Artificial Intelligence
Former Google chief executive Eric Schimidt sets up AI fund AI2050 to solve difficult problems
…What are the difficult problems in mind?
- Bias
- Harm & misuse – how to neutralise toxic consequences of AI
- Geopolitical conflict
- Scientific limitations in technology
- Harmful effect on jobs
- Social networking algorithms
- Deepfakes
- How can AI measure and mitigate socio-economic inequality?
Sainsbury’s rebuilds data capability to enable automation and decision-making
… This newsbulletin is not at all remarkable.
What Sainsbury’s doing is a must if businesses want to survive. We are all creatures of habit – how many new things did you include this week in your shopping cart? That’s why Sainsbury’s – and its relatively recently acquired business Argos will be able to fairly well predict the demand, namely how many of each items it will have to stock. It may be different from day to day. For example, more tuna sandwiches on Friday, not so much on Monday. Or even, ham sandwiches to be increased if the day before is rainy. It will lead to much less waste in the case of perishables, it could work out the logistics better to calculate how best to get products supplied to it at the cheapest possible price, and make decisions such as discontinuance, better ad targeting etc. In short, it will be using AI, and human brains can’t beat AI.
Sainsbury’s success, I think will depend on how they use humans in the decision making process. Do it too much, it will be too inefficient, not enough could lead to mistakes and damage to reputation.
Auto
Stellantis unit Fiat Chrysler sued for using Internet Media Interactive Corp’s patented link-shortening software to promote its services on social media
…The defendant allegedly used Sprinklr’s service to generate links which led to Fiat Chrysler’s vehicle service Mopar’s website. The patent owner is seeking damages or royalties. Shortened URL links are particularly useful for use in Twitter feeds which have a size limit.
BigTech
Facebook settles $90m claim agreeing to delete “wrongfully collected” browsing data while users had logged out
…The original 10 year old claim was for breach of US WireTap Act and California Invasion of Privacy Act
Google sued by District of Columbia for using dark patterns to obtain consumer data
This is relevant to EU law as well in the form of Digital Services Act. It is implemented with the objective of protecting people’s fundamental freedom of expression and information, preserve the ability of users to make free, autonomous and informed choices (Art 13a). Dark patterns includes the following types of conduct:
- Unsubscribe button so small it’s difficult to spot
- Making sure option to select Yes is the same in prominence and ease as the option to select No (for subscription services)
- Asking for consent when it has been refused previously
- Urging users to change settings after the user has already made a choice
- Making services difficult to cancel, threatening users that they may be missing out on something if they cancel
Back to the Google case. The charge is against Google making it hard for people to choose more robust privacy settings.
Tracking Apple’s strategy, Google too to limit tracking across apps
… It has been reported that a staggering 80% of Apple users have opted out of ad tracking.
Google is however planning to give the option for users to prevent apps tracking them, in 2 years’ time. Move comes in response to calls for users’ right to control own data and privacy. Google will be alright though as it has plenty of first party data with access to billions of users’ data as a result of their popular search engines in which users directly type and thereby disclose to Google the sort of things that is of concern or interest.
Nick Clegg promoted to head of global affairs at Meta
…the former deputy UK prime minister is certainly experienced in negotiating frameworks with politicians across the globe. His main task is to negotiate regulatory, antitrust, data privacy, child safety policies. He will be the guy that will be in the firing line when regulators start increasing the heat. He did get himself a promotion to Zuckerburg (in charge of products) and Sandberg (in charge of operations) level in return now that Thiel has left. So the idea is Nick Clegg does all the firefighting whilst Zuckerburg and Sandberg get on with the biz.
By the by, Meta is now calling their employees Metamates. That’s a bit like Disney which labels their staff Cast members.
UK’s Online Safety Bill gets Cabinet backing
…The government wants the UK to have one of the strictest internet rules. The rules would
- Limit intermediary liability
- Give Ofcom powers to require tech companies to proactively seek and remove illegal and legal harmful content (for children) using technology
There are fears that these rules would make UK unattractive to tech and start up businesses. Tech industry is critical. Nicely segues onto…
US FTC considers the Social Media NUDGE Act
…the proposed approach does not target harmful content per se, but more how that harmful content spreads. Twitter asks users to re-consider mean tweets and Facebook gives moderator tools to prevent conversations from overheating.
