Category Archives: Ai
LinkedIn leans on AI to do the work of job hunting – TechCrunch
The zeitgeist in technology today is all about artificial intelligence, so in an effort to drive more users and usage, LinkedIn is catering to the buzz. On Thursday, it took the wraps off a raft of new services powered by AI.
The company is betting big on AI and peoplesappetite to see it threaded through experiences on the platform, and is bringing out yet more tools using AI, specifically generative AI, to get things done on the site. New features include using more natural prompts to look for jobs or suitable candidates, and then providing generative AI tools to help people with their job applications (yes, theres a tool to write the whole application and cover letter for you); AI to surface relevant learning material (to learn more about AI, naturally); and generative AI to search all of LinkedIn to find what you need more quickly.
There are a few significant things to note about LinkedIns current focus on AI.
First, as we have pointed out before, this is not LinkedIns first AI rodeo. The company has been threading the tech into its products from its earliest days, and you could argue that there is very little that AI is not touching at the company.
Weve been building with AI since 2007, its head of product, Tomer Cohen, said in an interview with TechCrunch this week. Indeed, the companys connection suggestions, which have often felt very uncanny in what they surface, is one example of where that has played out. We use it heavily for connecting people for defense [security] and how we keep trust in the ecosystem. Its one of our most powerful tools.
The big change that LinkedIn does not want to miss is the one that has swept the rest of the tech world: The wave of AI-powered tools aimed at helping ordinary people do human-centric tasks.
LinkedIn has already been active in that area. It launched a suite of OpenAI-powered tools in October 2023, adding reading and writing tools one month later, as well as tools to help with writing profiles, recruitment ads and company pages.
Second, LinkedIn has different expectations to meet than some of its peers when it comes to the current wave of AI tools. Big social players like Meta or X have found themselves facing different degrees of existential crises over the explosion of interest in generative AI. How will they respond to it? How will they lead it? Should they? Perhaps more directly, how do they make sure that the new-new-thing doesnt cut their businesses out of the next stage of growth?
LinkedIn is a part of Microsoft, which has a 49% stake in OpenAI and a substantial raft of its own AI efforts. Effectively, this takes the pressure off LinkedIn itself of innovating or investing in innovators, leaving it to concentrate on how it can build or integrate tools for its own purposes.
Thats not to say that LinkedIn doesnt have its own metrics to hit, and that it wont be looking at tapping AI to stay current in the market. And it will still leave a lot of question marks around what LinkedIn chooses to explore to that end. The company is most certainly under the eye of regulators: just last week, it was dinged by regulators in Europe over how it targeted ads based on data from those users participation in different LinkedIn groups.
Third, there is something a little ironic about LinkedIn adding in so many more AI features in areas where its being used help users take their hands off the wheel when it comes to creating content on the site.
After many years of people joking about how LinkedIn feels somewhere between creepy and cheesy people get stalked on there for dealmaking, or jobs; people shamelessly self-promote and schmooze its suddenly found itself as an island of calm for working people from the algorithmic acrobatics of Facebook and Instagram spam and the Elonification of what was once Twitter.
LinkedIn touts the idea of presenting your authentic self on the platform: not only by boosting its new verified profile feature (40 million users have been verified now, just a small fraction, so theres some way to go); but through the many, many pieces of thought leadership you get on the site itself about the merits of being authentic.
Yet by introducing more ways to use AI to write resumes, update your profile, write letters and other posts, you have to ask just what authentic really means, or how much its really valued.
Below is a run-down of some of the new features:
Job searches and job applications. Were getting a new way to search for jobs using conversational prompts. It still relies on the data and the job actually existing, of course. For example, finding jobs in journalism in London that pay a salary of at least 100,000 may not turn up much, no matter how many ways you phrase it.
Once you have found jobs and want to apply, you can now generate a cover letter or a letter of introduction, and the AI will also give you a further review of your rsum and other work youre doing.
Learning personalisation. LinkedIn continues to be bullish on its video-based learning platform, and it appears to have found a strong current among users who need to skill up in AI. Cohen said that traffic for AI-related courses which include modules on technical skills as well as non-technical ones such as basic introductions to generative AI has increased by 160% over last year.
You can be sure that LinkedIn is pushing its search algorithms to tap into the interest, but its also boosting its content with AI in another way.
For Premium subscribers, it is piloting what it describes as expert advice, powered by AI. Tapping into expertise from well-known instructors such as Alicia Reece,Anil Gupta, Dr. Gemma Leigh Roberts andLisa Gates, LinkedIn says its AI-powered coaches will deliver responses personalized to users, as a starting point.
