Zuckerberg's Metaverse Is, Costing Meta Billions.
Zuckerberg's Metaverse Is, Costing Meta Billions.
Meta reported a $3.74 billion operating loss on its Reality Labs division, which oversees CEO Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse, according to The Byte.
Meta reported a $3.74 billion operating loss on its Reality Labs division, which oversees CEO Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse, according to The Byte.
In October, Reality Labs was hit
with job cuts, slashing the
division's 600-person team. .
Despite some technological steps forward, the costly
virtual reality project still appears to be a long way from
becoming profitable for Facebook's parent company.
Despite some technological steps forward, the costly
virtual reality project still appears to be a long way from
becoming profitable for Facebook's parent company.
In 2022, Meta's Quest Pro VR
headset went on sale
for a hefty $1,500.
In September of 2023, a Roblox conference
reportedly handed out the high-price
headsets to attendees for free. .
The Byte reports that a recent survey by
Piper Sandler found that teens in the U.S. lack
interest in current virtual reality technology.
Only 29% of the 5,600 teens who took part
in the survey owned a VR device, with
4% of them saying they used it daily.
Just 7% of teens polled said they had
plans to buy a VR headset in the future.
Meanwhile, 52% of teens polled
said that they were either unsure
or disinterested in the technology.
The Byte reports that VR has failed to find an audience
among young people, a demographic which has
traditionally driven the technology market.
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Meta has rolled out default end-to-end encryption for Facebook Messenger users despite concerns the move will make it harder to tackle child abuse. Sky News
Lawsuit Accuses Meta , of Designing Platforms , to Exploit Teen Psychology.
Lawsuit Accuses Meta , of Designing Platforms , to Exploit Teen Psychology.
'The Guardian' reports that a legal complaint
accuses Meta of purposefully engineering its
platforms to make them more addictive to children.
'The Guardian' reports that a legal complaint
accuses Meta of purposefully engineering its
platforms to make them more addictive to children.
The newly unsealed documents also accuse the Instagram
and Facebook parent company of knowingly allowing
underage users to open and hold accounts.
The complaint is at the center of a lawsuit filed by
the attorney generals of 33 states against Meta.
The lawsuit alleges that the company knew that it had
received millions of complaints about underage
Instagram users, only a fraction of which it ever disabled.
The legal filing also cites internal Meta documents
that suggests the number of underage
users was an "open secret" at the company. .
According to the filing, Meta received over 402,000 reports
of underage users in 2021, while only 164,000 were
âdisabled for potentially being under the age of 13.â.
The complaint includes accusations that
Meta knowingly created its platform to be
addictive and even harmful to children. .
'The Guardian' reports that company documents cited in
the lawsuit describes Meta officials acknowledging that
products exploit shortcomings in youthful psychology.
This includes a May 2020 internal presentation titled
"teen fundamentals" which focused on the vulnerabilities of
the young brain that product development could exploit.
Meta released a statement calling the complaint
a misrepresentation of the company's efforts over
the past decade to create a safe online space for teens. .
Meta released a statement calling the complaint
a misrepresentation of the company's efforts over
the past decade to create a safe online space for teens.
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Russia placed Meta Platforms spokesperson Andy Stone on its wanted list with criminal charges. On Sunday, Russian news agency TASS reported that Stone was listed on Russia's interior ministry's list of wanted individuals, with scant details provided regarding the charges he faces. The Russian Interior Ministry has initiated a criminal investigation against Stone, but the specifics of the charges have not been disclosed.
#AndyStone #Meta #Russia #RussiaUkraineWar #MetaSpokesperson #AndyStoneWanted
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Tech Companies Take Steps , To Protect Voters From , AI-Generated Misinformation .
On November 8, Meta announced that it will
require political ads that have been digitally
atered, using AI or other technology, to be labeled. .
On November 8, Meta announced that it will
require political ads that have been digitally
atered, using AI or other technology, to be labeled. .
'Time' reports that Meta's announcement
comes one day after Microsoft revealed
steps it will take to protect elections.
Microsoft announced tools to add watermarks to AI-generated content and a "Campaign Success Team" which will offer campaigns advice on AI and security.
The advent of generative AI, which allows
users to create text, audio and video content,
comes ahead of a busy global election year. .
The advent of generative AI, which allows
users to create text, audio and video content,
comes ahead of a busy global election year. .
2024 will see major elections decided in
the United States, India, the United Kingdom,
Mexico, Taiwan and Indonesia. .
According to a November poll, 58% of adults in
the U.S. are concerned that AI could be used to
spread false information in the upcoming election.
Elizabeth Seger, a researcher at the Center for
the Governance of AI, warns that AI could be
used to conduct mass persuasion campaigns. .
Seger also warns that just knowing
deepfakes exist could erode people's
trust in information sources.
A risk that is often overlooked,
that is much more likely to take
place this election cycle, isn't
that generative AI will be used to
produce deepfakes that trick people
into thinking candidate so and
so did some terrible thing. , Elizabeth Seger, Researcher at the Center
for the Governance of AI, via 'Time'.
