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Author: Febin Mathew

Febin Mathew, Co-Founder & Editor at ReturnByte, reports on modern technology advanced including AI & Robotics. He has been helping people figure out their tech to make informed choices. Being a creative expressionist, he loves capturing aesthetic visuals that build narratives. For leisure, he loves gaming, riding motorcycles and hiking. Follow him @febinmathew7 on Instagram
Indian Telecommunications Bill 2023 has been passed by Lok Sabha. Know the major highlights from the bill. (PTI) News 

Lok Sabha approves Telecom Bill 2023; Here are 10 essential details to be aware of

Febin Mathew,

The Telecom Bill 2023, also known as the Indian Telecommunications Bill 2023, has been introduced by Union Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw and has been approved by the Lok Sabha. This bill aims to replace current regulations and was presented and approved during the Winter Session of Parliament. It is intended to replace three existing Acts: the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933, and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act of 1950. The bill grants the government increased authority over telecom services in order to safeguard…

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Google will restrict the types of election-related queries its chatbot Bard and search generative experience can respond to in the run-up to the 2024 US Presidential election. (Bloomberg) AI 

Alphabet to impose restrictions on election queries that can be answered by Bard and AI-based search

Febin Mathew,

In preparation for the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, Google’s Alphabet announced on Tuesday that it will limit the range of election-related questions that its chatbot Bard and search generative experience can provide answers to. The restrictions are scheduled to take effect by early 2024, the company said. In addition to the United States, 2024 is expected to see a number of ground-breaking elections, including national elections in countries such as India, the world’s largest democracy, and South Africa. The tech giant said it is “working with an increased focus on…

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The US Government is setting up key standards for the safe and responsible development of generative artificial intelligence systems. AI 

US Government Making Efforts to Establish Crucial AI Standards for Secure Development

Febin Mathew

The Biden administration said Tuesday it is taking the first step toward writing key standards and guidelines for the safe deployment of generative artificial intelligence and how to test and secure the systems. The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) said it will seek public input until February 2nd to conduct key testing that is critical to ensuring the safety of artificial intelligence systems. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the effort stemmed from President Joe Biden’s October executive order on artificial intelligence and seeks to develop “industry…

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OpenAI releases guidelines for gauging catastrophic risks from AI. (AFP) AI 

OpenAI provides guidelines to assess potential ‘catastrophic risks’ arising from AI, ChatGPT included.

Febin Mathew

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has recently released its latest guidelines for assessing the potential dangers of artificial intelligence in ongoing model development. This announcement follows a series of events where CEO Sam Altman was initially dismissed by the company’s board, only to be reinstated shortly after due to opposition from staff and investors. Reports suggest that Altman faced criticism from board members for prioritizing the rapid advancement of OpenAI, potentially overlooking concerns regarding the risks associated with its technology. In a “preparedness framework” released Monday, the company states: “We…

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Utah was sued by tech giants over first-in-the-nation laws. (Pexels) News 

Utah faces lawsuit from TikTok, Meta, and X over stringent restrictions on app usage by minors

Febin Mathew

On Monday, a trade group representing TikTok and other prominent tech companies filed a lawsuit against Utah for its pioneering legislation, which mandates parental consent for children and teenagers to access social media applications. Two laws signed by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox in March prohibit minors from using social media at 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., unless a parent has given permission — and require age verification to open and maintain a social media account in the state. The restrictions are designed to protect children from targeted ads and addictive…

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Know what’s happening in the AI universe today, December 19. (Pixabay) AI 

India is getting ready to regulate AI, IBM acquires AI technology, and more updates on AI you might have missed today.

Febin Mathew

Today, December 19, is a significant day for artificial intelligence, particularly in India. The government has announced that it has started working on creating regulations for AI to promote growth, security, and advancement in this field. Additionally, IBM has disclosed its intention to purchase Software AG’s StreamSets and webMethods platforms for a combined sum of 2.3 billion dollars, aiming to enhance its own AI products. These are just a few highlights from today’s AI news roundup. Let’s delve deeper into the details. The Indian government is preparing AI rules The…

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OpenAI is aware of the possible ill effects of AI in the future and for that it has come out with the set of rules to safeguard the company. AI 

OpenAI’s Authority to Override CEO Sam Altman’s Decision to Ensure Protection of AI Model Releases

Febin Mathew

Artificial intelligence company OpenAI created a framework for addressing security in its most advanced models, including allowing the government to reverse security decisions, according to a plan posted on its website Monday. Backed by Microsoft, OpenAI only deploys its latest technology if it is deemed safe in certain areas, such as cybersecurity and nuclear threats. The company is also establishing an advisory group that will review the safety reports and send them to the company’s management and board of directors. Although managers make decisions, the board can overturn those decisions.…

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Ryhsida ransomware gang, has released a total of 1.67 terabytes of Insomniac Games' data, comprising 1.3 million files. Here's what you need to know. News 

Insomniac Games Studio, Owned by Sony, Falls Victim to Hacking: Wolverine Gameplay and Employee Data Leaked on Darknet!

