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☆ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman takes diabetes drug metformin as part of his anti-aging routine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman takes the diabetes drug metformin to slow down aging. Metformin is a decades-old drug that is prescribed to millions of people with diabetes, CNBC reported. In addition to the drug, Altman's said his anti-aging regimen includes "trying to eat healthy, exercise, and sleep enough," per the MIT Technology Review. The company uses genetic engineering and plasma replacement to make cells younger, per the MIT Technology Review. Altman secretly poured $180 million dollars into Retro Bioscience's death-delaying treatment, the MIT Technology Review reported.

☆ OpenAI’s Sam Altman is the latest tech entrepreneur making a play to extend the human lifespan. Here are 15 of the world's wealthiest entrepreneurs trying to crack the code of living forever.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Sam AltmanOpenAI's Sam Altman reportedly invested $180 million into a longevity startup called Retro Biosciences, according to MIT Technology Review. Lucy Nicholson/ReutersSam Altman is quickly establishing himself as a household name as the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Altman seems to be channeling some of his probable largesse into extending the human lifespan. MIT Technology Review reported that Altman invested $180 million into Retro Biosciences, a company with a mission to "add 10 years to healthy human lifespan," according to the company's site. Altman's investment in Retro Biosciences is among the "largest ever by an individual into a startup pursuing human longevity," MTR said.

☆ A Chinese resident used ChatGPT to produce a viral government notice. Many were shocked to learn it was fake.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese residents were shocked to learn that ChatGPT wrote a viral notice, per Sixth Tone. But some Chinese residents have gotten access to the chatbot — even using it to spread misinformation. Chinese residents across social media were shocked to learn that a notice they thought was published by the city of Hangzhou's municipal government was actually generated by ChatGPT, Sixth Tone, a Chinese media outlet, reported. When the post went viral, many Chinese residents thought it was real. The incident spooked many Chinese residents, some of whom went to Weibo — a Chinese social media platform — to express their concerns.

☆ I asked ChatGPT about its carbon footprint, and for now, it's a mystery
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

ChatGPT said its carbon footprint depended on the energy use of its computers and servers. Concerns about ChatGPT's carbon footprint, which is likely small at the moment, could rise as more people turn to it for day-to-day search. For now, a lot of mystery surrounds the carbon footprint of AI, including ChatGPT. I asked the chatbot what its carbon footprint was, and its answer felt, well, human: It depends. "As an AI language model developed by OpenAI, I do not have a physical body or personal actions that generate carbon emissions," ChatGPT wrote.

☆ Jobs of the Future: ChatGPT, AI Will Create Careers That Need Humans
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Paris Marx | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Automation technology has ushered in a fleet of secret workers behind screens, machines, and smiling robot faces. On the AI side, tools like ChatGPT have been used to write real articles and take college exams. Truck drivers are still in high demand, and self-driving technology is nowhere near replacing human jobs. The human behind the curtainAmid the fear-mongering about a robot takeover, people often miss the degree to which machines still require human workers in order to function. Maja Hitij/Getty ImagesThese technologies are often deployed to de-skill work — jobs are broken down into more specific tasks and can be done with less training.

☆ Scientists are modifying catfish with alligator DNA to create hybrids for human consumption
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Scientists at Auburn University injected alligator DNA into farm-raised catfish. They hope the new and less disease-prone catfish will one day be sold for human consumption. A group of scientists at Auburn University published a paper in January detailing their efforts to genetically modify catfish with the cathelicidin gene of an alligator. The gene, which was added using CRISPR, heightened disease resistance among the catfish in comparison to wild catfish. However, researchers hope that the alligator and catfish gene-editing can be used in tandem with other catfish breeding techniques to help farmers with their catfish yields.

☆ Sex, art theft, and privacy: Lensa exploded overnight — and now the avatar app is dealing with public backlash. Here's what you should know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Lensa is facing criticism since the AI app exploded in popularity at the end of 2022. The Lensa app is behind those avatars. LensaAllegations of stealing from artistsJust as quickly as Lensa avatars became ubiquitous online, allegations of theft and warnings from artists also emerged. The law community "would welcome additional guidance from policymakers and courts when it comes to protecting consumers in connection with AI," Torres said. "The flood of Lensa avatars feel cheap and overwhelming," Pilat said in a statement shared with Insider.

☆ Google's moonshot factory is coming down to Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The project, known internally by its codename, "Valkyrie," was the typical science-fiction-sounding idea that Google's self-described "moonshot factory" was designed to dream up. But amid a lack of successful launches and a tech industry facing economic headwinds, insiders say the lab is now hitting the hard-reset button and rethinking its purpose within Alphabet, Google's parent company. X swapped standard corporate titles like "Communications Lead" and "Manager" for grander and more-nebulous names like "Factory Whisperer" and "Firestarter." Its internet-balloon unit, Google Loon, meant to bring people in rural areas online, was shuttered in January 2021. "I think the infusion of VC people is a good thing," one former senior X employee said.

☆ Inventor in Baja is testing a plan to cool the Earth by mimicking a volcanic eruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

When Luke Iseman was thinking of launching a solar geoengineering startup, he talked to experts in the field. I want no geoengineering to occur," Iseman told CNBC. And that's a that's a pretty terrifying world to imagine," Iseman told CNBC. "Initially, I was really skeptical entirely of the of the voluntary carbon credit market," Iseman told CNBC. Pasztor told CNBC.

