Digital World
Is Musk's million-dollar US voter lottery legal?
AFP - 8h ago
Donald Trump surrogate Elon Musk's offer of a million dollars to one registered voter in a swing state every day until …
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Beware: US election disinformation masked as 'breaking news'
AFP - Oct 21 2024
"Breaking" news, screamed an online post by a conservative American influencer as he pushed disinformation about Kamala …
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Google wins delay in opening Android app store to rivals
Oct 19 2024
A US judge on Friday let Google delay opening Android-powered smartphones to rival app shops, suspending a November 1 …
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Google wins delay opening Android app store to rivals
Oct 18 2024
A US judge on Friday let Google put off opening Android-powered smartphones to rival app shops while the tech titan …
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US regulator probes Tesla's self-driving mode after crashes
Oct 18 2024
The US auto safety regulator said Friday that it has opened an investigation into Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) …
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Meta unveils AI tie-up with horror movie producers
Oct 18 2024
Tech giant Meta has unveiled a partnership with horror film production company Blumhouse to road-test its latest AI …
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Drought forces Big Tech to rethink thirsty LatAm data centers
Oct 18 2024
A prolonged drought in much of South America has forced tech giants like Google and Amazon to rework their plans for …
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Netflix adds millions of subscribers but growth slows
Oct 17 2024
Netflix on Thursday said it added more than five million subscribers in the recently ended quarter but signaled slowing …
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TikTok, Facebook approve ads with US election disinformation, study says
Oct 17 2024
TikTok and Facebook approved advertisements containing blatant US election falsehoods just weeks ahead of the vote, a …
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Onboard wifi is latest frontline in airline competition
Oct 17 2024
Free onboard wifi has become the latest battleground between the world's leading airlines as the once expensive and …
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Instagram moves to face rising tide of sextortion scams
Oct 17 2024
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, on Thursday announced new measures to fight sextortion, a form of …
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'Love match' apps rival traditional matchmaking in Pakistan
Oct 17 2024
Pakistan's traditional matchmakers play a revered role in moulding daughters into potential brides, but marriage apps …
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Amazon bets on nuclear power to fuel AI ambitions
Oct 16 2024
Amazon announced significant investments in nuclear energy on Wednesday, joining other tech giants in aiming to meet the …
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Musk's X escapes tough EU competition rules
Oct 16 2024
Tech billionaire Elon Musk's X platform will not face the EU's stringent competition rules aimed at keeping digital …
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Myanmar and China have lowest internet freedom, says study
Oct 16 2024
Myanmar and China have the world's worst internet freedom, with declines reported in a number of other countries led by …
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Fake AI history photos cloud the past
Oct 16 2024
A wave of touching photos showing great moments in time is fascinating amateur historians online. The problem? They are …
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Trump's crypto platform falters on first day of sales
Oct 16 2024
Former US president Donald Trump's cryptocurrency platform had a faltering sales launch Tuesday, with only a fraction of …
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Russia, China step up cybercriminal recruitment, warns Microsoft
Oct 15 2024
Russia, China and North Korea are becoming more aggressive and sophisticated in their recruitment of cybercriminals to …
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Google signs nuclear power deal with startup Kairos
Oct 14 2024
Google on Monday signed a deal to get electricity from small nuclear reactors to help power artificial intelligence.