Febin Mathew,

Earlier this month, it was reported that Insomniac Games, Sony’s first-party studio behind games such as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Ratchet and Clank, was hacked. The hackers demanded a whopping $2 million ransom to refrain from handing over the stolen data. As reported by CyberDaily, the group responsible, called the Ryhsida ransomware gang, has now released a total of 1.67 terabytes containing 1.3 million files because the condition is not met. This information includes gameplay clips of the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine game for PS5, the studio’s future plans until 2023,…

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QakBot had infected nearly 700,000 systems around the world before being shut down, according to the FBI. (Pixabay) News 

Learn how QakBot malware is targeting users again, even after being shut down by the FBI for months.

Febin Mathew,

Cybersecurity has become a crucial concern in today’s digital age, prompting major corporations to invest significant amounts of money in developing effective solutions to combat and counter the spread of malware by malicious actors. Additionally, law enforcement agencies have established their own cybersecurity divisions to protect individuals from online attacks. Earlier this year, the FBI successfully halted the dangerous QakBot malware through a large-scale operation. However, this malware has resurfaced within a few months of being shut down by the FBI, and it is important to understand how it now…

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Know what’s happening in the AI universe today, December 18. (Pexels) AI 

Accenture introduces Gen AI studio, concerns arise over Biden’s AI strategy, and more: 5 things you might have overlooked about AI today.

Febin Mathew

Let’s take a look at today’s daily roundup, featuring Imran Khan addressing a virtual rally from prison using AI, France taking the lead in AI-powered surveillance for the upcoming 2024 Olympics, a clash between Biden’s secretive AI strategy and Elon Musk and OpenAI regarding transparency, and Accenture’s unveiling of the Gen AI studio in Bengaluru. 1. Pakistan’s Imran Khan talks about prison through artificial intelligence in a virtual rally Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently in jail, addressed his supporters through a five-hour “virtual power show” organized…

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Xiaomi HyperOS platform replaces the popular MIUI version which has been powering its products for over 10 years. News 

Full List of Phones and Tablets Confirmed by Xiaomi to Receive HyperOS Update in 2024

Febin Mathew

Xiaomi is entering a new era by ending its MIUI journey and starting with a new HyperOS platform for mobile devices. The company has already previewed the new version and shared some details / features that Xiaomi users can expect. We’ve already seen the core lineup of Xiaomi and Redmi phones get the new platform in December 2023, and now we have more information about the phones that will be updated to HyperOS in January 2024. Here’s the full list of phones and tablets that will be updated to HyperOS…

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Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang met with employees in 2020 over risks posed by artificial intelligence. (Bloomberg) AI 

CEO Jensen Huang of Nvidia was warned by employees about the potential harm AI could cause to minority groups.

Febin Mathew

After their 2020 meeting with Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang, Masheika Allgood and Alexander Tsado departed feeling disappointed. As former presidents of the company’s Black employees group, they had dedicated a year collaborating with colleagues from various departments to create a presentation aimed at alerting Huang about the potential risks that artificial intelligence (AI) technology could pose, particularly to minority groups. The 22-slide package and other documents reviewed by Bloomberg News pointed to Nvidia’s growing role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence — saying its chips will make AI…

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NASA SDO captured the X-class solar flare that hit Earth with its suite of advanced instruments. (NASA) Space 

NASA reports that a massive X-class solar flare strikes Earth, causing a radio blackout throughout the United States.

Febin Mathew, ,

As we near the solar maximum, anticipated to happen in 2025, the Sun has been displaying its immense power for the past few months. The solar maximum refers to the peak period of solar activity within the Sun’s 11-year cycle. During this time, the Sun’s magnetic field undergoes changes that lead to increased solar activity, including sunspots, CMEs, eruptions, and more. Recently, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) observed the most powerful solar flare of solar cycle 25, highlighting the effects of this escalating solar activity. Learn…

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Nothing Phone series could finally enter the budget segment in 2024 as per reports and it might give other brands some competition. News 

In 2024, the budget model “Nothing Phone 2a” may pose a competition to OnePlus Nord and Redmi Note.