These will, in turn, also appear as personalized coaches that a user can tap while watching a LinkedIn Learning course.
The third big area LinkedIn is leaning heavily on AI is search. If you already use LinkedIn in any way, youll know that this is very long overdue, as search has been one of the most neglected parts of the experience on the platform, especially as the platform has grown.
LinkedIn says it will provide more detail on the new search experience in the coming weeks, but expect to see a lot more conversational search as a simpler alternative or replacement for its current search experience, which uses keywords, network distance, geography and other parameters but never feels like its giving you the complete answer.
Alongside all this, LinkedIn is expanding availability of Recruiter 2024, adding more tools for marketers, and introducing enhanced, premium company pages for small businesses.
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LinkedIn leans on AI to do the work of job hunting - TechCrunch
Microsoft’s all-knowing Recall AI feature is being delayed – The Verge
Microsoft is planning to launch its new Copilot Plus PCs next week without its controversial Recall feature that screenshots everything you do on these new laptops. The software maker is holding back Recall so it can test it with the Windows Insider program, after originally promising to ship Recall as an opt-in feature with additional security improvements.
We are adjusting the release model for Recall to leverage the expertise of the Windows Insider community to ensure the experience meets our high standards for quality and security, says Microsoft in an updated blog post. When Recall (preview) becomes available in the Windows Insider Program, we will publish a blog post with details on how to get the preview.
This means that Recall wont even be available initially to Windows Insiders or anyone who buys a Copilot Plus PC. I wrote in Notepad earlier today that Windows engineers were scrambling to get the security improvements tested and implemented in time for the June 18th launch date of Copilot Plus PCs. Now, Microsoft is essentially admitting here that it needs more time to test Recalls security improvements.
Microsoft firstunveiled the Recall featureas part of its upcoming Copilot Plus PCs last month, but since then, privacy advocates andsecurity experts have been warningthat Recall could be a disaster for cybersecurity without changes. Microsoft committed to three major updates to Recall last week, including making the AI-powered feature an opt-in experience instead of on by default, encrypting the database, and authenticating through Windows Hello.
Recall uses local AI models built into Windows 11 to screenshot mostly everything you see or do on your computer and then give you the ability to search and retrieve items youve seen. An explorable timeline lets you scroll through these snapshots to look back on what you did on a particular day on your PC. Everything in Recall is designed to remain local and private on-device, so no data is used to train Microsofts AI models.
Microsofts decision to delay Recall comes just after vice chair and president Brad Smith testified before the House Homeland Security Committee today. Smith said that Microsoft is putting security above everything, as part of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI). It is more important even than the companys work on artificial intelligence, says Smith.
Smith also revealed that Microsoft will make security a mandatory part of its bi-annual reviews process for all employees. With this change, cybersecurity will be considered in every employees annual bonus and compensation, Smith said.
I reported earlier today in Notepad that Recall was originally created before Microsofts big SFI overhaul begun. Recall was developed in secret at Microsoft, and it wasnt even tested publicly with Windows Insiders. Microsoft subsequently identified some of the security issues with Recall and started to develop and test changes to the experience in recent months. It clearly now needs more time to make sure these changes stand up to its promise of putting security above AI and everything else.
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Microsoft's all-knowing Recall AI feature is being delayed - The Verge
Apples new artificial intelligence leaves out more than 90% of current iPhone users – EL PAS USA
After nearly two years of waiting, Apple has finally jumped on the generative artificial intelligence (AI) bandwagon, with the big news announced by the companys CEO, Tim Cook, at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). Kicking off the keynote event, Cook announced: Im excited that well introduce profound new intelligence capabilities that we hope will inspire developers, delight users and make our platforms even smarter and more useful than ever.
However, the details that Apple later provided at the keynote and on its website qualified the scope of this technological leap, which will only be available to current iPhone users who have one of the two most powerful models the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max and, in 2024, it will be limited to users who speak and write in U.S. English.
The new Apple Intelligence system and the expected deep revamp of Siri coming in the fall, and in testing phase, with the new iOS 18 operating system will sideline well over 90% of current iPhone users, if they dont buy a new smartphone. In the absence of official data from Apple, estimates indicate that there are about 1.5 billion active iPhone users worldwide, and different analysts estimate that iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max the worlds best-selling phones could number close to 100 million units. This means that Apple Intelligence would not even reach 7% of Apples total cell phone users. Whats more, users outside the U.S. will also be excluded from that percentage for now.
