| |
| 1 | | The CEO of OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has urged Congress to pass licensing and safety standards for advanced AI systems. Speaking before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Tuesday, Sam Altman touted some benefits of AI but said government intervention is critical to lower the risks associated with increasingly powerful AI models. He proposed a three-point plan, including the creation of safety standards to evaluate AI models and a government agency to license those models. More: - Altman compared the current boom in AI technology to a historical moment, similar to the invention of the printing press, but cautioned that safeguards are necessary.
- He highlighted how OpenAI's technology has helped people, including a dyslexic landscaper to write grammatically correct emails.
- He still acknowledged AI's disruptive impact on the job market, though he said he personally believes there will be more jobs in the future.
- To highlight the risks of unregulated AI, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) opened the hearing by playing a fake recording of his voice, created with ChatGPT and audio from his floor speeches.
- Blumenthal expressed fears that ChatGPT could be used to generate content to endorse Ukraine's surrender or express support for Vladimir Putin's leadership, which he found alarming.
Zoom out: - Altman's testimony follows the widespread popularity of ChatGPT, which has ignited an AI arms race and prompted lawmakers to strive to develop regulations for AI.
- Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) has been working on a new AI framework with stakeholders that aims to “deliver transparent, responsible AI while not stifling critical and cutting edge innovation.”
|     | |
| 2 | | What happened: The IRS is working on a free digital tax filing system that could launch as soon as next year and potentially disrupt the $14.4B tax-prep and filing industry. Details: According to The Washington Post, a small pilot program of the prototype system is set to begin in January 2024, funded by $15M in the Inflation Reduction Act set aside to create a user-friendly, free e-file system. What the numbers show: Nearly half of Americans use software, such as TurboTax, to file their taxes, according to a survey of 1,200 U.S. adults commissioned by The College Investor. Only around 25% of people filed their taxes for free, despite the IRS estimating around 70% eligibility. Overall, 58% said they paid $50 or more to file their federal tax return. What it means: The main factor in choosing tax software was ease of use. In the survey, TurboTax was the top choice due to its user-friendly interface, followed closely by H&R Block. The new IRS system could help millions of Americans file taxes more easily and affordably, as it could offer customer service support through secure online portals that could compete with the premium offerings from tax-prep companies. 
| | | |
| A message from our sponsor, SLACK. |  | | When you’re growing a business, everyday tasks can slow you and your team down Back-and-forth emails. Meetings on top of meetings. A never-ending to-do list.
Enter Slack, a single space to connect with everything, share and search for information, and help your teams do more with less. And with Slack Pro, you can: - Keep conversations in one place:
Whether you’re working with your teammates or collaborating with partners outside your company, Slack Pro brings all the right people and information together in one organized space. - Find what you need, share what you know:
From files to photos to conversations, everyone can access any message that’s ever been shared, so they have all the information they need to make decisions and move work forward. - Connect instantly with huddles
Need to gather quickly to brainstorm or work through a complex problem? Start a huddle to talk instantly over audio or video. You can even share your screen and start a thread for notes.
Right now, you can save 50% off your first 3 months of Slack Pro. Learn More | |
|
| 3 | | Apple unveiled upcoming accessibility features that cater to people with cognitive, vision, hearing, and mobility impairments. They include "Personal Voice," which enables iPhones and iPads to generate synthetic replicas of a user's voice for face-to-face conversations, FaceTime, and audio calls. The features are expected to roll out with iOS 17, the next major iPhone update. More: - To create a Personal Voice, users would read a series of text prompts aloud, totaling 15 minutes of audio recorded on their iPhone or iPad.
- As a part of Apple's Live Speech, users would type in their desired message and have the Personal Voice communicate it to others.
- To ensure privacy protection, Apple said the features employ on-device machine learning.
- Additionally, Apple unveiled other accessibility enhancements, including a new Detection Mode for its Magnifier feature, which combines camera and LiDAR input with machine learning to announce on-screen text.
