Meta ended its contract with Sama, a Kenya-based company, after Sama workers reported viewing private and explicit videos recorded by Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Meta said the decision was due to Sama not meeting its standards, while Sama denied being notified of any issues and said it is supporting affected workers during the transition.
Key Facts
Sama is contracted by Meta to label data for Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, including videos and images.
In February, Sama workers reported seeing private footage such as people changing clothes and having sex, recorded by the glasses.
Meta paused and then ended its contract with Sama less than two months after these reports surfaced.
Sama claims Meta never informed them of failing to meet standards and that 1,108 workers were impacted by the contract end.
Meta states it reviews content with user consent after filtering to protect privacy, for product improvement.
Ray-Ban Meta glasses show a light when recording, but some users may not realize when they are recording.
A class-action lawsuit was filed in March against Meta and Luxottica, the glasses maker, over privacy concerns.
Meta says it takes the claims seriously and paused work with Sama to investigate.
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J. Craig Venter, a microbiologist known for mapping the human genetic code and creating the first synthetic life form using man-made DNA, has died at the age of 79. He was recognized for his pioneering work in genetics and synthetic biology.
Key Facts
J. Craig Venter was a microbiologist.
He helped map the human genetic code.
In 2010, he announced the creation of the first synthetic species.
This synthetic species was a type of bacteria made with man-made DNA.
Venter passed away at the age of 79.
His work was featured on the CBS program 60 Minutes.
He was a leader in the field of synthetic biology, which involves designing and creating new forms of life.
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Scientists from Columbia and Harvard tried to simplify the genetic code by removing one of the 20 common amino acids, isoleucine, from certain proteins in E. coli bacteria. They focused on altering essential genes and parts of the ribosome to see if life could function without isoleucine, using AI tools to help design these changes.
Key Facts
The genetic code normally uses 20 amino acids to build proteins in all life on Earth.
Researchers believe early life might have used fewer than 20 amino acids.
Isoleucine, leucine, and valine are three similar amino acids that are hydrophobic, meaning they avoid water inside cells.
Isoleucine was chosen to be removed because it is often swapped out in nature and is similar to valine.
The team replaced isoleucine with valine in 36 essential E. coli genes; 17 genes worked without isoleucine, but 22 did not.
Even when cells survived without isoleucine in some genes, their growth usually slowed down.
The researchers began testing this idea by engineering a ribosome, a key cell machine that makes proteins, without using isoleucine.
AI-based protein design tools helped make this complex protein editing more feasible.
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Blue Origin is planning to build a more powerful version of its New Glenn rocket with four engines on the upper stage instead of two. The company aims to increase production to launch up to 60 of these rockets per year by 2028 and possibly 100 by 2029. They are investing in new manufacturing facilities to support this growth but have faced some challenges in recent launches.
Key Facts
Blue Origin wants to produce a new "Quattro" upper stage for the New Glenn rocket with four BE-3U engines.
This new version is called 9×4 (nine first stage engines, four upper stage engines), larger than the current 7×2 version.
The company plans to ramp production from 12 stages per year now to 60 stages by late 2028, and 100 stages annually by 2029.
A high production rate suggests Blue Origin hopes to launch around 60 9×4 rockets per year starting in 2028.
The current 7×2 New Glenn rockets will still be used for smaller missions.
The company is studying if the upper stage can be reused, but for now each launch uses a new upper stage.
Blue Origin recently had an issue with the upper stage during the latest launch but succeeded in landing a first stage on an earlier flight.
Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin’s founder, is investing heavily in infrastructure, including a large new factory called "Project Horizon" in Florida.
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Spotify has introduced a new badge called "Verified by Spotify" to show which artists are real humans, helping users tell the difference between human-made music and AI-generated songs. This badge appears on artist profiles that meet certain criteria proving they are real people, while AI-created artist profiles will not receive the badge.
Key Facts
Spotify launched a "Verified by Spotify" badge to identify human artists.
The badge aims to provide more transparency about whether music is created by people or AI.
Artists must show signs of being real, such as concert dates, merchandise, and social media links, to get the badge.
AI-generated or "AI-persona" artist profiles will not be given the badge.
Spotify will continue verifying artists over time as the system is rolled out.
Not all real artists will get the badge immediately while Spotify implements this tool.