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Pakistan 'vigilantes' behind rise in online blasphemy cases
Oct 14 2024
Aroosa Khan's son was chatting on WhatsApp but suddenly found himself the target of "vigilante" investigators who …
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'Stolen satire' feeds US election misinformation
Oct 14 2024
Did a Donald Trump supporter burn down his house while igniting an LGBTQ flag? Did a conservative think tank recommend …
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Ubisoft fears assassin's hit over falling sales
Oct 13 2024
Ubisoft's battle to maintain its share price has become almost as epic as its "Assassin's Creed" franchise as the video …
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Last-minute legal ruling allows betting on US election
Oct 12 2024
Millions of dollars have poured into bets on who will win the US election after a last-minute court ruling opened up …
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X says 'alert' to manipulation efforts after pro-Russia bots report
Oct 11 2024
X was "alert" to any platform manipulation attempts, the Elon Musk-owned site told AFP Friday, following a report that …
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Internal TikTok documents show prioritization of traffic over well-being
Oct 11 2024
TikTok teams identified harmful effects of its platform on young users but limited preventive measures so as to avoid a …
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Brazil orders closure of 2,000 betting sites
Oct 11 2024
Brazilian authorities on Friday began closing down more than 2,000 betting sites, including those that sponsors popular …
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Supercharged hurricanes trigger 'perfect storm' for disinformation
Oct 11 2024
Monster hurricanes slamming the United States in recent weeks have triggered a torrent of misinformation, with …
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EU questions shopping app Temu over illegal products risk
Oct 11 2024
The EU on Friday told Chinese-founded e-commerce platform Temu to hand over more information as it suspects the site is …
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Han Kang's books sell out in South Korea after Nobel win
Oct 11 2024
Major South Korean bookstores sold out of author Han Kang's books Friday, as sales skyrocketed and the share price of …
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Musk unveils robotaxi, pledges it 'before 2027'
Oct 11 2024
Elon Musk on Thursday unveiled what he said was a robotaxi capable of self-driving, predicting it would be available by …
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Musk's promised robotaxi unveil delayed
Oct 11 2024
Tesla fans were kept waiting on Thursday for the unveiling of Elon Musk's robotaxi, years after the brash billionaire …
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In Trump 'Truths,' conspiracies, attacks -- and doubts about the election
Oct 11 2024
Donald Trump has been lashing out against Kamala Harris incessantly on Truth Social as next month's US presidential …
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A very stiff breeze: BBC says sorry for 20,000 kph wind forecast
Oct 11 2024
The BBC on Thursday apologised after a graphic incorrectly forecast winds of more than 13,000 miles (20,000 kilometres) …
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Internet Archive reels from 'catastrophic' cyberattack, data breach
Oct 11 2024
The Internet Archive, an online repository of web pages, was offline Thursday after its founder confirmed a major …
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Musk finally unveiling his long-promised robotaxi
Oct 10 2024
Elon Musk has been promising a car that can drive itself for years, pledging a series of reveals that never …
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'A casino in every kitchen': Brazil's online gambling craze
Oct 10 2024
Fernanda, a cleaner from Rio de Janeiro, lists off the items she sold to feed her online gambling addiction, one of …
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'Sleeper agent' bots on X fuel US election misinformation, study says
Oct 09 2024
Hundreds of apparent pro-Russian bot accounts on X are pushing US election misinformation and amplifying false …
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Discord seen as online home for renegades
Oct 09 2024
Known for its appeal to online renegades, chat platform Discord finds itself in the crosshairs of Turkey and Russia.
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Musk's X returns in Brazil after 40-day showdown with judge
Oct 09 2024
Elon Musk's social media platform X, which was banned in Brazil for 40 days in a legal tussle over disinformation, was …
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Call her savvy? Harris unleashes unconventional media blitz
Oct 09 2024
She loves raisin bran and exercise, and is as comfortable talking about abortion as she is about beer. Meet Kamala …
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Musk's X available again in Brazil after 40-day ban
Oct 09 2024
Elon Musk's social media platform X, which was banned in Brazil for 40 days in a legal tussle over disinformation, was …
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US weighs Google breakup in landmark trial
Oct 09 2024
The US Department of Justice said on Tuesday it would demand that Google make profound changes to how it does business …
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Sega ninja game 'Shinobi' gets movie treatment
Oct 09 2024
Sega said Wednesday one of its most popular games, "Shinobi", will be made into a movie in a joint project with …
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Nobel-winning physicist 'unnerved' by AI technology he helped create
Oct 09 2024
A US scientist who won the 2024 Nobel physics prize for his pioneering work on artificial intelligence said Tuesday he …
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Scientists sound AI alarm after winning physics Nobel
Oct 08 2024
British-Canadian Geoffrey Hinton and American John Hopfield won the Nobel physics prize on Tuesday for their pioneering …
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Brazil lifts ban on Musk's X, ending standoff over disinformation
Oct 08 2024
Brazil's Supreme Court said Tuesday it was lifting a ban on Elon Musk's social network X, which was blocked in its …
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Brazil Supreme Court lifts ban on Musk's X
Oct 08 2024
Brazil's Supreme Court said Tuesday it was lifting a ban on Elon Musk's social network X, which was blocked in its …
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US states accuse TikTok of harming young users
Oct 08 2024
A group of 14 US states on Tuesday filed lawsuits accusing TikTok of ensnaring young users with addictive features, then …
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Duo wins Physics Nobel for 'foundational' AI breakthroughs
Oct 08 2024
Geoffrey Hinton, known as the Godfather of AI, and physicist John Hopfield won the Nobel physics prize on Tuesday for …
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Neural networks, machine learning? Nobel-winning AI science explained
Oct 08 2024
The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two scientists on Tuesday for discoveries that laid the groundwork for the …
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Geoffrey Hinton, soft-spoken godfather of AI
Oct 08 2024
For a brief moment in spring last year, the bird-like features of bespectacled British-born researcher Geoffrey Hinton …
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Taiwan's Foxconn says building world's largest 'superchip' plant
Oct 08 2024
Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn said on Tuesday it is building the world's largest production plant for US hardware leader …
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'Appeals Centre' to referee EU social media disputes
Oct 08 2024
An independent appeals panel was unveiled Tuesday to decide disputes between social media firms and their users in the …
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Will Tesla's robotaxi reveal live up to hype?
