Google Lays Off Members Of Its Assistant Team In Bid To Empower It With Generative AI

With the world of generative AI taking center stage as we speak, tech giant Google is now making a bold decision to incorporate that into Assistant too.

The search engine leader says it wishes to update the program with some breakthrough features that would be similar to that seen in ChatGPT and Bard. This news was confirmed by tech media outlet Axios today.

The decision came in the form of an email where Google informed its workforce about the need to begin an exploration of a whole new kind. It hopes this addition would supercharge Assistant with a new type of innovation where machine learning models would assist along the way.

This means bidding farewell to the team that looked after Assistant as now, more focus was on AI as compared to all others. And you’ll be amazed how the decision was taken so fast that a huge chunk of the team is working on the program already, starting off with the mobile division.

So those who once played a minor role in Assistant might be getting the boot or would simply be allocated elsewhere, it added as the figure for roles would dramatically decrease as more emphasis was on technology than human power. For now, we’re not clear how many people would be affected by this decision but from what Axios is reporting, dozens are getting fired.

The company says that right now, it’s very focused on making Assistant better and they feel optimistic about the bigger and brighter future that’s right in front of them.

Similarly, the tech giant is not elaborating more on the various types of features it hopes to add to its Assistant and there are also some top-notch possibilities of what could be on the cards. But with Google hush on the matter, it’s hard to predict what may or may not come out of it.

However, that does not mean experts are not betting on the types of features that it hopes to include next to Assistant including using the same innovations seen on Bard and ChatGPT where it can provide a reply after being given a command.

Each month, Google claims millions of users resort to Assistant and that is why they are truly committed to providing them with top-of-the-line experiences. And now, the addition of large language models may assist with supercharging its Assistant so that it can further improve.

For now, we are not aware of when this breakthrough technology is coming to the company but one thing is for sure. Its addition to a long list of home products that use smart technology is raising concerns so that is another major controversy the company needs to think about.

After all, no one wants their privacy comprised and the list of implications that could potentially bring with it. Do you agree?

Whatever the case may be, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on that front.

Read next: Google Makes Key Changes To Takeout That Enable Data Sharing with Third Parties
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

American Lawmakers Question Apple CEO About App Store's Workings And Its Impact On Emerging Technologies Like Blockchain

Prominent American lawmakers have united and expressed great interest in leading iPhone-making firm Apple, and even gone as far as writing a letter to CEO Tim Cook.

The officials are very intrigued about how the App Store functions, what policies it implements for its usual workings, and whether or not that impacts emerging technologies in the country. The latter includes NFTs, distributed ledger, and blockchain too.

The arrival of this paperwork comes at a time when the tech giant is facing massive criticism across the board by top names in the tech world who feel the policies on the App Store need a lot of work to do.

The letter puts dire emphasis on certain key aspects that are now a part of the company’s initiative which not a lot of others would agree with. Apple last year went as far as blocking the rollout of NFTs without making use of the company’s in-app system for conducting purchases.

Their goal is solely to make more money and they’re willing to alter the guidelines in a manner that enhances profits and limits app utility when it comes down to emerging products like blockchain and its related offerings. Tech firm Coinbase even went as far as allocating accusations that Apple forced it to get rid of all NFT transfers via the Wallet app for iPhone users.

Now, putting all of these things into perspective, the lawmakers are making efforts to call Tim Cook and have him speak on the matter. After all, who better to provide understanding to Congress better than him right?

Clearly, these are some major hindrances by the company that are putting a hold on innovation and the enhancement of technology systems in the US. moreover, they added how it’s high time that Congress is given a clear depiction of guidelines and to what extent they work on the App Store and reflect on why innovation is getting limited because today, NFTs and blockchain are really emerging as strong players in the market. It’s a shame for anyone not to make the most of them.

This is why lawmakers feel the time has come to strengthen the leadership that such technologies offer. Remember, the complete letter entails a long list of questions regarding things such as App Review and how to review processing ensues for plenty of apps out there today, and if the company actually plans on creating more platforms to provide support for such breakthrough technologies.

Previously, we’ve seen the CEO of tech giant Apple outline how cryptocurrency is now an integral aspect of its investment plans. Cook adds how his organization is really looking at the prospects it holds. But for now, there are no plans for immediate rollouts in this domain and he does not plan to make announcements related to the subject soon too.

