😠 Meta accused of exploiting teens’ emotions

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Greetings! Your latest quick tech update is here:

☀️ On this day: On April 12, 1976, Ronald Wayne officially withdrew from Apple Computer, just 12 days after co-founding the company with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. He sold his 10% stake for $800, missing out on what would have eventually been a multi-billion-dollar fortune.

What’s happening:

• 🧠 ChatGPT remembers everything

• 😠 Meta accused of exploiting teens’ emotions

• 🇨🇳 Beijing targets U.S. chip giants with AI push

• 💻 Trump tariffs halt laptop shipments to U.S.

• 📊 AI experts more hopeful than public on future tech

• + 📊 Daily poll and results

• + 📈 Trending tools and resources

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Hand-picked news:

🧠 ChatGPT remembers everything ↗️LINK

• What: OpenAI has upgraded ChatGPT with automatic memory across conversations. The AI now retains user preferences, interests, and dislikes to deliver more personalized and relevant responses—no manual prompts required.

• Why: This shift helps users avoid repeating themselves across chats, making interactions smoother and more intuitive. It marks a significant step toward AI that evolves with individual users over time.

• Impact: The update enhances user experience, especially for frequent users. While promising, it also raises privacy concerns. Users can opt out or use temporary chat mode for one-off, non-tracked conversations.

😠 Meta accused of exploiting teens’ emotions ↗️LINK

• What: Former Meta employee Sarah Wynn-Williams testified that the company targeted ads at teens based on emotional cues, such as feelings of worthlessness or helplessness. Meta allegedly used this data to serve vulnerable users, including young girls, weight loss ads during times of low body confidence.

• Why: Wynn-Williams claimed Meta saw teens as a “very valuable” market. She also highlighted a troubling double standard: many tech execs restrict their own kids from using these platforms.

• Impact: The testimony raises serious ethical and privacy concerns around how tech firms handle teen mental health and data. Meta has denied the claims.

🇨🇳 Beijing targets U.S. chip giants with AI push ↗️LINK

• What: China has launched an $8.2 billion AI fund to grow its domestic AI sector and cut reliance on U.S. semiconductor firms like Nvidia and Broadcom. The state-backed fund will support early-stage projects and key areas like chips, infrastructure, algorithms, and robotics.

• Why: The initiative draws from China’s “Big Fund,” aiming to fast-track chip self-sufficiency amid rising U.S. export controls. It reflects Beijing’s strategic, state-led approach to tech development.

• Impact: The fund intensifies U.S.–China tech rivalry and signals a shift toward AI self-reliance. It could challenge U.S. dominance in AI hardware and reshape global market dynamics.

💻 Trump tariffs halt laptop shipments to U.S. ↗️LINK

• What: Major laptop makers including Dell, Lenovo, and HP are halting U.S. shipments for at least two weeks due to steep tariffs imposed by Donald Trump. Some companies like Razer and Framework have canceled preorders, while others are raising prices or pulling back from U.S. markets.

• Why: Despite a 90-day pause on most new tariffs, a 145% levy on Chinese imports and a 32% tariff on Taiwanese goods are disrupting global tech supply chains. Firms are scrambling to adapt to unclear and fast-changing trade rules.

• Impact: The tech sector faces immediate revenue drops, with laptops, smartphones, and network gear hit hardest. Uncertainty may reshape global sourcing strategies and push more companies to seek "tariff-sharing" deals or shift supply routes.

📊 AI experts more hopeful than public on future tech ↗️LINK

• What: A global survey of 4,260 AI researchers shows that 54% believe AI will bring more benefits than risks, in contrast to only 13% of the UK public. Despite their optimism, researchers share public concerns on misinformation, data privacy, and cybercrime.

• Why: Most researchers support stronger data protections and believe AI development should proceed cautiously. Only 25% approve of firms using public data for training without consent.

• Impact: The findings highlight a gap between tech optimism and public trust. They also suggest researchers favor thoughtful regulation and public involvement to ensure AI aligns with real-world needs.

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• The AI Report - AI solutions you can use to work smarter and achieve results. Join & get 200+ AI-powered income ideas!

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Looking for even more options? Explore our curated section below:

Today’s Poll:

Vote and find out about the result tomorrow.

Yesterday’s Poll Result:

Would you pay more for an iPhone made in the U.S.?

• A) Yes – Supporting domestic jobs is worth it - 9%

• B) No – Price and performance come first - 91% 🏆

Reader’s opinions:

Artificial Intelligence for Robotics - Stanford (free course): Learn how to program all the major systems of a robotic car from the leader of Google and Stanford's autonomous driving teams.

BetterPic: Professional AI headshot generator. Get studio-quality AI professional headshots, without a photographer or a studio shoot.

Numerous AI: Numerous provides the simplest, most powerful and cost-effective solution for using ChatGPT inside Google Sheets and Excel.

Decktopus: ​#1 AI presentation maker. Designed to help users create professional and engaging presentations quickly and effortlessly.

Prompt Engineering Repository: Covers the history, strategies, guidelines, and safety recommendations for working with LLMs.

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