Only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max out of the 24 models compatible with the new iOS 18 will be able to run Apple Intelligence. This system includes functions that are already offered by other technological giants such as summarizing documents, notes, audios and phone calls, suggesting answers to messages, reviewing texts and correcting style and tone, as well as new ones, such as creating new emojis and images from scratch with a few simple directions. The other iPhones will also not have access to the revamped Siri digital assistant, which will be able to understand requests much better, keep the thread of a conversation with the user and ask ChatGPT to solve any questions it cannot answer.
Beyond phones, Apple Intelligence and the new Siri will also be available on tablets and computers with Apple processors the M1 or higher. In the case of iPads, this will benefit five of the 15 models compatible with the iPadOS 18 operating system; and 13 of the 18 computer models compatible with macOS 15 Sequoia. Apple began selling Macs with Apple processors in 2020, iPads Pro in 2021 and iPads Air in 2022. All iPad minis and iPad models without these processors will not have the new smart features.
Nor will Apples leap to generative AI affect its Vision Pro mixed reality glasses, despite the fact that it is one of the companys most modern and sophisticated devices and is equipped with an M2 processor, with more than enough capacity.
The Siri revamp was also long awaited on Apple Watches where the digital assistant works worse than on iPhones and on HomePods which are only voice-controlled with Hey, Siri. Despite this, the new Siri will not be coming to smartwatches, smart speakers or the Apple TV video player for the time being either.
Apple has not provided any information on whether the current models of the different platforms that remain outside the new AI system will be able to access some of its functions in the future, either via the processor or by accessing the same private cloud computing network. This network launched on June 10 will be used to resolve the most sophisticated generative AI requests. There are also no details on when these features will be available in other languages, such as Spanish. The tech giant merely states that Apple Intelligence will be available in beta as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia this fall in U.S. English. Some features, software platforms, and additional languages will come over the course of the next year.
The fact that the revamped Siri will not be available on smartwatches or smart speakers has disappointed tech analysts. Before the keynote, former Macworld editor Jason Snell, posted on SixColors: When Im running or walking my dog, I generally use just AirPods and my Apple Watch. Theoretically, Im covered by Siri, but I generally avoid talking to it because its unreliable.
Bloombergs Mark Gurman, who received a detailed leak of all the keynote announcements days in advance, predicted that Apples AI would have the advantage of being available on all Apple devices. Now he warns that the companys push into AI will take years to pay off and complete, arguing that the new features probably wont do much to supercharge iPhone sales this year.
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Apples new artificial intelligence leaves out more than 90% of current iPhone users - EL PAS USA
How Apple and Google Are Overhauling Our Phones With AI – The New York Times
Every year, Apple and Google announce major software updates that bring new features to our smartphones, like cosmetic overhauls to the home screen, stronger privacy protections and fun messaging tools. This year, the changes will feel more radical because the companies are focusing on reinventing our phones with artificial intelligence.
At its annual software developer conference on Monday, Apple showed a host of enhancements coming this fall to iOS 18, its operating system powering iPhones. The new tools include a revamped version of its voice assistant, Siri, that is easier to talk to and an A.I. system that will generate images, create summaries of web articles and craft responses to text messages and emails.
Apples news followed Googles Android announcements last month, which included an A.I. system that automatically summarizes audio transcripts, detects whether a phone conversation is likely a scam and helps students with homework.
Because A.I. tech is still new, its unclear whether these improvements will resonate with the masses. The change that will have a more immediate effect has to do with old-school text messages also known as the green bubble. Apple said its new software would adopt a messaging standard that would let iPhone users send higher-quality messages to Androids, addressing an issue that has made it more difficult for people to communicate for more than a decade.
Apple and Google are set to release their free software updates for iOS and Android this fall. Heres what to know about how our smartphones will change.
Apple said it had completely reworked Siri, its 13-year-old virtual assistant.
The assistant will soon be powered by Apple Intelligence, the companys version of a large language model. That type of A.I. technology uses statistics and complex algorithms to guess what words belong together, similar to the autocomplete feature on your phone. Its the same type of underlying technology weve seen powering chatbots like OpenAIs ChatGPT and Googles Gemini. Apple said its system was more private than others because peoples data would remain on their iPhones.
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How Apple and Google Are Overhauling Our Phones With AI - The New York Times
I Want to Call Out My Friend For Using AI in Her Newsletter: Am I the Literary Asshole? – Literary Hub
Hello again, gentle readers, and welcome back to another riveting episode of Am I the Literary Asshole?, the advice column thats interested in having a little cheese with that whine. Once again, Im traveling as I answer your most pressing questionsthis week to attend the Lambda Literary Awards in New York City! Thats right, they occasionally let me leave the state of Florida (but only for like one weekend at a timeI am the swamps gay ambassador, after all). Excited to report that they have beer here in New York, too. Fingers crossed I manage to roll into a 7-Eleven at some point tonight!
