Tech Beat by Namecheap – 21 July 2023

The world of video games is evolving, and AI is at the helm of this revolution. Imagine games that don’t just respond to your moves but evolve with them, offering real-time, dynamic challenges. Yet, as we embrace this future, ethical questions arise, especially around data privacy. With the gaming industry booming and giants like Microsoft making monumental moves, the melding of AI and gaming is the future. Curious about diving deeper into this game-changing evolution? Explore our full article and gear up for the next level in gaming!

In tech news:

• Tax prep brands let Google and Meta sell ads off your income data. Senator Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic lawmakers are calling for an investigation into tax preparation companies that have sent taxpayers’ data to Big Tech through tracking pixels. Vox reports that TaxAct, H&R Block, and TaxSlayer were found to have put Meta and Google’s tracking pixels on their sites, sharing sensitive financial and biographical information with those companies, which could violate the law. The situation highlights how a lack of privacy laws has allowed this practice to become widespread on the internet, even on sites that people trust to keep their information private. The seven-month-long investigation was prompted by a report from the Markup, which found Meta’s trackers on the three tax prep companies’ websites.

• Movie producers allegedly sought rights to replicate extra actors using AI, forever. The Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Hollywood’s top labor union for media professionals, have opposed an offer tabled by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) that would pay extras around $200 for the rights to use their likenesses forever. According to The Register, this would enable the studios to use generative AI to recreate those background actors whenever they want, rather than rehire the workers. In response, the union has decided to go on strike from midnight last Friday morning. 

• ChatGPT rival launches ethical chatbot that can summarize large blocks of texts. US artificial intelligence Anthropic has launched Claude2, an AI assistant that can summarize texts of up to 75,000 words. According to The Guardian, it operates from a very ethical set of principles, which Anthropic calls “Constitutional AI.” Inspired by the three laws of robotics created by science-fiction author Isaac Asimov, the chatbot was trained on a multitude of safety principles, from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to Apple’s terms of service. Currently, a beta chat experience is available for anyone in the US and UK.

• San Francisco activists disable robotaxis with traffic cones. Safe streets activists recently discovered it is possible to turn off Cruise and Waymo robotaxis by placing cones on the car hoods and started encouraging others to do so too. Referred to as the “week of the cone” on Twitter and TikTok, TechCrunch reports that the action is protesting the increase in robotaxis in San Francisco, where many have grown tired of these vehicles malfunctioning and blocking traffic. Despite people’s misgivings, the California Public Utilities Commission is expected to approve the expansion of both Cruise and Waymo vehicles in the city in the near future. 

• Evernote announces major layoffs as it moves base to Europe. Facing the challenges of an increasingly competitive market, Evernote recently announced major layoffs of its US and Chile-based staff. As The Verge reports, this move comes after its acquisition by the Italian brand Bending Spoons last year. The company will migrate most operations to Europe and capitalize on Bending Spoons’ strong regional employer brand. Previously touted as a pioneering note-taking app since its 2008 debut, Evernote has grappled with rising competition and internal hiccups since the mid-2010s. Affected employees have been offered various benefits, including extended health insurance and severance packages.

• Microsoft’s acquisition of gaming company gains momentum. Microsoft’s ambitious move to acquire the gaming behemoth Activision Blizzard received a significant boost when a US judge denied Federal Trade Commission’s attempt to block the merger. According to the BBC, this $69 billion deal, which would become the most substantial merger in the gaming sector’s history, raised concerns about Microsoft reducing competition in the gaming market. However, the judge ruled that these concerns were not likely to stand in court. With the European Union already giving its nod and the UK’s decision pending, Microsoft aims to strengthen its gaming arsenal against market leaders like PlayStation and Nintendo. This merger would bring iconic titles such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Diablo under Microsoft’s banner. While this is a significant step towards finalizing the deal, regulators may still challenge the merger through other channels.

Previously in Tech Beat: Gen Z’s unexpected tech hurdles

It’s ironic that Gen Z, immersed in online activities and social media from birth, is getting stumped by traditional office tech. Although they seamlessly navigate smartphone apps, office printers are a daunting challenge. Their preference for modern collaboration tools like Google Docs over old-school emails and their unease with “small talk” during phone calls shows a shift in communication styles. However, their difficulty in managing computer files highlights a surprising tech gap. Learn more about these issues in our article, The tech that trips up Gen Z.

Tip of the week: Be one of the nice folks when using AI 

When interacting with generative AI, it’s essential to be mindful of intellectual property rights. Not only does this protect you from legal trouble, it’s also the right thing to do. 

• Check your new AI creation against your own memory. AI can generate music, text, images, and more, but sometimes these creations can unwittingly replicate copyrighted works. If you’re using AI-generated content, verifying that it’s not too similar to existing, copyrighted material is good practice. If you think it seems too much like an existing work, you need to make changes. 

• Use a search engine to double-check. Whether your AI creation contains words, visuals, audio, or anything else, search engines can help you find similar creations. If you see something that looks too similar, or even identical, you may need to work on a new creation.  

• Read the terms of service of the AI tool you’re using. Some might have clauses about who owns the generated content and how it can be used. Make sure that you understand and follow these rules to avoid unwittingly infringing someone’s rights.

• When you’re uncertain, seek legal advice. Understanding the implications of AI in intellectual property helps foster respect for creativity and safeguards the rights of original content creators. Even as an end user, navigating this innovative technology with responsibility and integrity is the right thing to do. If you are using AI to generate revenue online, and are unsure of how copyright law works, get legal help. 

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