TECHNOLOGY

Stellantis To Buy Stake In Chinese EV Start-up Leapmotor

Stellantis will pay China's Leapmotor $1.6 billion for a 20 percent stake
Global carmaker Stellantis said Thursday it will buy a 20 percent stake in Chinese electric car maker Leapmotor, making it the latest European brand seeking a foothold in the country's highly competitive market via partnerships with local manufacturers.
Visitors to the Japan Mobility Show will get a vision of the future of rescue in the disaster-prone country, including exoskeletons

Japan Show Provides Glimpse Of Robots As Future Of Rescue Efforts

With a drone camera, a survivor is spotted in the rubble. "My idea is to help people such as firefighters with my machines," Izu, 61, told AFP. It was Attraclab that co-developed the small delivery robot squeezing through the cardboard rubble at the Japan Mobility Show and designed the remote-control stretcher on wheels or tracks.
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The EU sent formal requests for information to Meta and TikTok in what is a first procedure launched under a new law

EU Opens Disinformation Probes Into Meta, TikTok

The EU announced probes Thursday into Facebook owner Meta and TikTok, seeking more details on the measures they have taken to stop the spread of "illegal content and disinformation" after the Hamas attack on Israel.
The emergence of AI has generated both excitement about its technological promise and concerns about its potential impact on society

AI Models Lack Transparency: Research

Artificial intelligence models lack transparency, according to a study published Wednesday that aims to guide policymakers in regulating the rapidly-growing technology.
Chinese tech giant Baidu says its newest AI chatbot rivals the capabilities of ChatGPT

China's Baidu Says Its Upgraded AI Bot Rivals Latest ChatGPT

Chinese internet giant Baidu unveiled the newest version of its AI chatbot ERNIE on Tuesday, claiming it rivals the capabilities of OpenAI's latest ChatGPT. Baidu led Chinese tech firms in rolling out generative artificial intelligence apps, which are trained on vast amounts of data and interactions with users to answer questions, even complex ones, in human-like language.
Microsoft will finally get its hands on Acrivision, the publisher of popular video game Call of Duty

Microsoft, 'Call Of Duty' Maker Set To Seal Tie-up

Xbox-maker Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, whose video games include "Call of Duty" and "Candy Crush", are set to seal one of the biggest technology tie-ups after overcoming final hurdles Friday.
The accounting practices of US big tech companies have long posed a problem for authorities

Microsoft Fights $29 Bn US Back Tax Claim

The US Internal Revenue Service is asking that Microsoft pay a whopping $29 billion in unpaid taxes from 2004 to 2013, the company said in an official filing on Wednesday.
Online misinformation has proliferated amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas

Tech Firms Struggle As Israel-Gaza Falsehoods Explode

From fake accounts impersonating journalists to war-themed video games fueling false narratives, tech platforms are struggling to contain a tsunami of misinformation around Palestinian-Israeli hostilities after rolling back content moderation policies.
Google's new AI tool can read DNA like a language, and see immediately if a word substitution will change the meaning of that sentence, the company says

Google AI Tool Predicts Danger Of Genetic Mutations

Researchers at Google DeepMind, the tech giant's artificial intelligence arm, on Tuesday introduced a tool that predicts whether genetic mutations are likely to cause harm, a breakthrough that could help research into rare diseases.
ChatGPT Enterprise will be powered by GPT-4, OpenAI's highest performing model, much like ChatGPT Plus, the company's subscription version for individuals, but business customers will have special perks

ChatGPT Turns To Business As Popularity Wanes

OpenAI on Monday said it was launching a business version of ChatGPT as its artificial intelligence sensation grapples with declining usership nine months after its historic debut.
Zimbabwe heads to the polls on August 23 to elect the president and legislature

Zimbabwe Election Disinformation Spreads On WhatsApp

From doctored photos making small crowds big to posts praising government accomplishments that never were, WhatsApp has become the channel of choice for disinformation in Zimbabwe before this month's elections.
Google's prototype AI news writing tool is reportedly "unsettling" in its capabilities

Google Testing AI News Writing Tool

Google is working with news publishers to design a new AI-backed tool to help journalists report and write their stories, the company said on Thursday.
Social media in Niger came under a massive disinformation attack in February, an AFP Fact Check investigation has found

IEC Partners With Social Media Platforms To Curb Disinformation

"Upon careful review of any reported complaint indicating disinformation or misinformation, the Commission promptly notifies the relevant online platform. The platform is expected to acknowledge and swiftly process the notification, ensuring a diligent response," The MMA Africa Director, William Bird said.

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