But that the very existence of these
technologies are used to undermine
the value of evidence and undermine
trust in key information streams, Elizabeth Seger, Researcher at the Center
for the Governance of AI, via 'Time'
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Facebook Launching Paid EU Version , to Comply With Privacy Laws.
On October 30, Facebook announced
a new, advertisement-free, paid version
of Facebook and Instagram in Europe. .
On October 30, Facebook announced
a new, advertisement-free, paid version
of Facebook and Instagram in Europe. .
Starting in November, users in Europe
can subscribe for 9.99 euros a month on
desktop or 12.99 euros on mobile devices.
NBC reports that the new subscription service
comes after the EU's top court told the company it
must obtain consent before showing users ads. .
We believe in an ad-supported internet,
which gives people access to personalized
products and services regardless of their
economic status. But we respect the spirit
and purpose of these evolving European
regulations, and are committed
to complying with them, Meta statement, via NBC.
We believe in an ad-supported internet,
which gives people access to personalized
products and services regardless of their
economic status. But we respect the spirit
and purpose of these evolving European
regulations, and are committed
to complying with them, Meta statement, via NBC.
The strict data privacy laws reportedly restrict
Meta's ability to tailor advertisements
by tracking the online activity of its users.
According to a news release from Meta, users who
choose not to pay are giving their consent to being
shown ads under the new subscription model.
Meta added that users who
subscribe will also not have their personal
information used for tailoring ads.
The option for people to purchase
a subscription for no ads balances
the requirements of European regulators
while giving users choice and allowing
Meta to continue serving all people
in the EU, EEA and Switzerland, Meta statement, via NBC.
Initially, users' ad-free subscriptions will be applied to all
accounts linked to their Accounts Center, which means
the ad-free experience will be available across profiles.
However, after February, an additional 6 euro fee will
be charged on the web and an 8 euro charge
will be applied on mobile for each extra account.
However, after February, an additional 6 euro fee will
be charged on the web and an 8 euro charge
will be applied on mobile for each extra account
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited technology enthusiasts, innovators, and stakeholders worldwide to join the upcoming Global Partnership on Artificial.. IndiaTimes
Google has revealed a new AI model it claims beats rivals like ChatGPT at most tasks after the company's "largest science and engineering project ever". Sky News
Google Announces New Advanced , Artificial Intelligence.
'The Guardian' reports that Google has announced
a new artificial intelligence model, Gemini, that it
claims can outperform ChatGPT in most tests.
According to Google, the new model displays
"advanced reasoning," which includes the ability
to view and mark a student's physics homework. .
The "multimodal" model is capable of
simultaneously understanding text,
audio, video, images and computer code. .
On December 6, Gemini is seeing an initial release in over 170 countries, including the United States, in the form of a new upgrade to Google's Bard chatbot. .
However, 'The Guardian' reports that the upgraded
version of Bard will not be available in the U.K. and
Europe until the new AI gets clearance from regulators. .
The Gemini model is the first new AI to be
announced since a global AI safety summit. .
Google said that it was in discussions
with the U.K.'s AI Safety Institute for testing
the most powerful versions of Gemini,
which are slated to be released in 2024.
The versions included in the initial release
are Gemini Pro and Gemini Nano, while a more
powerful Ultra version is currently undergoing
external testing before a 2024 public release.
The versions included in the initial release
are Gemini Pro and Gemini Nano, while a more
powerful Ultra version is currently undergoing
external testing before a 2024 public release.
Google has claimed that Gemini can outperform even
the most powerful version of ChatGPT, GPT-4, on
tests, including image comprehension and reasoning.
'The Guardian' reports that Google admitted
some false answers, or "hallucinations," remain
an issue with the latest advanced model.
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Israel is reportedly utilising artificial intelligence to enhance its operations against the Hamas militant group in Gaza. According to sources within the Israeli defence establishment, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has employed an AI platform named âthe Gospelâ to expedite target selection in its ongoing campaign.
#TheGospel #IsraelHamasWar #IDF #Israel #Hamas #BenjaminNetanyahu #Palestine #IsraelStateOfWar #StateOfWar #Gaza #OperationAlAqsaStorm #GazaStrip #IsraelGazaWar #HamasOfficial #US #IsraelHamasTruce #HostageRelease
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DeepMind AI Breakthrough , Could Revolutionize , Battery and Chip Development .
'Time' reports that researchers at Google
DeepMind have used artificial intelligence
to predict structures of 2.2 million new materials. .
'Time' reports that researchers at Google
DeepMind have used artificial intelligence
to predict structures of 2.2 million new materials. .
DeepMind published 381,000 of the
crystal structures that the AI predicts
to be the most stable.
The breakthrough, which could have wide-reaching
benefits for renewable energy and computing, increases
the number of known stable materials by a factor of ten.
While many of the materials still need to be
synthesized and tested, the findings are
predicted to accelerate the discovery of new materials. .
Those new materials could play
a central role in energy storage,
solar cells and superconductor technology. .
