[ad_1] This article was produced with support from WIRED. Last year, a joint investigation revealed that a Florida-based data broker, Datastream Group, was selling highly sensitive location data that tracked United States military and intelligence personnel overseas. However, at the time, the origin of that data remained unknown. Now, a letter sent to US senator Ron Wyden’s […]
Microsoft Study Finds AI Makes Human Cognition “Atrophied and Unprepared”
[ad_1] A new paper from researchers at Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University finds that as humans increasingly rely on generative AI in their work, they use less critical thinking, which can “result in the deterioration of cognitive faculties that ought to be preserved.” “[A] key irony of automation is that by mechanising routine tasks and […]
Behind the Blog: Getting Political
[ad_1] This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss “staying out of politics” and what it means to be a tech news publication. EMANUEL: I’m very proud of our output for the last few weeks. […]
Trump Fires National Archives Director Colleen Shogan
[ad_1] Donald Trump fired National Archives director Colleen Shogan Friday night, she said in a LinkedIn post and confirmed to 404 Media. “It was an honor and privilege to serve as the 11th Archivist of the United States,” Shogan told 404 Media. “I did so with integrity every day.” Earlier on LinkedIn, Shogan wrote: “This […]
What Happens if this Hazardous Asteroid Hits Earth?
[ad_1] Welcome back to the Abstract! Since we are all super-chill and bereft of any existential dread these days, let’s take a moment to envision the grand-daddy of all apocalyptic scenarios: Death by asteroid. We have a small rock potentially incoming in December 2032 and a big rock potentially incoming in September 2182. Pick your […]
FEMA Workers Responding to Wildfires Ordered to Say ‘Alien’ Instead of ‘Immigrant’
[ad_1] Subscribe Join the newsletter to get the latest updates. While responding to the most damaging wildfires in the history of California, FEMA employees received an order “for immediate compliance” this week that states they must immediately change their vocabulary to comply with the Trump Administration’s preferred terminology on gender and immigration. For example, FEMA […]
Senator Tries Bringing Anti-Porn Age Verification Law to New York
[ad_1] A New York state senator is trying to introduce the same age verification legislation that has resulted in massive porn sites—including Pornhub and its network of sister sites—going dark across much of the U.S. south and midwest. The bill, introduced by Republicans Jake Ashby and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh, is almost identical to every […]
‘Things Are Going to Get Intense:’ How a Musk Ally Plans to Push AI on the Government
[ad_1] Thomas Shedd, a Musk-associate and now head of the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS), told government tech workers in a meeting this week that the administration plans to widely deploy AI throughout the government. Shedd also said the administration would need help altering login.gov, a government login system, to further integrate with […]
Senator Hawley Proposes Jail Time for People Who Download DeepSeek
[ad_1] The Republican Senator from Missouri Josh Hawley has introduced a new bill that would make it illegal to import or export artificial intelligence products to and from China, meaning someone who knowingly downloads a Chinese developed AI model like the now immensely popular DeepSeek could face up to 20 years in jail, a million […]
Musk’s DOGE Brings in HR Consultant Focused on ‘Non-Woke’ DEI ‘Aligned With Our Faith’
[ad_1] Elon Musk’s DOGE, the newly formed government agency aiming for drastic cuts across the U.S. government, has brought in an HR employment attorney and consultant who has spent the last few years teaching companies her “refreshing approach to diversity and inclusion” which include attempting to “redefine” DEI in a manner that she says is […]