Connectivity
EU has filed a case against China concerning low SEP licence rates and anti-suit injunctions
…The EU complains of:
- Licence rates which are too low, so much so that it does not compensate Licensor’s investment in R&D
- Chinese Courts issuing fines pressurising licensors to settle at a low rate
- Decision of Chinese Courts to prohibit patent holders from going to a non-Chinese court to enforce patents is unfair.
The result is that EU’s vibrant high tech industry is being taken for a ride. US and Japan have also expressed concerns and are expected to join in on the action.
Crypto
Colorado accepts tax payment in Crypto
…Crypto is volatile, so the coins will be converted promptly on receipt. The governor was one of the first to accept donations in crypto.
Mainstream Venture Capitalist fund Sequoia to create funds to invest in cryptocurrency
…The main point is taken together, crypto is likely to become more mainstream rather than fade into obscurity.
EV
Start up Redwood partners up with Ford and Volvo in its EV battery recycling venture
…Redwood is a business which purports to recycle end of life battery packs in EVs and hybrids. It also deals in the recycling of other electrical goods such as laptops, batteries, power tools, e-bikes etc. As battery metals are a limited resource, these schemes are likely critical for sustainability.
Gaming
Patent case against Activision Blizzard to be held next week
…The patent concerns a computer protocol “that allows multiple networked users to simultaneously upload and download segments or pieces of the same file to and from each other”, owned by AC Technologies and Via Vadis.
The same patent is asserted against Amazon.
Metaverse/NFT
JP Morgan becomes the first lender on the “metaverse” Decentraland
…It has issued a whitepaper on how businesses can operate in the new medium. Interested people should take a look.
Melania Trump buys her own NFT – allegedly on behalf of another party
…Why did she do this? It has been suspected to save face despite what has been said by the spokesperson. As the crypto heist of last week has shown, it is possible to trace wallets. In the case of Mrs Trump, it wasn’t such a hard thing to do because the wallet which created the NFT actually bought the NFT. A practice called “wash trading”, crypto dealers have been known to do buy and sell repeatedly to artificially inflate prices. Reuters reported that wash trading accounted for much of the high value NFT sales in January.
Her husband has launched new social media app Truth social, which is set to rival Twitter and Facebook.
Metaverse and Employment
Employment lawyers are grappling with new issues before the metaverse user-base expands. These include questions such as the following:
- Can you get harassed in the metaverse?
- Is there discrimination laws? [and what if your avatar is not a human, but a thing – such as a metronome, for example? – is discrimination prohibited on the understanding that a person is behind that avatar]
- Is it OK if your avatar doesn’t resemble you?
- Which national employment laws apply?
- How should workers’ data be protected?
Satellites
EU decides to advance €6bn to vie with Space X and Amazon to create satellite internet
…The offering will be encrypted and will span Europe and Africa – to provide them with an alternative to Chinese services. To be approved by EU Parliament and member states. It is reported to be spurred by the gaining of UK Government’s stake in OneWeb jointly with India’s Bharti Enterprises, which operates a low earth orbit satellite broadband network.
Semiconductor
Intel buys Tower Semiconductor (Israel) to boost the creation of its foundary business
…Usual regulatory scrutiny permitting.
Magnetar funded Arigna targets Qualcomm chipped devices (Alphabet, Apple, Lenovo, Microsoft, Oneplus, Samsung and TCL) in patent infringement litigation
…The feature targeted is IoT modules related to tracking. Qualcomm is likely to have an indemnity obligation – it is reported, and if so (or even if not) likely be dragged in, the first step being patent validity challenges in the US.
Arigna has previously targeted wireless charging Qi systems and devices that include NFC communications (tap and go technology).
Smart City
Disney to launch a masterplan residential community
…You have to have at least $1.6million though. I did have a quite look at the demo of the city and what really did strike me was that the people featuring in the video were so diverse.
Anyway, for tech peeps, what I really wanted to say is that this kind of themed community could expand. It will be like a smart city, comprised of like-minded people. I would not be surprised if Google did something similar, or Apple. Or Tesla owner’s community. I would not be surprised if celebrities were to do the same – I covered off a newspiece that Snoop Dogg is constructing one in the metaverse. Why stop in the virtual world?