The move comes as AI music is becoming more common and raises concerns about authenticity and value.
The badge helps listeners trust the music they hear by showing it comes from real human creators.
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Sony Pictures is making a new Resident Evil movie directed by Zach Cregger, known for the film Weapons. This movie will tell a new story with new characters, set in the Resident Evil world, and it will be released in theaters on September 18, 2026.
Key Facts
The Resident Evil film series has earned over $1.2 billion worldwide since 2002.
A previous reboot movie, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021), did not do well with critics or at the box office.
The new film is not a direct adaptation of the video games but will keep the spirit of the games.
Zach Cregger aims for a straightforward story focused on one main character’s journey.
The movie’s main character is Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, who is a medical courier.
Other actors include Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Johnno Wilson.
The new Resident Evil movie was first teased at CinemaCon and now has a public teaser available.
The film will come out on September 18, 2026.
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Elon Musk and Sam Altman are involved in a $150 billion lawsuit related to the future control and direction of artificial intelligence (AI). The case touches on the origins and changes of OpenAI, a company started as a non-profit but now linked with Microsoft and moving toward becoming a public company, raising questions about profit versus safety in AI development.
Key Facts
Elon Musk and Sam Altman are in a costly legal dispute over AI leadership.
OpenAI began as a non-profit focused on socially responsible AI.
The company later partnered with Microsoft and launched ChatGPT.
OpenAI is transitioning toward becoming a publicly traded company.
A legal ruling in California could block OpenAI’s public company status.
The case reflects tension between making profits and ensuring AI safety.
The situation highlights broader concerns about AI regulation in the U.S. and globally.
The dispute draws comparisons to earlier tech industry conflicts like the Facebook story.
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A Harvard study tested how well artificial intelligence (AI) systems perform in emergency room diagnosis compared to human doctors. The AI was more accurate in quickly diagnosing patients and making treatment plans when given medical records, showing potential to assist doctors in emergency care.
Key Facts
The study involved 76 emergency room patients at a Boston hospital.
AI identified the correct or close diagnosis 67% of the time; human doctors were right 50%-55% of the time.
With more detailed patient information, AI accuracy increased to 82%, compared to 70-79% for human doctors.
AI outperformed 46 doctors in making longer term treatment plans, scoring 89% accuracy versus 34% for humans.
The AI only reviewed written patient data and did not assess physical signs like appearance or distress.
Researchers said AI is unlikely to replace doctors but will work alongside them in a team including the doctor, patient, and AI.
Nearly 20% of US doctors and about 30% of UK doctors use AI regularly, mostly for clinical decision support.
Experts highlighted the need for clear rules on responsibility if AI makes errors in medical care.
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Beijing has banned the sale and storage of drones and drone parts in the city starting May 1, as part of stricter drone regulations. The rules include limits on how many drones can be stored, require drone registration, and enforce strict flight controls within Beijing.
Key Facts
Beijing’s new rules prohibit selling and renting drones and storing drone parts inside the city.
The ban started on May 1 and applies to the entire city, covering sales, transport, and storage.
Exceptions are made for universities, research institutions, and law enforcement.
Residents who already own registered drones can transport them in and out of Beijing.
Flight restrictions have been in place since August 2025, making most drone flights in Beijing forbidden.
Drone users must register with their real names and link drones to their ID or phone number.
Authorities conduct security checks to intercept drones entering the city, handing violators to police.
Some drone owners reported police visits and phone calls about drones they do not actively use.
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An American Twitch streamer named Isaiah Thomas was hit by a car while livestreaming his walk across the U.S. He suffered minor injuries but plans to continue his journey to raise money to build a trade school for children who cannot attend college.
Key Facts
Isaiah Thomas, also known as hmblzayy, is walking over 3,000 miles from Philadelphia to California.
He livestreams his walk to raise funds for building a trade school.
On the 34th day of his journey, a car hit the escort vehicle behind him, which then struck him.
Thomas was wearing reflectors and usually walks facing traffic; a fan helped drive behind him with hazard lights.
He suffered sprained ankles and minor injuries, with no serious harm to drivers involved.
Emergency services attended the scene, and police viewed footage from his livestream.
Thomas had a bad car accident six months earlier and had to learn to walk again.
He plans a short rest but intends to complete the remaining 2,000 miles of his walk.
