TGIF. Let’s get you up to speed on the biggest stories in tech in Australia today.
1. The ACCC’s influencer crackdown begins
The ACCC has announced in a press release that it’s beginning a “sweep” to identify misleading statements and testimonials made by influencers and creators online. It will look at more than 100 influencers mentioned in more than 150 tip-offs, as directed to the ACCC in a Facebook post. Influencers are required to disclose when a product that they are advertising has been sponsored (which is typically done with hashtags like #ad, #spon or #sponsored). The sweep will be run over the coming weeks, with the aim of cracking down on deceptive marketing practices in the digital economy.
2. Tesla Cybertruck won’t enter mass production until 2024
As is normal with Tesla, the Cybertruck has been pushed back to 2024. The truck was originally shown off in 2019, with a production deadline set for 2021. It was quietly pushed back to 2022, then 2023, and has now been pushed to 2024, as per the latest Tesla earnings call. It’s unlikely that the Cybertruck will make its way to Australia (or outside of the U.S. for that matter), though it has been rumoured that a smaller version could enter production for the global market. It’s set to only be available in small numbers in 2023.
3. Robot lawyer retires
If you’ve been fantasizing about the day when artificial intelligence could get you out of paying traffic tickets, you’ll just have to keep dreaming. DoNotPay has backed out of its plans to use an AI-powered “robot lawyer” to council a defendant through a courtroom hearing in real-time. The reason why? Well, apparently the law got in the way of the robot’s lawyering. The company’s founder and CEO, Joshua Browder, first announced the news in a tweet on Wednesday. “After receiving threats from State Bar prosecutors, it seems likely they will put me in jail for 6 months if I follow through with bringing a robot lawyer into a physical courtroom,” he wrote. In a phone call with Gizmodo, Browder reiterated his view that, were he to follow-through on his initial promises, he’d likely end up with a prison sentence.
Good morning! Bad news: after receiving threats from State Bar prosecutors, it seems likely they will put me in jail for 6 months if I follow through with bringing a robot lawyer into a physical courtroom. DoNotPay is postponing our court case and sticking to consumer rights:
— Joshua Browder (@jbrowder1) January 25, 2023
4. Elon Musk is trying to raise (more) billions to save Twitter
Twitter CEO Elon Musk is reportedly looking into raising $US3 billion ($4 billion in Aussie dollars) to offset the recent debt the company has accrued since he took over in October. The company is currently $US13 billion ($AU18 billion) in debt according to people familiar with the matter and said Musk said in December that he planned to sell $US3 billion ($AU4 billion) in his Twitter shares, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Musk’s apparent endeavour to secure funds comes after approximately 6,000 employees at the company were laid off and offices around the world face uncertainty due to unpaid office space. The company was dealt a blow in the form of filed lawsuits from building management companies that claim Twitter breached its contract by not paying rent. Most recently, Twitter is facing legal implications with Crown Estate in the UK for failing to pay rent in its London office space.
5. iOS 17 rumoured to have AR/VR support
With Apple’s AR/VR headset rumoured to debut this year, the latest rumbling is that iOS 17 (for iPhones) will have support for the very same reality-focused tech, as reported by HowToiSolve. It’s expected that a new app will launch with iOS 17 that will support the headset, similar to the Watch app, with “significantly more features”. The report also indicates that the iPhone notch (as present on the iPhone 14 and 14 Max) will be abandoned, in favour of the Dynamic Island.
BONUS ITEM: The tech is impressive, but it looks less real and more disturbing. Very yikes.
Really wild how the new big thing is to create ai programs that remove what little humanity you can still feel in art. Little things. The ways eyes tend to wander in emotionally taxing moments. Digitally altering faces for censored cable edits. Kinda makes me want to be dead! https://t.co/6AaSuF4uaF
— Zane Schacht – Voice Goblin 🐀 (@VoicesByZane) January 25, 2023
Have a great weekend.