DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Apple risks a hit to its sales after Supreme Court declines to review Epic’s app store case
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Apple estimated in 2022 that developers generated $1.1 trillion in the App Store that year, making the high court’s decision not to hear the case a major blow to Apple. It also highlights how a lawsuit triggered by “Fortnite”-maker Epic Games appears to have resulted in lasting changes to Apple’s app store, affecting potentially millions of apps across iOS. That court order, first issued by a federal district court in Apple’s landmark antitrust battle against Epic Games, could affect potentially millions of app developers, Apple said in its Supreme Court filings. The lower courts in the Apple case have held that Apple is not a monopolist in app distribution. At the same time, however, a federal jury last month issued a unanimous verdict finding that Google’s app store violates federal antitrust laws.

Persons: “ Fortnite, Apple, Apple didn’t, Tim Sweeney Organizations: CNN, Apple, US, Epic, Epic Games, Google, Android Locations: Apple’s

☆ Apple knew AirDrop users could be identified and tracked as early as 2019, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Washington CNN —Security researchers warned Apple as early as 2019 about vulnerabilities in its AirDrop wireless sharing function that Chinese authorities claim they recently used to track down users of the feature, the researchers told CNN, in a case that experts say has sweeping implications for global privacy. AirDrop lets Apple users who are near each other share files using a proprietary mix of Bluetooth and other wireless connectivity without having to connect to the internet. A Chinese tech firm, Beijing-based Wangshendongjian Technology, was able to compromise AirDrop to identify users on the Beijing subway accused of sharing “inappropriate information,” judicial authorities in Beijing said this week. The Chinese tech firm, Wangshendongjian Technology, that claimed to have exploited AirDrop appeared to have used some of the same techniques first identified by the Darmstadt researchers in 2019, said Alexander Heinrich, one of the German researchers. “Now that Chinese security agencies are exploiting this vulnerability, it’s a tough political problem for Apple.”

Persons: Apple, “, ”, Benjamin Ismail, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, ” Rubio, Milan Stute, Sascha Meinrath, Palmer, Alexander Heinrich, ” Heinrich, Kenn White, Heinrich et al, ” White, Sen, Ron Wyden, ” Wyden, “ Apple, Qi An Xin, Dakota Cary, SentinelOne, Ismail, would’ve, Matthew Green Organizations: Washington CNN —, CNN, Apple, Bluetooth, Technology, Republican, Senate Intelligence Committee, Technical University of Darmstadt, Penn State University, Wangshendongjian Technology, ” Apple, Oregon Democrat, Beijing, Olympic, Xinhua, Johns Hopkins University, “ Locations: China, Washington, Hong Kong, Beijing, Florida, Germany, Darmstadt, Oregon, cyberattacks, Dakota

☆ Google is laying off staff who work on some of its most recognizable products
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The layoffs include hundreds of employees who work on some of the company’s most recognizable products, including Google Assistant, the voice-activated software that helps users check the weather, set timers and quickly look up facts. The Google Assistant layoffs are at least partly driven by a shift in focus toward artificial intelligence, Google said, amid plans to more deeply integrate the company’s latest AI models into its products. Google is working to find other roles for some of the affected employees amid the restructuring, the company said. “We’re responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement. The layoffs were earlier reported by Semafor and 9to5 Google, which also reported that Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman are departing Google as part of this week’s changes.

Persons: “, ”, Semafor, Fitbit, James Park, Eric Friedman Organizations: Washington CNN, Google, CNN

☆ Federal judge pauses Ohio social media law requiring parental consent for kids’ accounts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —An Ohio law regulating kids’ accounts on social media likely violates the First Amendment in “breathtakingly blunt” ways and cannot take effect next week as scheduled, a federal judge has ruled. The state law set to take effect Jan. 15 would have required social media platforms to obtain parental consent before creating accounts for children under age 16. The decision to pause the law while litigation continues marks another early-stage victory for the tech industry against a wave of state social media laws seeking to govern how tech companies engage with young users. Those laws have emerged as a response to nationwide concerns about the possible link between social media use and harms to mental health, particularly for minors. NetChoice had argued that Ohio’s law infringes on the First Amendment rights of social media companies and underage Ohioans alike.