Theres a lot to see and a lot to do (and a lot to drink), so lets get this show on the road. Its Pride again, baby! Cheers from this Top, and Bottoms up!
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1) My booksta is basically to gather an audience for when my book (whenever that may be) will be done. (I KNOW, Im already an assh*le). Anyway, I want to share my honest opinions about what Im reading, but Im worried if Im being negative about an authors work that it will bite me in the butt down the road. I also dont want to be entirely vanilla and claim everything is great. I also fully understand not everything is for everybody. So I feel like my reviews are turning out to be half hearted and stale. I want people to trust me but I tend to be on the critical side. WHAT TO DO?!?!
This is a particularly fascinating question because from the first sentence youve proudly proclaimed yourself the asshole! So thats one piece of advice I dont have to dole out this round, thank you for making my job easier, friend.
Im joking, of course. Im very much of the opinion that we all act like assholes every once in a while (myself very much included). Thats the reason I wanted to write this damn advice column in the first place! Well, that and the excuse to day-drink. Let he who is without mess cast the first stone when it comes to judging bad bookish behavior. If you know that youre the kind of person who can come across as a little abrasive and youre worried that your honest reviews might impact your own work down the road, I think thats a fair concern.
Will writing negatively about other artists work impact how people treat yours in the future? Friend, its completely possible. If you know that you lean toward the critical in your reviews, understand that people might read that criticism as unfair or overly harmful. They might take offense and very much remember that hurt and anger when your work eventually gets published. Much like those writers youre reviewing cant control how you write about their work, know that you cant control how people choose to take your reviews. Insert that meme here about excitedly reaping only to wake up the next day and realize you have also sown something terribly unwanted. It might help matters if you dont tag the author in anything thats going to be overly critical, but at the end of the day, you cant really control that, either. Its the internet, its everywhere.
I guess the question essentially boils down to a fairly simple one: do you care more about writing honest reviews or are you more concerned with it coming back to haunt you? Once you make that choice, then everything will get a lot easier. Maybe not nicer, but a little simpler.
Lets select another question from the grab bag as I slip into another beer.
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2) A friend of mine runs a small business and she is using ChatGPT to write her marketing newsletters. Kristen, the writing is not good. As a writer, Im appalled by how bad it is. Am I overstepping if I tell her this? Im worried shell be offended even though technically Im insulting an LLLM, not her.
The thing about AI writing all of this stuff recently is that writers can usually recognize when someone is using it. The reason for that? Its pretty bad.
I dont think your friend would be shocked to learn that her marketing newsletters arent reading as beautifully as a poem. I do think that she might be upset if you were the one who decided to point that fact out to her. The program might be technically creating the content, but shes the one whos collecting it and stuffing it into her newsletters. Shes seen it and thought, yes, this is what I will use.
If thats the case, then some part of her probably likes it and (*gulp*) thinks its good. This is her business, not just a hobby, and in all likelihood she takes it seriously. Butting into her work life when it doesnt have anything to do with your friendship might derail your good vibes altogether. Just saying.
However, if you wanted to approach this in a different way, I think its possible to get to the heart of the problem without telling your friend that her work straight up sucks. Youre a writerhave a conversation with this friend about AI and how it affects your own work. Talk with them about the ways that its harmful; how it steals from us. You can also talk about how its not very good at stealing, either. Maybe shell make the connection, maybe she wont. But at least youll have put it out there.
One more question and then Ive gotta get moving. The open bar at the big gay awards show waits for no one!
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3) Whats the right frequency for a writers meetup? And by that I just mean drinks, no salon, no feedback group, just the margaritas please.
I love this because there is no right answer. The very best kind of question! Are you an extrovert and like to party? Buddy, you could meet up every night of the week! Should you do that? Probably notbut you could! Are you an introvert who prefers meeting only occasionally? Then you could probably get away with every other month (or even longer). Is this a large groupsay, ten or more? Then youre probably going to have more scheduling and calendar issues. If its just like two or three of you? Then it will be easy to plan and you can make it happen on the fly. Mostly I would say you should go with group consensus. And if theres gonna be margaritas, please make sure to send me an invite!
Okay, Im off to the awards! Join me next time when Ill probably still be hungover from this after party. And please keep sending me your anonymous questions! I truly live for them.
