Miscellaneous

Reportedly shifting gears from car-making to home robots, Apple is apparently in the early stages of developing a mobile robot that trails you around the house for reasons yet unknown, as engineers discuss creating this next big thing. As the company’s electric car ambitions were dashed, a new focus on robotics emerges alongside AI efforts. With a history of project failures, Apple’s robotics endeavor faces skepticism, leaving experts curious about the company’s future moves.

Jon Stewart, in a scathing monologue on “The Daily Show,” calls out AI industry leaders for their grandiose claims of solving global issues while ushering in the eradication of human jobs, highlighting the discrepancy between promised utopian futures and the reality of job displacement. With CEOs downplaying the extent of AI’s impact on employment, Stewart exposes the stark truth of AI’s current role in replacing human workers, shedding light on the looming job crisis and erosion of public trust in this rapidly advancing technology.

AI companies are facing a looming challenge as the internet may soon not provide enough data for their ever-expanding models. Some are exploring alternative data sources like video transcripts and AI-generated data. While some are focusing on training models with less data, others are considering controversial methods. OpenAI, for instance, is contemplating training GPT-5 on YouTube transcriptions, raising ethical concerns. This dilemma highlights the need for innovation in data training methods amidst growing concerns about data scarcity.

Google has agreed to delete massive amounts of data from users who utilized Chrome’s Incognito mode in response to a recent lawsuit, offering relief to those who may have browsed not-safe-for-work content. The settlement, stemming from a class action lawsuit filed in California in 2020 and resolved in December 2023, mandates Google to purge old Incognito data, update data collection disclosures, and enable cookie opt-outs. The company’s assurance that Incognito data was never linked to individual users clashed with the lawsuit’s allegations of misleading marketing, with internal communications suggesting awareness of these discrepancies.

Generative AI hype is deflating as businesses struggle with unreliable technology. Large language models like ChatGPT are causing issues, from spreading misinformation to plagiarizing content. The environmental impact of the energy-intensive hardware is also a concern. Businesses are realizing that the technology is not as dependable as they hoped. With incidents like chatbots swearing at customers and offering $1 cars, it’s clear that the overinflated expectations of AI may lead to a burst bubble akin to past tech industry downturns.

Researchers have developed a robot named “Emo” that can predict and mimic human smiles in almost real time, aiming to make human-like robots appear more natural. Through camera-equipped pupils, Emo anticipates and mirrors a smile less than a second before it appears on a person’s face. While the robot’s attempts at smiling are somewhat comical and creepy, this advancement in facial expression synchronization could pave the way for more authentic interactions with AI-powered humanoid robots in the future.