Oct 08 2024
After years of talking up Tesla's prowess on autonomous driving, Elon Musk is set to host Thursday a much-hyped robotaxi …
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US judge orders Google to open Android to rival app stores
Oct 08 2024
A US judge on Monday ordered Google to open its Android smartphone operating system to rival app stores, in a fresh …
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Mission to probe smashed asteroid launches despite hurricane
Oct 07 2024
Europe's Hera probe successfully launched Monday on a mission to inspect the damage done by a NASA spacecraft that …
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Europe's asteroid mission Hera launches despite hurricane
Oct 07 2024
Europe's Hera probe launched Monday on a mission to inspect the damage done by a NASA spacecraft when it smashed into an …
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Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
Oct 04 2024
Meta on Friday provided a look at a generative artificial intelligence model it is working on that lets people create …
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Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok 'piercing challenge'
Oct 04 2024
A Prague hospital said Friday it was treating five children who had swallowed magnets following a "piercing challenge" …
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Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court
Oct 04 2024
Social media platforms such as Meta's Facebook must limit the use of personal data including someone's sexual …
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Irish regulator to probe Ryanair use of facial recognition
Oct 04 2024
Ireland's data watchdog said Friday it will probe whether budget airline Ryanair's use of facial recognition to check …
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More than AI misinformation, US voters worry about lying politicians
Oct 04 2024
As a bitterly contested US election campaign enters its final stretch, misinformation researchers have raised the alarm …
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AI bubble or 'revolution'? OpenAI's big payday fuels debate
Oct 04 2024
Fear of missing out has rocketed the value of artificial intelligence companies, despite few signs as to when the …
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Civil society groups demand action against 'sexist' AI disinformation
Oct 04 2024
More than two dozen international civil society organizations will call on major tech firms to bolster their AI policies …
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What next for OpenAI after $157 billion bonanza?
Oct 03 2024
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has become an AI powerhouse after securing Silicon Valley's largest-ever funding round. The company …
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US seizes internet domains allegedly used by Russian hackers
Oct 03 2024
The United States announced the seizure on Thursday of 41 internet domains allegedly used by Russian intelligence agents …
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Will AI one day win a Nobel Prize?
Oct 03 2024
Artificial intelligence is already disrupting industries from banking and finance to film and journalism, and scientists …
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Historic funding round values OpenAI at $157 billion
Oct 02 2024
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, secured $6.6 billion in new funding, propelling its valuation to $157 billion and …
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Russia opens 'extremist' trial of four independent journalists
Oct 02 2024
Russia opened Wednesday the trial of four independent journalists accused of helping the banned organisations of late …
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EU queries Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube over 'harmful' content risks
Oct 02 2024
The EU voiced concerns about "harmful" content posted on Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube as it told the digital platforms …
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Oracle to invest $6.5 bn in Malaysian cloud services region
Oct 02 2024
Tech giant Oracle on Wednesday said it plans to invest more than $6.5 billion on cloud services data centres in …
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X agrees to pay Brazil fines, court orders finances unblocked
Oct 02 2024
A Brazilian judge on Tuesday ordered the unblocking of the bank accounts of Elon Musk's X in the country after the …
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Parents can now limit Fortnite play time
Oct 01 2024
Epic Games on Tuesday began letting parents limit how long, and when, their children can play blockbuster video game …
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Germany inaugurates IBM's first European quantum data centre
Oct 01 2024
Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday inaugurated US firm IBM's first quantum data centre in Europe, saying Germany aims to …
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California enacts law to protect brain data
Sep 30 2024
A new California law extends consumer privacy protection to brainwave data gathered by implants or wearable devices.