Drink responsibly, Dad
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Are you worried youre the literary asshole? Ask Kristen via email at AskKristen@lithub.com, or anonymously here.
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After handling MSI’s new AI-infused 2-in-1 business laptop I can see the appeal – Laptop Mag
MSI first announced the Summit business laptop series in 2020 to expand the company's non-gaming laptop offerings. Between the Prestige, Modern, and Summit series MSI has three different offerings in the consumer, business, and productivity sector.
Much like the Prestige lineup, MSI is updating the Summit series with the new Intel Lunar Lake and AMD Ryzen AI "Strix Point" processors. As we covered with the Prestige A16 AI+, these hardware updates come with a decent boost in performance and AI-powered productivity.
One of the big differences between the Prestige and Summit lines is that the Summit comes in a 2-in-1 form factor, while the Prestige line is more focused on portability.
I was able to get a look at the MSI Summit A16 AI+ in Taipei, Taiwan during Computex, the massive annual computer expo that ran from June 3-7 this year. The MSI Summit 16 AI+ Evo was trapped under glass with the Intel Lunar Lake products. While I've often wondered what the Summit line has to offer compared to the MSI Modern and MSI Prestige lines, I came away cautiously optimistic after my time with the Summit A16. But will it be good enough to earn it a spot among the best business laptops when it launches later this year?
Much like the Prestige, MSI is updating the Summit lineup with multiple configuration options. The only pricing and spec information we have at this point is for the AMD powered MSI Summit A16 AI+ with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor, integrated Radeon Graphics, 32 GB of memory, 1 TB of storage space, and a 16-inch QHD+ IPS touch display. That particular configuration will cost $1,699.
Based on the units available for perusal at Computex, it seems the MSI Summit 16 AI+ Evo with an Intel Core Ultra ("Lunar Lake") processor and MSI Summit A16 AI+ with an AMD Ryzen AI ("Strix Point") processor will retain the 16-inch design.
MSI will reveal additional configuration options closer to the launch of the laptops, though the MSI Summit A16 AI+ is expected to launch in Q3 of this year while the MSI Summit 16 AI+ Evo will launch in Q4.
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While the Prestige lineup is focused on delivering a light, portable chassis, the Summit is a little on the chunkier side to make up for the convertible 360-degree style hinge. But that isn't the only difference between the two laptops.
The MSI Summit also has a slightly flashier look with a contrast stripe on the sides of the keycaps and the edge of the trackpad. Those small details help give the Summit a more "premium" feel compared to the Prestige which is rather stripped down and minimalist.
While IPS displays arent generally as vibrant or bright as OLED panels, the MSI Summit A16 AI+ appeared to do well on both fronts, from what we could see at the expo. There was limited glare on the panel and the colors looked deep and expressive.
MSI claims a 100% DCI-P3 rating on the IPS panel, which is certainly at the top range for laptop displays. Well have to wait until we can run the Summit A16 AI+ through our test lab for full display analysis, but MSI has a strong track record for high-quality displays.
Naturally it's a touchscreen panel, though I didnt get a lot of time to test how reactive the touch controls are, but it's rare for touchscreens to have difficulty with inputs these days so thats unlikely to be an issue on the Summit.
This will vary based on the configuration, but any of the Summit A16 AI+ models will handle web browsing, photo and video editing, or any document management tasks youre likely to encounter during the workday.
As part of Microsofts Copilot+ program, it will also have access to a number of AI-powered tasks like intelligent document summaries, image generation, and live captions.
Of course, the final verdict on the Summits performance will have to wait until we can get the laptop into our test lab and run through our gamut of benchmarks and hands-on tests to make a full determination.
Whether you go for the AMD-powered A16 AI+ or the Intel-powered 16 AI+ Evo, there is plenty of power behind the Summit series of laptops. The biggest difference between the Summit and Prestige lines is the design of the two laptops. The Prestige is a minimalist clamshell laptop, while the Summit is a 2-in-1 convertible.
So if you dont mind a slightly thicker chassis to accommodate the hinge and you want the flexibility of a convertible design, the Summit is the way to go. Of course, you do have convertible laptop options from other makers, but for a fully accurate 2-in-1 on 2-in-1 comparison, well have to wait until we get our hands on a review unit for a proper determination on what laptop is the Best 2-in-1.
Travel to and from and accommodation at Computex Tapei was paid for by MSI. The company did not see the contents of this article before publication.
