Hi friends, how we doin’? We’ve got some tech news for you, let’s dive in.
1. A discussion about the future of AI in Australia
Starting with The Guardian this morning and it’s reporting Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic will release a report on emerging technologies, namely conversational AI such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, by the National Science and Technology Council. It’s believed the minister will also release a discussion paper on how to achieve “safe and responsible” AI. It follows the Department of Home Affairs last week during Senate Estimates detailing the block-it-all approach to AI systems.
2. Packing robots for Bunnings
Over to iTnews now with a report that Bunnings is trialling a retail tech robot. The robot, made by Zippedi, the report says, is hired to do night-time rounds of stores, scanning aisles and shelves for out-of-stock items. The revelation came about during Bunnings’ parent company Wesfarmer’s strategy day. According to the report, managing director Michael Schneider said the move is part of a broader program of work to make in-store processes more efficient.
3. Meta threatens to block news in Cali
Remember that time Facebook pulled news from Australia? Well, it’s threatening to do the same in California. Meta lashed out at its home state on Wednesday, threatening to shut off access to news links on Facebook and Instagram in California if the legislature passed a bill forcing it to pay news publishers for their journalism. The proposed bill, dubbed the California Journalism Preservation Act, would force social networks like Facebook and Instagram or search engines like Google to pay news publishers a “journalism usage fee” when users access articles and when they sell advertising against news content. New publishers, in turn, would be required to spend 70 per cent of the funds they received from tech companies on paying journalists and news production.
4. Devs forced to use App Store generate money through it
Apple has released figures this morning that say developers using its App Store generated US$1.1 trillion in total billings and sales in the App Store ecosystem last year. That’s not including the fees Apple charges, of course, and it also doesn’t actually consider that developers are forced to use the App Store if they want people that use an iPhone or iPad to use their apps. “We’ve never been more hopeful about — or more inspired by — the incredible community of developers around the world,” said CEO Tim Cook. “The App Store is a vibrant, innovative marketplace where opportunity thrives, and we’re as committed as ever to investing in developers’ success and the app economy’s future.” It’s not the story Apple thinks it is.
5. Amazon’s Ring pays the price
Amazon will pay the U.S. FTC $US5.8 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of violating user privacy with its Ring video doorbells. According to the settlement, announced Wednesday, Ring gave every single employee unrestricted access to users’ videos, including third-party contractors with no special training in handling sensitive content. Thanks to the lax approach, the FTC says, Ring users were subjected to voyeurism and peeping Toms.
BONUS ITEM: We thought you should know.
See ya tomorrow.