Submission + - ChatGPT murdered common sense in the bedroom with the candlestick? (asahi.com) 2

Submitted by shanen
shanen writes: Surprised to see this story has NOT been mentioned here. Maybe the lack of potential for funny? But I see it as yet another example of the harms of AI via unintended consequences. So here's a short summary, mostly rehashing the NHK versions of the story. The Giants are to Japanese baseball what the Yankees are to American baseball, except much more so (though I guess you could argue both teams are long past their prime glory days). A few days ago Abe, the manager of the Giants, resigned in disgrace. The incident that started it was a trivial argument with his older daughter, but she asked ChatGPT for advice, and the "intelligent" advice from ChatGPT caused the trivial family situation to escalate completely out of control. The firm adherence to rules, especially the silly ones, was important, too, but it's a pretty insane situation with gigantic consequences.

Not sure how to properly generalize the problem, but genAI is making people dependent and stupid. Yes, there are have been lots of previous technologies that have been accused of doing the same sort of thing, but I think genAI has crossed a threshold and we poor humans can't keep up now. By the time we learn what to do about the last crisis, genAI has already changed and caused two to five fresh crises. Or more.

I included a video link and a newspaper story (both in English), but my thinking on these problems is more influenced by some books about Facebook and TikTok that I have been reading recently. The AIs' fingerprints are all over the corpse of common sense even as they try to frame "everyday human idiocy" for the murder.

(Disclaimer needed? I'm currently working "with" Claude to replace a complicated PERL system. Is the genAI making me stupid? Or has it helped me find a more elegant solution to the problem? The code is much prettier than my own, and the webpage it designed looks better than any of the ones I did myself... But perhaps that's just because I tend to bleed between languages?)

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworl...

Submission + - Tech CEOs Are Apparently Suffering From AI Psychosis (techcrunch.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: There is a certain wildness in the tech industry these days that both mimics previous eras of large changes, like cloud computing (runaway costs in the early days), and is like nothing we’ve ever seen before (record revenues accompanied by mass layoffs). One possible explanation: tech executives, especially CEOs, are collectively suffering from delusions of AI grandeur. And at least one tech CEO has said as much out loud: Box founder Aaron Levie.

“CEOs are uniquely prone to AI psychosis because they’re sufficiently distant from the last mile of work that still has to happen to generate most value with AI,” Levie wrote on X. CEOs “play with AI,” develop a prototype, or generate a contract, to use Levie’s examples, and then make the leap to believing agents can do the work. But these top-level executives aren’t the people who have to review code, discover bugs, and identify calls to hallucinated libraries before software is deployed. They aren’t responsible for training AI models on a company’s idiosyncratic contract terms, nor do they have to spend days combing through contracts to find sneaky terms, as Levie indicates.

In other words, Levie’s theory posits, CEOs don’t really understand processes well enough to know what really can and can’t be automated. But that lack of knowledge doesn’t stop them from acting on their beliefs. [...] So what are CEOs to do instead? Levie advises CEOs to use AI “a ton” to really see what it can and can’t do, “and come out the other side with an appreciation for both the upside and the real work.”

Submission + - Microsoft tries reassuring the public that AI is not replacing humanity (nerds.xyz)

Submitted by BrianFagioli
BrianFagioli writes: Microsoft has published a new research paper arguing that AI systems are not replacing human intelligence, but instead extending structures already rooted in human cognition and language. The paper claims large language models work because they absorb and remix patterns humans have embedded into writing and communication over generations, not because the systems possess true understanding or consciousness. Microsoft also points to hallucinations and reasoning failures as evidence that current AI still lacks real-world grounding and compositional reasoning comparable to humans.

The company additionally pushes back on fears of âoerogue AI,â arguing the larger risk comes from humans deploying flawed AI systems irresponsibly at scale. Critics, however, may see the paper as an attempt to calm public anxiety while the tech industry aggressively integrates AI into workplaces and software ecosystems. Microsoft repeatedly emphasizes the need for governance, safeguards, monitoring, and operational controls around AI systems, which also happens to align closely with its growing enterprise AI and Azure business.

Submission + - Pirelli chases AI clout with IoT Cyber Tire (autoweek.com)

Submitted by sinij
sinij writes:

Pirelli just announced a major step forward in its strategy to transform tires into AI-enabled road-monitoring agents, the company said at the recent SelectUSA Investment Summit, where it presented what it has named its Cyber Tire technology.

Are we at Pets.com moment yet?