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After handling MSI's new AI-infused 2-in-1 business laptop I can see the appeal - Laptop Mag
More details of the AI upgrades heading to iOS 18 have leaked – TechRadar
Artificial intelligence is clearly going to feature heavily in iOS 18 and all the other software updates Apple is due to tell us about on June 10, and new leaks reveal more about what's coming in terms of AI later in the year.
These leaks come courtesy of "people familiar with the software" speaking to AppleInsider, and focus on the generative AI capabilities of the Ajax Large Language Model (LLM) that we've been hearing about since last year.
AI-powered text summarization covering everything from websites to messages will apparently be one of the big new features. We'd previously heard this was coming to Safari, but AppleInsider says this functionality will be available through Siri too.
The idea is you'll be able to get the key points out of a document, a webpage, or a conversation thread without having to read through it in its entirety and presumably Apple is going to offer certain assurances about accuracy and reliability.
Ajax will be able to generate responses to some prompts entirely on Apple devices, without sending anything to the cloud, the report says and that chimes with previous rumors about everything running locally.
That's good for privacy, and for speed: according to AppleInsider, responses can come back in milliseconds. Tight integration with other Apple apps, including the Contacts app and the Calendar app, is also said to be present.
AppleInsider mentions that privacy warnings will be shown whenever Ajax needs information from another app. If a response from a cloud-based AI is required, it's rumored that Apple may enlist the help of Google Gemini or OpenAI's ChatGPT.
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Spotlight on macOS will be getting "more intelligent results and sorting" too, AppleInsider says, and it sounds like most of the apps on iOS and macOS will be getting an AI boost. Expect to hear everything Apple has been working on at WWDC 2024 in June.
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More details of the AI upgrades heading to iOS 18 have leaked - TechRadar
What to know about Trump strategist’s embrace of AI to help conservatives – Yahoo! Voices
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) Brad Parscale was the digital guru behind Donald Trump's surprise victory in the 2016 election and was promoted to manage the 2020 campaign. But he didn't last long on that job: His personal life unraveled in public and he later texted a friend that he felt guilty for helping Trump win after the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
He's since become an evangelist about the power of artificial intelligence to transform how Republicans run political campaigns. And his company is working for Trump's 2024 bid, trying to help the presumptive Republican nominee take back the White House from Democratic President Joe Biden.
Here's what to know about Parscale and his new role:
NEW AI-POWERED CAMPAIGN TOOLS
Parscale says his company, Campaign Nucleus, can use AI to help generate customized emails, parse oceans of data to gauge voter sentiment and find persuadable voters. It can also amplify the social media posts of anti-woke influencers, according to an Associated Press review of Parscales public statements, his company documents, slide decks, marketing materials and other records not previously made public.
Soon, Parscale says, his company will deploy an app that harnesses AI to assist campaigns in collecting absentee ballots in the same way drivers for DoorDash or Grubhub pick up dinners from restaurants and deliver them to customers.
FROM UNKNOWN TO TRUMP CONFIDANT
Parscale was a relatively unknown web designer in San Antonio, Texas, when he was hired to build a web presence for Trump's family business.
That led to a job on the future presidents 2016 campaign. He was one of its first hires and spearheaded an unorthodox digital strategy, teaming up with scandal-plagued Cambridge Analytica to help propel Trump to the White House.
I pretty much used Facebook to get Trump elected in 2016, Parscale said in a 2022 podcast interview.
Following Trumps surprise win, Parscales influence grew. He was promoted to manage Trump's reelection bid and enjoyed celebrity status. A towering figure at 6 feet, 8 inches with a Viking-style beard, Parscale was frequently spotted at campaign rallies taking selfies with Trump supporters and signing autographs.
Parscale was replaced as campaign manager not long after a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, drew an unexpectedly small crowd, enraging Trump.
ROLE IN 2024 CAMPAIGN
Since last year, Campaign Nucleus and other Parscale-linked companies have been paid more than $2.2 million by the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and their related political action and fundraising committees, campaign finance records show.
Parscale did not respond to questions from the AP about what hes doing for the Trump campaign. Trump has called artificial intelligence so scary and dangerous, while his campaign, which has shied away from highlighting Parscales role, said in an emailed statement that it did not engage or utilize tools supplied by any AI company.
Parscale-linked companies have been paid to host websites, send emails, provide fundraising software and digital consulting, campaign finance records show.
The Biden campaign and Democrats are also also using AI. So far, they said they are primarily deploying the technology to help them find and motivate voters and to better identify and overcome deceptive content.