While materials play a very critical
role in almost any technology, we as
humanity know only about a few
tens of thousands of stable materials, Ekin Dogus Cubuk, a Staff Research Scientist at Google Brain, via 'Time'.
'Time' reports that only specific combinations
of elements can be used to form stable solids.
Google DeepMind has now partnered with
external researchers who have successfully
synthesized 736 of the new materials.
Among the 381,000 materials added to the Inorganic
Crystal Structures Database (ICSD) were 528 potential
lithium ion conductors that could be used in batteries.
52,000 new layered compounds were also predicted with
a similar structure to graphene, which could be
used to produce new superconducting materials. .
We believe that some of
these will be made in the lab,
which will hopefully lead
to very exciting applications, Ekin Dogus Cubuk, a Staff Research Scientist at Google Brain, via 'Time'
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
A gaggle of celebs posed on the streets of L.A. Saturday -- on a street lined with palm trees -- and it got us shamelessly thinking ... they've taken a page from.. TMZ.com
Happy Birthday,
Kendall Jenner!.
Kendall Nicole Jenner
turns 28 years old today.
Here are five things you may not have known about the model.
1. She hates
chocolate
ice cream.
2. Jenner began modeling at the age of 14 and
her first job was a campaign for Forever 21.
3. She is actually related to her
close friend, Gigi Hadid.
4. She is afraid of
pancakes due to
her trypophobia, a
fear of small holes.
5. Jenner is one of the tallest
Kardashian/Jenner sisters,
with a height of 5â10ââ.
Happy Birthday,
Kendall Jenner!
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 00:51Published
Snoop Dogg just made a big announcement. The rapper says he's dropping smoking. He wrote on Instagram, "After much consideration and conversation with my family, I've decided to give up smoke. Please respect my privacy at this time."
Credit: The Hollywood Reporter Duration: 01:16Published
Happy Birthday,
Snoop Dogg!.
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.
turns 52 years old today.
Here are five facts you
may not have known
about the rapper.
1. He was nicknamed "Snoopy" as a child.
2. Snoop Dogg is cousins
with singers Brandy and Ray J.
3. He founded the
Snoop Youth Football League.
4. After a visit to Jamaica,
he changed his name to
Snoop Lion.
5. It is rumored that
Snoop has an IQ of 147.
Happy Birthday,
Snoop Dogg!
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 00:48Published
Happy Birthday,
Gabrielle Union!.
Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade
turns 51 years old today.
Here are five fun facts
about the actress.
1. She only started acting to
pay off her university debts
and later realized she liked it.
2. Her husband, Dwyane Wade, banned her
from sitting courtside at his basketball games.
3. Since college, she continues to re-read
'The Autobiography of Malcolm X' every year.
4. Those close to
the actress call
her âNickie.â.
5. Union was on the
debut cover of
âSavoy Magazine.â.
Happy Birthday,
Gabrielle Union!
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 00:47Published
After two gruelling days of giving evidence, former Prime Minister Boris Johnsonâs time at the COVID-19 Inquiry is up. Here are some of the main takeaways from his 10 hours in the witness box:
He made mistakes, and he is sorry.
He didnât always have enough information about the risks.
Boasting about shaking hands with COVID patients was a bad idea.
âEat Out to Help Outâ seemed like a good idea at the time.
Matt Hancock did a good job.
Partygate was exaggerated.
Having been in intensive care with the virus himself, he understands the devastation it caused. Report by Blairm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomes his Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte to 10 Downing Street. Report by Blairm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
âRizzâ Is Oxfordâs , 2023 Word of the Year.
The second-oldest academic press in the world has named
the Gen Z slang term for "style, charm or attractiveness"
the word of the year, 'The New York Times' reports.
"Rizz" is also used when describing one's
"ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.".
The word is a shorter version of "charisma,"
which gained popularity via internet and gaming
culture, according to 'The New York Times.'.
"Rizz" was first made popular by streamer
Kai Cenat and later went viral when
Tom Holland used the term in an interview.
"Rizz" was first made popular by streamer
Kai Cenat and later went viral when
Tom Holland used the term in an interview.
He said, "I have no rizz whatsoever.
I have limited rizz.".
After that, usage of the word increased
by a factor of 15 compared to the
previous year, Oxford's data shows.
One of the reasons itâs moving from
being a niche social media phrase into
the mainstream is, itâs just fun to say. , Casper Grathwohl, the president of Oxford Languages,
the dictionary division, via 'The New York Times'.
When it comes off your tongue, thereâs a
little bit of joy that comes with it, Casper Grathwohl, the president of Oxford Languages,
the dictionary division, via 'The New York Times'.
Oxford's word of the year is intended
"to reflect the ethos, mood or preoccupations"
of the previous year while possessing "potential as
a term of lasting cultural significance.".
Other contenders for 2023's word of the year
included "situationship, prompt, de-influencing
and Swiftie," according to 'The New York Times.'.
Oxford's 2022 word of the year was "Goblin mode."
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