- In this regular roundup, we bring you the fascinating digital technology stories of the past two weeks.
- Top news in digital technology: Meta develops AI chatbots for social media apps. China announces Global AI Governance Initiative. Internet companies battle largest denial of service attack in history.
1. Meta’s new chatbot combines social media and AI
Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook users will soon be able to interact with around 30 AI chatbots deployed by Meta to transform the social media user experience.
Many of the AI ​​assistants come in the form of celebrity avatars. They are played by celebrities such as rapper Snoop Dogg, sports legend Tom Brady, media personality Kendall Jenner, and tennis player Naomi Osaka.
Mehta said AI will allow users to not only be more creative and expressive, but also immerse themselves in new forms of connection and expression.
Meta has introduced around 30 AI chatbot assistants, including some modeled after celebrities.
Image: Meta
Mehta said the AI ​​assistant will be introduced in stages, with guardrails built in to ensure safety and reliability. For example, images created or edited by AI will be clearly labeled “to reduce the likelihood of being mistaken for human-generated content.”
2. China announces global AI governance initiative
At the third Belt and Road Forum this week, China proposed a framework to promote the “sound, orderly and safe” development of artificial intelligence, as President Xi Jinping put it.
The initiative calls for countries to maintain mutual respect in the development of this technology, meaning that all countries should have “equal rights.”
The Cyberspace Administration of China is leading the effort, saying that while AI offers great opportunities, it also brings “unpredictable risks and complex challenges.”
The report states: “As global peace and development face various challenges, all countries are committed to a common, inclusive, cooperative and sustainable vision of security and are equally committed to development and security. That should be the focus.”
The initiative envisions a “human-centered approach” to AI development, prioritizing tackling climate change and preventing criminal groups from misusing the technology.
The World Economic Forum has brought together governments, businesses, start-ups and civil society in the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) network.
Fostering public-private collaboration in the development of policy frameworks and piloting new approaches to technology regulation and implementation to ensure that technology benefits people and the planet.
Headquartered in San Francisco, the company has centers in Azerbaijan, Brazil, Colombia, India, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. He has also started a marine-themed center based in Norway.
This network plays an important role in shaping the governance of emerging technologies at local, national, and regional levels.
Read more about network impact
3. News Overview: Digital technology stories from around the world
Microsoft has completed its $69 billion acquisition of UK-based gaming giant Activision Blizzard. The British government dropped its opposition to the deal after Microsoft agreed to sell streaming rights that had raised concerns about anti-competitive practices. Activision Blizzard is behind some of the world’s best-selling games, including Call of Duty. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Microsoft’s head of Xbox gaming platforms called the acquisition “a good day to play.”
Internet companies including Amazon, Google, and Cloudflare have announced that they have defeated the largest distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack in history. Google said the latest attack was more than seven times the size of its previous record-breaking attack in 2022, according to Reuters. DDoS attacks target servers and impact them by making millions of data requests per second, causing websites to crash.
The European Central Bank (ECB) has announced plans to investigate the potential benefits and risks of using AI models like ChatGPT in data-intensive operations. “AI provides new ways to collect, clean, analyze and interpret this wealth of available data, and to apply its insights to areas such as statistics, risk management, banking supervision and banking supervision,” the ECB said in a blog post. “We will make sure that this is reflected in our work,” he said. Monetary policy analysis. ”
Australia and Fiji have announced a new partnership to strengthen cybersecurity in the Asia-Pacific region. Fiji has shelved plans to work with China, choosing instead to strengthen ties with Australia.
According to Reuters, the ban on password sharing imposed by Netflix led to an increase in subscriber numbers of about 6 million. The streaming service is considering subscription prices, and some commentators expect prices to rise.
TikTok has announced that it will suspend e-commerce transactions in Indonesia to comply with new regulations. The Indonesian government has announced a ban on social media e-commerce to protect traders in traditional markets and shops.
4. Agenda Technology Details
Digital technologies have the potential to reduce global emissions by up to 20%. To achieve net zero, it is important to reduce emissions from sectors that are difficult to reduce, such as energy, materials, and mobility.
Meeting the food needs of a growing world population requires sustainable food production for both the planet and society. Digital technologies have the potential to improve crop yields and agricultural efficiency while creating more effective and transparent food supply chains.
Preparing for future pandemics is another area where digital technologies can help ensure the world can respond effectively should future pandemics occur. This article examines his seven ways in which technology can assist public sector decision-makers when faced with important choices.