TIES TO A WEALTHY GOP DONOR
Last year, Parscale bought property in Midland, Texas, in the heart of the nations highest-producing oil and gas fields. It is also the hometown of Tim Dunn, a billionaire born-again evangelical who is among the states most influential political donors.
In April of last year, Dunn invested $5 million in a company called AiAdvertising that once bought one of Parscales firms under a previous corporate name. The San Antonio-based ad firm also announced that Parscale was joining as a strategic adviser, to be paid $120,000 in stock and a monthly salary of $10,000.
Boom! Parscale tweeted. (AiAdvertising) finally automated the full stake of technologies used in the 2016 election that changed the world.
AiAdvertising added two key national figures to its board: Texas investor Thomas Hicks Jr. former co-chair of the RNC and longtime hunting buddy of Donald Trump Jr. and former GOP congressman Jim Renacci. In January, Dunn gave AiAdvertising an additional $2.5 million via an invesment company, and AiAdvertising said in a news release that the cash infusion would help it generate more engaging, higher-impact campaigns.
Dunn declined to comment, and AiAdvertising did not respond to messages seeking comment.
PARSCALE'S VISION
Parscale occasionally offers glimpses of the AI future he envisions. Casting himself as an outsider to the Republican establishment, he has said he sees AI as a way to undercut elite Washington consultants, whom he described as political parasites.
In January, Parscale told a crowd assembled at a grassroots Christian event in a Pasadena, California, church that their movement needed to have our own AI, from creative large language models and creative imagery, we need to reach our own audiences with our own distribution, our own email systems, our own texting systems, our own ability to place TV ads, and lastly we need to have our own influencers.
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Burke reported from San Francisco. AP National Political Writer Steve Peoples in Washington and Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.
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This story is part of an Associated Press series, The AI Campaign, that explores the influence of artificial intelligence in the 2024 election cycle.
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What to know about Trump strategist's embrace of AI to help conservatives - Yahoo! Voices
US Air Force Secretary Kendall flies in cockpit of plane controlled by AI – Fox News
U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall rode in the cockpit of a fighter jet on Friday, which flew over the desert in California and was controlled by artificial intelligence.
Last month, Kendall announced his plans to fly in an AI-controlled F-16 to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committees defense panel, while speaking about the future of air warfare being dependent on autonomously operated drones.
On Friday, the senior Air Force leader followed through with his plans, making what could be one of the biggest advances in military aviation since stealth planes were introduced in the early 1990s.
Kendall flew to Edwards Air Force Base the same desert facility where Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier to watch and experience AI flight in real time.
US MILITARY OUT OF TIME IN PUSH AGAINST ADVERSARIES' MODERNIZATION, AIR FORCE SECRETARY SAYS
The X-62A VISTA aircraft, an experimental AI-enabled Air Force F-16 fighter jet, takes off on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The flight, with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall riding in the front seat, is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
After the flight, Kendall spoke with the Associated Press about the technology and the role it will play in air combat.
"Its a security risk not to have it. At this point, we have to have it," the secretary said.
The Associated Press and NBC were granted permission to watch the secret flight with the agreement that neither would report on the matter until the flight was complete, due to security concerns.
AIR FORCE SECRETARY PLANS TO RIDE IN AI-OPERATED F-16 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT THIS SPRING
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall sits in the front cockpit of an X-62A VISTA aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The flight on the Artificial Intelligence-controlled modified F-16, is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. Arms control experts and humanitarian groups are concerned that AI might one day be able to take lives autonomously and are seeking greater restrictions on its use (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
The F-16 controlled by AI is called Vista, and it flew Kendall in maneuvers reaching over 550 mph, putting pressure on his body of nearly five times the force of gravity.
Flying alongside Vista and Kendall was a human-piloted F-16, and the two jets raced within 1,000 feet of each other performing twists and loops, in an effort to force their opponent into a place of submission.
Kendall grinned as he climbed out of the cockpit after the hour-long flight, saying he saw enough to trust the AI technology in deciding whether to fire weapons during a war.
PENTAGON SEEKS LOW-COST AI DRONES TO BOLSTER AIR FORCE: HERE ARE THE COMPANIES COMPETING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
This image from remote video released by the U.S. Air Force shows Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall during his experimental flight inside the cockpit of a X-62A VISTA aircraft autonomous warplane above Edwards Air Base, Calif, on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The AI-controlled flight is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Many oppose the idea of computers making that decision, fearing AI may one day be able to drop bombs on people without consulting with humans.
The same people who oppose AI-powered war machines are also seeking greater restrictions on its use.