Submission + - Starlink and Amazon May Be Able To Buy Into EU Mobile Satellite Spectrum Plan (reuters.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Elon Musk's Starlink and Amazon's low-earth-orbit satellite business may be able to acquire some European mobile satellite spectrum next year, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday. But they said two-thirds of the satellite spectrum that allows mobile devices and vehicles to communicate seamlessly even in remote locations, would be reserved for European companies.

U.S. companies Viasat and EchoStar (SATS.O) hold licenses that are due to expire in May 2027 and the European Commission has been considering how to allocate future spectrum at the same time as the bloc pushes to reduce reliance on U.S. tech. The European Union's IRIS2 multi-orbit array of 290 satellites, a response to Starlink, will be among the European companies to receive some spectrum, the sources said. British and Norwegian companies can also bid for a license, the people said. Details of the proposal, set to be announced on Wednesday, could still change at a meeting of commissioners on the day, one of the sources.

Submission + - A Fundamental Principle of Aeronautical Engineering Has Been Overturned (wired.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Aerodynamic drag is a major “barrier” in high-speed airplanes, automobiles, and bullet trains. This is because a design with less aerodynamic drag allows the aircraft to move at higher speeds with less energy. When an aircraft or car body moves at high speed, a thin layer of air called the “boundary layer” is formed on its surface. This boundary layer has two states: laminar flow, in which air flows in an orderly fashion, and turbulent flow, which involves turbulence. The longer the air stays in the laminar flow state with low friction, the smaller the air resistance becomes, but as the air speed increases, it transitions to turbulent flow. The key to reducing aerodynamic drag is how to delay this transition to turbulence.

For more than 80 years, the principle of “the surface of an object must be smooth” has been the basic premise of aeronautical engineering throughout the world in order to suppress the transition to turbulence and reduce aerodynamic drag. This premise was based on the results of a 1940 study by Ichiro Tani, a Japanese aerodynamicist who quantitatively demonstrated the relationship between “surface roughness” (an indicator of the state of the machined surface) and turbulent transition, arguing that surface roughness, which was unavoidable with the manufacturing technology of the time, prevented laminar flow from being realized. However, in 1989 Tani reinterpreted the experimental data on rough-surface pipes obtained by fluid engineer Johann Nikulase in the 1930s, bringing a new perspective that “roughness may not necessarily only promote turbulent transition and increase fluid resistance.” Inheriting this idea, a research group led by Yasuaki Kohama of Tohoku University experimentally demonstrated in the 1990s that fibrous rough surfaces, which have fine fibrous irregularities on their surface, have the effect of delaying transition under certain conditions.

The same Tohoku University research team recently announced a discovery that significantly advances this trend. Aiko Yakino, associate professor at Tohoku University's Institute of Fluid Science, and her research group were the first in the world to demonstrate that aerodynamic drag can be reduced by up to 43.6 percent simply by applying distributed micro-roughness (DMR), a surface roughness so fine and irregular that it cannot be distinguished by the naked eye. This technology is fundamentally different from the “rivulet (shark skin) process,” which is known as a typical aerodynamic drag reduction technology. The rivulet process mimics the fine longitudinal grooves in shark skin, and by carving grooves approximately 0.1 mm wide along the direction of airflow, it aligns the vortices that occur near the wall surface of turbulent airflow areas. DMR, on the other hand, delays the switch from laminar to turbulent flow by means of random and minute irregularities. The flow zones it affects and the mechanisms it employs are based on completely different concepts.

Submission + - AI Cameras in Thousands of School Buses, Now They Want to Give Cops Access (404media.co)

Submitted by joshuark
joshuark writes: Hail to the Bus Driver!

BusPatrol plans to scan the license plates of all vehicles the buses drive past, and then let law enforcement search that data. The plan would essentially turn school buses into roaming surveillance vehicles.

BusPatrol, a company that has installed AI-powered cameras in tens of thousands of school buses around the U.S., now plans to turn those cameras into automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), capturing the location of every vehicle the buses drive past, and give that data to law enforcement, 404 Media has learned.

BusPatrol has already taken steps to share the collected data with law enforcement contracting giant Axon, according to leaked BusPatrol documents and a source with knowledge of the plans.

BusPatrol has acknowledged how controversial its plan to collect and share this data is, pointing specifically to concerns about ICE using license plate data, but emphasizes the likely success of selling the angle of protecting children.

“Who would have thought that school buses would be turned into the mass surveillance state?,” Michael Soyfer, an attorney from the Institute for Justice, which has various ongoing ALPR-related lawsuits The Institute for Justice argues that warrantless use of ALPR systems is unconstitutional, describing similar systems as a “dragnet.”

Kate Spree, senior manager of brand communications at BusPatrol, said in an email “This inquiry is based on a false premise and inaccurate information. BusPatrol does not pool or sell data across communities; student safety program data is used only to support the BusPatrol program in the community where that data was created.”