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Epic Games sues Google and Samsung over app store
Sep 30 2024
"Fortnite"-maker Epic Games is suing tech giants Google and Samsung, it announced Monday, accusing them of illegally …
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California governor vetoes AI safety bill
Sep 30 2024
California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill aimed at regulating powerful artificial intelligence models following …
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German antitrust watchdog steps up monitoring of Microsoft
Sep 30 2024
Germany's anti-cartel watchdog said Monday it had placed US tech giant Microsoft under closer surveillance for any …
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Telegram cooperates with S. Korea deepfake porn crackdown: regulators
Sep 30 2024
South Korea regulators on Monday hailed productive talks with messaging app Telegram over a deepfake porn crisis in the …
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Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election
Sep 28 2024
Iran is ramping up efforts to interfere with the US election with fake "news" websites and hackers targeting Donald …
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Brazil judge says will lift Musk's X ban if $1.8 mn fine paid
Sep 28 2024
A Brazilian judge locked in a legal row with X owner Elon Musk on Friday said he would reinstate the social network in …
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Trump vows to prosecute Google for showing 'bad' stories on him
Sep 27 2024
Donald Trump on Friday accused Google of showing only "bad stories" about him and vowed to have the tech giant …
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'Misinformation megaphone': Musk stokes tension before US election
Sep 27 2024
With incendiary, misleading posts to his 200 million followers, Elon Musk has courted criticism for cranking up the …
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UK clears $4 bn AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic
Sep 27 2024
Britain's competition regulator on Friday cleared Amazon's investment of up to $4 billion in Anthropic, an American …
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Ireland fines Meta 91 mn euros over EU data breach
Sep 27 2024
An Irish regulator helping to police European Union data privacy said Friday it had fined Facebook-owner Meta 91 million …
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X says complied with Brazil court orders, should be reinstated: source
Sep 27 2024
Elon Musk's X social media platform has complied with orders from Brazil's Supreme Court and is asking for its …
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'Broken' news industry faces uncertain future
Sep 27 2024
From disinformation campaigns to soaring scepticism, plummeting trust and economic slumps, the global media landscape …
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Far-right lawmakers nominate Musk for top EU rights award
Sep 26 2024
Far-right lawmakers have proposed Elon Musk for the EU's top rights prize for the second year in a row as a champion of …
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Ubisoft shares sink after 'Assassin's Creed' delay
Sep 26 2024
Shares in French video game giant Ubisoft plunged nearly 20 percent Thursday after it dropped its profit targets …
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Macron begins Canada visit focused on French connection and AI
Sep 26 2024
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Canada Wednesday evening for a visit that will focus on the promotion of …
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OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati leaving company
Sep 25 2024
OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati on Wednesday said she is leaving the company behind ChatGPT, adding to a …
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Meta bets big on celebrity AI voices and augmented reality glasses
Sep 25 2024
Meta launched AI chatbots voiced by Hollywood celebrities including Judi Dench and John Cena on Wednesday, betting its …
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Meta unveils star-studded AI assistants
Sep 25 2024
Meta launched AI chatbots voiced by Hollywood celebrities like John Cena and Judi Dench on Wednesday, betting that its …
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Google files EU complaint over Microsoft cloud services
Sep 25 2024
Google said Wednesday that it had filed a complaint against Microsoft at the European Commission, accusing its rival of …
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Cryptocurrency platform boss urges tighter regulation
Sep 25 2024
The co-founder of one of the world's most popular cryptocurrencies called for tighter regulation of the sector to guard …
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The EU vs X: How big could the fines be for Musk?
Sep 25 2024
Elon Musk's X is in hot water with the EU for allegedly breaking new content rules -- and the world's richest man risks …
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Princess Zelda takes the lead in 'Echoes of Wisdom'
Sep 25 2024
Princess Zelda will shed her role as damsel in distress to play the heroine for the first time in the nearly four-decade …
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Crypto CEO and Bankman-Fried ex Caroline Ellison gets two-year sentence
Sep 24 2024
Caroline Ellison, who testified against her former boyfriend and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried at his crypto fraud …
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Black Eyed Peas star harnesses AI for novel radio product
Sep 23 2024
Unlike many artists, will.i.am, lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas, is not at war with artificial intelligence.
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Murdoch's REA ups offer for property website Rightmove
Sep 23 2024
REA Group, the Australian online property website majority-owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp empire, said Monday it …
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Musk's X platform takes first step toward lifting Brazil ban
Sep 21 2024
Social media platform X has named a legal representative in Brazil -- a first step toward being able to resume service …
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Can an ambitious Milei make Argentina an AI giant?
Sep 20 2024
Argentina's President Javier Milei has plans to turn his country, which has one of the lowest rates of artificial …
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