Good morning. It’s a new week and it’s time to get into the tech news.
1. Aussie mayor drops ChatGPT lawsuit
The Sydney Morning Herald has the exclusive on Hepburn Shire Council Mayor Brian Hood, who has now dropped his famous lawsuit against OpenAI, after alleging that the company’s ChatGPT chatbot made false claims about him. “The matter was completed. The offending material was removed and they released version 4, replacing version 3.5,” Hood told the Herald. “I did not launch court action. While the material was clearly defamatory it would have been arguable to what extent it was published [in terms of] how many people read the false information.”
2. Sam Altman wants so much money
Speaking of OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman wants money. A lot of it. 8 per cent of the world’s GDP, in fact. The WSJ reports that Altman wants $7 trillion to reshape the global semiconductor industry. The AI boss is currently in talks with the United Arab Emirates to raise these funds, with it hoped that this would resolve OpenAI’s troubles with chip scarcity.
3. UN tipped to investigate 58 DPRK cyberattacks
iTnews has the story that a report viewed by Reuters outlines the United Nations’ plan to investigate 58 cyberattacks conducted by North Korea, raking in about $3 billion in funds in an attempt to improve its nuclear program. “The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) continued to flout Security Council sanctions. It further developed nuclear weapons and produced nuclear fissile materials, although its last known nuclear test took place in 2017,” a panel of independent sanctions monitors reported to a UN Security Council committee.
4. Musk must testify, Judge orders
Engadget reports that a U.S. Federal Judge has ordered Twitter, Tesla, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to testify in a court case brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) regarding his Twitter takeover in late 2022. Musk failed to appear for testimony in September and refused to attend a rescheduled interview. Now, the SEC says it has obtained new documents and has questions for the CEO.
5. Cisco gets in on the fun
Reuters reports that Cisco is planning to cut jobs and restructure. A number and percentage haven’t been revealed just yet, and three sources familiar with the matter says that the company is still deciding this, though it will include “laying off thousands of employees”. An earnings call is scheduled for this week where it will likely be discussed.
BONUS ITEM: Suddenly I’m a Minions fan.
I am SO here for the minions mocking AI at the Super Bowl 😅 pic.twitter.com/LDniJwMVmy
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) February 11, 2024
Image: iStock
Have a lovely week.