Safety Security & Privacy

BSOD, the blue screen of death, has become the universal metaphor for an unscheduled operational collapse. When it happens to your Windows machine, you know you're in for a day that is only slightly more preferable than a root canal. When it happens systemically in the cloud… that's something else entirely. Continue Reading →

YouTube quietly updated its content removal policy to address AI-generated content. Users can now request takedowns of synthetic content that imitates their face or voice through the platform's privacy request process. Continue Reading →

OpenAI has appointed Paul M. Nakasone, a retired U.S. Army general and former head of the National Security Agency (NSA), to its board of directors. Nakasone, who led the NSA from 2018 to February 2024, will join OpenAI's Safety and Security Committee (led by CEO Sam Altman) and will contribute to the company's efforts to enhance cybersecurity using AI. Continue Reading →

Evidently, Slack (my favorite corporate comms app) has been scanning user messages to train its AI models. The issue was highlighted in a recent tweet from Corey Quinn. Slack's strangely worded AI policy basically says that all Slack users are automatically opted in to its AI training unless the corporate system administrator opts out for your whole company. In other words: individual users cannot opt out by themselves. Continue Reading →

Yesterday's Senate hearing on child safety in social media saw CEOs from TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Meta (Facebook's parent company), Discord, and Snapchat face questions from lawmakers. The hearing focused on the impact of social media on children's safety and the bipartisan effort to more effectively regulate these platforms. Continue Reading →

Recent research by Anthropic has revealed the ability to train AI models to deceive. This study, involving models similar to OpenAI's GPT-4, demonstrated that AI could be fine-tuned to perform deceptive actions, such as embedding vulnerabilities in code or responding with specific phrases to triggers. Continue Reading →

Tech expert and Professor Shelly Palmer speaks with Tashanea Whitlow on Fox 5's Good Day New York about about the world of QR codes, explaining their rising popularity for sharing links, contacts, and making payments. However, with this convenience comes a hidden danger: QR code scams. Continue Reading →

Apple has posted a "zero-day alert," which is geekspeak for system vulnerabilities serious enough to warrant a software update. I just updated my iPhone, MacBooks, and iPads – you should, too. Continue Reading →

In this holiday season, when generosity is at its peak, tech expert Shelly Palmer, Professor of Advanced Media at Syracuse University's Newhouse School, discusses the proliferation of donation scams in 55 cities and shares essential tips on how to avoid falling victim to them. Original Airdate: November 28, 2023 Continue Reading →

Shelly Palmer speaks with Dan Bowens on Fox 5's Good Day New York about vital Black Friday strategies to avoid scams, highlighting the importance of recognizing too-good-to-be-true deals and navigating the influx of potentially deceptive emails. Continue Reading →