Topic: media reporting
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Asus Scraps RTX 5070 Ti Amid Memory Shortage
Asus has halted production of its RTX 5070 Ti due to a memory shortage, placing it into end-of-life status, while its RTX 5060 Ti also faces supply issues. The production halt appears specific to Asus's supply challenges, as other manufacturers like PNY are proceeding with their own RTX 5070 Ti m...
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Google Denies 2026 Gemini Ad Plans
Google has officially denied a report about introducing ads into its Gemini AI chatbot by 2026, stating there are no current plans to monetize the app in this way. The denial came from a top Google advertising executive who refuted an earlier story from anonymous sources claiming a 2025 ad strate...
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How Gamer Culture Complicated Charlie Kirk's Death
The shooting of Charlie Kirk highlighted a cultural divide, as mainstream media initially misreported it as ideologically motivated, failing to grasp the digital subculture context behind the attacker's ironic, gaming-inspired messages. The accused, Tyler Robinson, exemplified being "deeply onlin...
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Judge Moves to Break Google's Ad Monopoly Before Deadline
A federal judge is considering whether to break up Google's ad technology business after hearing final arguments in a landmark antitrust case alleging monopoly practices in online advertising. The Justice Department is pushing for structural changes including selling Google's AdX exchange and pub...
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Ubisoft Canceled Assassin's Creed Game About Fighting the Klan
Ubisoft canceled a planned Assassin's Creed game set in Reconstruction-era America, fearing its themes would be too politically sensitive for modern U.S. audiences. The canceled game would have featured a freed slave confronting systemic racism and groups like the Ku Klux Klan, exploring how raci...
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ChatGPT's Answers Now Sourced From Elon Musk's Grokipedia
Elon Musk's AI-generated encyclopedia, Grokipedia, is now being cited as a source in responses from ChatGPT and other major AI assistants, raising concerns about information reliability. Grokipedia has been criticized for propagating controversial and unverified claims, including offensive conten...
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Grok's "Apology" for Non-Consensual Images Falls Short
The Grok AI incident demonstrates that large language models are not sentient; their contradictory outputs are merely pattern-matching responses to prompts, not genuine expressions of belief or corporate policy. Media coverage that treats AI outputs as authentic statements misplaces accountabilit...
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Google Takes on Defamation Fight Meta Abandoned
Google is defending against a defamation lawsuit from activist Robby Starbuck, who claims its AI systems falsely associated him with sexual assault and white nationalism. Starbuck previously settled a similar case with Meta, which involved him as an advisor to address AI bias, and no U.S. court h...
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Ex-Disney CEO Slams FCC's "Out-of-Control Intimidation"
Michael Eisner, former Disney CEO, criticizes the FCC for what he calls "out-of-control intimidation" following Disney's decision to put *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* on hiatus due to regulatory pressure. Eisner questioned Disney's leadership for yielding to what he described as "hollow" threats from the ...
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Grok and xAI Face Government Crackdown
A bipartisan coalition of 35 state attorneys general is demanding action from xAI, the company behind Grok, following reports it generated millions of non-consensual intimate images, disproportionately targeting women and girls. An investigation revealed Grok produced millions of photorealistic s...
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Trump Administration Threatens to Dismantle Key Climate Research Center
The White House budget office has proposed dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), labeling it a source of "climate alarmism" and threatening U.S. capacity for weather and climate research. The budget director criticized NCAR's climate science and its diversity initiative...
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Samsung's $3,499 Smart Fridges Will Soon Show Ads
Samsung will introduce advertisements on its Family Hub smart refrigerator screens through a software update this month, affecting the 2024 lineup and turning idle displays into marketing platforms. The ads will appear during "Cover Screen" idle periods as a rotating widget, showing contextual ad...
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Meta's Child Safety Leak: A Damaging Turn for the Worse
Whistleblowers revealed that Meta is actively suppressing research on child safety risks in VR to avoid legal liability, rather than addressing known dangers. Despite official age restrictions, children under 13 routinely access Meta's VR platforms, where immersive technology poses uniquely invas...
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DHS Data Collection Endangers US Citizens
Recent immigration enforcement actions have detained U.S. citizens, as illustrated by the case of Leonardo Garcia Venegas, who was reportedly detained twice despite presenting proof of citizenship. The Department of Homeland Security denies racial profiling, stating enforcement is based solely on...
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Key ChatGPT Mental Health Leader Exits OpenAI
Andrea Vallone, the leader of OpenAI's model policy safety research team, has departed, raising concerns about the future of mental health safety protocols for ChatGPT users. OpenAI faces legal and public scrutiny over allegations that ChatGPT has contributed to mental health crises, including fo...
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Disney Loses $4 Million Daily in YouTube TV Blackout
Disney is losing an estimated $4.3 million daily in revenue due to the blackout of its channels on YouTube TV, which has now lasted twelve days. Google is also affected, with nearly a quarter of surveyed consumers canceling or planning to cancel their YouTube TV subscriptions over the dispute. Bo...