Read next: Apple Says AirTags Aren’t for Tracking Kids, But Parents Are Using Them Anyway
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Google Makes Key Changes To Takeout That Enable Data Sharing with Third Parties

Tech giant Google has succumbed to the pressure of being called out as a data hogger.

The company has decided to roll out two major changes to its Takeout platform that would enable ease of data sharing with operators belonging to third parties.

Google has been called out for years as a company that fails to enable data sharing with ease so others can benefit. And this was a major issue that some other firms including Hoga from Italy had, voicing the concerns in detail last year.

This led to a huge investigation by authorities taking place and they’re now speaking about giving Google the green light to carry out a three-point plan of action for the Takeout app so that it would enable the organization to get out of the sticky mess and make others including third parties happy.

For those people who might not be aware, Google has a huge reputation for being a company that fails to give you all the data related to you as it feels it has the right to take part in such anti-competitive behavior. But one place where you can probably get what you’re looking for is the firm’s Takeout initiative.

It is outlined as your main go-to location where you can export almost anything and everything that the search engine has related to your firm. With that being said, many companies noted how Google really makes a firm struggle when it comes down to getting personal details out there through apps owned by the organization.

While it might not appear like a huge deal right now, the behavior gets worse as its parent firm works through a monopoly means on so many industries linked to the digital services sector.

The concerns were called out and tech giant Google started to violate policies linked to Article 20 of the famous GDPR Act. But if it is indeed guilty of the actions, it might be seeing a major fine as compensation which could entail 10% of the global sales taking place each year and that’s close to billions.

So to get out of this huge mess, several changes are getting allocated on Google Takeout while it’s only rolling out a new program that’s solely reserved for data-sharing purposes. The first two are linked to features that allow data to be exported to third parties while the final one is linked to a rollout called Data Transfer Project so data may be exchanged between Google and the YouTube app toward third parties.

Details are not being unveiled a lot but other than going down the hard route of downloading piles and piles of data through manual means, you can now use a new tool that gives the user access to personal information after gaining approval.

For now, that’s in development and we could be seeing releases arise during Q1 of 2024. The tech giant also vows to roll out a beta variant of the tool so third parties can experiment with it and provide necessary feedback for improvement, right before a launch ensues.

Read next: Google Proposes Unique Web Environment Integrity API To Enhance The Internet’s Security
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Google Proposes Unique Web Environment Integrity API To Enhance The Internet’s Security

Tech giant Google has just put out a new proposal API called the Web Environment Integrity. This is being portrayed as the DRM for the web, as confirmed by the leading Android maker recently.

The proposal shed light on how this new offering would work its magic in keeping the internet world more secure which seems to be the need in today’s modern times.

Most users tend to focus on web pages and trust the surrounding around which they function. And this trust goes as far as making assumptions that the environment will be clean and loyal to a certain degree. They also feel that all of the things they unveil including their details would be safe and not shared with anyone else. Lastly, they keep transparency at the top of the list as they want to know what’s taking place and if humans are on the page or not.

As one can guess, these clauses linked to trust are super valuable and it’s this trust that supports the internet we use today, serving as a reminder that user safety is pivotal and can guarantee a firm’s business.

We might see a lot of similarities between this and SafetyNet APIs that can be seen on your Android device. And Google has no shame in admitting that it has gotten that sort of inspiration from there.

That API confirms to Android users that their product is not rooted, and it does not matter what or where the access is being used for. Now it does not matter if it gets used for interference alongside platforms or simply for the sake of altering a device. If a product fails to fulfill the checklist then it would be outlined.

So many users can’t make use of these services, even if that is solely linked to customization purposes. Furthermore, that means that the main objective of the new API is to make sure browsers weren’t played around with and people making use of them weren’t robots.

Proposals delineate in detail how a user linked to a webpage would work out in such a scenario. It not only needs attestation from third parties that is under the leadership of Google. For starters, browsers would request for a website as per standard practice that passes the test and proves browsers are unmodified while meeting the checklist of necessary requirements. Hence, you do end up trusting pages due to this and you are granted access.