Persons: Algenon Marbley, Marbley, NetChoice, infringes, ”, Chris Marchese Organizations: CNN, Court, Southern, Southern District of Ohio, Social Media, Google Locations: An Ohio, Southern District, Arkansas, California, Utah

☆ Fidelity fund again trims Elon Musk’s X valuation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-02 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The latest disclosure by a Fidelity mutual fund reflects a long-running trend that has steadily reduced X’s estimated value over the past year amid successive crises at the company, many of which have been driven by owner Elon Musk. The filing said its shares in X represent less than .01% of the total value of the fund, which it said is more than $49 billion. Fidelity did slightly increase its estimated value of X multiple times last summer, around when Linda Yaccarino became X’s CEO. Since then, however, Fidelity has continued to cut the estimated value of its X shares. With X being privately held, Fidelity’s estimates have emerged as a closely watched indicator of X’s health and a reflection of the attitudes of Musk’s own investors.

Persons: Musk, Elon Musk, Fidelity’s, Linda Yaccarino Organizations: CNN, Investment, Fidelity, Twitter, Growth, Axios

☆ TikTok’s recent court victories show just how hard it might be to ban the app
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Brian Fung | Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The lawsuit in Indiana sought court-ordered fines and restrictions on TikTok for allegedly violating state consumer protection laws. Both cases reflected concerns expressed by government officials at all levels in the United States about TikTok’s ties to China through its parent company, ByteDance. Calls for a TikTok ban in the US first arose during the Trump administration and have waxed and waned in the years since, but most attempts to ban the app have been challenged in court. What comes nextUltimately, the state-level efforts in Indiana and Montana failed for many reasons, Goldman said, and policymakers should take note of this. The Indiana decision is less likely to have a nationwide impact, Goldman added, simply due to the typical obscurity of state court rulings and how state laws differ from one jurisdiction to another.

Persons: TikTok, ” Eric Goldman, ’, Trump, Donald Molloy, Molloy, Patrick Toomey, “, ” Molloy, ”, Jennifer DeGroote, DeGroote, Goldman, Blake Reid, Reid Organizations: CNN, TikTok, Santa Clara University, American Civil Liberties, Security, University of Colorado Locations: Indiana, Montana, United States, China

☆ Biden campaign prepares legal fight against election deepfakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In recent months, the campaign has spun up the internal task force, dubbed the “Social Media, AI, Mis/Disinformation (SAID) Legal Advisory Group,” part of a broader effort across the campaign to counter all forms of disinformation, TJ Ducklo, a senior adviser to the Biden campaign, told CNN. It aims to have enough prepared to be able to run a campaign-wide tabletop exercise in the first half of 2024. Existing US election law prohibits campaigns from “fraudulently misrepresenting other candidates or political parties,” but whether this prohibition extends to AI-generated content is an open question. Any political advertiser that uses deepfakes in ads on Facebook or Instagram will need to disclose that fact, it said. The Meta report details how some social media platforms are grappling with how to handle deceptive uses of AI.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Biden, ”, Arpit Garg, TJ Ducklo, Garg, Maury Riggan, “, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Hany Farid, —, Meta, Darren Linvill Organizations: CNN, Department of Homeland, Social Media, European Union, Digital Services, Republicans, Federal, Republican National Committee, Democratic National Committee, University of California, Facebook, Clemson University’s, RNC Locations: European, Florida, Berkeley, United States