Febin Mathew

The Nothing Phone series will get a new addition in 2024, and according to reports, the future may be preparing a budget phone model for consumers. Nothing is said to have a special launch event at Mobile World Congress 2024 (MWC 2024) in Barcelona, where we could see the Nothing Phone 2a smartphone unveiled. Aside from the name, very little is known about the Phone 2a so far, but new details have emerged recently, suggesting that Miäk could take a different approach with its budget device. First, you might notice…

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Google could soon bring the ability to allow a cloud-based service to make its entire contents available to the Android Photo Picker. News 

Adding photos from the cloud to apps may soon become effortless for Android users.

Febin Mathew,

If you’re on Android, you know that importing photos from Google Photos in some apps isn’t the best experience, but from the looks of things, it looks like Google is working on adding a new “cloud media app” to Android Photo Picker, as reported by Android Authority. For the uninitiated, Google introduced a new “Photo Picker” app starting with Android 13 that allows users to choose exactly which photos are shared with the app. However, this feature lacks support for cloud photos stored in services such as Google Photos, causing…

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The researchers at Virginia Tech University in the US asked ChatGPT to answer a prompt about the environmental justice issues in each of the 3,108 counties across the states of the country. (AFP) AI 

US study finds that ChatGPT has limitations in providing environmental justice information for rural counties.

Febin Mathew

Researchers at Virginia Tech University in the US have identified limitations in ChatGPT’s ability to provide location-specific information on environmental justice issues. These limitations may indicate potential geographic biases within the chatbot. The researchers conducted a study where they prompted ChatGPT to address environmental justice concerns in all 3,108 counties across the United States. ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is a powerful artificial intelligence tool trained on vast amounts of natural language data. These large language models, also known as AI tools, can understand and generate textual responses based on user…

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Know what’s happening in the AI universe today, December 17. (Pexels) AI 

Today’s AI developments: Gen AI to enhance India’s GDP, Boots to introduce AI ‘Personal Shopper’

Febin Mathew

An EY report reveals that Gen AI is expected to contribute $1.2-1.5 trillion to India’s GDP by 2030. Additionally, a study shows that AI chatbots and humans can share the experience of hallucinations. A GAO report highlights the lack of AI management in federal agencies. In an effort to prevent cheating, Bihar Police exam will utilize AI for 1,275 sub-inspector posts. These are just a few highlights from our daily roundup. 1. Gen AI to boost India’s GDP by $1.2-1.5 trillion by 2030, EC report reveals Generative artificial intelligence (Gen…

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One of the most noteworthy contributions of AI to communication is its role in breaking down language barriers. (Pexels) AI 

The potential impact of AI on workplace communication, from entertainment to enterprise

Febin Mathew

As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of Artificial Intelligence (AI) becoming an integral part of our lives, it is crucial to examine the significant impact this technology has had on various aspects of communication, ranging from entertainment to business communication, in our rapidly evolving world. How significant can technology such as artificial intelligence be in communication? “Our storytelling is a big part of what makes us human. Artificial intelligence makes everyone a storytelling and communication superhero,” says Rajat Mishra, founder and CEO of Prezent. Prezent is a leading communication productivity…

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Digital Personal Data Protection Act: The proposal also highlights introducing a two-stage notification measure for tech companies to inform users about data breaches News 

Government’s New Proposal Under Digital Data Act: Introducing Aadhaar-Based Consent and Parental Verification for Children’s Online Usage

Febin Mathew

The upcoming digital personal data protection law proposes to introduce an Aadhaar-based consent system, in addition to parental supervision, as part of a two-step verification measure for children’s online activities. According to a report in Indian Express, this key proposal of the much-awaited Privacy and Security Challenge Bill proposes to use an Aadhaar-based system to verify the age of children to access online services and also seek parental consent before use. The proposal also highlights the introduction of a two-step notification procedure for tech companies to notify users of data…

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Know what’s happening in the AI universe today, December 16. (Pexels) AI 

Rajeev Chandrasekhar discusses AI talent and other overlooked aspects today, including ChatGPT’s geographic bias.

Febin Mathew

On December 16, the artificial intelligence community witnessed a flurry of activity as various news emerged worldwide. At the Global AI Conclave in India, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), emphasized the importance of enhancing education to address the scarcity of AI talent in India and maintain competitiveness in this rapidly advancing field. Additionally, researchers discovered that OpenAI’s AI chatbot, ChatGPT, has limitations in offering location-specific details regarding environmental justice concerns, suggesting the presence of geographic biases. Rajeev Chandrasekhar highlights the challenge of AI…

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