James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
EU tells Meta rival chatbots must be available on WhatsApp
The European Union today issued a warning to WhatsApp owner Meta Platforms Inc. today, threatening to take potential action against the firm for blocking rival chatbots from the messaging platform. The European Commission said WhatsApp Business may have violated EU antitrust rules after an update that left Meta AI as the platform’s only available AI ...
X’s Paris HQ raided by French cybercrime officers over Grok chatbot
The French offices of Elon Musk’s X Corp. were raided today as part of a preliminary investigation into allegations that the company may have spread images of child sexual abuse, as well as other alleged crimes. The raid was carried out by the French police’s cybercrime unit, the prosecutor’s cybercrime unit and Europol. Musk (pictured) ...
UK government to allow publishers to opt out of Google data scraping for AI Overview
The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority today issued a press release recommending measures that will give publishers more freedom in deciding how their content is used by Google LLC’s artificial intelligence systems. About 90% of online search queries in the country use Google search, but now with Google’s AI Overviews and AI mode, which scrapes ...
Social media giants head to court in landmark addiction trial
The world’s largest social media firms are in court this week in an unprecedented series of trials that could determine whether their platforms are responsible for harming young people’s mental health. With more than 1,600 plaintiffs, including more than 350 families and 250 school districts, companies such as Meta Platforms Inc.-owned Facebook and Instagram, Google ...
Anthropic CEO warns humanity may not be ready for advanced AI
Anthropic PBC Chief Executive Dario Amodei today released an essay on the many risks associated with developing powerful artificial intelligence systems and how we might counteract them. “I believe we are entering a rite of passage, both turbulent and inevitable, which will test who we are as a species,” Amodei (pictured) wrote in the introduction ...
That was a long wait, but TikTok US is finally a done deal
After years of high drama, the joint venture to keep the TikTok in the U.S. has been finalized. In a public announcement, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC said the 200 million Americans and 7.5 million businesses that use TikTok in the U.S. can rest easy. The deal is done. The announcement comes on the cusp ...
Palantir CEO says AI will eliminate the need for mass immigration
Palantir Technologies Inc. Chief Executive Officer Alex Karp said he believes that when the world hits peak artificial intelligence, there will be so many jobs on offer that mass immigration will be obsolete. “There will be more than enough jobs for the citizens of your nation, especially those with vocational training,” Karp (pictured) said at ...
UK mulls social media ban for kids under 16
In an effort to protect children online, the U.K. is considering initiating a social media ban in line with a similar ban already in place in Australia. Ministers were originally opposed to such a ban, but with pressure from backbenchers and campaigners, Prime Minister Keir Starmer (pictured) has softened on the ban and launched a ...
After backlash, X restricts Grok from generating sexualized images of real people
Elon Musk’s X Corp. today responded to a wave of international criticism over the company’s Grok chatbot, saying the bot will no longer generate artificial images of real people in a state of undress where it is illegal. This follows a barrage of concern from all corners of the world. In California, Attorney General Rob ...
TikTok just signed the deal to hand US operations to Oracle-led investor group
TikTok’s chief executive told employees today that the company has signed agreements that will ensure it can continue operating in the U.S. In a memo, Shou Zi Chew said that parent company ByteDance Ltd. and TikTok have signed binding agreements. Oracle Inc., private equity firm Silver Lake Partners LP, and Emirati-backed investment firm MGX will ...