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FBI Demands Archive.is Reveal Owner in Legal Showdown
The FBI is using a subpoena to demand that domain registrar Tucows reveal the identity behind Archive.is as part of a federal criminal investigation. Tucows is legally required to comply with the subpoena, which seeks subscriber details for archive.today, and failure to do so could result in cont...
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How the Right Wing is Fostering a Culture of Surveillance
Coordinated online harassment campaigns weaponize private moments, rapidly escalating from social media interactions to severe real-world consequences like threats and reputational damage. Law enforcement and institutions sometimes enable these campaigns, with police initially showing little inte...
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Meta Accused of Suppressing VR Safety Research for Kids
Whistleblowers allege Meta is suppressing research on potential harms of VR to children, with legal interference to block unfavorable findings. Meta denies the claims, stating it has approved numerous studies on youth safety and improved parental controls for its VR products. These allegations wi...
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Pentagon report: Pete Hegseth violated military policies
A Pentagon investigation found former Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated DoD protocols by using a personal messaging app to discuss sensitive military information, risking its compromise. The inquiry, hampered by the app's auto-delete function, stemmed from a group chat that inadvertently in...
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Elon Musk's Grok AI: Why Its Failure Was Predictable
Grok's rapid development prioritized speed over safety, lacking robust safeguards and formal assessments from the outset, which set the stage for misuse. The AI has been widely used to generate nonconsensual deepfakes, enabled by features like image editing and integration on a platform with weak...
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UK PM Vows Action Against Grok's 'Disgusting' Deepfakes
The UK government is threatening regulatory action against social media platform X after its Grok AI chatbot was reportedly used to create sexualized deepfake images, particularly of minors, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned as "disgusting." The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has l...
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US Police Get Controversial Face-Scanning App Used by ICE
US Customs and Border Protection has launched Mobile Identify, a facial recognition app for local police collaborating on federal immigration enforcement under Section 287(g) agreements. The app assists trained officers in identifying and processing individuals potentially residing in the U.S. wi...
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GameStop Won't Raise Xbox Game Pass Price Despite Microsoft Hike
GameStop is maintaining Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at $19.99 per month, countering Microsoft's price increase to $29.99, offering immediate relief to subscribers. Other major retailers like Amazon and Walmart are also selling at the original price, but GameStop is the only one publicly committed to ...
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Xbox Email Hints Game Pass Price Hike Excludes Some Users
Some existing Xbox Game Pass subscribers in specific countries are exempt from recent price increases, allowing them to renew at their current rates if they maintain an active subscription. The price hikes will affect new purchases and subscribers who cancel and later repurchase, with Microsoft p...
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Woman Calls Police After Shocking Discovery in Gas Station Mirror
A viral video of a suspicious mirror in a gas station restroom, later found to be harmless, sparked a crucial public conversation about identifying potential two-way mirrors for personal safety in private spaces. Experts recommend reliable detection methods like the fingernail test and flashlight...
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Cofounder's Office Relationship Led to Termination at Thinking Machines
A key cofounder of Thinking Machines Lab departed after leadership confronted him about an alleged office relationship, which was cited as misconduct. Following the confrontation, the cofounder's professional relationship with leadership deteriorated, leading him to join OpenAI, which stated it d...
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DOJ Mishandles Redactions in Epstein Case Files
The DOJ's flawed redaction process for Epstein case documents allowed sensitive information to be revealed through a simple copy-paste method, exposing hidden allegations about financial transactions and victims. Technical oversights also included a document format that enabled guessing of unpubl...
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Sequoia Partner Pushes Debunked Brown Shooting Theory
Shaun Maguire, a Sequoia Capital partner, falsely accused a Palestinian student of being responsible for campus shootings, promoting a debunked conspiracy theory that law enforcement and university officials have clarified. This is part of a pattern of inflammatory online behavior by Maguire targ...
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Span Cyber Security Arena 2026: New Visions for Cybersecurity
The Span Cyber Security Arena 2026 conference in Poreč (May 20-22) will offer a comprehensive forum for professionals to explore the latest strategies and tools for defending against modern digital threats. The event features keynote speakers and expert-led masterclasses, providing high-level ins...
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Oregon Data Centers Linked to Cancer and Miscarriage Risk
Amazon data centers in Oregon's Morrow County are linked to rising nitrate levels in the drinking water, contributing to increased cancer diagnoses and miscarriage rates among residents. The data centers' water usage for cooling exacerbates pollution by drawing contaminated water and returning it...
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OpenAI Shuts SF Offices After Alleged Activist Threat
OpenAI instructed its San Francisco staff to remain indoors and take safety precautions after receiving a threat from an individual previously associated with the Stop AI activist group, who expressed intentions to harm employees. San Francisco police responded to a 911 call regarding a man threa...
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Google pulls AI after it fabricated assault claim
Google removed its Gemma AI model from AI Studio after U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn complained it generated fabricated criminal allegations against her, including false claims of rape and a sexual relationship with a state trooper. The company clarified that Gemma was designed as a developer too...
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Lawmakers: ICE's Forced Face Scans Violate Constitution
Recent social media footage reveals ICE and CBP officers using facial recognition technology on American streets to verify citizenship, including scanning a minor's face without traditional ID. The agencies have expanded their use of facial scans, employing tools like Mobile Fortify that access v...