But not all experts are giving such proposals the green light just yet as they feel device IDs must be added to enable fingerprinting. But Google says it hopes to announce indicators that allow for rate-limiting practices for products, without the need for digital fingerprints.

A lot of people have not noticed this proposal, despite it being outlined on a certain worker’s personal GitHub ID. Even the company itself is drawing very little attention to that but that does not mean preparations aren’t in full swing to carry out a proper release in Chrome in the near future.

Read next: Google Claims Patch Gap in Android Models Increases The Risk of n-days Vulnerabilities To The Same Level As Zero-days
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Microsoft Fears Outages Due To Shortage Of Graphics Processing Units For Its Cloud Business

Computational giant Microsoft is outlining a new danger that it might have to face due to an extreme shortage of graphics processing units.

The company shed light on how GPUs were a core part of the firm’s cloud business. And that was highlighted as the most crucial raw material whose deficiency may now lead to the chance of major outages.

The organization's head outlined in the new annual report some key statistics including predictions for global revenue related to AI semiconductors to rise and hit the $53 billion figure and by next year, that should reach $67 billion.

These key data points were published by a top research firm called Gartner which says around 64% of individuals in today’s fast-paced have resorted to AI apps or those programs that are based on machine learning.

For this reason, leading marketers say generative AI would be the standard protocol for marketing, and by the next four years, it would certainly reach a new high. And yes, that means major issues because AI systems require the chips to conduct effective workarounds and nail computing operations.

GPUs that are utilized for AI are mostly produced by Nvidia. However, we’re now hearing about other competitor firms like IBM and Alphabet designed their tool alongside Intel.

Other predictions being made are related to a fall in the components due to the current economic downturn where fewer consumers are purchasing tech products including cell phones and beyond.

Less chips of this kind mean a small quantity for training of AI models and that’s not a great consideration when you look at how fast-paced today’s industry has become.

The boom in the world of AI is what has resulted in this extreme shortage that people hope to alter with time but right now, it’s a concern for companies like Microsoft because, with time, the demand would outgrow production greatly.

The main risk has to do with Microsoft because so many of its offerings are related to computing power, be it cloud or be it AI. Moreover, the firm’s many data centers are solely based on a few essential requirements where GPUs are certainly a part of the top list.

The price and availability of this may be impacted by a series of factors such as a shift to a more sustainable economy where there are plenty of environmental rules in place, not to mention issues that arise thanks to political tensions in countries.

The software leader argued how demands keep on rising and reach an extreme when new goods and services are rolled out, as well as when the current existing lineup of goods must be maintained like Microsoft 365, Bing, Xbox, Onedrive, and so much more that use hardcore AI features.

Experts claim that today’s marketers are putting great reliance on modern technology and it’s going to be even more crucial for the tech industry to try and figure out the matter as chips continue to rule the lineup.

Read next: Tech Giants Like Microsoft, Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI Form a Coalition Body for Safer AI Development
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

AI May Get Your Job Done Quicker But You’re More Likely To Be Blamed For Errors, New Study Claims

AI systems have really revolutionized the tech world in so many ways.

We hear how most jobs are relying so heavily on this technology. They feel things can get done quicker and with greater ease. But wait, that does not mean you are not going to be bogged down by a great many drawbacks linked to its use.

A new study has left the world stunned for obvious reasons related to how AI might be giving your boss or manager another chance to dump the blame on you for any errors.

The research highlights how AI software is really designed to make routines simpler but the machine can really screw up on so many occasions and the blames gets shifted sadly on the user, without bosses giving it a second thought.

This is another reason why there are so many ethical issues linked to AI that continue to leave people divided in the whole business community. Close to 32% of bosses who are the ones that make the final admit to placing blame directly on employees who operate this tool. After all, it’s a machine and it can default at any given point in time.

The study also highlighted how only 26% of individuals claimed they would place direct blame on both the worker and the AI software equally, with a smaller chunk of the blame also being allocated to managers.

The research comes to us thanks to experts at TechCo who clearly admits that AI was never designed to figure out the thinking related to lousy bosses.

Today, so many CEOs of top firms continue to express hesitation in terms of using AI at their workplace. Nearly 70% even stressed in detail how their workers should refrain from its use and if they do choose to do so, they must seek permission first from the managers they’re working under.

