Why the Facemega deepfake app is a slippery slope
Accessing deepfake technology is getting easier. With the majority of people choosing to use it for sinister reasons, it’s hard to ignore that the negative consequences of the novel tech might outweigh its benefits. The negative and dangerous consequences of deepfakes have been heatedly discussed since AI technology made its...
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Online eBook platform Z-Library makes comeback
Z-library, an illegal online collection of eBooks, is beloved by both college students and romance novel fans. It is back after being seized last November by the FBI. The ‘shadow library’ has hosted free (and illegal) downloads from a selection of over 11 million eBooks since 2009. However, its surging...
Why Gen Z is the driving force behind Africa’s tech advancements
Gen Z is utilising technology to address some of Africa’s most pressing issues, with a particular focus on sustainability. From renewable energy to waste management, this trend is likely to continue. Gen Z is leading the charge in Africa’s tech revolution. With access to smartphones from childhood, young people have access...
The rise of AI chatbots could create an ecological nightmare
The race for Silicon Valley giants to integrate AI language generators into internet search engines could cause a five-fold demand in computing power and massive carbon emissions. The commercial road-map for AI text generators has now been established. With humble beginnings in recreational uses, like creating original song lyrics, poems,...
NASA’s graphene battery could overtake lithium in the EV revolution
NASA has been testing a new graphene battery that could one day sustainably power our electric planes and road vehicles. Have we already found the natural progression beyond lithium EV batteries, even though they’ve yet to replace gas? Possibly is the answer. Beyond its space-based endeavours, NASA is occupied with furthering...
Google announces ChatGPT rival ‘Bard’ with botched ad
In a few short weeks, Google will be rolling out its AI powered chatbot ‘Bard’ and it has everything to do with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Another has entered the field of battle... and already faltered. Last month, we wrote a story about ChatGPT and questioned whether a coming premium tier of...
Spotify lays off 6% of work force in latest tech cuts
Music streaming platform Spotify is to cut 6% of its 10,000 employee work force, after hiring aggressively over the pandemic period. It is line with other tech companies who have stripped back their workforces. Spotify will be letting 6% of its work force go after major cuts to improve company ‘efficiency’. CEO Daniel Ek has said that he was ‘too ambitious’ and expanded the company too quickly. It follows similar...
Researchers create WiFi device able to detect people through walls
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania, have created a method for accurately detecting the shape and movement of human bodies through walls using WiFi routers. Is this a privacy nightmare waiting to happen? Remember Lucius Fox’s super invasive sonar technology in the finale of The Dark Knight? Well this is eerily similar, except that it’s real. Scientists have reportedly developed technology able to detect the precise shape and movement of human...
‘ChatGPT Professional’ sparks industry scramble for commercial AI
OpenAI is gearing up to announce a premium version of its popular language generator tool ChatGPT3. Google is reportedly scrambling to break the market first, meaning this type of AI may be on the cusp of an early commercial explosion. Artificial intelligence is already hot property, but companies are vying to have their signature stamps all over the biggest projects of 2023. The same company that developed the gorgeous headline image above, OpenAI,...
Scientists successfully divert lightning strikes with laser device
Scientists have successfully diverted lightning strikes for the first time using a powerful laser beam directed at the sky. This looks to be the future of novel protection strategies. Without recovering Thor’s hammer, this is probably the next best way of controlling the fierce phenomenon of lightning. Scientists have demonstrated a first in the world of photonic studies, successfully diverting the natural path of a lightning strike by pointing a powerful...
