Third-party AI tools account for 55 per cent of AI-related failures in companies, the newly launched iPhone 15 continues to irk users, Google kills Gmail’s Basic HTML view and the return of the X files – the Musk is out there.
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These stories and a lot more as we bring you the top tech news on today’s Hashtag Trending.
I’m your host James Roy, Happy Wednesday!
A new study by MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group found that third-party AI tools account for 55 per cent of AI-related failures in organizations.
The study surveyed 1,240 organizations across 87 countries, out of which 78 per cent reported using third-party AI tools by accessing, buying, or licensing them.
Of these organizations, 53 per cent use third-party tools exclusively, without any in-house AI tech and 20 per cent failed to evaluate the risks they pose.
These tools could generate, for instance, false information or integrate poorly with your existing systems, and lose valuable customer data, leading to reputational damage, financial losses, loss of consumer trust, and even litigation.
Philip Dawson, head of AI policy at Armilla AI, told MIT researchers, “Enterprises have not fully adapted their third-party risk management programs to the AI context or challenges of safely deploying complex systems like generative AI products. Many do not subject AI vendors or their products to the kinds of assessment undertaken for cybersecurity, leaving them blind to the risks of deploying third-party AI solutions.”
Third-party AI tools could be beneficial to organizational AI strategies, so removing the technology is not really the solution. Instead, the researchers recommend thorough risk assessment strategies, such as vendor audits, internal reviews, and compliance with industry standards.
Source: ZDNET
There’s no end in sight for the trials of the new iPhone 15, as reports are now pouring online, accusing the company’s new flagship phone of becoming hot to the point of physical discomfort.
Android Authority ran detailed tests with a temperature gun and found that the iPhone 15 Pro really does get dramatically hotter than Samsung or Google’s flagship phones.
The phone maintains a relatively normal temperature while doing basic things like web browsing and watching YouTube videos. But 10 minutes of recording 4K/60FPS videos runs the temperature of the phone up to 43.7 degrees Celsius. That’s hot and uncomfortable.
While these issues are arising, Apple obtained the patent on a new cooling system that would use magnets to circulate fluids and transfer heat in iPhones and iPads.
The idea is that – if a device can’t be run any cooler, its heat can at least be transferred away before components get damaged.
Apple said that, “Reducing the temperature of the heat-generating component can improve the user experience, prevent injury to a user, prevent damage to components and promote longevity of the electronic device.”
Apple Insider noted that the system could also be more effective than fans which are often noisy and generate vibration.
This cooling system, however, is not going to see the light of day tomorrow, so here’s what you can do if you find that your iPhone is overheating:
First, you can turn it off completely and let it come down to normal temperature naturally. That’s the fastest way to cool down an iPhone. Don’t put it in an ice box or the refrigerator to try to speed up the cooling as this will damage the battery.
You could also try different charging options — different hardware or using wireless charging. Or wait for Apple to acknowledge the issue and issue a patch.
Source: Mashable, ZDNET, Apple Insider
Google is killing the Basic HTML view on all Gmail accounts.
The news can be found on the company’s Support Page titled “Use the latest version of Gmail in your browser.”
Gmail’s HTML view option was introduced more than ten years ago with the added benefit of loading information quickly so users can access it on older or outdated devices with slower connection speeds.
Google said to the media, “The Gmail Basic HTML views are previous versions of Gmail that were replaced by their modern successors 10+ years ago and do not include full Gmail feature functionality.”
The decision to eliminate the basic HTML view was, however, criticized for not accounting for the needs of the visually impaired.
Pratik Patel, a self-described “blind technologist” said in a Mastodon post, “I know many #blind people who use GMail’s HTML view. Not only will they be confused but will be unhappy.”
The exact date when Google will disable its HTML view is unknown.
Source: Gizmodo
Reddit has unveiled plans to pay its top contributors cash for popular posts, starting in the US on Tuesday.
The social media site will pay contributors who are awarded “Gold” by other users, who pay a fee.
Gold has been a part of Reddit for a long time, and was originally intended as a sort of virtual reward for posts or comments that people particularly liked.
Gold awards will range in price from $1.99 to $49, with users receiving as much as half of that.
This move marks a turnaround for the company since a backlash in June, which saw popular Reddit forums known as subreddits shut down, the majority of which has now returned.
The decision to pay people for popular posts drew both criticism and praise. While some argue that it’s a good way to incentivize top creators, others contend that this could have an impact on the type of content that gets popular, which is usually divisive, provocative, and controversial.
Source: BBC News
Streaming giant, Spotify is piloting a feature that translates podcasts recorded in English into other languages in the original speaker’s voice.
The company said in a release, “By matching the creator’s own voice, Voice Translation gives listeners around the world the power to discover and be inspired by new podcasters in a more authentic way than ever before.”
The tool is one of the first to run on Open AI’s new voice-generating technology.
So far, the company has worked with podcast hosts Dax Shepard, Monica Padman, Lex Fridman, Bill Simmons, and Steven Bartlett to translate their voices into other languages.
Source: Mashable
X, formerly Twitter, announced it will be adding audio and video calls shortly.
But that is going to be reserved exclusively for the roughly 1 million users paying $8 per month for the X Premium subscription service.
The call feature will reportedly be tied in with the current Direct Message options, and attempting to use the feature as a non-paying user will provide a prompt to subscribe to X Premium.
X’s policies have been fickle, so this could change, but so far, this looks like a paid feature.
Source: Mashable
Last week, we discussed how X ranked dead last in climate misinformation management.
Now a new report from NewsGuard has revealed that foreign propaganda sites have seen huge upticks in user engagement, since Elon Musk put an end to Twitter’s “state affiliated” labels, following his takeover late last year.
Specifically, engagement with posts from the English-language versions of the foreign propaganda accounts, like Russia’s RT and TASS, China Daily, and Iran’s PressTV, shot up by some 70 per cent.
The report also claims that X’s own algorithm appears to be amplifying the content; Prior to Musk’s takeover, Twitter claimed that content from “state affiliated” media could never be boosted by its algorithm. However, NewsGuard says that, since Musk’s takeover, stories from propaganda sites like RT and China Daily are “algorithmically recommended” in users’ “For You” feeds with some regularity.
Jack Brewster, an analyst with NewsGuard acknowledged that there were already issues even with the pre-Musk Twitter labeling policy. But the policy did away with guardrails that, though flimsy, were set up to combat information pollution on the platform.
Source: Gizmodo
That’s the top tech news stories for today. Hashtag Trending goes to air 5 days a week with a special weekend interview show we call “the Weekend Edition.”
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I’m your host, James Roy. Have a Wonderful Wednesday!
