour to those of white people.” Researchers found when it comes to AI “hyper-realism”, most people did not realise they were being fooled. Study co-author and ANU PhD candidate Elizabeth Miller said researchers found that most of the study participants who were most confident that their answers were correct paradoxically thought that the AI faces were real. She said: “This means people who are mistaking AI imposters for real people don’t know they are being tricked.” The researchers were also able to discover why AI faces are fooling people. Although there were still physical differences between the AI and human faces, study participants still managed to misinterpret them. Dr Dawel revealed more in-proportion faces were typical signs that AI had generated a face. However, people mistook it as a sign of humanness. She added: “We can’t rely on these physical cues for long. AI technology is advancing so quickly that the differences between AI and human faces will probably disappear soon.” She said this could have profound implications regarding online misinformation and identity theft. Dr Dawel urged public transparency around AI so society can identify issues with the technology before they become more significant problems. “Given that humans can no longer detect AI faces, society needs tools that can accurately identify AI imposters,” she said. “Educating people about the perceived realism of AI faces could help make the public appropriately sceptical about the images they’re seeing online.” Read More AI among the biggest threats to the UK, cyber security agency warns Meta faces renewed criticism over end-to-end encryption amid child safety fears Call of Duty launch sparks record traffic on broadband networks Crypto investment fraud warning issued by major bank Council investigating extent of cyber attack that affected website and systems Setback for Ireland as EU legal adviser recommends revisit of Apple tax case
2023-11-14 10:58
Environmental change threatens what's left of Japan's cormorant fishing legacy
By Kim Kyung-Hoon OZE, Japan Please click here for photo essay: Cormorants have been a constant presence in
2023-11-14 10:29
AI among the biggest threats to the UK, cyber security agency warns
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI), as well aggressive state-aligned groups pose a significant threat to critical infrastructure, the UK’s cyber security agency has said. In its annual review, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warned ongoing geopolitical challenges and AI also posed a threat to UK elections. Published on Tuesday, the NCSC’s Annual Review said the Centre, which is part of GCHQ, had seen the emergence of a new type of cyber adversary in the last year – state-aligned actors who are ideologically, rather than financially, motivated. Beyond the present challenges, we are very aware of the threats on the horizon, including rapid advancements in tech and the growing market for cyber capabilities Lindy Cameron, NCSC The NCSC highlighted China and Russia as enduring and significant threats to UK cyber security, noting that many of the new state-aligned groups it had seen appear were sympathetic to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On artificial intelligence, the NCSC warned that the next general election in the UK, expected next year, will be the first to take place against the backdrop of significant advances in AI, which it said would enable and enhance existing challenges. The cyber security agency said that large language models (LLMs) – the technology apps such as ChatGPT are built on – would almost certainly be used to generate fake content as part of disinformation campaigns to disrupt the democratic process. At the first AI Safety Summit, held in the UK earlier this month, industry figures and world leaders warned of the potential for AI to help cybercriminals carry out more sophisticated cyber attacks. “The last year has seen a significant evolution in the cyber threat to the UK – not least because of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine but also from the availability and capability of emerging tech,” NCSC chief executive Lindy Cameron said. “As our annual review shows, the NCSC and our partners have supported Government, the public and private sector, citizens, and organisations of all sizes across the UK to raise awareness of the cyber threats and improve our collective resilience. “Beyond the present challenges, we are very aware of the threats on the horizon, including rapid advancements in tech and the growing market for cyber capabilities. “We are committed to facing those head on and keeping the UK at the forefront of cyber security.” The annual review said work needed to be done to ensure the UK kept pace with the changing threats, particularly in relation to enhancing cyber resilience in the nation’s infrastructure. Read More Meta faces renewed criticism over end-to-end encryption amid child safety fears Call of Duty launch sparks record traffic on broadband networks Crypto investment fraud warning issued by major bank Council investigating extent of cyber attack that affected website and systems Setback for Ireland as EU legal adviser recommends revisit of Apple tax case Smartphones ‘may be able to detect how drunk a person is with 98% accuracy’
2023-11-14 08:29
GPU tech supplier Imagination Technologies lays off 20% of staff -sources
By Max A. Cherney (Reuters) -Chip technology design maker Imagination Technologies plans to lay off 20% of the company’s staff,
2023-11-14 07:29
Senator asks Treasury to bar Chinese battery firms, minerals from US EV tax credits
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democratic Senator Joe Manchin urged the U.S. Treasury on Monday to adopt the "strictest possible
2023-11-14 06:22
Bank of America’s $1.5 Billion Deal Casts Doubt on Texas Energy ‘Boycott’ Label
Bank of America Corp. led a $1.5 billion natural gas bond sale for oil-giant BP Plc just as
2023-11-14 05:22
Most Overpowered Weapons and Legends for Apex Legends Season 19
The most overpowered weapons and Legends for Apex Legends Season 19 are the Nemesis AR, Wingman, Bangalore, and Wraith, all unstoppable when utilized correctly.
2023-11-14 03:56
How to Fix Your MW3 Private Match Classes From Resetting
To fix your MW3 private match classes from resetting, players must complete daily challenges to unlock all their weapons, perks, equipment, and more from the Armory.
2023-11-14 03:50
Kerry’s Promise of ‘Millions’ for Climate Damages Criticized by Activists
A US offer of several million dollars to address losses and damages caused by global warming is raising
2023-11-14 02:57
A new beetle with bottle opener shaped penis has been named 'Carlsberg'
A newly discovered species of beetle that has sex organs shaped like a bottle opener has been named Carlsberg after the beer giant. Many animals face an uncertain future thanks to changes to their habitats. So, when a brand new species is discovered it is an exciting thing for scientists. It allows experts an opportunity to get creative with the name, with some previous examples including a new rainbow fly species named after RuPaul and an ancient egg-laying mammal named after Sir David Attenborough. Now researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered six new South American beetle species of the rove beetle genus Loncovilius, one of which caught the eye. Because the insect’s penis was shaped like a bottle opener. The unusual shape led to researchers giving it the very apt name – Loncovilius carlsbergi. Biologist Aslak Kappel Hansen, from the Natural History Museum of Denmark, explained: “This species is characterised, among other things, by the fact that the male’s sexual organ is shaped remarkably like a bottle opener. "Therefore, we thought it is obvious to dedicate this species to the Carlsberg Foundation, which has generously supported independent research for many years. “Their support for various projects, expeditions, or purchase of the scientific instruments at the Natural History Museum of Denmark contributes to the discovery of new species on our planet.” Hansen explained that the beetles’ penises evolve to be differently shaped, allowing them to only reproduce with members of the same species. “As such,” Hansen explained, “they are often the best way to identify a species. That’s why entomologists like us are always quick to examine insect genitalia when describing a species. The unique shape of each species’ genitals ensures that it can only reproduce with the same species”. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel 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.
2023-11-14 01:53