Good morning. We’re halfway through the week, and it’s time to get into the tech news.
1. Telstra joins UNESCO business council on AI
Telstra is the first Australian company to join the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) business council dedicated to recommendations and the ethics of artificial intelligence.
The telco joins Microsoft and Salesforce in the council, with the organisation looking to develop an impact assessment tool, focusing on AI being for the public good.
“In such a fast-moving space, collaboration is a non-negotiable. We all need to lean on and learn from each other, to ensure AI is developed and deployed in a way that respects human rights, diversity and dignity,” group executive of product and technology at Telstra Kim Krogh Andersen said. “UNESCO and Telstra share a vision for a future where AI is driven by ethical principles that prioritise human welfare. This collaboration marks a significant step towards realising that future.”
The UNESCO recommendation on the ethics of AI advocates for AI technologies to be governed by values that promote human rights, dignity, and environmental sustainability, emphasising transparency, accountability, and adherence to the rule of law.
2. ACMA flags Symbio group telcos breaching scam rules
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found that Symbio Wholesale and Symbio Networks have breached Australian scam rules on information sharing and reporting obligations.
Both companies failed to share information with the ACMA within a “timely manner” on multiple occasions. The telcos also failed to report the volume of scam calls that they had actively blocked.
“Scam reduction rules are only as effective as the weakest link and on this occasion, Symbio failed to meet its obligations,” Authority member Samantha Yorke said.
“While there is no suggestion Symbio perpetrated these scams, in these cases it did not provide timely notifications about these calls to other telcos, compromising the ability of those telcos to take rapid action against scams.”
3. It’s Meta v Twiggy
A judge in the U.S. has decided that Meta must face Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest in a legal battle over alleged advertisements that appeared on the platform which portrayed Forrest as promoting cryptocurrency and scams. iTnews reports that the judge ruled that Forrest would be allowed to attempt to prove negligence on Meta’s part in allowing such ads on the platform. “This is a crucial strategic victory in the battle to hold Facebook accountable,” Forrest said.
4. AMD investigating hack
Bloomberg reports that AMD is investigating claims that company information was stolen in a data breach. “We are aware of a cybercriminal organisation claiming to be in possession of stolen AMD data,” AMD said in a statement. “We are working closely with law enforcement officials and a third-party hosting partner to investigate the claim and the significance of the data.”
5. Wake up babe, the apps are copying each other again
It’s TikTok copying Instagram this time, with The Verge reporting that the Bytedance-owned company is trialling a new app called Whee. The app is designed for sharing photos with close friends, kind of like Instagram but limited to only the people you know. It’s currently being trialled on Android in some countries, and is a separate app to TikTok Notes, which was another broadside against Pinterest.
BONUS ITEM: I knew a real reunion was too good to be true.
‘Modern Family’ cast reunites for a WhatsApp commercial.
— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 18, 2024
pic.twitter.com/SYDXJZKbVq
Have a lovely day.
Image: iStock