Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
Meta plans to automate many of its product risk assessments
An AI-powered system could soon take responsibility for evaluating the potential harms and privacy risks of up to 90% of updates made to Meta apps like Instagram and WhatsApp, according to internal documents reportedly viewed by NPR. NPR says a 2012 agreement between Facebook (now Meta) and the Federal Trade Commission requires the company to…
NAACP calls on Memphis officials to halt operations at xAI’s ‘dirty data center’
The NAACP is calling on local officials to halt operations at Colossus, the “supercomputer” facility operated by Elon Musk’s xAI in South Memphis. As reported in NBC News, leaders from the civil rights group sent a letter Thursday to the Shelby County Health Department and Memphis Light Gas and Water criticizing the organizations’ “lackadaisical approach…
Left-leaning influencers embrace Bluesky without abandoning X, Pew says
It’s no surprise that many big, left-leaning social media accounts have recently joined Bluesky — but a new analysis from the Pew Research Center attempts to quantify that shift. This comes as an update to Pew’s news influencer report released in November 2024, which did not include Bluesky in its numbers. The report focused on…
DOGE left United States Institute of Peace office with water damage, rats, and roaches
The chief executive of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) says Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency left the nonprofit’s Washington, D.C., headquarters in disarray, full of water damage, rats, and roaches, according to a new sworn statement first reported by Court Watch. The statement from the executive, George Moose, comes just a few…
TechCrunch Mobility: A ride-sharing pioneer comes for Uber, Tesla loses more ground, and dog-like delivery robots land in Texas
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! It might have been a short week, but there was still plenty of news, including another Zoox recall, an update on the Stellantis-Amazon partnership, and a few…
Elon Musk is lobbying lawmakers on driverless vehicle rules
Elon Musk may have stepped away from his duties as the lead of the Department of Government Efficiency and adviser to President Trump, but he’s still active in D.C. circles. This time, he’s on the other side, lobbying lawmakers on legislation related to autonomous vehicles, according to a report by Bloomberg that cited unnamed sources.…
Yep, X was down again
People reported that photos weren’t loading, its banking service XMoney wasn’t working, and search wasn’t returning any results, among other things. Source link
US imposes new rules to curb semiconductor design software sales to China
It appears the Trump administration has imposed new export controls on chip design software as it seeks to further undermine China’s ability to make and use advanced AI chips. Siemens EDA, Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys all confirmed that they have received notices from the U.S. Commerce Department about new export controls on electronic automation…
Grammarly secures $1B in nondilutive funding from General Catalyst
Grammarly has secured a $1 billion commitment from General Catalyst. The 14-year-old writing assistant startup will use the new funds for its sales and marketing efforts, freeing up existing capital to make strategic acquisitions. Unlike a traditional venture round, General Catalyst will not receive an equity stake in the company in return for the investment.…
Top 30 startups announced for VivaTech 2025 Innovation of the Year Award
The Innovation of the Year Award celebrates the boldest and most visionary startups exhibiting at VivaTech 2025. Open to all exhibiting companies, the award honors those pushing boundaries and redefining industries. Startups were scored on Innovation & Creativity, Market Disruption, and Scalability. From hundreds of applicants, 30 made the short list. The top five will…
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