☆ Meta sues FTC to block tough new restrictions on kids’ data
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Thursday’s lawsuit in Washington federal court calls for a halt to the FTC’s proceeding, arguing that it is an unconstitutional abuse of government power. Meta appealed that decision on Tuesday, but Thursday’s lawsuit expands the company’s pushback further. The FTC declined to comment on the new suit. After alleging new violations of Meta’s 2020 consent order, the FTC proposed in May to expand the terms of the company’s settlement to include significant new restrictions barring it from monetizing the personal data of users under age 18. If approved, the restrictions could significantly limit Meta’s data-driven business, particularly as it seeks to court younger users and to grow in new product areas, such as virtual reality.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Meta Organizations: Washington CNN, Meta, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Supreme Locations: Washington

☆ Google reaches deal with Canada to keep news content on its platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Google has agreed to pay Canadian publishers for their news content, backing down from a high-stakes threat to block all news content produced in the country on its platforms after the tech giant and the Canadian government announced a deal Wednesday to avert the looming crisis. The agreement resolves tensions between Google and Canada over a controversial law known as C-18 requiring digital platforms to compensate news publishers for their work. The Google agreement marks a departure from the path taken by Instagram-parent Meta, which opted to pull news content from its platforms in Canada in response to C-18. The option for Google to negotiate with a single collective helps address one of the tech giant’s main objections to the law. But how the agreement with Google plays out could potentially shape the course of those policies.

Persons: ”, Pascale St, Onge didn’t, Bill C, Global Affairs Kent Walker, Andy Stone, Meta Organizations: CNN, Google, Canadian, Canadian Heritage, St, of, Global Affairs, Meta Locations: Canada, of Canada

☆ FTC can seek tough new restrictons on Meta’s use of personal data, federal judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The decision Monday by District Judge Timothy Kelly allows the FTC to move ahead with a proposal banning Meta from profiting off data it collects from users under the age of 18. The package of potential restrictions would represent some of the most significant impositions on Meta’s business since the 2020 privacy order that resolved a federal probe into the company’s Cambridge Analytica privacy fiasco. Meta had previously called the FTC proposal “a political stunt” that singles out Meta “while allowing Chinese companies like TikTok to operate without constraint on American soil.”The FTC declined to comment on the ruling. It’s unclear when the FTC may finalize its proposed rules, Gallant added, but it could occur in the spring of 2024. Meta could still attempt to challenge any eventual FTC rule changes in federal court.

Persons: Timothy Kelly, Meta, ”, Kelly, Paul Gallant, TD Cowen, Gallant Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Meta, Court, District of Columbia, Appeals, DC Circuit Locations: Cambridge

☆ Elon Musk’s quest in foreign affairs plagued by his own online behavior
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Washington CNN —Elon Musk is an increasingly important player in global affairs and has been touring the world to meet with political leaders in recent months. “We can observe Elon Musk’s Twitter/X activity that he regularly consumes right-wing content and this increased during COVID-19,” Facciani said in an email. More recently, however, Musk’s ambitions have come a bit closer to earth and become far more concrete. There are many world leaders who hold extreme or far-right views, of course. Musk’s outbursts that contradict widely held international norms and values are meant for a specific internet audience that Musk mistakes for being representative of the wider world.

Persons: Washington CNN — Elon Musk, White supremacists, Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu, It’s, George Soros, Netanyahu, Matthew Facciani, “, Elon, ” Facciani, Vladimir Putin, Rishi Sunak, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he’s, Ron DeSantis ’, Robert Kennedy Jr, ’, ” Musk, ”, reactionism Organizations: Washington CNN, Defamation League, Whites, White, The University of Notre Dame, Twitter, UK, Florida Republican Gov, United States Locations: Israel, Gaza, COVID, Ukraine, Crimea, Washington, United, Russia

☆ Meta collected children’s data from Instagram accounts, unsealed court document alleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The federal complaint calls for court orders prohibiting Meta from the practices the attorneys general allege violate the law. Civil penalties could add up to hundreds of millions of dollars, as Meta allegedly hosts millions of users who are teens and children. However, despite the company’s internal research confirming concerns with social comparison on its platforms, the lawsuit alleges Meta refused to change its algorithm. Eight additional attorneys general sued Meta last month in various state courts, making similar claims to the massive multistate federal lawsuit. Florida sued Meta in its own separate federal lawsuit, alleging the company misled users about potential health risks of its products.

