Mark Zuckerberg announced today that Meta, his social-media-turned-metaverse-turned-artificial intelligence conglomerate, will upgrade its AI assistants to give them a range of celebrity voices, including those of Dame Judi Dench and John Cena. The more important upgrade for Meta’s long-term ambitions, though, is the new ability of its models to see …
Read More »The Viral ‘Goodbye Meta AI’ Copypasta Will Not Protect You
“Goodbye Meta AI” is the most recent Facebook copypasta to go viral online. A chunky wall of text pasted against a hazy orange-yellow gradient background, it’s complete with all the trend’s hallmarks: vague references to the legal system and unilateral declarations of personal protection. It almost feels nostalgic, a blast …
Read More »Meta Missed Out on Smartphones. Can Smart Glasses Make Up for It?
Meta has dominated online social connections for the past 20 years, but it missed out on making the smartphones that primarily delivered those connections. Now, in a multiyear, multibillion-dollar effort to position itself at the forefront of connected hardware, Meta is going all in on computers for your face. At …
Read More »Russia-Backed Media Outlets Are Under Fire in the US—but Still Trusted Worldwide
In the lead-up to the 2024 elections, the Biden administration has taken aim at several Russian information operations. Earlier in September, the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against two employees of RT, a Russian state-backed news network formerly known as Russia Today. At the heart of the indictment was …
Read More »Why is this Michigan school district suing social media companies?
Anyone who has attended a K-12 school or has a child, friend, or loved one who has attended one in the past decade knows one thing for sure — teachers and administrators are not fond of social media. One school is so critical of social media that it is suing …
Read More »Meta Connect Starts Today. Here’s What to Expect
Meta Connect, the big developer event and hardware showcase from the company that runs Facebook and Instagram, is kicking off today. Meta is likely to show off its new VR and mixed-reality technology, put a shiny polish on its meandering metaverse ambitions, and delve into all the fresh ways it …
Read More »Facebook flagged and removed emergency wildfire information as 'spam'
Facebook is reportedly taking down important safety information as wildfire season spreads across the western part of the country. An investigation by The Washington Post found dozens of instances of the tech giant flagging and removing posts since June, in areas that saw a total of 20 active fires. Posts …
Read More »No, the black Facebook app icon isn't a new logo. Here's why you're seeing it.
If you looked at the Facebook app on your phone today and saw that the colors had changed, you’re not alone. Don’t worry, though; you won’t be stuck with it. Users on X reported the change early on Friday, noting that the Facebook app’s logo on their mobile devices — …
Read More »Mark Zuckerberg Vows to Be Neutral–While Tossing Gifts to Trump and the GOP
This week Mark Zuckerberg sent a letter to Jim Jordan, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee. For months, the GOP-led committee has been on a crusade to prove that Meta, via its once-eponymous Facebook app, engaged in political sabotage by taking down right-wing content. Its investigation has involved thousands …
Read More »Democrats Have Finally Learned the Value of Shitposting
Not even two weeks ago, J.D. Vance promised to boost the campaign’s funding and deliver a hokey, small-town family man who could speak to voters in rural America. Instead, the entire Democratic Party apparatus has taken to calling him weird. Digital strategists, and the entire internet, are saying it's about …
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