Senate hearings see a clear and present danger from AI — and opportunities

There are vital national interests in advancing artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline public services and automate mundane tasks performed by government employees. But the government lacks in both IT talent and systems to support those efforts.

“The federal government as a whole continues to face barriers in hiring, managing, and retaining staff with advanced technical skills — the very skills needed to design, develop, deploy, and monitor AI systems,” said Taka Ariga, chief data scientist at the US Government Accountability Office.

Daniel Ho, associate director for Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) at Stanford University, agreed, saying that by one estimate the federal government would need to hire about 40,000 IT workers to address cybersecurity issues posed by AI.

To read this article in full, please click here

Read more

Google I/O and the curious case of the missing Android version

With Google’s I/O announcement expo now firmly in the rearview mirror, it’s time for us to enter the inevitable next phase of any tech-tinted revelation — and that’s the careful contemplation of everything we’ve just experienced.

It’s my favorite phase of all, personally, as it lets us really dive in and analyze everything with a fine-toothed comb to uncover all the subtle significance that isn’t always apparent on the surface.

And this year, my goodness, is there some splendid stuff to pore over.

Specific to the realm of Android, the sharp-eyed gumshoes over at 9to5Google noticed that this year’s under-development new Android version, Android 14, was mentioned by name only one time during the entire 2,000-hour Google I/O keynote.

To read this article in full, please click here

Read more

New Discord username policy raises user privacy fears

Categories: News

Tags: Discord

Tags: privacy

Tags: username

Tags: discriminator

Tags: DM

Tags: bot

Tags: chat

Tags: change

Tags: changing

Tags: server

Tags: hijack phish

Tags: private

We take a look at the reaction to Discord’s proposed changes to how usernames work, and why many users aren’t happy with the upcoming alterations.

(Read more…)

The post New Discord username policy raises user privacy fears appeared first on Malwarebytes Labs.

Read more

Google and Apple cooperate to address unwanted tracking

Categories: News

Categories: Privacy

Tags: Google

Tags: Apple

Tags: AirTag

Tags: Tile

Tags: Samsung

Tags: Bluetooth

Tags: trackers

Tags: stalking

Tags: car thieves

Google and Apple want to create a specification for tech that alerts users when they’re being tracked by AirTags and similar devices.

(Read more…)

The post Google and Apple cooperate to address unwanted tracking appeared first on Malwarebytes Labs.

Read more

Businesses, beware: The Motorola ThinkPhone comes with a major caveat

Let me just preface this by saying: No, the saga we’re about to dive into isn’t in any way related to April Fools’ — as far as I can tell, anyway. After all, we’re at the start of May.

And yet, one of Android’s best-known phone-makers is putting out a new device with such eye-rollingly off-the-mark claims, I can’t help but wonder if maybe they got mixed up on months and meant this to be a joke. It’s so hilariously and obviously ironic, I’m just not sure what else to make of it.

So here it is: Motorola’s got a new business-aimed Android phone called the Motorola ThinkPhone. It’s the first time the company — which has been owned by Lenovo since 2014, when Google broke our hearts and pawned the brand off after a glorious 20 months of control — is bringing a classic Lenovo name into the Motorola and Android arena this prominently.

To read this article in full, please click here

Read more

White House seeks information on tools used for automated employee surveillance

Credit to Author: avenkat@idg.com| Date: Tue, 02 May 2023 02:23:00 -0700

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) would soon be releasing a public request for information (RFI) to learn more about the automated tools employers use to surveil, monitor, evaluate, and manage workers, OSTP announced on Monday.

“Employers are increasingly investing in technologies that monitor and track workers, and making workplace decisions based on that information,” the blog released on Monday said, adding that while these technologies can benefit both workers and employers in some cases, they can also create serious risks to workers.

To read this article in full, please click here

Read more