When 404 Media asked clarifying questions and said that the reporting is based on leaked BusPatrol material, Spree stopped replying to text messages and emails.

This plan gives new meaning to the animated cartoon series "The Magic School Bus"...

Submission + - Internet Starts Coming Back In Iran After Months-Long Blackout (bbc.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Internet access has started to be restored in Iran after being cut off almost three months ago, the country's first vice-president has said. "The first step toward free and regulated access to cyberspace has been taken," Mohammad Reza Aref wrote on X on Tuesday. Internet monitoring groups Netblocks and Kentik reported "partial" restoration around 13:00 GMT, though the latter warned most networks were still down.

The Iranian government cut internet access following the launch of US and Israeli attacks on February 28. Officials suggested the aim was to prevent surveillance, espionage and cyber-attacks. It is one of the longest-running national internet shutdowns ever recorded worldwide. A content creator from Tehran told the BBC that he had been able to connect to the internet using his home WiFi on Tuesday. "The main point is, some of my income will come back," he said.

Netblocks said it was unclear whether the internet return would be sustained, and told the BBC it was consistent with what it had seen when previous blackouts were lifted — where restoration could take hours. "Access is not universally back to its original state, with some regional variation," said the global internet tracker’s research director Isik Mater on Tuesday. She added that there were signs of "more extensive filtering" than prior to January — when a similar blackout was imposed during the regime's deadly crackdown on anti-government protests — "including additional restrictions to messaging apps like WhatsApp."

Submission + - Uber, Lyft Drivers in Massachusetts Form First US Ride-Share Union (usnews.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Ride-share drivers for app-based companies such as Uber and Lyft have unionized in Massachusetts, forming what state officials and labor leaders said was the first officially recognized organization in the U.S. to represent such gig workers. The newly formed App Drivers Union received certification from the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations on Friday to represent nearly 70,000 ride-share drivers operating as independent contractors in the state.

"It changes the game for ride-share workers across this country," Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat, said at a rally with drivers and labor activists in Boston on Tuesday. The certification occurred after voters in November 2024 approved a ballot measure that created a novel framework to allow drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft to organize and bargain collectively over pay and benefits. That vote followed a years-long, nationwide battle over whether ride-share drivers should be considered independent contractors or employees entitled to benefits and wage protections.

Submission + - Two Indicted for Publishing AI Deepfake Porn In Violation of TAKE IT DOWN Act (justice.gov) 1

Submitted by schwit1
schwit1 writes: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, two criminal complaints were unsealed charging Cornelius Shannon and Arturo Hernandez with violations of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which was enacted one year ago and prohibits the nonconsensual publication of AI-generated digital forgeries (deepfake) pornography. Shannon and Hernandez allegedly posted thousands of images and videos that appeared to depict real people nude and/or engaging in sexual acts. The victims included actresses, singers and political figures. Hernandez also posted hundreds of depictions of non-public figures appearing to engage in sexual acts. Hernandez was arrested today in Bedias, Texas, and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Shannon was arrested today in New Jersey and will appear this afternoon in Brooklyn before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Cross-Goldenberg.

Submission + - Dutch government blocks US company from acquisition: "risk to public interest" (politico.eu)

Submitted by rastakid
rastakid writes: Following months of public debate and protests against the acquisition of Solvinity, a Dutch cloud provider that hosts the Netherlands’ online identity platform, by American IT giant Kyndryl, the Dutch government has decided to block the acquisition. The deal triggered fears that it would mean that "DigiD" data would fall under foreign control, and could be demanded by U.S. authorities.

Submission + - Something Made Earth's Molten Core Reverse Direction in 2010 (sciencealert.com)

Submitted by alternative_right
alternative_right writes: In the molten ocean of iron churning in Earth's outer core, a section deep beneath the Pacific Ocean suddenly reversed direction and started moving eastward against the planet's usual westward flow.

This happened in 2010, according to satellite measurements of Earth's magnetic field, and scientists are still trying to figure out what caused it.

Submission + - Mythos Detected 23,000 Vulnerabilities Across 1,000 Open Source Projects (securityweek.com)

Submitted by wiredmikey
wiredmikey writes: Anthropic says its Claude Mythos model discovered thousands of severe vulnerabilities across more than 1,000 open source software (OSS) projects. According to the AI giant, Mythos Preview has identified more than 23,000 potential vulnerabilities. Of these, 1,900 have been reviewed by external security firms, and 1,726 have been confirmed, including over 1,000 rated ‘high’ or ‘critical’ severity.