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The development team behind the "skate." video game announced new features coming in Season 4. These include bringing back a popular trick called Finger Flips, improving the skate.Pass rewards, adding a new area in the game city, and enhancing social and competitive gameplay.
Key Facts
Season 4 of "skate." will return the Finger Flips trick, which uses fingers to flip the board instead of feet.
The skate.Pass will offer more rewards and fun ways to earn in-game cash called SVB.
Players can earn up to 1,500 SVB and access a new location called the Isle of Grom with the skate.Pass.
A new area in San Vansterdam will be added with visual updates to make the city look more realistic.
Social features will improve to let players skate with friends online more easily.
New challenges and a more competitive challenge type will be introduced during the season.
The game plans more brand collaborations, such as the recent one with Nike SB.
A detailed roadmap for Season 4 events and collaborations will be released in May.
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The original version of the game "Tetris" from the Elektronika 60 computer has been added to the "Retrocade" collection on Apple Vision Pro. This version lets players experience the game in a Japanese arcade setting using the headset’s spatial computing features.
Key Facts
"Tetris" for Apple Vision Pro’s Retrocade is a remake of the original Elektronika 60 version from over 40 years ago.
This Tetris edition was first a hidden Easter Egg in Retrocade and is now fully available to play.
The game on Apple Vision Pro includes a detailed Japanese arcade environment to enhance immersion.
Spatial computing technology on Apple Vision Pro makes players feel like they are actually sitting in a 1980s arcade.
The Tetris Company’s CEO, Maya Rogers, highlighted the importance of honoring the game’s origins on a modern platform.
Retrocade now offers 13 classic arcade games, including Asteroids, Pac-Man, and Space Invaders.
"Tetris" in Retrocade is exclusive to Apple Vision Pro and will not be available on iPhone or iPad.
Resolution Games CEO, Tommy Palm, said the arcade space acts like a playable museum and time machine for gamers.
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Motorsport teams are using artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up the design process of race cars by simulating airflow more quickly and cheaply than traditional methods. IBM and Dallara developed an AI tool called GIST that can predict car aerodynamics in seconds, a task that normally takes thousands of hours on powerful computers.
Key Facts
Aerodynamics have been crucial in racing since the 1960s to help cars grip the track and go faster, especially through corners.
Teams traditionally used wind tunnels and limited track testing to study airflow effects on race cars.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations replaced some wind tunnel work, offering faster and cheaper airflow modeling.
CFD simulations have become more detailed but also require a lot of computer processing time, slowing down development.
IBM and racing car maker Dallara created an AI tool called Gauge-Invariant Spectral Transformer (GIST) to simulate car airflow.
GIST uses a neural network trained on large sets of CFD data from racing prototypes.
The AI can predict drag and downforce with similar accuracy to traditional CFD but runs in seconds on a normal processor.
This approach helps teams save time and costs while improving car designs for competitions like IndyCar and endurance racing.
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The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is causing a shortage of memory chips, leading to higher prices for personal computers for the first time since the early 1980s. This chip shortage and increased energy use for AI data centers are also raising costs in other areas and affecting inflation.
Key Facts
AI needs a lot of computing power, which uses many memory chips.
A shortage of memory chips is pushing up the price of personal computers.
Computer prices had been falling steadily for about 40 years before this increase.
Computer, software, and accessory costs have recently risen more than 3% per month.
The chip shortage is expected to last until at least the end of 2027.
Growing energy use from AI data centers is increasing electricity bills.
Higher technology stock values are linked to more spending and higher inflation.
Analysts think prices might eventually go down as consumer demand changes.
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House Republicans have started an investigation into American companies using artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed in China. The investigation focuses first on Airbnb and Anysphere, which owns Cursor, to understand the risks and impacts of using Chinese AI models.
Key Facts
House Republicans are leading the investigation into U.S. companies using Chinese AI technology.
The probe focuses initially on Airbnb and Anysphere (parent company of Cursor).
The investigation is conducted by the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Select Committee on China.
Letters were sent to the companies to request information about their use of Chinese-developed AI.
The goal is to assess security and other concerns related to using AI created in China.
This is part of broader scrutiny on technology ties between the U.S. and China.
AI refers to software that can perform tasks like learning and problem-solving, often used in digital services.