☆ Elon Musk is bringing in new faces for Twitter 2.0 — including his cousins and Bari Weiss
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The makeup of Elon Musk's Twitter is changing, and not just because the offices are now bedrooms. With the majority of the company's former staff having been laid off — or fired, or resigned — Musk has brought in some of his own picks to work at Twitter 2.0. There's more on the new faces at Musk's social media company below, so let's get to it. Elon Musk is bringing in new faces for Twitter 2.0. And these aren't the only new faces at Twitter — hundreds of people have applied for a chance to work at Musk's new company.

☆ Here's how to download and store your Twitter archive, as the platform's future is uncertain after Elon Musk said bankruptcy wasn't out of the question
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Twitter's future existence could be threatened after Elon Musk said bankruptcy is possible. A recent report said losing Twitter would likely result in losing troves of records from modern history. Twitter users may want to download and store their own personal data as a backup. The article discusses the important role Twitter has played in collecting historical documents by becoming a "de facto public archive." With the threat of Twitter's failure a looming possibility, many Twitter users may want to download and store their data from Twitter outside of the platform.

On a live-streamed Twitter Spaces call, Elon Musk announced that he may add a high-yield savings feature to Twitter. Money earned from paywalled content would sit in the creator's account, which would function like a high-yield savings account. A high-yield savings account helps you earn passive incomeA high-yield savings account is a type of savings account that pays much higher interest rates than a regular savings account. Musk apparently plans on offering high-yield savings account to Twitter users who plan on keeping their cash there, once Twitter's content paywalls are established. The Tesla CEO's plans to add paywalled content, new payment systems, and a high-yield savings account could incite further backlash.

☆ Musk says Twitter usage is 'at an all-time high,' but a report shows that more than 1 million accounts have been deactivated or suspended since his takeover
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter usage has hit an all-time high, Elon Musk tweeted on Monday. On Monday, Musk tweeted that usage of Twitter is "at an all-time high lol," adding that he hopes the servers do not melt. In the second quarter of 2022, Twitter reported 237.8 million monetizable daily users — a 16.6% on-year growth. Among the suspended and terminated accounts are actors and celebrities who changed their name to "Elon Musk" on Twitter. On Monday, Musk said that "any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying 'parody' will be permanently suspended."

☆ Elon Musk and a key adviser have discussed putting all of Twitter behind a paywall, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk and a key adviser have discussed paywalling all of Twitter, Platformer reported. The plans could see a monthly limit on how many tweets users can view, the report said. Any plan is a way off, however, with the current focus being on Twitter's proposed paid verification. Platformer reports that Twitter could be free for a certain amount of time each month, before a metered paywall kicks in. On Monday, Musk said that Twitter usage has hit an all-time high, but the platform has also seen many users leave.

☆ Elon Musk could be what makes diehard Twitter users finally rethink their habit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It also still remains to be seen whether Musk will lead to a meaningful surge in Twitter exits, or if his changes could attract more users. Even before Musk announced planned changes to the platform, some people threatened to quit Twitter over his ownership. "After some introspection, I've made the decision to focus my time and energy elsewhere and move on from Twitter," Nibel tweeted. Producer Shonda Rhimes, who joined Twitter in 2008, tweeted on Saturday, two days after Musk's acquisition was final, "Not hanging around for whatever Elon has planned. Critics have said they're worried, however, about a potential rise in misinformation on Twitter under Musk.

☆ More than a million Twitter accounts have been deactivated or suspended in the week since Elon Musk's takeover, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Almost 900,000 users have deactivated their Twitter accounts since Elon Musk took over. That's according to analysis by Bot Sentinel, first reported by the MIT Technology Review. A further 497,000 accounts have been suspended in the days since Musk's takeover was finalized. Bot Sentinel's analysis suggests that around 877,000 accounts were deactivated, and 497,000 more were suspended, between the October 27 takeover and November 1. Bouzy told MIT Technology Review that he believes Twitter was "taking action on accounts purposely violating Twitter's rules to see if they can push the limits."

☆ Researchers who reverse-engineered Starlink to work as a backup for GPS found a security flaw in the system — using a video of tennis star Rafael Nadal — that could be exploited in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

SpaceX's Starlink signals have been long seen as a possible alternative to GPS. Researchers have succeeded in reverse-engineering the signals, MIT Technology Review reported. "The Starlink system signal is a closely guarded secret," Humphreys told MIT Technology Review. "Humphreys has done a big service to the navigation community identifying these sequences," Mark Psiaki, an aerospace professor at Virginia Tech and GPS expert told MIT Technology Review. "As time goes on and their dependence on Starlink deepens, Ukraine and its allies in the West are coming to appreciate that they have little control over Starlink and know little about it," Humphreys told MIT Technology Review.

☆ Why this professor is using $50,000 of his retirement savings to realize his childhood dream and fly into space
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-21 | by ( Urooba Jamal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

He finally will realize his dream in 2024 via World View, which offers more affordable space flights. "It's a cliche for people to say it's a childhood dream, but it is a childhood dream," Cokinos told Insider. This is a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of dollars that other space tourism operators charge. For Cokinos, World View's flight cost will easily be absorbed from his decades' worth of retirement savings. World View's capsule is designed to optimize views and includes personal viewing screens for each passenger.

☆ An artificial intelligence tool is helping retailers and manufacturers weather the holidays by simulating supply chain issues before they happen
▼ + stars: | 2021-10-27 | by ( Morgan Keith | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Digital twins are used by businesses to run simulations and identify issues before they occur. Companies are using digital twins to stress-test their supply chains, Technology Review reported. Digital twins use data on social media, consumers, and global factors to run simulations. Digital twins are virtual representations of real-world objects or systems, such as global supply chains, that are used to run simulations and identify issues before they occur. MIT Data Science Lab Director David Simchi-Levi told Technology Review that an increasing number of companies are using this tool to stress-test their supply chains.

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