President Trump wants a single national rule to oversee artificial intelligence (AI) instead of allowing each state to have its own rules. He believes different state laws could harm economic growth driven by AI. Some people in Congress support this idea, but others disagree, creating division among politicians.
Key Facts
President Trump is pushing for a national rule on AI regulation.
He believes individual state laws could harm AI-driven economic growth.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise wants to add this national rule to a defense policy bill.
Some states are trying to include diversity-related ideas in AI models, which Trump calls "Woke AI."
Senator Ted Cruz supports stopping state-level AI rules but faces opposition, including from Senator Marsha Blackburn.
Blackburn and others are concerned about AI's impact on children's safety online.
Republican leaders are divided over how to handle AI regulation.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis opposes the plan for a national rule on AI.
The CEO of Hugging Face, Clem Delangue, stated that the current excitement is centered around Large Language Models (LLMs), not artificial intelligence overall. He suggested that the LLM hype could decrease next year. Hugging Face is a company focused on providing tools for machine learning.
Key Facts
The CEO of Hugging Face, Clem Delangue, spoke about Large Language Models at the Axios BFD event.
He commented that the buzz is specifically about LLMs, not AI in general.
Delangue suggested that the excitement around LLMs might fade next year.
Hugging Face provides open-source tools for developing artificial intelligence.
Big tech companies like Google, Amazon, Nvidia, and IBM invested in Hugging Face in 2023.
Google Cloud Tech recently expanded its partnership with Hugging Face to speed up the development of open models.
A U.S. judge ruled that Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, did not break antitrust laws when it bought Instagram and WhatsApp. The judge found that Meta does not currently have a monopoly in the social media market. The decision was a setback for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which had argued that the acquisitions harmed competition.
Key Facts
A U.S. district judge in Washington ruled that Meta did not violate antitrust laws with its Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued Meta, claiming the company had a monopoly in social media.
Judge James Boasberg stated the FTC did not prove Meta holds a monopoly now.
The FTC had approved Meta's purchase of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg testified that competitors like TikTok and YouTube changed social media competition.
The FTC is reviewing its options and is unsure whether it will appeal the decision.
The ruling means Meta will not have to split off Instagram and WhatsApp.
Other tech companies, like Google, have faced similar antitrust scrutiny from the Department of Justice.
The article discusses how technology and special visas allow employees to work from anywhere, creating a lifestyle known as digital nomadism. It also covers online bullying in Kenya and tech startups in Finland.
Key Facts
Technology and special visas help employees work from anywhere in the world.
This lifestyle is known as being a digital nomad.
Shiona McCallum speaks to someone affected by online bullying in Kenya.
The article mentions a charity working to help victims of online bullying.
Tech startups in Finland are participating in an event called Slush.
The discussion is part of a program on the BBC's World Service.
A court ruled that Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, does not have a monopoly in social networking. This decision means that Meta will not be forced to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp. The judge found that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) did not prove that Meta still holds monopoly power.
Key Facts
A judge ruled that Meta is not a monopoly in social networking.
The judge's decision means Meta can keep Instagram and WhatsApp.
The ruling followed an antitrust trial that ended in May.
The FTC argued that Meta held a monopoly through acquisitions.
Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, contested the FTC’s claims, particularly about the Instagram purchase.
The judge stated that the social media market has changed, with new competitors like TikTok rising.
The FTC's original lawsuit against Facebook was filed in 2020.
Roelof Botha from Sequoia Capital stated that SpaceX could become the most valuable tech company, surpassing OpenAI. He pointed out that SpaceX's significant role in space transport gives it a strong position, while OpenAI faces competition within artificial intelligence.
Key Facts
Roelof Botha is from Sequoia Capital.
Botha believes SpaceX may become the most valuable tech company.
SpaceX moved 80% of the mass sent into orbit last year.
OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google's Gemini.
Botha recently stepped down from his leadership role at Sequoia.
Sequoia has distributed $52 billion since Botha became a leader in 2017.
Alfred Lin and Pat Grady will take over leadership at Sequoia.
Microsoft and Nvidia are investing in Anthropic, an AI company. Anthropic will use Microsoft's cloud services, and both companies will work together on AI technologies. Nvidia will invest up to $10 billion, and Microsoft up to $5 billion.
Key Facts
Microsoft and Nvidia are investing in Anthropic, an AI company.
Anthropic has a deal to use Microsoft's cloud services worth $30 billion.
Nvidia will invest up to $10 billion, and Microsoft up to $5 billion in Anthropic.
Anthropic aims to rival other AI companies like OpenAI.
Microsoft plans to sell Anthropic's AI models through its Azure cloud service.
Anthropic was valued at $183 billion and has over 300,000 business customers.
The deal aligns major tech companies in the AI industry, making them partners.
Microsoft, Nvidia, and Anthropic will collaborate on new technologies and computing power.
