🥊 OpenAI fires back at Elon Musk

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☀️ On this day: On December 14, 2011, researchers at the MIT unveiled an imaging system capable of capturing images at one trillion frames per second, fast enough to visualize light waves traveling through space. This groundbreaking technology opened new avenues in scientific research and imaging techniques.

What’s happening:

• 🤖 OpenAI fires back at Musk: ‘You can’t sue your way to AGI’

• ⚖️ Meta asks California AG to halt OpenAI’s “for-profit” restructuring

• ⚠️ OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco

• 🔒 Microsoft pushes passkeys to end password reliance

• 👮 Police use AI for reports, critics warn of risks

• + 📊 Daily poll and results

• + 📈 Trending tools and resources

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Hand-picked news:

🤖 OpenAI fires back at Musk: ‘You can’t sue your way to AGI’ ↗️LINK

• What: OpenAI released new evidence in its dispute with Elon Musk, including text messages revealing his attempts to take over as CEO and reshape the company’s direction. Musk criticized OpenAI for straying from its nonprofit roots, while OpenAI’s blog counters that Musk’s actions aimed to consolidate his own power.

• Why: The disclosures highlight Musk’s frustrations over OpenAI’s evolution into a for-profit entity, which he claims contradicts its founding principles. OpenAI argues Musk resigned after failing to gain control and later launched xAI, a competitor.

• Impact: The escalating feud underscores tensions in AI leadership and governance, potentially reshaping perceptions of Musk’s role in OpenAI’s history and raising questions about the balance of innovation, profit, and ethics in AI.

⚖️ Meta asks California AG to halt OpenAI’s “for-profit” restructuring ↗️LINK

• What: Meta has asked California Attorney General Rob Bonta to block OpenAI's transition from a non-profit to a for-profit entity. In a formal letter, Meta accuses OpenAI of exploiting its charitable origins for financial gain.

• Why: Meta argues the move could set a dangerous precedent, enabling startups to use non-profit status to attract tax-free funding, then pivot to profit-driven operations. Meta claims this undermines investor trust and fairness in Silicon Valley.

• Impact: This dispute could redefine startup practices in AI and influence regulations on non-profits. Meta’s opposition also reflects its competitive stakes, as it races against OpenAI to dominate the AI landscape.

⚠️ OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco ↗️LINK

• What: Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher and whistleblower, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26. The death was ruled a suicide. Balaji had recently voiced concerns about OpenAI's copyright practices in public statements and a court filing linked to a lawsuit against the company.

• Why: Balaji raised ethical concerns about generative AI, particularly the use of copyrighted data. He believed OpenAI’s practices harmed the internet. His concerns were highlighted in ongoing lawsuits against OpenAI, including one naming him just a day before his death.

• Impact: Balaji’s death brings attention to the ethical and legal scrutiny facing AI companies. It also raises concerns about workplace safety and pressures in the fast-growing AI industry. His contributions to key OpenAI projects, like GPT-4 and ChatGPT, underscore the significance of his loss.

🔒 Microsoft pushes passkeys to end password reliance ↗️LINK

• What: Microsoft has announced plans to phase out passwords for over 1 billion users, replacing them with passkeys tied to biometric or device-based authentication. The company reports blocking 7,000 password attacks per second, double the rate from a year ago, and a 146% increase in phishing attacks.

• Why: Passwords are increasingly vulnerable to phishing and brute-force attacks. Passkeys, which link account access to secure hardware and biometrics, offer faster logins and better security, eliminating the risks tied to passwords and SMS-based two-factor authentication.

• Impact: As passkeys gain traction, Microsoft faces the challenge of converting the last 30-40% of users. With 98% adoption success among early users, the transition could dramatically reduce phishing risks and redefine digital security, signaling the end of the password era.

💸👮 Police use AI for reports, critics warn of risks ↗️LINK

• What: Police departments, including Fresno’s, are using AI tools like Axon’s Draft One to transcribe body camera footage and draft reports. While officers report time savings, civil rights groups, including the ACLU, warn of potential inaccuracies and accountability issues in using AI for evidence and reports.

• Why: The push for AI in law enforcement aims to streamline tasks and reduce officer workload. However, critics highlight risks, including errors in transcriptions and the lack of transparency in AI systems, which could impact legal fairness and defendants’ rights.

• Impact: The use of AI in policing could reshape workflows but raises ethical concerns about justice, accuracy, and bias. As prosecutors and defense attorneys also adopt AI tools, the technology may further widen resource disparities in the legal system while intensifying debates over its reliability and fairness.

Today’s Poll:

Vote and find out about the result tomorrow.

Yesterday’s Poll Result:

Watermarking AI Content: Industry Standard or Optional?

• A) Industry Standard – Ensures authenticity across platforms - 60% 👑

• B) Optional – Creators should decide its use - 40%

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