James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
Meta calls for new legislation around how teens download apps from app stores
In what might be construed as a passing of the buck, Meta Platforms Inc. today said the U.S. needs new legislation that will require app stores to receive parental approval before their kids can download an app. It’s only a matter of time now until there are profound changes in how young people use social ...
US federal judge says social media giants must face child safety lawsuits
A federal judge today rejected a motion from social media companies to dismiss a slew of lawsuits that accuse them of addicting millions of kids to their platforms and subsequently harming their mental health. School districts all over the U.S. have launched what is reported to be hundreds of such lawsuits against Google LLC-owned YouTube, ...
Google takes legal action against scammers using fake Bard ads to spread malware
Google LLC launched a lawsuit today against fraudsters the company says is using the buzz around generative artificial intelligence to lure people into clicking on fake ads for its Bard chatbot. Google said the scammers have been able to “exploit public enthusiasm for generative AI” by posting ads on social media that appear to be ...
Following San Francisco accident, Cruise recalls 950 of its robotaxis
Cruise LLC, a self-driving car subsidiary of General Motors Co., today announced it’s recalling 950 of its driverless vehicles more than a month after one of its robotaxis ran over a pedestrian. On Oct. 2, a pedestrian in San Francisco was first hit by a car driven by a human driver, and the impact threw ...
Meta whistleblower testimony will push US closer to an online safety bill
A former engineering director at Facebook Inc. told a Senate Judiciary subcommittee today how he was ignored when he aired his concerns to management about how the platforms he worked for could damage the well-being of children. This is hardly the first time we’ve heard about how Facebook, now Meta Platforms Inc., prioritizes growth and ...
YouTube is now testing experimental generative AI features on content
Google LLC-owned YouTube announced today that it’s rolling out several experimental generative artificial intelligence features for its Premium subscribers. The most interesting item in this bag of tricks is ‘YouChat,” which YouTube said will help viewers “dive deeper into the content they are watching.” Starting today, a select number of users will be able to ...
Beatles get back together for one last song with the help of artificial intelligence
The Beatles clocked up millions of views on YouTube today after their AI-enhanced song appeared on the platform, replete with the deceased John Lennon’s voice leading the way. The song “Now and Then” isn’t bad at all, but it’s not that great, either. It sounds more like Lennon’s solo stuff than anything the Beatles did ...
Google Brain founder Andrew Ng says threat of AI causing human extinction is overblown
Andrew Ng, a world leader in the development of artificial intelligence, said in an interview this week that he believes current talk about AI being an existential threat to humankind is vastly exaggerated. Ng, currently a professor at Stanford University, co-founded Google Brain and went on to be chief scientist at Baidu Inc.’s Artificial Intelligence ...
Meta is offering ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram to keep EU regulators at bay
Meta Platforms Inc. today announced an advertisement-free, paid subscription service available for users of Facebook and Instagram in the European Union. Starting in November, users in the 27 countries of the EU, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, will know what it feels like to scroll through the platforms while not being ...
Waymo’s driverless vehicles can now be ordered via an Uber
Uber Technologies Inc. will now offer rides in one of Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo LLC fully autonomous cars, the companies announced today. As part of a joint operation that was announced in May this year, the service will be available in Phoenix, Arizona. Users will have a choice to accept or reject a driverless car – ...