A federal judge decided that Meta, the company known for Facebook, does not have an illegal monopoly on social networking. Other news includes Cloudflare resolving an internet disruption problem and an update on an accident involving a ship and a bridge in Baltimore.
Key Facts
A federal judge ruled that Meta does not hold an illegal monopoly on social networking.
Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Cloudflare, a company that helps keep the internet running smoothly, fixed an outage that affected internet users.
The National Transportation Safety Board provided an update about a ship crash last year in Baltimore.
The ship crash was linked to two electrical failures.
President Donald Trump's administration is moving quicker to close down the Education Department.
The CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai, gave an interview discussing the risks and future of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on the economy, jobs, and climate. He warned that the current boom in AI might not last, and no company will be safe if the AI market crashes. Pichai also talked about the environmental costs and the potential effects on jobs.
Key Facts
Google’s CEO is Sundar Pichai.
Sundar Pichai discussed the potential risks of the AI market crashing.
He mentioned that the AI boom could parallel the dotcom bubble burst of the late 1990s.
The environmental impact of powering AI was a topic of discussion.
The interview explored how AI might affect jobs.
The discussion considered whether the UK would benefit from the AI growth.
The interview was conducted by BBC economics editor Faisal Islam.
Roblox, a popular gaming platform, will stop children from chatting with adult strangers as part of new safety rules. Players in the UK and US must complete a facial age check to use chat features. The platform aims to improve child safety and will expand these checks globally in 2024.
Key Facts
Children on Roblox will no longer chat with adult strangers due to new safety rules.
Users in the UK and US will need a facial age check to access chat features.
Over 80 million people play Roblox daily, and around 40% are under 13.
Facial age checks use a device's camera to estimate a user's age.
The facial age verification will become mandatory worldwide starting in early December 2024.
Under-13 players will have chat restrictions unless parents approve.
Roblox faces lawsuits in the USA about child safety on the platform.
Parents can manage their children's accounts, including updating age after verification.
The TV show "Twisted Metal," based on a popular video game, has been renewed for a third season on the streaming service Peacock. However, the show will now have a new leader, David Reed, as the original showrunner, Michael Jonathan Smith, has left the series.
Key Facts
"Twisted Metal," a series based on a video game, will have a third season on Peacock.
The series received high audience ratings, with a 93% approval for the first season and 84% for the second.
Critics rated the second season at 92%, improving from the 67% for the first season.
Original showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith has been replaced by David Reed.
David Reed is known for his work on popular shows like "The Boys" and "Supernatural."
The show features characters navigating a post-apocalyptic world in a tournament.
Filming for the third season is expected to begin early next year, with a release likely in early 2027.
A Chinese man named Gui Junmin, who cryogenically preserved his late wife, is causing a debate by dating a new partner. His wife, Zhan Wenlian, passed away in 2017, and he chose cryonics, a process of preserving the body at very low temperatures, to keep her frozen. The discussion arose after it was revealed he started dating someone new in 2020.
Key Facts
Gui Junmin cryogenically preserved his wife after she died from lung cancer in 2017.
She was the first person in China to undergo cryogenic preservation.
Cryonics involves cooling a body to sub-zero temperatures to preserve it, using a substance similar to antifreeze to stop ice crystal formation.
Gui Junmin signed a 30-year agreement to keep her body frozen with a Chinese institute.
In 2020, Gui Junmin started dating a new partner, sparking discussions online.
Some social media users support his decision to move on, while others criticize it as selfish.
Over 500 people have been cryogenically preserved worldwide, mostly in the US.
No cryogenically preserved person has ever been successfully revived.
On Tuesday, a judge ruled in favor of Meta in an antitrust case brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The case aimed to make Meta break up its ownership of Instagram and WhatsApp, but the judge decided the FTC did not prove Meta still has monopoly power in social networking.
Key Facts
A U.S. judge rejected the FTC’s attempt to force Meta to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp.
The FTC had claimed Meta used acquisitions to eliminate competition, citing internal emails from Mark Zuckerberg.
Meta argued that the digital market has changed, with competitors like TikTok and Apple now being significant players.
The case was filed by the FTC in 2020, and the final decision came after years of legal proceedings.
The judge acknowledged that Meta once held significant power, but the FTC couldn't show it still does.
Meta sees the ruling as proof that it faces strong market competition and supports innovation.
The ruling is a setback for the FTC, which has succeeded in other recent antitrust cases against Google.
A judge ruled that Meta does not have a monopoly in social networking, allowing the company to keep Instagram and WhatsApp. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) claimed that Meta maintained its monopoly by buying potential competitors, but the court found that this was not currently true.
Key Facts
A U.S. District Judge ruled that Meta does not hold a monopoly in social networking.
The court ruling means Meta can keep Instagram and WhatsApp.
The FTC argued that Meta maintained its market power through acquisitions.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified that buying Instagram was not merely to eliminate competition.
The technology and social media landscape has changed substantially since 2020.