The news comes at a time when we’re seeing so many regions including the EU, US, as well as the United Nations, join hands with companies like Microsoft to devise the right policy for its effective use. This was a long time, considering the great popularity of the OpenAI ChatGPT tool.

Today, the world’s governments are literally scrambling as they try to include the right framework to ensure the responsible and useful function of AI. They realize that AI is bringing forward some major gains for the business sector too but until and unless they don’t realize the great dangers attached, it can never be used at its best ability.

The novelty of uses is also increasing but again, questions continue to arise related to the privacy and transparency of workers.

So at the end of the day, there’s a long list of ethical-based queries that we must ask ourselves, the study adds. Does AI software require immediate attention including how to use it appropriately for research and also how to ensure the right maintenance of systems in use today?

Read next: Brands Must Balance AI With Ethics, Here’s How
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Google Claims Patch Gap in Android Models Increases The Risk of n-days Vulnerabilities To The Same Level As Zero-days

Zero-day attack or vulnerability is a flaw, a gap in security where an operating system or application is rendered defenseless in opposition to exploitation attacks before a vendor knows about it and finds a way to patch it. N-day vulnerability is a software flaw with or without a patch, but the public knows about it.

It goes like this: a bug identified in Android before Google is called a zero-day vulnerability. But when Google finds out, it’s called an n-day vulnerability, with n being the number of days that have passed since the vulnerability became public knowledge.

Google has released its yearly 0-day vulnerability report, which includes data on real-world exploitation occurrences in 2022. The report emphasizes and brings attention to a persistent issue within the Android platform, highlighting the significance and utilization of disclosed vulnerabilities for long durations.

To be exact, Google’s summary emphasizes the concern of n-days in Android to be acting as equivalent to zero-days for cyber attackers. The issue arises from the intricate nature of Android’s environment, which encompasses many phases between the upstream vendor and downstream manufacturers. This complexity leads to notable variations in delays for security updates across device models, brief support time, confusion over responsibilities, and several other issues.

Google alerted that hackers might use of n-days to exploit devices without any patch by using familiar techniques or programming one themselves, even if Google or another vendor makes a patch available. This issue stems from patch gaps as vendors devise a way to combat the bug, but the manufacturers take weeks to months to release them in Android security updates.

Google’s report claims that the discrepancies between vendors and manufacturers are why publicly known vulnerabilities like n-days behave and operate as zero-days, as not a single patch is accessible or rolled out to users. They further state that users can protect their data by not using their phones in such situations. Such gaps are more evident for prolonged periods in Android devices compared to other vendor and manufacturer interactions.

A vulnerability called CVE-2022-38181 severely impacted Android back in 2022 in the ARM Mali GPU. The Android Security team was alerted about the flaw in July of that year after ARM regarded it as unfixable in October 2022. However, they included it in the security update for Android in April 2023.

The bad news is that a month after the release of the fix update, cyberattackers actively exploited the flaw.

• Also read: Facebook Malware Mayhem: Beware of Sneaky Impostors!

The exploitation was uncontrollable and carried on until April 2023, when the Android security update finally released its fix, a significant time after ARM first raised concerns about it.

In December 2022, two more flaws (CVE-2022-3038 and CVE-2022-22706) were under exploitation, resulting from a series of attacks on Samsung devices containing spyware. In May 2023, Samsung announced the security update for CVE-2022-22706. The ARM fix for CVE-2022-3038 was available in the June 2023 security update. That meant the fix update was available after an alarming delay of 17 months.

It takes upstream vendors around 3 months to release the updates for models that support it, even after Google finds a patch, giving threat actors a longer duration for exploitation.

Such a patch gap makes 0-day as important as n-days for cybercriminals to exploit unprotected and unpatched devices.

In 2022, Google revealed in their active summary that zero-day flaws have reduced since 2021, with just 41 detected. They also observed a substantial reduction of those vulnerabilities in browsers, with just fifteen detected last year after discovering 26 in 2021.

What is also remarkable is that in 2022, over 40% of the 0-day flaws detected were just different versions of known flaws. Such flaws are easier to fix compared to an unknown zero-day flaw.

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by Ahmed Naeem via Digital Information World