Posts by Riah Marton
California backs down on AI laws so more tech leaders don’t flee the state
California’s tech companies, the epicenter of the state’s economy, sent politicians a loud message this year: Back down from restrictive artificial intelligence regulation or they’ll leave. The tactic appeared to have worked, activists said, because some politicians weakened or scrapped guardrails to mitigate AI’s biggest risks. Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected a bill aimed at making…
Read MoreBill Gates doesn’t regret his controversial climate memo
Last week, Bill Gates published a 17-page memo on his personal website that critics said pitted climate and public health efforts against each other, when they should instead be working in tandem. Monday night, speaking at Caltech in Pasadena, Gates doubled down, brushing off the critiques that came from across the ideological spectrum, including from…
Read MoreStuck in traffic? Google Maps has a smarter AI assistant for you
Drivers navigating traffic on their morning commutes will be able to do much more than just find directions and the nearest gas station on Google Maps. In the coming weeks, Google will add its artificial-intelligence-powered assistant Gemini into Google Maps, making it possible for drivers to get answers to more complex questions while they’re on…
Read MoreElon Musk’s latest Tesla pay package could make him the world’s first trillionaire
Tesla shareholders have a limited time to vote on whether to approve a staggering pay package for chief executive Elon Musk that could award him nearly $1 trillion in shares. Musk could leave the company if shareholders reject the package, board chair Robyn Denholm warned in a letter to voters last week. The pay proposal…
Read MoreWaymo killed KitKat. California neighborhood mourns a corner-store cat
San Francisco has been mourning the death of KitKat, a beloved corner-store cat who died after being struck by a Waymo robotaxi last week. KitKat graced the counters of Randa’s Market on 16th Street, near the historic Roxie Theater in the Mission District. KitKat was first introduced on the store’s Instagram page six years ago,…
Read MoreInside the race to train AI robots how to act human in the real world
CHENNAI, India — Now that artificial intelligence has mastered almost everything we do online, it needs help learning how we physically move around in the real world. A growing global army of trainers is helping it escape our computers and enter our living rooms, offices and factories by teaching it how we move. In an industrial town…
Read MoreMeta opens flagship store in West Hollywood to showcase AI glasses, VR headsets
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, opened a new flagship store in Los Angeles County where people can try out their smart glasses and virtual reality headsets while learning about local culture. The two-story building called Meta Lab, at 8600 Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood, spans more than 20,000 square feet and also…
Read MoreUniversal Music Group settles with AI music startup Udio
Universal Music Group said Wednesday it has reached licensing agreements with artificial intelligence music startup Udio, settling a lawsuit that had accused Udio of using copyrighted music to train its AI. Users create music using Udio’s AI, which can compose original songs — including voices and instruments — from text prompts. Udio has agreed with…
Read MoreCameo sues OpenAI for trademark infringement
OpenAI, which faced a fierce blowback in Hollywood last month as images of celebrities and dead newsmakers were manipulated without consent, is now drawing more scrutiny over its practices. This week, Chicago-based tech business Cameo sued OpenAI for trademark infringement. Cameo, which was founded in 2017, is known for providing services where fans can hire…
Read MoreLeading AI company to ban kids from long chats with its bots amid growing concern about the technology
Character.AI, a platform for creating and chatting with artificial intelligence chatbots, plans to start blocking minors from having “open-ended” conversations with its virtual characters. The major change comes as the Menlo Park, Calif., company and other AI leaders face more scrutiny from parents, child safety groups and politicians about whether chatbots are harming the mental…
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