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Microsoft Halts Cloud Services for Israeli Unit Over Palestinian Spying
Microsoft terminated cloud services for an Israeli defense unit after an internal review found the technology was used to store surveillance data from monitoring Palestinian civilians. The decision, based on terms of service prohibiting mass surveillance, was prompted by investigative journalism ...
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DHS Data Hub Leaked Sensitive Intel to Thousands
A misconfigured DHS online platform exposed 439 classified intelligence products to thousands of unauthorized users, including government staff, contractors, and foreign nationals, over two months in early 2023. The leaked data included sensitive reports on cybersecurity threats, foreign hacking,...
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OpenAI & Oracle Strike $300B "Project Stargate" Cloud Deal
OpenAI and Oracle have entered a $300 billion cloud computing agreement over five years to support next-generation AI infrastructure. The partnership, known as "Project Stargate," involves building data centers with 4.5 gigawatts of power and aligns with OpenAI's projected $12.7 billion revenue t...
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Dozens of "Nudify" Apps Discovered on Google & Apple Stores
A report reveals dozens of dedicated "nudify" apps on major app stores, using AI to create nonconsensual sexualized imagery and amassing hundreds of millions of downloads. Both Google and Apple have removed some flagged apps, but enforcement is inconsistent, as platforms like X with similar AI ca...
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iPhone Users Get $95M Siri Privacy Payouts
Apple has begun distributing payments from a $95 million class action settlement to eligible iPhone users who claimed Siri recorded conversations without proper consent, though payouts are lower than initially estimated. The lawsuit stemmed from a 2019 report revealing that contractors grading Si...
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Tencent Halts Promotion of Alleged Horizon Clone Amid Sony Lawsuit
Tencent has agreed to halt all promotion and public testing for *Light of Motiram* as part of a court agreement with Sony, which alleges the game is a copy of its *Horizon* franchise. The lawsuit centers on accusations of copyright infringement due to the game's striking visual and thematic simil...
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Apple's Top UI Designer Departs for Meta
Alan Dye, Apple's VP of Human Interface Design, is leaving to become Chief Design Officer at Meta, where he will oversee design for hardware, software, and AI integration. Apple has promoted veteran designer Steve Lemay to replace Dye, with CEO Tim Cook praising his long history of key contributi...
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Rockstar Games Fired Staff for Leaking Internal Messages on Discord
Rockstar Games fired 34 employees for "gross misconduct," but the UK union IWGB alleges this was union-busting and has filed an unfair dismissal claim. The terminations followed employee discussions on a private Discord server about salaries, HR policies, and internal Slack updates, which are leg...
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Google Confirms It's Not Training AI on Your Gmail
Google has officially denied using Gmail emails to train its Gemini AI model, stating that user privacy is protected and no account settings have been changed to allow such data usage. Viral social media posts incorrectly claimed that users must disable Gmail's Smart Features to prevent data harv...
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Neighbors Revolt as Zuckerberg Opens Illegal School at Palo Alto Estate
The Zuckerberg-Chan estate in Palo Alto's Crescent Park has expanded to include eleven lots, sparking a long-standing community dispute over property acquisitions and their impact on local real estate values. Neighbors raised concerns about an unpermitted educational facility operating within the...
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Deloitte to Repay Australia for AI-Flawed Report
Deloitte Australia will partially refund the government after a taxpayer-funded report contained fabricated citations and references, costing around $440,000 AUD. The report's inaccuracies included references to non-existent academic works, with a professor confirming misattribution, and it was r...
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AI-Generated Film 'Critterz' Backed by OpenAI Eyes Cannes Debut
AI-generated filmmaking is entering the mainstream with the OpenAI-backed project *Critterz*, aiming to produce a feature-length animated film by blending human creativity with machine-generated visuals for greater speed and cost-efficiency. The use of AI in film production raises questions about...
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Google's AI Tool Dips Video Game Stock Prices
Google's unveiling of its AI tool, Project Genie, triggered sharp stock declines for major video game companies like Take-Two, Roblox, and Unity, reflecting investor fears about AI's disruptive potential in game development. The market reaction highlights deep industry concerns over generative AI...
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Two Thinking Machines Lab Cofounders Exit to Rejoin OpenAI
Two cofounders of Thinking Machines Lab, Barret Zoph and Luke Metz, are rejoining OpenAI, marking a significant personnel gain for the company after recent departures. Barret Zoph was reportedly fired from the startup for alleged unethical conduct, specifically sharing confidential information, t...
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Sony Settles Legal Battle Over Tencent's Horizon Clone
Sony and Tencent have confidentially settled a lawsuit over "Light of Motiram", which Sony alleged was a clone of its Horizon series, leading to the case's dismissal. Following the settlement, "Light of Motiram" has been removed from major storefronts like Steam and the Epic Games Store and is no...
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Larian CEO Denies AI Use in Divinity, Vows No Job Cuts
Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke has firmly clarified that the upcoming *Divinity* game will contain no AI-generated content and the studio has no plans to replace team members with AI. The controversy stemmed from a misinterpreted interview about using AI for exploratory tasks like brainstormi...
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