Technology

News, in short

Utlization of Large Language Models (LLMs) for algorithmic collusion pricing in oligopoly settings and auction environments leads higher prices and lower welfare for consumers, revealing that LLM-based pricing agents autonomously collude with each other, underscoring the necessity for antitrust regulation concerning algorithmic pricing models, according to new study by scientists at Harvard

AI,Technology
Proton Mail accuses Microsoft Outlook for Windows of being a data collection service, sharing user data with 772 third-party advertisers, informing only the Europeans about its data collections due to GDPR, not users in other regions, collecting various types of personal data like passwords, usernames, SMTP-credentials, and of course the content of the mails themselves, meaning accounts synced with Outlook could be compromised, says Proton alledging that Microsoft is similar to Google and Meta in terms of data collection practices, Ghacks.net, who only shares your data with 165 partners, writes, recommending Mozilla Thunderbird for anyone not wanting to be spied upon

Privacy,Technology
New study on microchip powered by light rather than electricity published in Nature Photonics, outlining how the chip utilizes photons for calculations, overcoming limitations of traditional silicon chips, exploiting light’s speed and energy efficiency, potentially enhancing computing speed and reduce energy consumption, unlike conventional silicon chips adhering to Moore’s Law, integrating seamlessly with existing production methods and can enhance graphics processing units (GPUs) crucial for training large language models (LLMs) like Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT

Computing,Microchips,Technology
Google unlikely to be replaced by AI in the short term, due to most searches involve simply adding .com and sending the user to the right website, while the user generally is uninterested in learning more about the history of the company, making AIs only stand out when the user wants additional information about ’why does it rain’ instead of just whether or not it actually rains

AI,Technology
Telegram launches new peer-to-peer login feature, designed to increase security for users, enabling users to login using one-time passwords (OTPs), verified by volunteers within the Telegram community, aiming to provide a more secure two-factor authentication (2FA) process by involving trusted individuals who can verify login attempts, an initiative part of Telegram’s ongoing efforts to improve user security and privacy on the platform

Privacy,Technology
While it seems that the EV-trend might be stalling, Nissan continues to develop a new range of EVs to be operational by 2025, featuring a plan to add newly developed solid state batteries to the EVs, claiming to be on track with their timeline, hoping to release a cobalt-free battery by 2028, reducing costs by up to 65%, aiming to eliminate liquid electrolytes to improve efficiency in storage and power transfer

Batteries,Technology
OpenAI shares first impressions of Sora, a generative AI model designed for creative applications, thoroughly tested by visual artists, designers, creative directors, and filmmakers exploring potential of AI created video content, receiving positive feedback on realism and surreal visuals, opening up a new world of possibilities for storytelling storytelling and abstract expressionism in productions such as the film “Air Head”

AI,Creativity,Jobs,Technology,Video
Generative AI will transform the world, and in that the corporate finance climate, enabling companies that promotes a culture of innovation to succeed in a world increasingly run by machines and AI, emphasising that it’s not all about using AI for product development, but also the behind-the-scnenes processes, operating models, customer experiences, and business models that enable the company to create competitive advantages

AI,Business,Economy,Technology
In “Our AI Journey”, Sam Altman lays out the prediciton that artificial general intelligence (AGI) will revolutionize, among many fields, marketing, handling 95% of the tasks currently done by agencies and creative professionals – humans – in as short a timespan as five years, noting the change is already underway and will accelerate further, raising concerns about data privacy, cybersecurity, intellectual property protection, authenticity, and potential job loss, predicting only a small sliver of the current field’s professionals will be able to make a living from it

AGI,AI,Technology
Researchers achieve stable qubits at room temperature, a significant breakthrough in quantum computing, maintaining quantum coherence for over 100 nanoseconds, using a metal-organic framework and chromophores, which opens doors to practical quantum computing at room temperature, eliminating the need for extreme cooling

Computing,Quantum computing,Technology