One of the groups seeking stronger restrictions is the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"There are widespread and serious concerns about ceding life-and-death decisions to sensors and software," the group warned, adding the autonomous weapons "are an immediate cause of concern and demand an urgent, international political response."
EUROPE SEEKS TO BECOME GLOBAL REFERENCE POINT WITH AI OFFICE
An AI-enabled Air Force F-16 fighter jet, left, flies next to an adversary F-16, as both aircraft race within 1,000 feet of each other, trying to force their opponent into vulnerable positions, on Thursday, May 2, 2024, above Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The flight is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Still, Kendall says human oversight will always be at play when weapons are considered.
The Air Force is planning to have an AI-enabled fleet of over 1,000 AI-operated drones, with the first being in operation by 2028.
In March, the Pentagon said it was looking to develop newartificial intelligence-guided planes, offering two contracts for several private companies to compete against each other to obtain.
The Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) project is part of a $6 billion program that will add at least 1,000 new drones to the Air Force. The drones will be designed to deploy alongside human-piloted jets and provide cover for them, acting as escorts with full weapons capabilities. The drones could also act as scouts or communications hubs, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall smiles after a test flight of the X-62A VISTA aircraft against a human-crewed F-16 aircraft in the skies above Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The flight on the Artificial Intelligence-controlled VISTA is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
The companies bidding for the contract include Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Atomics and Anduril Industries.
Cost-cutting is one of the elements of AI that appeals to the Pentagon for pursuing the project.
In August 2023, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said deploying AI-enabled autonomous vehicles would provide "small, smart, cheap and many" expendable units to the U.S. military, helping overhaul the "too-slow shift of U.S. military innovation."
But the idea is to not fall too far behind China, which has modernized its air defense systems, which are much more sophisticated and put manned planes at risk when they get too close.
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Drones have the potential of interrupting such defense systems and could be used to jam them or provide surveillance for crews.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
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US Air Force Secretary Kendall flies in cockpit of plane controlled by AI - Fox News
Providing further transparency on our responsible AI efforts – Microsoft On the Issues – Microsoft
The following is the foreword to the inaugural edition of our annual Responsible AI Transparency Report. The FULL REPORT is available at this link.
We believe we have an obligation to share our responsible AI practices with the public, and this report enables us to record and share our maturing practices, reflect on what we have learned, chart our goals, hold ourselves accountable, and earn the publics trust.
In 2016, our Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella, set us on a clear course to adopt a principled and human-centered approach to our investments in artificial intelligence (AI). Since then, we have been hard at work building products that align with our values. As we design, build, and release AI products, six values transparency, accountability, fairness, inclusiveness, reliability and safety, and privacy and security remain our foundation and guide our work every day.
To advance our transparency practices, in July 2023, we committed to publishing an annual report on our responsible AI program, taking a step that reached beyond the White House Voluntary Commitments that we and other leading AI companies agreed to. This is our inaugural report delivering on that commitment, and we are pleased to publish it on the heels of our first year of bringing generative AI products and experiences to creators, non-profits, governments, and enterprises around the world.
As a company at the forefront of AI research and technology, we are committed to sharing our practices with the public as they evolve. This report enables us to share our maturing practices, reflect on what we have learned, chart our goals, hold ourselves accountable, and earn the publics trust. Weve been innovating in responsible AI for eight years, and as we evolve our program, we learn from our past to continually improve. We take very seriously our responsibility to not only secure our own knowledge but also to contribute to the growing corpus of public knowledge, to expand access to resources, and promote transparency in AI across the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
In this inaugural annual report, we provide insight into how we build applications that use generative AI; make decisions and oversee the deployment of those applications; support our customers as they build their own generative applications; and learn, evolve, and grow as a responsible AI community. First, we provide insights into our development process, exploring how we map, measure, and manage generative AI risks. Next, we offer case studies to illustrate how we apply our policies and processes to generative AI releases. We also share details about how we empower our customers as they build their own AI applications responsibly. Last, we highlight how the growth of our responsible AI community, our efforts to democratize the benefits of AI, and our work to facilitate AI research benefit society at large.
There is no finish line for responsible AI. And while this report doesnt have all the answers, we are committed to sharing our learnings early and often and engaging in a robust dialogue around responsible AI practices. We invite the public, private organizations, non-profits, and governing bodies to use this first transparency report to accelerate the incredible momentum in responsible AI were already seeing around the world.
Click here to read the full report.
Tags: AI, generative ai, Responsible AI, Responsible AI Transparency Report, transparency, White House Voluntary Commitments
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Providing further transparency on our responsible AI efforts - Microsoft On the Issues - Microsoft