ByTechVista

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  • Snapchat allows drug dealers to operate openly on platform, finds Danish study

    Social media platform accused of failing to filter out obvious usernames such as ‘coke’, ‘weed’ and ‘molly’ Snapchat has been accused by a Danish research organisation of leaving an “overwhelming number” of drug dealers to openly operate on Snapchat, making it easy for children to buy substances including cocaine, opioids and MDMA. The social media…

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  • Impact of chatbots on mental health is warning over future of AI, expert says

    Nate Soares says case of US teenager Adam Raine highlights danger of unintended consequences in super-intelligent AI The unforeseen impact of chatbots on mental health should be viewed as a warning over the existential threat posed by super-intelligent artificial intelligence systems, according to a prominent voice in AI safety. Nate Soares, a co-author of a…

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  • Roblox to extend age checks in attempt to curb adults talking with children

    Company says changes to gaming platform will root out ‘bad actors’ after child safety concerns over unsupervised interaction The gaming website Roblox is to limit adult strangers from talking to children by the end of this year in an effort to root out “bad actors”. The fast-growing platform which has more than 110 million users…

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  • Coventry council to use Palantir AI in social work, Send and children’s services

    Exclusive: Workers say £500k contract with US tech firm which supplies Israeli forces raises ‘serious ethical questions’ Public sector workers have voiced “deep concern” after Coventry city council signed a £500,000-a-year artificial intelligence contract with the US data technology company Palantir. The deal is the first of its kind between a UK local authority and…

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  • Spy cameras: are you being watched? – podcast

    With tiny cameras disguised as everyday objects freely available, Anna Moore looks at the sinister ways they can be used – and the worrying rise in voyeurism cases in the UK When Heidi Murray moved into the home of a family friend, she was thrilled to find a cheap place to live with someone she…

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  • Doctors develop AI stethoscope that can detect major heart conditions in 15 seconds

    Upgraded medical tool has ability to diagnose heart failure, heart valve disease and abnormal heart rhythms Doctors have successfully developed an artificial intelligence-led stethoscope that can detect three heart conditions in 15 seconds. Invented in 1816, the traditional stethoscope – used to listen to sounds within the body – has been a vital part of…

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  • Teen killed himself after ‘months of encouragement from ChatGPT’, lawsuit claims

    Open AI to change way it responds to users in mental distress as parents of Adam Raine allege bot not safe The makers of ChatGPT are changing the way it responds to users who show mental and emotional distress after legal action from the family of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who killed himself after months of…

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  • Half of UK adults worry that AI will take or alter their job, poll finds

    The TUC calls for a new approach to technology and greater input from workers on how it is deployed Half of adults in the UK are concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence on their job, according to a poll, as union leaders call for a “step change” in the country’s approach to new technologies.…

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  • A day with the Revenge Porn Helpline: ‘You can sense the callers’ desperation’

    Intimate image abuse is a crisis in the UK – with a fortyfold increase in calls to this service since it opened in 2015. Thankfully, there are effective ways to help those being victimised By midday, Jessica has dealt with five calls from highly distressed young women in their 20s, all close to tears or…

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  • Social media still pushing suicide-related content to teens despite new UK safety laws

    Researchers who set up dummy accounts as 15-year-old girl were bombarded with self-harm and depression posts Social media platforms are still pushing depression, suicide and self-harm-related content to teenagers, despite new online safety laws intended to protect children. The Molly Rose Foundation opened dummy accounts posing as a 15-year-old girl, and then engaged with suicide,…

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