- These features are expected to debut in beta at Apple's WWDC in June before their public release in the fall, coinciding with the launch of the iPhone 15 lineup.
| | | |
| 4 | | Samsung has reportedly reached a deal to purchase high-end OLED TV panels from rival LG, according to Reuters. Though not yet confirmed, it would be the first time Samsung has sourced OLED panels from its South Korean competitor, acknowledging its earlier miscalculation in abandoning OLED TV production in favor of cheaper QLED models. More: - The deal would see LG supply Samsung with 2 million OLED panels in 2024, with shipments rising to 3 million in 2025 and 5 million in 2026, sources told Reuters.
- The panels are expected to be larger, ranging from 77 to 83 inches, a sign that Samsung aims to strengthen its higher-end TV offerings.
- The move is expected to help Samsung turn a profit in the face of competition from Chinese rivals in the LCD panel market.
Zoom out: - LG currently dominates the OLED TV market with an over 50% share, while Samsung has only 6%.
- The deal benefits both companies, as LG Display has faced slow TV demand and lower-than-expected OLED panel sales, while Samsung Electronics has struggled with weaker semiconductor demand and a hit to its core memory chip sales.
| | | |
| A message from our sponsor, VANTA. |  | | Streamline your security compliance to accelerate business growth. With its market-leading automated compliance platform, Vanta helps your business scale and thrive while reducing the need for countless spreadsheets and endless email threads. With Vanta, you can -
Automate up to 90% of compliance for SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, and more, getting audit-ready in weeks instead of months -
Save hundreds of hours of manual work and up to 85% of compliance costs -
Utilize a single platform for continuously monitoring your controls, reporting on security posture, and streamlining audit readiness Watch Vanta’s 3-minute demo to learn more. Watch Now | |
|
| 5 | | The U.S. Justice Department has charged a former Apple engineer with trying to steal the company's technology related to self-driving cars. The engineer, identified as Weibao Wang, was indicted for allegedly stealing Apple's autonomous technology for a Chinese self-driving car firm. More: - According to the indictment, Wang had access to Apple databases that were restricted to fewer than 3,000 of the company's 135,000 employees.
- In 2017, while still employed as a software engineer at Apple, Wang accepted a job at an unidentified Chinese company developing autonomous vehicles, according to the DOJ.
- Wang allegedly stole substantial quantities of sensitive commercial technology and source code from Apple to share with the Chinese firm.
- In June 2018, law enforcement searched Wang's California home and uncovered the stolen data. Wang managed to escape the country despite promising not to.
- He now faces six charges for stealing or attempting to steal Apple's autonomy source code, tracking systems, behavior planning for autonomous systems, and hardware descriptions.
- Wang is presently in China and could receive up to 10 years in prison per count if extradited and found guilty.
| | | |
| 6 | | Amazon is planning to incorporate a search feature similar to ChatGPT into its online store, Bloomberg reports. Recent job postings indicate that Amazon intends to reinvent its search function by leveraging large language models (LLMs). More: - One job listing for a "Sr Technical Program Manager" says that Amazon is engaged in an AI-focused initiative to revolutionize user search through advanced techniques in large-scale and next-generation deep learning.
- Another post, seeking a "Sr SDE, Machine Learning (ML), Amazon Search," mentions the company's efforts to enhance the shopping experience on its platform by harnessing the conversational capabilities of LLMs.
- As per Bloomberg's report, Amazon is planning an interactive and conversational experience for customers, allowing them to compare products, receive personalized suggestions, and find solutions to questions bout products.
- When asked about the new AI capabilities, an Amazon spokesperson stated only that the company is making significant investments in generative AI across all its business operations.
| | | |
| |
| Upcoming Events | | MAY
17 | | Monthly Meditation guided by Nicholas Whitaker | | | | | | | MAY
23 | | In-depth webinar on ML Monitoring at Scale with TruEra | | | | | | | MAY
23 | | Advance your security program and win more deals by joining this Vanta webinar | | | | | | | MAY
25 | | Inside.com Book Club - Zero To One by Peter Thiel | | | | | | * This is a sponsored event | | | |
Term of the Day Accredited investor: Individuals who are eligible to invest in early-stage startups are known as accredited investors. Question of the Week How do you approach networking, and what advice can you give others looking to build their professional connections? Join the conversation |
INSIDE TECH LEADERBOARD (7 DAYS) |
 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is a writer and editor at Inside.com covering artificial intelligence and daily technology news. She has written the Inside AI newsletter since 2019. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@inside.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia | |
| |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
