Tech Beat by Namecheap – 4 August 2023

The buzz surrounding Web 3.0 right now is undeniable. What’s not to love about a decentralized web outside of the purview of nosy social media companies? But its viability has been called into question. A slew of security experts are not convinced it’s ready for widespread adoption in its current form. Find out their concerns in this week’s news lead, Why we’re still not ready for a decentralized web.

In tech news:

• New tool from MIT could protect pictures from AI manipulation. With the rise of AI-powered manipulation, the need for detection and prevention methods has become urgent. MIT researchers have developed a tool called PhotoGuard that can protect images from being manipulated by generative AI models. Technology Review reports the tool alters photos in imperceptible ways, making it difficult for editing apps like Stable Diffusion to create realistic or accurate manipulations. The motivation behind PhotoGuard is to prevent malicious manipulation of images, such as the creation of nonconsensual deepfake pornography.

• Edible batteries could someday power the world of body diagnostics. Italian researchers from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) have developed the world’s first edible battery, made from ingredients commonly found in food. The battery is designed to power devices such as a pill camera used for gastrointestinal tract monitoring, according to ZDNet. The battery’s anode is made from riboflavin, a substance found in lean meats and spinach, while the cathode is made from quercetin, an antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables. Activated charcoal and a water-based solution act as the electrolyte, and nori or seaweed serves as the separator. The electrodes are made from edible gold foi, and the entire unit is encased in beeswax.

• Recyclable circuit boards are in the works. Infineon Technologies, Germany’s largest semiconductor maker, will soon introduce products made out of Soluboard, a recyclable and biodegradable substrate material created from natural fibers. According to The Register, Infineon believes the move will make the electronics industry more sustainable. Currently, circuit boards are made out of glass-reinforced epoxy resin laminate. These more sustainable computer products will be available from quarter 4 of 2023.

• Hackers infecting old Call of Duty game with self-spreading worm. Steam users have alerted players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to malware in the game that spreads automatically in online lobbies. TechCrunch reports that another Steam forum user and an anonymous industry insider confirmed the malware as a worm. The hackers have likely exploited multiple bugs in the game to execute malicious codes on gamers’ computers. The game has since been taken offline for investigation.

• AI chatbots still vulnerable to cleverly crafted prompts. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University revealed a significant vulnerability in some of the most advanced AI chatbots, including ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. As Wired describes, the study showed that using a specially crafted string of text or “incantation” can override the bots’ safeguards and induce prohibited outputs. These adversarial attacks exploit the patterns machine learning models discern from vast datasets. Researchers alerted AI companies before publishing their findings, and the companies continue to investigate ways to prevent these attacks.

• Room-temp superconductor — or just hot air? Scientists from the College of William & Mary in Virginia and South Korea’s Quantum Energy Research Centre claim to have created a special material that can conduct electricity without any resistance at normal room temperatures and pressures. According to Popular Mechanics, if true, this technology would be a game-changer for computing, communication, and transportation industries, among others. The material, named LK-99, showed some signs of these special properties, but many experts are cautious, saying more tests are needed, especially since previous claims about similar discoveries turned out to be false alarms.

Previously in Tech Beat: The need for greener batteries

The accelerating shift towards electric products, particularly vehicles, was hailed as a green move away from polluting fossil fuels, but a closer look reveals some troubling environmental challenges. The skyrocketing demand for lithium, coupled with the ethical and environmental problems of extracting many necessary materials, presents significant concerns for our planet. Additionally, the disposal issue of non-recyclable EV batteries looms large. However, innovative battery technologies hint at more sustainable future solutions. Initiatives around battery recycling and governmental support also hold the promise of a cleaner, more sustainable battery future. For a deeper dive into the battery dilemma and potential solutions, check out the complete article here.

Tip of the week: Protect your images from manipulation. 

From ProductHunt to targeted ads, we’re seeing new generative AI products launch nearly every day. So it’s high time we get in the habit of practicing prevention against AI theft, training, and manipulation when sharing new content online. And by limiting the usefulness of your images for AI, you will also reduce the chances that your images will be stolen by humans as well.

Here are four ways you can start protecting your images and visual resources now. 

• Watermarking. Adding a watermark to your images is a straightforward way to deter unauthorized use or manipulation. While it’s possible for an AI to remove a watermark, it is a significant deterrent and could make your images less attractive targets.

• Metadata tagging. Metadata embedded in a digital photo can include details about the image, such as the date it was taken, the camera used, and the location. You can add copyright information to your metadata to help protect your photos. If someone attempts to claim your photo as their own, the embedded metadata could serve as proof of your original ownership.

• Reverse image searching. Regularly conduct reverse image searches for your photos on search engines like Google. This can help you identify if and where your images are being used without your permission. While this doesn’t prevent AI manipulation, it allows you to take action if your images are being misused.

• Disabling right click. If you host your images on your own website, you can disable right-clicking (and therefore the “Save Image As” option) on images using JQuery/JavaScript. This can deter people from easily downloading and manipulating your photos, although it’s not foolproof since someone could take a screenshot. Still, it slows down many would-be image bandits. 

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