TikTok is now seen as a major competitor to Meta’s platforms.
The case did not consider newer social platforms like TikTok in earlier 2021 and 2022 dismissals.
Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion and WhatsApp in 2014 for $22 billion.
Companies are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve efficiency and unlock new business capabilities. By automating routine tasks, businesses are not just saving time and money but also discovering new ways to grow and innovate. Examples include IBM, SAP, and Walmart, which have used AI to enhance contract bidding, sales processes, and product development, respectively.
Key Facts
IBM's AI tools started with automating tasks, saving time and costs, which later provided new business capabilities.
One company's contract bidding process was reduced from weeks to hours using AI, allowing better pricing strategies and revenue growth.
SAP used AI automation to significantly reduce sales cycles, creating 22,000 new customer opportunities in 2024.
Walmart's AI system sped up product development by quickly responding to market trends, enhancing its competitive position.
AI is seen not just as a cost-saving tool but as a way to gain competitive advantage through innovation.
An op-ed discusses that in the SaaS industry, AI's biggest impact is on the engineering side, improving code processes.
The potential for AI in SaaS is in modernizing systems and processes, with real return on investment seen in these areas.
OpenAI is giving U.S. military veterans and those leaving the service free access to ChatGPT Plus for a year. This AI tool aims to help veterans transition to civilian life by providing support with resumes, job interviews, and understanding benefits. Eligible veterans can verify their status through SheerID to receive this benefit.
Key Facts
OpenAI offers a free one-year subscription to ChatGPT Plus for eligible U.S. veterans.
The program targets veterans within 12 months of retirement or separation and those in their first year post-service.
The subscription includes access to OpenAI's advanced AI model, GPT-4, and features like memory and custom instructions.
Eligible veterans confirm their status through SheerID, a verification service.
The AI tool assists veterans by translating military skills for civilian jobs, practicing interviews, and explaining paperwork.
OpenAI's initiative joins similar efforts from tech companies like Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce.
Such programs are designed to help veterans use AI technology to aid their integration into civilian life.
A Cloudflare outage occurred early Tuesday, affecting several internet services for about six hours. This incident coincided with a scheduled vote in Congress on the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein. The timing led to conspiracy theories connecting the outage to the vote.
Key Facts
Cloudflare experienced a major outage starting around 10:20 UTC and resolved it by 14:30 UTC the same day.
The outage affected services including X (formerly Twitter), Truth Social, and ChatGPT.
The technical cause was a configuration file that unexpectedly grew too large, leading to system crashes.
The House of Representatives was set to vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act on the same day as the outage.
Social media users speculated online that the outage was related to the scheduled vote.
Cloudflare stated there was no evidence of an attack or malicious activity causing the outage.
The company apologized for the incident and plans to prevent similar issues in the future.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that if the current intense interest in artificial intelligence (AI) drops suddenly, no company will be unaffected. Despite concerns about this, Google's stock continues to rise because of high demand for AI technology.
Key Facts
Sundar Pichai, Google CEO, told the BBC that the AI boom has some "irrationality."
Investors are worried about the long-term health of the AI market due to massive investments.
Pichai stated that if the AI boom ends abruptly, no company, including Google, will avoid the impact.
Pichai compared the AI situation to the early internet, which also had excessive investments but proved significant.
Google shares have reached a record high, increasing by 51% this year.
The demand for AI technology and Google's own AI platform, Gemini, are boosting Google's stock.
Despite warnings, investors are still eagerly purchasing AI-related stocks.
Cloudflare, a company that helps manage internet traffic, experienced an outage affecting various websites, including social media platform X. The problem was reported by many users, and Cloudflare is currently investigating the issue.
Key Facts
Cloudflare had an outage affecting several websites.
Social media platform X was one of the sites impacted.
Users reported the problems to Downdetector, an outage monitoring site.
Cloudflare acknowledged the issue and is looking into it.
The incident happened shortly after 11:30 GMT on a Tuesday.
Cloudflare provided updates after 12:00 GMT, stating continued investigation.
This event occurred weeks after another major outage involving Amazon Web Services.
Penn State Health has hired Dennis Sutterfield as its new chief information officer. Sutterfield will manage the transition to Epic, a system for handling electronic health records and financial management. He will also be in charge of improving the health system's technology and cybersecurity.
Key Facts
Dennis Sutterfield is the new chief information officer at Penn State Health.
He will oversee the switch to Epic, a platform for electronic health records.
Penn State Health operates in 15 counties in central Pennsylvania with multiple hospitals and outpatient practices.
Sutterfield has previous experience with Epic software from his work at Nordic Consulting Partners and Vitalize Consulting Solutions.
He formerly worked as vice president and CIO at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.
Under Sutterfield's previous leadership, his team won awards for top technology and operations teams.
In addition to handling electronic records, Sutterfield will focus on cybersecurity and aligning technology with the organization's goals.