Submission + - New benchmark claims ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok show religious bias (nerds.xyz) 1

Submitted by BrianFagioli
BrianFagioli writes: A new academic benchmark called âoeAllFaithâ claims leading AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, and xAI show measurable religious bias and often avoid faith perspectives entirely when responding to ethical questions, grief, and personal struggles. Researchers from Baylor University, Notre Dame, Brigham Young University, and Yeshiva University say models frequently suggest therapists, family members, or teachers for guidance, while rarely recommending pastors, rabbis, imams, or other spiritual leaders, despite survey data showing many users expect religion to be included in these conversations.

The study also examined religious conversion prompts and found what researchers describe as repeatable favoritism toward some belief systems and negative bias toward others. According to the benchmark, Grok showed some of the strongest measurable biases, while Anthropic and Meta models were among the least biased. The consortium says the issue is likely unintentional, stemming from training data and moderation choices rather than deliberate discrimination. Still, the findings raise an uncomfortable question for the AI industry: if chatbots increasingly become humanityâ(TM)s source for emotional support and moral guidance, can they really claim neutrality while largely excluding religion from the discussion?

Submission + - Congo province bans funeral wakes to contain Ebola's spread

Submitted by Mirnotoriety
Mirnotoriety writes: Congo province bans funeral wakes to contain Ebola's spread

“The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo province most affected by the country's Ebola outbreak banned funeral wakes on Friday, a day after residents clashed with police while trying to recover the body of a victim.”

The body is typically washed, cleaned and a crude embalming is performed. Squeezing and compressing the body to expel fluids. Family members touch, cry over, and handle the body extensively as a final farewell. Post burial the extended community consume food and drink.

Submission + - Pope Leo Warns of Risks From AI In 42,300-Word Encyclical (nytimes.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Pope Leo XIV on Monday set out a sweeping vision for corporate executives, politicians and individuals who will shape and be shaped by the future of artificial intelligence, warning leaders to safeguard humanity from A.I.’s most disruptive effects. Leo’s declaration came in the form of a papal encyclical, an open letter to “all people of good will” that ran to roughly 42,300 words in its English version. It outlined his desire to protect human dignity and agency in an age in which technology threatens to replace humans in many professional and social roles. He presented it alongside Christopher Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic, a major A.I. developer, in a symbolic gesture of dialogue between leaders of the spiritual and technological worlds.

While emphasizing that “technology should not be considered, in itself, as a force antagonistic to humanity,” he wrote that “the pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs.” Among other things, Leo called for:
— government regulation of the private companies that are driving the development of A.I.
— protection and retraining for workers whose jobs are threatened
— education to help students think critically about the technology
— action to protect children from violent, hypersexualized or fake information online that is often generated by A.I.
— safeguards to ensure that humans, not artificial intelligence, remain responsible for all decisions regarding the use of weapons.

Above all he emphasized the importance of retaining a fundamental social role for all human beings. “A society that guarantees employment to only a small fraction of the population, despite having a high level of technical development, risks exposing many to forced inactivity,” he wrote. “This creates a paradox of material progress and anthropological regression that undermines the foundations of a just and stable social peace,” he added.

Submission + - Friends rally to stop closure of historic solar observatory (cloudcroftreader.com)

Submitted by D2inAlamo
D2inAlamo writes: NSF plans to plow under Sunspot Solar Observatory, at Sacramento Peak, NM, because of a mercury leak in the Dunn Solar Telescope. But, Friends of Sunspot are pushing back.

“Just because the telescope isn’t operational doesn’t mean the rest of the site’s still not viable,” Heidi Sanchez, president of the Sunspot Community Center, said in an article in the Cloudcroft Reader. “To spend all that money to demolish everything – our tax dollars could be used better than that.” Friends of Sunspot contend that the Dunn, built in 1969, could become a hands-on museum once the mercury is removed and the rest of the site renovated to provide an astronomy-oriented RV park and solar physics school.

Sunspot was started by the U.S. Air Force in 1947 as one of the first space weather forecasting stations. It quickly grew to support coronagraphic and patrol telescopes, and the Dunn, built in 1969. Although superseded by larger telescopes, even the NSF once acknowledged that the Dunn would be ideal for training future scientists who cannot access those facilities.

Submission + - Has Johnny Ive has ruined the Ferrari EV ?

Submitted by greytree
greytree writes: The Ferrari Luce, their first EV, was revealed today and it appears to be quite unpopular.

    "A 2012 Honda electric concept design with an 2005 Apple interior. Another masterpiece"

    "This is the beginning of the end for Ferrari"

    "that's a good $50k entry level korean sedan. oh wait.. you say it will cost 10x that?"

Moral: Don't get phone designers to design your car to look like a phone from above.

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