Hello, hope your week is going well so far. Let’s dive into some tech news.
1. AI watermark
Starting with news from the AI realm and companies such as Adobe and Microsoft have established a symbol that can be attached to content alongside metadata, establishing its provenance, including whether it was made with AI tools. Per The Verge, the symbol being labelled an “icon of transparency” can be added via Adobe’s Photoshop or Premiere and eventually Microsoft’s Bing Image Generator. When looking at a photo online, people can hover over the mark and it will open a dropdown that includes information about its ownership, the AI tool used to make it, and other details about the media’s production.
2. Mobile connectivity to be as important as water and power
iTnews is this morning reporting that the Australian government is considering changes that would require new housing developments to have mobile connectivity in place before sales begin, just like electricity or water. Per the report, the changes would place “expectations” on developers to “consider mobile connectivity as part of the overall development application process, with a similar level of importance as other utilities; engage with a carrier as early as possible to ensure mobile coverage is in place prior to the selling or leasing of a building unit; identify appropriate sites, or spaces, for mobile infrastructure to be deployed; and make all reasonable efforts to reach ‘fair terms’ in land access agreements.”
3. EU sends urgent letter to Musk over disinformation
Over to Elon Musk now and brought to our attention by the Australian Financial Review, X, formerly Twitter, has been warned by the European Commissioner that the platform is spreading illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war and called on him to take quick action. In the letter embedded below, the commissioner reminded Musk that he has an obligation to take “very precise” content moderation measures under the European Union’s Digital Services Act and requested a response within 24 hours
4. X users can now restrict replies to Premium users
Staying on X for a sec and brain genius Elon Musk has struck again. X users can now restrict replies to posts on the social media platform to paying users (specifically, ‘Verified’ users, although the entire verification system now just really means ‘paying for the blue tick’), in what appears to be the platform’s latest attempt to try and monetise everything in sight. If you want to see the worst takes imaginable in your replies, this is a sure way to do it.
5. This one is for the gamers in the room
Lastly, the PlayStation 5 is getting a mid-life refresh, with a new version of the system to ship without a disc drive – but the ability to attach a separately sold drive. The new model is apparently 30 per cent smaller in size, and weighs either 18 per cent or 24 per cent less than the original device, depending on if you have the drive attached. The new model comes with 1TB storage, while the original shipped with 825GB. Australian pricing is to be announced.
BONUS ITEM: Mind = blown.
Shout out to Zac for helping me pull this one together this morning. We’ll see you tomorrow!
Image: Adobe