‘Embarrassing and wrong’: Google admits it lost control of image-generating AI
Google has apologized (or come very close to apologizing) for another embarrassing AI blunder this week, an image-generating model that injected diversity into pictures with a farcical disregard for historical context. While the underlying issue is perfectly understandable, Google blames the model for “becoming” oversensitive. But the model didn’t make
Read MoreDown the rabbit hole in the Stack Exchange network
On this home team episode: Discussions on Stack Overflow is a new feature that allows users to engage in open-ended conversations outside the site’s primary Q&A structure. The team explores deep-cut Stack Exchange questions about the nature of consciousness and the availability of corrective lenses for medieval knights. Plus: The
Read MoreVirtual Staging AI helps Realtors digitally furnish rooms within seconds
House staging is a significant part of the real estate industry, and while Realtors have traditionally staged houses physically before posting a listing, it’s an expensive and time-consuming process. A startup called Virtual Staging AI is making it possible for Realtors to virtually stage a house with the help of
Read MoreCyber Security Today, Week in Review for week ending Friday, Feb. 23, 2024
Welcome to Cyber Security Today. From Toronto this is the Week in Review edition of the podcast for the week ending Friday, Feb. 23rd, 2024. I’m Howard Solomon, contributing reporter on cybersecurity for ITWorldCanada.com and TechNewsday.com in the U.S. In a few minutes Terry Cutler of Cyology Labs will be
Read MoreTreating a chatbot nicely might boost its performance — here’s why
People are more likely to do something if you ask nicely. That’s a fact most of us are well aware of. But do generative AI models behave the same way? To a point. Phrasing requests in a certain way — meanly or nicely — can yield better results with chatbots
Read MoreUncovering names masked with stars
Sometimes I’ll see things like my name partially concealed as J*** C*** and think “a lot of good that does.” Masking letters reveals more than people realize. For example, when you see that someone’s first name is four letters and begins with J, there’s about a 70% chance they’re male
Read MoreHumane pushes Ai Pin ship date to mid-April
Hardware is difficult, to paraphrase a famous adage. First-generation products from new startups are notoriously so, regardless of how much money and excitement you’ve managed to drum up. Given all that, it’s likely few are too surprised that Humane’s upcoming Ai Pin has been pushed back a bit, from March
Read MoreBreaking news: RCMP facing ‘alarming’ cyber attack
The RCMP is facing a serious cyber attack from an unspecified threat actor. The Mounties told CBC News today that a “breach of this magnitude is alarming.” “The situation is evolving quickly but at this time, there is no impact on RCMP operations and no known threat to the safety and
Read MoreArc browser’s new AI-powered ‘pinch-to-summarize’ feature is clever, but often misses the mark
The Browser company’s Arc, a browser focused on a less cluttered web experience, launched a new feature in its mobile app Arc Search that uses AI to summarize web pages. The feature involves a clever “pinching” gesture that shows a neatly formatted summary with main points. The feature has gotten
Read MoreReddit downplays risks of developer backlash, decentralized social media in its IPO filing
Reddit’s long-awaited IPO is nearing, promising to be the largest social media IPO since Pinterest. But in the company’s S-1 filing, Reddit fails to fully address the complications that arose from changes to its developer platform and API pricing, which late last year led to site-wide protests, communities going dark,
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