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☆ The Oscar box office bump is shrinking
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The winner of the best picture award at Sunday's Oscars may not get a box office bump for taking home the night's biggest prize. The result has been a smaller bump in box office at the time of nominations and a significant surge in streaming demand. For 2014's "American Sniper," 99% of its box office ticket sales came after its nomination, a whopping $346 million. This year, all of the best picture nominees saw less than 13% of revenue from post-nomination box office except for one. "For decades, we've seen contenders pick up extra box office ticket sales once the picture nominations were announced.

☆ Russian court fines Wikipedia over military 'misinformation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 28 (Reuters) - The Wikimedia Foundation was fined 2 million roubles ($27,000) by a Russian court on Tuesday after the authorities accused it of failing to delete "misinformation" about the Russian military from Wikipedia, the courts service said. Wikimedia, which owns Wikipedia, was already fined last year after it failed to delete two articles related to the war, including one on "evaluations of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine". The latest fine was imposed after the authorities accused Wikipedia of "spreading misinformation" in articles about Russian military units, Wikimedia Russia said. "So far, in the history of courts in Russia, Wikipedia has only had one successful experience of appealing court verdicts," the head of the foundation's Russian chapter, Stanislav Kozlovskiy, told Reuters. ($1 = 74.72 roubles)Reporting by Filipp Lebedev; Writing by Caleb Davis; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ How the Supreme Court could re-shape the internet as you know it
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Nearly 30 years of protectionsA view of the U.S. Supreme Court on February 21, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court isn't the only one reviewing Section 230; Congress and the White House have also proposed changes to the law, though legislation to update Section 230 has consistently stalled. For skeptics of the tech industry, and critics of social media platforms, more lawsuits would imply more opportunities to hold tech companies accountable. Allowing the courts to scrutinize the tech industry more would bring it in line with other industries, some have argued. Even a 'like' could trigger a lawsuitLiability could also extend to individual internet users.

(Adobe Stock)On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear Twitter v. Taamneh, which will decide whether social media companies can be sued for aiding and abetting a specific act of international terrorism when the platforms have hosted user content that expresses general support for the group behind the violence without referring to the specific terrorist act in question. This comes one day after the Court justices debated whether Google and its subsidiary YouTube should be held liable for how its algorithm organizes ISIS content. The closely watched Twitter and Google cases carry significant stakes for the wider internet. An expansion of apps and websites’ legal risk for hosting or promoting content could lead to major changes at sites including Facebook, Wikipedia and YouTube, to name a few. Twitter had previously argued that it was immune from the suit thanks to Section 230.

Executives across the technology sector are talking about how to operate AI like ChatGPT while accounting for the high expense. What makes this form of AI pricier than conventional search is the computing power involved. Still, footing the bill is one of two main reasons why search and social media giants with billions of users have not rolled out an AI chatbot overnight, said Paul Daugherty, Accenture's chief technology officer. Technology experts also said a workaround is applying smaller AI models to simpler tasks, which Alphabet is exploring. The company said this month a "smaller model" version of its massive LaMDA AI technology will power its chatbot Bard, requiring "significantly less computing power, enabling us to scale to more users."

☆ Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in Twitter case with broad impact on internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —One day after Supreme Court justices debated whether Google and its subsidiary YouTube should be held liable for how its algorithm organizes ISIS content, the Court is set to take up questions of tech platforms’ legal exposure for user content in a Twitter case. The closely watched Twitter and Google cases carry significant stakes for the wider internet. Twitter had previously argued that it was immune from the suit thanks to Section 230. On Tuesday, the Court heard oral arguments for a case known as Gonzalez v. Google, which zeroes in on whether the tech giant can be sued because of its subsidiary YouTube’s algorithmic promotion of terrorist videos on its platform. A big concern of the justices seems to be the waves of lawsuits that could happen if the court rules against Google.

[1/2] A man is silhouetted near logos of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and Wikipedia in this photo illustration taken in Sarajevo March 11, 2015. REUTERS/Dado RuvicWASHINGTON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a bid by the operator of the popular Wikipedia internet encyclopedia to resurrect its lawsuit against the National Security Agency challenging mass online surveillance. The NSA, part of the Defense Department, is the agency responsible for U.S. cryptographic and communications intelligence and security. The U.S. government has said the NSA's surveillance targeting is authorized by a 2008 amendment to a federal law called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Wikimedia compared the interception by the NSA of its communications to the "seizing and searching the patron records of the largest library in the world."

☆ Two Supreme Court cases this week could upend the entire internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —The Supreme Court is set to hear back-to-back oral arguments this week in two cases that could significantly reshape online speech and content moderation. The closely watched cases, known as Gonzalez v. Google and Twitter v. Taamneh, carry significant stakes for the wider internet. Many Republican officials allege that Section 230 gives social media platforms a license to censor conservative viewpoints. In recent years, however, several Supreme Court justices have shown an active interest in Section 230, and have appeared to invite opportunities to hear cases related to the law. The Court last month delayed a decision on whether to hear those cases, asking instead for the Biden administration to submit its views.