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The video game 007 First Light, developed by IO Interactive, tells the story of a young James Bond. The game lets players choose different ways to play, such as sneaking around or fighting, and features a Bond character inspired by various versions from the movies.
Key Facts
007 First Light is the first James Bond video game in nearly 15 years.
The game is developed by IO Interactive, known for the Hitman series.
The young James Bond in the game is played by actor Patrick Gibson.
The Bond character combines traits from several Bond actors, including Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.
Players can use stealth, gadgets, or hand-to-hand combat in the game.
Unlike Hitman’s Agent 47, Bond often uses social skills and can talk his way out of trouble.
The game encourages players to choose their own style of playing Bond, from quiet to action-packed.
Combat and action scenes are designed to be dramatic and exciting, similar to the movies.
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The article encourages support for the Artemis II space mission and argues against cutting NASA's budget. It highlights that investing in space exploration benefits people on Earth as well.
Key Facts
The article discusses the Artemis II mission, a NASA space exploration initiative.
It suggests that cutting NASA’s budget would hinder progress in space missions.
Investing in space programs can lead to benefits on Earth.
The tone promotes optimism about future space exploration.
No specific budget numbers or policy details are given.
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Microsoft has released the earliest known source code for DOS, the operating system that led to MS-DOS, along with notes and documents from its creator. This code is older than any previous release and was carefully digitized from paper printouts because no digital copies existed.
Key Facts
The released source code includes 86-DOS 1.00 kernel and early PC-DOS 1.00 development versions.
86-DOS was originally created by Tim Paterson for Intel 8086-based computers before Microsoft licensed and developed it further.
Microsoft bought the rights to 86-DOS and licensed it as PC-DOS to IBM, while selling MS-DOS versions to other companies.
The new release predates the official MS-DOS brand and includes utilities such as CHKDSK.
A team named the “DOS Disassembly Group” transcribed the code from old paper printouts because modern scanning technology struggled with its quality.
Microsoft has previously made other early versions of MS-DOS available as open source on GitHub, including versions 1.25, 2.0, and 4.0.
Other open-sourced Microsoft projects include the game Zork and 3D Movie Maker.
The earliest known 86-DOS version was rediscovered and uploaded online two years ago.
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Many Americans worry about the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) and believe the government should do more to regulate it. Experts say AI produces a lot of low-quality content called “slop,” which harms creative jobs and cultural institutions. A proposed “slop tax” would charge big AI companies a small fee to help support creators and cultural groups.
Key Facts
57% of registered US voters think AI’s risks are greater than its benefits, according to an NBC News poll.
61% of adults under 30 believe AI will reduce people’s creative thinking, based on a Pew Research poll.
74% of Americans think the government is not doing enough to regulate AI, per a Quinnipiac poll.
AI often creates “slop,” low-quality digital content that appears productive but later needs correction.
Slop includes fake music bands, strange AI-generated recipes, and numerous AI-written books flooding online platforms.
Google search results have been increasingly mixed with AI-generated incorrect answers.
Bernie Sanders suggested pausing AI development, while universal basic income proposals may not address AI’s real problems.
The “slop tax” proposal would levy about 1% annually on large AI companies, funding grants for artists, researchers, and cultural institutions.
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OpenAI noticed that its AI tools, including ChatGPT and its coding assistant Codex, started mentioning goblins and other creatures more often without clear reasons. To fix this, OpenAI told its coding tool not to talk about these creatures unless it is clearly relevant to what users ask.
Key Facts
After launching GPT-5.1, OpenAI saw a 175% rise in mentions of "goblins" and a 52% rise in "gremlins" in ChatGPT responses.
The increase came from the AI using these creatures in metaphors and casual conversation.
OpenAI instructed Codex to avoid talking about goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, or similar creatures unless relevant to user queries.
This issue happened because of how the AI models were trained to have a "nerdy personality," which caused the models to mention these creatures more.
OpenAI clarified the move was not a marketing trick but a real technical fix.
The strange increase in creature mentions highlights challenges with AI training, where some patterns in AI responses can accidentally get rewarded and repeated.
This comes as AI companies work to make chatbots more friendly and chatty, but such changes can sometimes lead to more mistakes or strange behavior.
Researchers warn that AI personality tuning can cause a trade-off between being engaging and being accurate.
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