Google will pay Texas $1.4 billion to settle claims of unlawfully tracking user data, including location, private searches, voiceprints, and facial geometry without consent. 👉apnews.com👉techcrunch.com
AI and Customer Service:
Klarna is reversing its AI-first strategy by hiring more human customer service agents after AI led to lower quality support. 👉bloomberg.com$
A new survey shows most AI projects are failing to deliver a return on investment. 👉fortune.com
Pope Leo XIV and AI Concerns:
Pope Leo XIV chose his name to honor Pope Leo XIII's work during the first industrial revolution, citing AI as a challenge to human dignity and labor in the new digital revolution. 👉cnn.com👉forbes.com$
The Dismantling of the NSF:
The Trump administration is planning to cut the NSF budget by 57% to $3.9B, alarming the startup and VC sector. 👉fortune.com
All 37 divisions at the NSF are being abolished, over 1,400 grants canceled, and a 55% budget cut proposed. 👉science.org
AI-Generated Content:
A study reveals that asking LLMs for concise answers can increase hallucinations. 👉techcrunch.com
A Duke University study indicates that using AI tools like ChatGPT may damage professional reputation due to perceptions of laziness and reduced competence. 👉arstechnica.com
SoundCloud AI Training Policy Changes:
SoundCloud quietly changed its policies to allow the company to use audio uploaded by users to train AI models. 👉techcrunch.com👉mashable.com
Cybersecurity Threats and Breaches:
Law enforcement dismantled a botnet of hacked routers used for residential proxies. 👉bleepingcomputer.com
Education giant Pearson suffered a cyberattack, exposing customer data. 👉bleepingcomputer.com
The FBI warns that EoL routers are being hacked and used in cybercrime proxy networks. 👉bleepingcomputer.com
Russian hackers are using new LostKeys malware to steal data in espionage attacks. 👉bleepingcomputer.com
SonicWall urges admins to patch a VPN flaw being exploited in attacks. 👉bleepingcomputer.com
Botnet Dismantled:
A botnet infecting thousands of routers for 20 years was dismantled in an international operation, targeting end-of-life Linksys and Cisco routers with TheMoon malware. 👉bleepingcomputer.com
The Ongoing Case of Elizabeth Holmes:
Elizabeth Holmes lost her bid to have her fraud conviction reheard, with the Supreme Court as her final option. 👉cnbc.com
Kraken Exposes North Korean Spy:
Crypto exchange Kraken identified a North Korean spy posing as an IT worker by asking questions about American culture and holidays. 👉yahoo.com
TSA Facial Recognition and Privacy Concerns:
Senators are introducing a bill to limit the TSA's use of facial recognition technology, requiring passengers to opt-in and restricting its use to identity verification only. 👉msn.com👉fedscoop.com
Uber's VAT Dispute in the UK:
The UK has stopped asking Uber to pay VAT on the full cost of rides, collecting it only on its commission. 👉t.co
Fidji Simo, formerly CEO of Instacart, is now CEO of Applications at OpenAI. 👉bloomberg.com$
ServiceNow Acquisitions:
ServiceNow is acquiring Data.World, a cloud-native data catalog and data governance startup. 👉techcrunch.com👉thenewstack.io
NTT Data Take-Private Tender Offer:
Japan's NTT launches a $16.4B take-private tender offer to buy the remaining shares of NTT Data. 👉reuters.com
Microsoft's Cyber Defense Unit:
An inside look at Microsoft's Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC), a key pillar of US cyber defense. 👉bloomberg.com$
Sonos CEO Interview:
An interview with Sonos interim CEO Tom Conrad discusses the app redesign, the Ace headphones, subscriptions, and more. 👉theverge.com
FTC Delays Click-to-Cancel Rule Enforcement:
The FTC has delayed the enforcement of its "click-to-cancel" rule, requiring businesses to make canceling subscriptions as easy as signing up, from May 14 to July 14. 👉engadget.com👉reuters.com
AI and Chrome Security:
Google Chrome will use on-device AI to detect tech support scams. 👉bleepingcomputer.com
Datadog Acquires Eppo:
Datadog acquires Eppo, a feature flagging and app experimentation platform. 👉techcrunch.com
FDA to Deploy AI Tools:
The US FDA plans to deploy AI tools to all centers to speed up scientific reviews by June 30, 2025. 👉fiercebiotech.com
Meta's AssetGen 2.0:
Meta unveils AssetGen 2.0, an AI system that generates higher quality 3D assets. 👉uploadvr.com
Google Settles Texas Lawsuit:
Google agrees to pay Texas $1.4B to settle lawsuits over tracking users' personal location and maintaining facial recognition data without consent. 👉news.bloomberglaw.com
CoStar Acquires Domain:
US real estate analytics provider CoStar agrees to acquire Domain, an Australian property listings website, for about $1.92B. 👉wsj.com$
Gig Economy Expansion:
Lyft, DoorDash, and Uber are aggressively expanding into Europe and Turkey through acquisitions. 👉bloomberg.com$
SoundCloud's AI Policy:
SoundCloud quietly changed its policies to allow the company to use audio uploaded by users on its platform to “inform, train, develop or serve as input to AI”. 👉techcrunch.com
NTT's Acquisition of NTT Data:
Japan's NTT, which owns 57.7% of NTT Data, launches a $16.4B take-private tender offer to buy the remaining stake. 👉reuters.com
Police Dismantles Botnet:
Police dismantle a botnet selling hacked routers as residential proxies. 👉bleepingcomputer.com
Microsoft Teams New Feature:
Microsoft Teams will soon block screen capture during meetings. 👉bleepingcomputer.com
Fake AI Video Generators Spread Malware:
Fake AI video generators are distributing a new infostealer malware called 'Noodlophile'. 👉bleepingcomputer.com
Ascension Data Breach Affects Patients:
Ascension says a recent data breach affects over 430,000 patients. 👉bleepingcomputer.com