☆ Here's the bear case for artificial intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Now that ChatGPT unleashed a firestorm of interest in artificial intelligence investing, it may be time to urge some calm for investors. AI YTD mountain AI software provider C3.ai has seen its stock more than doubled as investors look to hop on the artificial intelligence trend. Here's the bear case for artificial intelligence. That's about seven times more than the cost to run a typical Google search, which Nowak estimated to be $0.003, or not even half of one cent. Separately, the lack of proper citation from generative AI could mean future lawsuits for AI companies.

☆ I tried Microsoft’s new AI-powered Bing. Here’s what it’s like
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Seattle CNN Business —Microsoft’s Bing search engine has never made much of a dent in Google’s dominance in the more than 13 years since it launched. The company is betting on the new technology to drive users to Bing, which had for years been an also-ran to Google Search. Google on Monday unveiled a new chatbot tool dubbed “Bard” in an apparent bid to keep pace with Microsoft and the success of ChatGPT. I took Bing for a spin at a press event at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters Tuesday. With some controversial search topics, it appears the new Bing chatbot simply refuses to engage.

In this article MSFT Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTAn attendee interacts with the AI-powered Microsoft Bing search engine and Edge browser during an event at the company's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. Microsoft unveiled new versions of its Bing internet-search engine and Edge browser powered by the newest technology from ChatGPT maker OpenAI. When that prompt is entered into ChatGPT, the OpenAI tool generates three bulleted lists detailing examples of German Expressionism in film, music and literature. Bing not only presents lists of cinema, music, and literature representing German Expressionism, but it also gives users extra context about the artistic movement. At times the Bing chatbot opted not to do things that ChatGPT would do.

☆ Walter Mosley Thinks America Is Getting Dumber
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

Mamadi Doumbouya for The New York Times Talk Walter Mosley Thinks America Is Getting DumberWalter Mosley is best known as one of contemporary literature’s pre-eminent crime novelists, but he’s actually four or five different writers rolled into one. You have to tell stories about real people experiencing it and not real people with a Ph.D. People who are not stupid but ignorant, who don’t know things about the world. There are people who don’t know how to spell, they don’t know how to think. You have these people coming out into the world, and they don’t know what to do. That’s going to happen.

☆ ChatGPT introduced AI to the masses and it's already affecting us
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

ChatGPT is part of a growing field of AI known as generative AI. Funding for generative AI companies reached $1.37 billion in 2022 alone, according to Pitchbook. "Generative AI is very different. But generative AI still faces a number of challenges, including developing content that is inaccurate, biased or inappropriate. Watch the video to learn more about how generative AI like ChatGPT works and what the technology may mean for businesses and society as a whole.

☆ A heart-shaped pendant linked to Henry VIII was dug up on an English farm, pointing to a more romantic side to the Tudor king
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An amateur metal detectorist found a gold necklace linked to Henry VIII and his first wife. The locket is engraved with "H" and "K", the initials of the Tudor king and Katherine of Aragon. The heart-shaped locket is engraved with "H" and "K", the initials of the Tudor king and his first wife Katherine of Aragon. It is not known if the pendant belonged to Henry VIII, Katherine, or a courtier. Henry VIII is famous for his six marriages.

☆ George Santos partied in drag over a 3-year period, new videos appear to show, despite his suggestion it was a one-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

George Santos initially denied dressing in drag before admitting that he did it for fun at a festival. Videos and photos, spanning 2005 to 2008, appear to show Santos as his drag persona Kitara Ravache. Santos initially denied the allegation of being a drag queen, writing on Twitter: "The most recent obsession from the media claiming that I am a drag Queen or 'performed' as a drag Queen is categorically false." Rochard told the news agency that in 2005 Santos was a "poor" drag queen who usually dressed in a simple black dress. Videos and photos, spanning from 2005 to 2008, indicate that Santos may have been dressing in drag at events for several years, despite his denial that he was ever a drag queen.

☆ Rep. George Santos responds to drag queen photos: 'I was young and I had fun at a festival'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

I was young, and I had fun at a festival," Santos told reporters. Santos previously said claims that he was ever a drag queen were "categorically false." Santos initially denied the reports, writing on Twitter: "The most recent obsession from the media claiming that I am a drag Queen or "performed" as a drag Queen is categorically false." A report from Politico further suggested evidence of his drag queen past, as the outlet uncovered an old Wikipedia entry in which someone using a known Santos alias wrote about having performed as a drag queen in Brazil. The revelations about his drag queen past also come amid a right-wing anti-gay disinformation campaign attempting to link drag shows to "grooming."

☆ George Santos appears to have claimed he acted in 'Hannah Montana' and with Uma Thurman in a movie she wasn't actually in
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Wikipedia user called Anthony Devolder made elaborate claims about his acting experience. The name is a known alias of GOP Rep. George Santos, who has made false claims about his past. No "Anthony Devolder" — or George Santos — was listed in the cast on IMDb. He has also at various times listed his full name as George Anthony Devolder Santos. He also went by the name George Devolder in social media posts in 2020, CNN reported.