Persons: Meta, “ Meta’s, ” Meta, Antigone Davis, “ We’ve, ”, Instagram, Adam Mosseri, “ Meta, Letitia James, ” James, Frances Haugen, Brian Fung Organizations: CNN, Meta, COPPA, Facebook, “, “ Social Locations: New York, Florida

☆ OpenAI had a confusing week. Who came out on top? And who lost out?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But in other ways, the agreement is still a watershed moment for OpenAI and the artificial intelligence field writ large. Who came out on topSam Altman: A clear winner in the whole debacle is, of course, Altman himself. With some of the apparent architects of Altman’s ouster being pushed out themselves, a casualty of the affair may be the perspectives that those board members espoused. Emmett Shear, whom the board named OpenAI’s interim CEO for all of two days, has also expressed similar worries. In the fallout of the leadership crisis, some have argued that the outcome is also a defeat for effective altruism, the movement with which some OpenAI board members are said to be affiliated.

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, bungled, that’s, Satya Nadella, OpenAI, Nadella, we’re, ” Nadella, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Nathan Laine, Hollie Adams, Taylor isn’t, He’s, Elon Musk, Summers, Who, OpenAI’s, Gabby Jones, Emmett Shear Organizations: CNN, Microsoft, Bloomberg, Getty, Facebook, Twitter, Harvard University Locations: OpenAI, Brooklyn, New York

☆ Here are the dozen brands that have paused ads on X amid ongoing crisis for Elon Musk’s platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —At least a dozen major brands have halted ad spending on X, formerly Twitter, since its latest advertiser exodus began last week over concerns about antisemitism and hate speech on Elon Musk’s social media platform. The ongoing exit of advertisers marks a deepening crisis for X, which was already struggling to woo brands back to the platform following Musk’s takeover last year. IBM’s decision also came after Musk had publicly endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory in a post on X earlier in the week. X also said it had made the pro-Nazi accounts identified by Media Matters ineligible for monetization, meaning ads can no longer be run on their pages. (Media Matters has vowed to fight the lawsuit from X and says it stands by its reporting.)

Persons: Axios, they’d, Musk, Apple, Linda Yaccarino, Richard Spencer, —, CNN’s Oliver Darcy, Liam Reilly, Brian Fung Organizations: New, New York CNN, Elon, Fox Sports, Ubisoft, TechCrunch, Paris, CNN, White, IBM, Media, Disney, Paramount, Comcast, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros, Media Matters, University of Michigan, D.C, National Football League Locations: New York, Washington

☆ Democrats accuse X of profiting from Hamas propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —A group of House Democrats has accused X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, of profiting from Hamas propaganda and misinformation about the Israel-Hamas war after reports by independent researchers found numerous accounts glorifying the US-sanctioned terror group. More than two dozen US lawmakers signed the letter dated Tuesday addressed to X owner Elon Musk and CEO Linda Yaccarino. Musk sued Media Matters on Monday, accusing it of distorting the likelihood that ads may be shown against extremist material. But some legal critics have cast doubt on the complaint, calling it “weak” and “bogus” in the face of the First Amendment. The letter calls for Yaccarino and Musk to answer by December 1 to allegations that X has amplified terrorist propaganda in violation of its own policies.

