Killer AI, No OnlyFans For Russia, And More: Weekly Tech News Roundup

This is our third weekly roundup, and AI is making sure we never have a dull week. From trying to catch pedophiles to trying to kill their own creator, artificial intelligence is as nuanced as the human mind. But that’s not all that happened this week. So here’s a brief weekly tech news roundup of everything you need to know.

But before we jump into it, I’d nudge you to follow us on Telegram and Facebook so you never miss an update.

The Weekly Tech News Roundup

AI: From killing its creator to reading your face

This heading could be a movie title for all the content in it. Designer Lucas Rizzotto brought his childhood imaginary friend to life using artificial intelligence. However, a short while after he created the AI, it asked Lucas to step into the microwave so it could spark him to death. You can read the whole story in the linked article.

The implementation of AI doesn’t stop here. Apple created a controversial feature that scans incoming messages for sensitive content. So if your child has an iPhone and someone sends them objectionable content, they’ll see a disclaimer from Apple, which could discourage them from entertaining the message. The feature is rolling out in the U.K.

Lastly, Intel has created an AI that can read students’ expressions during online classes. The company says it has developed this AI to better know how students feel during a class. However, its applications, or rather its ramifications could go well outside the classroom. What do you think about it? Tell us in the comments.

If you want more AI-related news, our previous weekly tech news roundups also have enough to trigger your curiosity. You can check them out here.

Obama Says Social Media Needs Regulation To Cut Down Misinformation — Image: Stanford University, YouTube

Barack Obama, the forty-fourth POTUS, gave a passionate speech about regulating social media. His Stanford address was all about how social media needs a “north star” other than making money. While most of his words are true, I think he is late to the party. However, it needed to be out there, and now it is here.

Speaking of social media and misinformation, the Russia-Ukraine war is the latest example. From Russia uploading deepfakes of Zelenskyy, to Ukraine claiming Google Maps unblurred Russian army bases, a lot is happening. So be mindful of what you see and believe on social media, even if it comes from official handles.

Ads on Netflix, and Disney+ deleted episodes

This week was a rather bad one for streaming service Netflix. The company’s stats show it has lost over 2,00,000 users and is projected to lose more. We can say that Netflix’s rising prices and password-sharing restrictions have a lot to do with this.

Keeping that in mind, the platform is exploring an option of an ad-supported Netflix plan. While it’s not an outlandish idea, Netlflix co-founder and co-CEO has been against ads for a long time. However, if this comes to be, the company can tap into new subscribers who are willing to watch some ads to save some money.

Disney+ also went through some trouble too. A glitch on Disney+ erased episodes from many popular series. You can check which series were hit with the Disney+ glitch, and you may want to rewatch them now.

Pixel’s new trick, minus call recording, and Chrome badges

The Google Pixel is getting a new trick up its sleeve. The new switch to Android app is rolling out for Pixel phones soon. So if you’re going from an iPhone to Pixel, it’ll be convenient to switch. Google may also roll out the Android self-share feature to compete with AirDrop soon, so keep an eye out for that too.

But with new tricks, Android is also losing an old one for good. Google is killing off third-party call recording apps for Android from 11 May. Google says there are privacy reasons behind this, and that third-party apps were spinning off an accessibility API to record without letting the other party know.

Google has also added web store badges to highlight the best extensions and publishers on the Chrome web store. Google’s team will analyze each extension and publisher to see if they’re following the best practices, and your Chrome extension experience is likely to improve in the process.

Weekly tech news roundup

Rounding things up, after 600 companies ditched Russia, OnlyFans has made an exit from the country. Western sanctions and difficulties in digital transactions have forced OnlyFans’ hand, forcing it to temporarily suspend payments to Russian creators.

Europe’s privacy laws have forced Google into adding more cookie controls on its European services. It has added a new reject all cookies on YouTube Europe. However, there’s no word these privacy controls will roll out globally.

Leaked iPhone 14 schematics show that the new iPhone 14 lineup will skip the Mini. Apple is reportedly working on replacing the iPhone 14 Mini with an iPhone 14 Max. It seems like Apple is now experimenting with an affordable oversize iPhone after experimenting with an affordable undersized one.

On the political side of things, it was reported that British PM Boris Johnson’s office was hit by Pegasus spyware this week. Moreover, the Taliban has banned TikTok and PubG in Afghanistan. While this is the first time the Taliban has banned apps in the country, it looks like they’re just getting started.

That’s all in this weekly tech news roundup. If you like this format, do follow us on Facebook and connect with us on Telegram to receive news updates and roundups like this one.