☆ Rep. George Santos appeared to admit to having performed as a drag queen in an old Wikipedia entry, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

George Santos appeared to admit to having performed as a drag queen in an old Wikipedia entry. Politico accessed a Wikipedia page in which a user going by a known Santos alias wrote about his drag queen past. Santos has called claims that he performed in drag many years ago an "outrageous" lie. The questions about his drag queen past come after the congressman has aligned himself with some of the most right-wing Republican lawmakers. Santos' alleged drag queen past has emerged amid a right-wing anti-gay disinformation campaign attempting to link drag shows to "grooming."

☆ AI bot that lets you chat with Jesus, Hitler is latest GPT-3 controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

But this week, it sparked viral controversy online over its inclusion of Hitler, his Nazi lieutenants and other dictators from the past. Historical Figures, which also uses GPT-3, launched the first week of January, and as of Wednesday, it had about 9,000 signups, app creator Sidhant Chadda said in a phone interview. “People expect these historical figures to be truthful, but in reality, people are not always 100% honest,” he said. Asking a question costs one coin, and the app charges extra to get access to high-profile historical figures. The possibility of digitally re-animating historical figures has been gaining ground ever since, from the “The Simpsons” to holograms of dead idols such as Buddy Holly and Whitney Houston.

☆ It's not just you — Wikipedia looks different
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wikipedia got its first desktop interface update in over a decade that includes improved search. Here's how the old Wikipedia page for Taylor Swift looked:Screenshot of old version of Taylor Swift's Wikipedia page. WikipediaAnd here's how Taylor Swift's page looks like in the new redesign:Screenshot of Taylor Swift's redesigned Wikipedia page including a search bar at the top and a table of contents on the left side. Over 30 different volunteer groups around the globe worked with Wikimedia Foundation on developing and testing the new interface. The nonprofit used global research and feedback from Wikipedia users as well.

☆ Two professors who say they caught students cheating on essays with ChatGPT explain why AI plagiarism can be hard to prove
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Two philosopher professors said they caught their students submitting essays written by ChatGPT. If students don't confess to using the program, professors say it can be hard to prove. Antony Aumann, a religious studies and philosophy professor at Fordham University, told Insider he had caught two students submitting essays written by ChatGPT. When the chatbot said it was 99% sure the essays were written by ChatGPT, he forwarded the results to the students. Christopher Bartel, a professor of philosophy at Appalachian State University, said that while the grammar in AI-generated essays is almost perfect, the substance tends to lack detail.

☆ This scientist was irked by the phrase 'hella' big — so he created 2 new units of measurement
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Metric measurements — also known as the International System of Units, or SI — are managed by a formal international organization. The prefixes Brown came up with are ronna and ronto for 1027 and 10-27 and quetta and quecto for 1030 and 10-30. In fact, SI units used to be based on actual, real-life physical artifacts. "If everyone sticks to SI prefixes," Brown says, "you don't have to go on Wikipedia to find out how long a light-year is or the power in 1 jansky." Pražák proposed sticking to Greek words and letters.

☆ 5 big military moments that took place on Christmas Day
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

1868 — US President Andrew Johnson pardons former Confederate soldiersPresident Andrew Johnson Pardoning Rebels at the White House en.wikipedia.orgNearly a century later, on Christmas Day 1868, US President Andrew Johnson extended a full pardon and amnesty "to all and to every person who, directly or indirectly, participated in the late insurrection or rebellion." At war's end, however, he seemed to determine to punish those who had rebelled to preserve the institution of slavery. The day after being sworn in as the nation's president, Johnson said that "treason must be made infamous, and traitors must be impoverished." Prior to this blanket Christmas Day amnesty, southerners who had fought for the Confederacy could obtain a pardon provided only that they swore allegiance to the Union (top officials were excluded). Under "Proclamation 179," pardons were extended "to every person who, directly or indirectly, participated in the late insurrection."

☆ Cassidy Hutchinson knew she was going to be 'nuked' for turning on Trump. She did it anyway.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Seitz-Wald-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alex Seitz-Wald | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

“I was scared,” she told committee investigators last September in sworn testimony. “I almost felt like at points Donald Trump was looking over my shoulder.”“I was scared. “I want to make this clear to you: Stefan never told me to lie," she told the committee. Her Trumpworld lawyer, Passantino, was not happy, she said, and began frantically calling his colleagues to do damage control. “I’m about to be f------ nuked,” she said she told a committee staffer as she left that third meeting.

☆ The author of 'Station Eleven' couldn't update her Wikipedia page to reflect her divorce without citing an article where she confirmed it, so she got a magazine to interview her
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Emily St. John Mandel said getting interviewed was the only way to update her relationship on Wikipedia. The author wanted to update her page to say she is divorced, and needed to cite a published article. After being interviewed by Slate, Mandel was able to update her page to say she's not married. In this case, that's what a volunteer editor used to originally verify the marital status of Emily St. Mandel. Now, her Wikipedia page says Mandel, "has a daughter with former husband Kevin Mandel," and that she has a girlfriend.

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