Persons: X, Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, ”, Adam Schiff of California, Daniel Goldman, Jamie Raskin, Musk, Joe Benarroch, White Organizations: Washington CNN, House, Twitter, Institute for Strategic, Tech, Reps, Maryland, of Business, Media Matters, Media, Committee, US Marshals Service Locations: Israel, New York, Gaza

☆ Legal experts blast Elon Musk filing lawsuit in Texas against Media Matters
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“The complaint admits that the thing Media Matters was making a big deal about actually happened,” Vladeck said. According to Musk, Media Matters established a test account following extremist material and then refreshed the feed until X’s ad system displayed an ad for major brands. “It’s one of those lawsuits that’s filed more for symbolism than for substance.”Media Matters’ responseIn a statement Monday evening, Media Matters President Angelo Carusone vowed to defend the group against the suit. “Media Matters stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court.”Some legal experts suggested that Media Matters’ first course of action may be to try to move the case out of the Texas federal court. “Musk and his lawyers seek to isolate Media Matters’ investigation as the sole reason major advertisers have joined the exodus from X.

Persons: Elon, “, Ted Boutrous, Boutrous, Steve Vladeck, ” Vladeck, Mark Pittman, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, X, ’ ”, Joan Donovan, ” Akiva Cohen, Klein, Musk, ’ ” Cohen, ” Cohen, Ken Paxton, Andrew Bailey, ”, that’s, Angelo Carusone, ” Carusone, Ken White, “ X, ” White, Nora Benavidez, “ Musk, ” Benavidez, – CNN’s Oliver Darcy, Jon Passantino Organizations: CNN, Media, X, Twitter, University of Texas, Court, Northern, Northern District of, Nazi, Musk, Boston University, YouTube, Elon, Texas, ”, “, Washington , D.C, District of, Free Press Locations: Texas, Northern District, Northern District of Texas, Kamerman, New York, Missouri, California, Washington ,, District of Columbia, Los Angeles

☆ The fate of OpenAI hangs in the balance
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That has only reinforced the impression that OpenAI’s boardroom drama could take an unexpected turn at any moment. First came the board’s sudden promotion of OpenAI’s chief technology officer, Mira Murati, as Altman’s replacement on Friday — made in the same breath as Altman’s firing. Whether Altman is working for Microsoft or OpenAI won’t change the ultimate result, Nadella argued to Swisher, which is that Microsoft benefits from his work. Much is still unclear about the board’s exact reasons for firing Altman. OpenAI’s newest interim CEO, Emmett Shear, has denied that the firing was due to any “specific” disagreement on AI safety.

Persons: that’s, Sam Altman, Monday, Altman, Satya Nadella, ” Nadella, Kara Swisher, we’re, That’s, Mira Murati, —, Murati, Altman’s, Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI, Nadella, Swisher, Marc Benioff, Emmett Shear, it’s, I’ve, ”, Charlie Warzel Organizations: CNN, Microsoft, Microsoft’s Locations: Silicon Valley

☆ Media Matters: Elon Musk’s X sues media watchdog over report on pro-Nazi content on the social media site
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Brian Fung | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The lawsuit filed Monday accuses Media Matters of distorting how likely it is for ads to appear beside extremist content on X, alleging that the group’s testing methodology was not representative of how real users experience the site. “Media Matters designed both these images and its resulting media strategy to drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp.”The lawsuit simultaneously names Media Matters and Eric Hananoki, its senior investigative reporter, as defendants. It calls for a judicial order forcing Media Matters to remove its analysis from its website and accuses Media Matters of interfering with X’s contracts with advertisers, of disrupting their economic relationships and of unlawfully disparaging X. In a statement Monday evening, Media Matters President Angelo Carusone vowed to defend the group against the suit. “Media Matters stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court.”On Monday evening, X CEO Linda Yaccarino chimed in defending the social media site.

