Tech News Amuse
November 2022

My tech news overview of the month of November:

 

Federal Environment Ministry opens AI ideas workshop for environmental protection

The goal of the workshop is to bring together environmental actors and AI developers.

Although with the former, the current problem is rather to separate them again from something.

 

AI beats humans in diplomacy game

After fighting strategy games, an AI has now also beaten humans in the game "Diplomacy", which is about skillful negotiations and communication.

After the never-ending Middle East conflict, decades of cold war, the disintegration of Yugoslavia, the Ukraine conflict, the ongoing simmering tensions between India and Pakistan, Hong Kong, the civil war in Congo, the oppression of Kurds, Uyghurs, Sinti y Roma, the protests in Iran [...] it is almost unbelievable that an AI should be better at diplomacy.

 

Only half of European companies use data and AI in receivables management

This is the result of a study of 3200 companies from 16 European countries.

If the other half of companies were using data and AI, at least for internal evaluation purposes, they would know they should be using data and AI.

 

Meta hires science AI after it has invented articles about space-faring bears

The AI was supposed to help scientists do research, but instead presented self-invented stories as facts.

In my opinion, it should not have been sold to Meta, but simply to Axel Springer Verlag.

 

Android user accidentally bypasses lock screen

If you entered the PIN incorrectly 3 times in the lock screen and then unlocked it with the PUK, you could unlock most Google smartphones without a password until before the November security update.

Google was embarrassed by the security gap. The company quickly made sure to better protect personal data from its owners.

 

Apple collects data even if users have objected to the data tracking

The company's own apps continue to track data, even if users have specified otherwise in their privacy settings.

Apple now wants to rename the option "Non-binding privacy recommendations" to avoid misunderstandings in the future.

AI determines Brazil as soccer world champion

The AI estimates the probability of this at 17.7%.

Well, in that case, we know what there is to know and can confidently boycott the World Cup.

 

Economic association declares war on HD cat videos

The economic association for digital Switzerland (Swico) is calling for cat videos to be streamed in lower resolution rather than HD in the future. This is supposed to save large amounts of electricity.

Currently, a working group is researching intensively, but so far without results, on what kind of little movies could also save electricity.

 

Amazon wants to lay off 10,000 employees

This would be the largest staff reduction in the history of the company.

Apparently, prime employees will receive their notice in writing the very next day.

 

Meta plans on laying off thousands of employees

After Twitter and Amazon, Facebook now also wants to cut jobs.

Otherwise, the company would no longer be able to afford the salaries of Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg.

 

Majority of Germans think AI regulations make sense

This was the result of a survey by the TÜV association.

In the case of humans, it has so far hardly been necessary to regulate intelligence.