James Farrell

James Farrell is the former editor-in-chief of Chiang Mai CityNews, where he wrote and managed daily news, features, op-eds and blogs on a diverse range of topics. Prior to this, in the same city of Northern Thailand where he lives, he was the longstanding deputy editor of the monthly magazine Citylife. He has written on culture, politics, travel, tech, business, human rights, for local, national, and international news services and magazines. He has a keen interest in the role technology is playing in the transformation of society, culture and politics, especially in developing nations. This is reflected in his not-so-successful first novel.

Latest from James Farrell

X files lawsuit against Media Matters over advertising and antisemitism accusations

POLICY - BY JAMES FARRELL - 3 YEARS AGO

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X Corp., is suing the left-leaning pressure group Media Matters after a report that stated X allowed antisemitic posts next to advertising. The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Texas on Monday, claims that Media Matters “manipulated” data in what X says is an attempt to “destroy” his company. ...

Storms hit Cruise as co-founder Dan Kan quits following resignation of CEO

EMERGING TECH - BY JAMES FARRELL - 3 YEARS AGO

Daniel Kan, co-founder and chief product officer of Cruise LLC, the self-driving car subsidiary of General Motors Co., today bid farewell to the company just a day after the departure of Chief Executive Kyle Vogt. In what looks like a testing time for GM, Chief Executive Mary Barra has been trying to pick up the ...

Amazon is about to get into the business of selling cars

POLICY - BY JAMES FARRELL - 3 YEARS AGO

Amazon.com Inc. announced today that next year, it will allow automakers to sell cars on its e-commerce platform, starting with South Korean firm Hyundai Motor Co. The company has been indirectly involved with cars for some time now through its “Amazon Vehicle Showrooms,” giving customers the ability to peruse digital showrooms where they can compare ...

Meta calls for new legislation around how teens download apps from app stores

POLICY - BY JAMES FARRELL - 3 YEARS AGO

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

POLICY - BY JAMES FARRELL - 3 YEARS AGO

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

AI - BY JAMES FARRELL - 3 YEARS AGO

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

POLICY - BY JAMES FARRELL - 3 YEARS AGO

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

APPS - BY JAMES FARRELL - 3 YEARS AGO

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

AI - BY JAMES FARRELL - 3 YEARS AGO

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

AI - BY JAMES FARRELL - 3 YEARS AGO

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 ...