Persons: Elon Musk, Eric Hananoki, Angelo Carusone, ” Carusone, ”, Linda Yaccarino chimed, I’m, ” Yaccarino, “, Ken Paxton, Musk, ” Musk, opportunistically, that’s, Steve Vladeck, Joan Donovan, ” Ken White, “ X, ” White, White, Mark Pittman, Donald Trump, Pittman, Joe Biden’s, Jon Passantino, Dan Berman Organizations: CNN, Media, “ Media, X Corp, Court, Northern, Northern District of, “, Whites, Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros, Northern District of Texas, University of Texas, Boston University, YouTube, of Columbia Locations: Northern District, Northern District of Texas, Texas, Los Angeles, California

☆ US Marshals serve CEOs of X and Discord with congressional subpoenas ahead of Big Tech child safety hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Tech CEOs are once again being summoned to Congress to testify about their business practices — and this time, the US Marshals Service is getting involved. On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee said it had subpoenaed three top social media executives — X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and Discord CEO Jason Citron — for a Dec. 6 hearing on children’s online safety and content moderation. “At our February hearing on protecting children’s safety online, we promised Big Tech that they’d have their chance to explain their failures to protect kids. In a statement, X said it has been cooperating with the committee. “We have been working in good faith to participate in the Judiciary committee’s hearing on child protection online as safety is our top priority at X,” said Wifredo Fernandez, head of US & Canada government affairs at X.

Persons: —, Linda Yaccarino, Evan Spiegel, Jason Citron —, Mark Zuckerberg, Shou Zi Chew, Yaccarino, Citron, ”, Dick Durbin, Lindsey Graham, X, “, Wifredo Fernandez, ” Meta, didn’t Organizations: CNN — Tech, US Marshals Service, Committee, US, Big Tech, Republican, ” Locations: Sens, Canada

☆ Who is Emmett Shear, the new CEO of OpenAI?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A sudden and seismic leadership crisis at OpenAI has led to a revolving door of CEOs at the artificial intelligence company, with tech entrepreneur Emmett Shear becoming the latest to take the helm on Monday. But by Monday morning, Altman had accepted a job at Microsoft, the tech giant with a sizable investment in OpenAI, Shear was named interim CEO and hundreds of OpenAI employees — including Murati — were calling for the board’s resignation and threatening to follow Altman to Microsoft. Now, picking up the pieces at OpenAI will be Shear, the 40-year-old co-founder of the video-game live-streaming company Twitch. On Monday, Shear announced he had accepted the job of interim CEO because he believes OpenAI “is one of the most important companies currently in existence.”Whether it can remain so depends on what Shear does next. But with Altman and his allies working in-house at Microsoft, Shear — and whomever succeeds him as OpenAI’s permanent CEO — may forever be overshadowed.

Persons: Emmett Shear, Sam Altman, Mira Murati, Altman, Shear, Murati —, OpenAI “, ” Shear, “, He’s, “ You’ll, ”, OpenAI Organizations: CNN, Microsoft, Twitch, Amazon, Yale, Bing Locations: OpenAI, “

☆ 505 OpenAI employees threaten to quit after Altman fired and his successor was replaced
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In a letter obtained by CNN, the more than 500 employees accused the OpenAI board of mishandling Altman’s firing, failing to provide sufficient evidence for claims that Altman had not been candid with the board, and “negotiating in bad faith” with the company’s executive leadership. “Your actions have made it obvious that you are incapable of overseeing OpenAI,” wrote the employees. Murati’s promotion has since been superseded by the appointment of incoming interim CEO Emmett Shear, the 40-year-old co-founder of the livestreaming company Twitch. “Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAI employees,” the letter added. After Sutskever posted his message to X, Altman amplified the apology by quote-posting it.

