A Snap-based, containerized Ubuntu desktop could be offered in 2024

Enlarge / Some of the many Snap apps available in Ubuntu’s Snap Store, the place where users can find apps and Linux enthusiasts can find deep-seated disagreement. reader comments 24 with Ubuntu Core has existed since 2014, providing a fully containerized, immutable Linux distribution aimed at Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing applications. That […]

The Download: meet the longevity obsessives, and how China’s regulating AI

—Jessica Hamzelou Earlier this month, I traveled to Montenegro for a gathering of longevity enthusiasts, people interested in extending human life through various biotechnology approaches. All the attendees were super friendly, and the sense of optimism was palpable. They’re all confident we’ll be able to find a way to slow or reverse aging—and they have […]

China isn’t waiting to set down rules on generative AI

Last week, I went on the CBC News podcast “Nothing Is Foreign” to talk about the draft regulation—and what it means for the Chinese government to take such quick action on a still-very-new technology.  As I said in the podcast, I see the draft regulation as a mixture of sensible restrictions on AI risks and […]

Longevity enthusiasts want to create their own independent state. They’re eyeing Rhode Island.

“[Food and Drug Administration] requirements force individuals or companies to conduct rigorous scientific research to demonstrate that the claims they’re making are, in fact, supported by scientific evidence,” she says. Without those, we’d end up in a world where companies can make up any old claims about their products, she warns. We wouldn’t know which […]

Critical Barracuda 0-day was used to backdoor networks for 8 months

reader comments 6 with A critical vulnerability patched 10 days ago in widely used email software from IT security company Barracuda Networks has been under active exploitation since October. The vulnerability has been used to install multiple pieces of malware inside large organization networks and steal data, Barracuda said Tuesday. The software bug, tracked as […]

The Download: how to talk about AI, and Montana’s TikTok ban

Everyone is talking about AI, it seems. But if you feel overwhelmed or uncertain about what the hell people are talking about, don’t worry. We’ve got you. Melissa Heikkilä, our senior AI reporter, asked some of the best journalists in the business to share their top tips on how to talk about AI with confidence. […]

How to talk about AI (even if you don’t know much about AI)

Deeper Learning Catching bad content in the age of AI In the last 10 years, Big Tech has become really good at some things: language, prediction, personalization, archiving, text parsing, and data crunching. But it’s still surprisingly bad at catching, labeling, and removing harmful content. One simply needs to recall the spread of conspiracy theories […]

Fighting foot & mouth disease: An algorithm could make all the difference

A team of University of Canterbury scientists have set out to develop algorithms to inform biosecurity efforts to tackle biological threats that could have devastating impacts on the environment – and the primary sector. Algorithms being developed by the Canterbury team will present possible outbreak scenarios, rather than just one that’s the “most statistically likely” […]

The future of TikTok bans

Are we really proceeding down a path where I might have to delete and re-download certain apps as I cross state lines? What is the future of TikTok bans, and could they ever actually be enforced? US policymakers have been scrutinizing the app intensely in recent months over concerns about Chinese espionage, but Montana’s ban […]