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, “, ”, reinstates Altman, Greg Brockman, Mira Murati, Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s, Murati’s, Emmett Shear, Sutskever, we’ve, Adam D’Angelo, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Altman’s Organizations: CNN, Microsoft, Georgetown University’s Center for Security, Emerging Technology Locations: OpenAI

☆ DeSantis refuses to condemn Elon Musk for endorsing antisemitic conspiracy theory
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Alison Main | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis on Sunday refused to directly condemn Elon Musk for publicly endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory popular among White supremacists. The X post, which Tapper showed DeSantis, said: “Jewish communties (sic) have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.” The post also referenced “hordes of minorities” flooding Western countries, a popular antisemitic conspiracy theory. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has also seen an uptick in reports following the attack, but it did not have numbers to release. Pressed by Tapper again on Musk’s tweet, DeSantis maintained: “I have no idea what the context is.”“I know Elon Musk, I’ve never seen him do anything. CNN’s Jack Forrest, David Goldman, Avery Lotz, Jack Forrest, Brian Fung, Clare Duffy and Samantha Delouya contributed to this report.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Elon Musk, White, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Musk, Tapper, DeSantis, Robert Bowers, ”, I’ve, Jamie Raskin, “, CNN’s Jack Forrest, David Goldman, Avery Lotz, Jack Forrest, Brian Fung, Clare Duffy, Samantha Delouya Organizations: CNN, Republican, Sunday, Defamation League, Islamic Relations, Twitter, Disney, Paramount, Comcast, Lionsgate, Warner Bros, Democratic Locations: Florida, Pittsburgh, Israel, America

☆ OpenAI: Why Sam Altman was fired and what’s next after the shocking shakeup
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

On Thursday evening, Altman received a text message from Ilya Sutskever, another co-founder of OpenAI and its chief scientist, Brockman said. “Sam joined a Google Meet and the whole board, except Greg, was there,” Brockman said, referring to himself. Around the same time, OpenAI published a blog post.”According to Swisher, Altman did not learn about the subject of the meeting until 30 minutes before. “Greater things coming soon.”CNN has reached out to OpenAI for comment on Brockman and Swisher’s accounts of how the events transpired. An interim CEOIn announcing Altman’s firing, OpenAI said chief technology officer Mira Murati will serve as interim CEO.

Persons: Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Altman, Kara Swisher, Ilya Sutskever, Brockman, “ Sam, Greg, ” Brockman, “ Ilya, Sam, ”, Ilya, OpenAI, Swisher, “, what’s, Mira Murati, Murati, ” Murati Organizations: CNN, Twitter, OpenAI, Google, “, Microsoft, Bing, ”, ” CNN, Dartmouth Locations: OpenAI

CNN —A growing list of companies said they have suspended advertising on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Disney and Warner Bros.’ advertising pauses follow similar moves by Lionsgate and IBM. The iPhone maker also pulled its advertising from the social media platform, according to multiple news outlets, including Axios, which first reported Apple’s withdrawal. Full stop.”An analysis by the watchdog group Media Matters found this week that in addition to IBM, ads by Apple, Comcast, NBC and Oracle had appeared alongside similar content. In August, two other brands, NCTA — the Internet and Television Association — and Gilead Sciences paused their spending on X after their ads were also run alongside pro-Nazi content.

Persons: Elon Musk, White, Linda Yaccarino, X Organizations: CNN, Twitter, Disney, Warner Bros, Lionsgate, IBM, Bloomberg, Apple, Media, Comcast, NBC, Oracle, NBCU, Thursday’s Media, and Television Association, Gilead Sciences

☆ X fails in court to terminate FTC privacy order or block Musk’s deposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The 11-page order by US Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixon denies X’s attempt to invalidate a longtime privacy settlement with the FTC that forms the basis for the investigation. For the same reason, Hixon said he could not block the FTC from trying to depose Musk as part of the probe. Questions about whether the company has complied with the 2011 order arose in a significant way in 2022. And the investigation has only intensified since Musk’s takeover of the company, prompting X to protest what it has called government overreach and harassment of Musk. The FTC has said that it is attempting to carry out its mission to ensure X is complying with its legal obligations.

Persons: Elon Musk, Judge Thomas Hixon, Hixon, Musk, Musk’s, Peiter “ Mudge ” Zatko, X, X didn’t Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Court, Northern, Northern District of, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Twitter, FTC Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California

Search resuls for: "Brian Fung"

25 mentions found