Snippings

xxx

Aylo says it’s blocking access to its websites over privacy concerns around the new laws. The laws generally require adults to upload some form of government ID to prove they’re 18 or older. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has criticized the laws as “surveillance systems” that could lead to misuse or theft of sensitive data.

From: Pornhub blocks Indiana, Kentucky, and more over age verification laws – The Verge.

xxx

Google’s former CEO Eric Schmidt, is the ultimate tech insider, and his insights around AI reveal a landscape changing so quickly that even he is struggling to keep up the pace.

 

 

Schmidt is specifically talking about the combination of large context windows, AI agents that can learn and improve themselves, and text-to-action capabilities. He says that these will have an impact on the world at a scale that no-one understands, yet much bigger than what he calls the “the horrific impact we’ve had by social media”. If we look at each of these factors in turn, we can see why Schmidt is making such a forecast.

First of all, large context windows, the working memory of large language models, are solidly on their way. My day-to-day model, Claude, can already hold 200k tokens (approximately 150k words) in its working memory. Millions or more are coming.

Secondly, agent-based systems, which autonomously execute multi-step tasks and adapt to environmental feedback, are poised to unlock significant economic value next.

Finally text-to-action capabilities will emerge, translating natural language into specific, working programs. Imagine your own personal programmer at your fingertips, ready to create whatever you envision. A dating app that matches people based on their Netflix viewing history and Spotify playlists?2 A prototype within minutes.

With these three capabilities in place, the 

 

xxx

n this paper, we study the staggered introduction of a generative AI-based conversational assistant using data from 5,179 customer support agents. Access to the tool increases productivity, as measured by issues resolved per hour, by 14% on average, including a 34% improvement for novice and low-skilled workers but with minimal impact on experienced and highly skilled workers. We provide suggestive evidence that the AI model disseminates the best practices of more able workers and helps newer workers move down the experience curve.

From: Generative AI at Work | NBER.

xxx

Disseminating best practice is what management consultants were for.

xxx

By moving from information to action—think virtual coworkers able to complete complex workflows—the technology promises a new wave of productivity and innovation.

From: Why agents are the next frontier of generative AI | McKinsey.

xxx

 

Use case 1: Loan underwriting

Use case 2: Code documentation and modernization

Use case 3: Online marketing campaign creation

 

I turns out that my friend is not the only who was conned into contacting  airline scammers.

xxx

Holidaymakers are being warned about a rise in scams where fake social media accounts are used to impersonate airlines.

From: Scammers use fake social media accounts to impersonate airlines.

xxx

xxx

As part of the planned “Digital Information and Smart Data” Bill, the government says that it will support economic growth by establishing “digital verification services”.

The short explanation given reads as follows:

These measures support the creation and adoption of secure and trusted digital identity products and services from certified providers to help with things like moving house, pre-employment checks, and buying age restricted goods and services.

Needless to say, when it was published, it set off a mini-wave of speculation that the new government is attempting to introduce ID cards – something that Tony Blair famously failed to do when he was in Downing Street.

From: No, the government isn’t planning to introduce ID cards.

However, as James O’Malley points out, the document more emphatically does not say that the government will creatre a digitial identity.

xxx

In the past year, there has been a noticeable rise in “selfie spoofing” scams, where fraudsters use an individual’s selfie to authenticate a stolen identity and subsequently open fraudulent accounts. This fraud method accounted for 20 percent of all identification document fraud cases last year.

From: Is biometric authentication still effective? | Biometric Update.

xxx

xxx

Apple is generating serious revenue from its payment services like BNPL and tap-to-pay – the company received $24 billion in Q2 payments revenue, up 14% year over year. The tech giant also announced that it will open up NFC payments on iPhones to third-party developers, which could enable everything from stablecoin tap-to-pay to better merchant rewards to account-to-account tap payments.

From: Apple opens up NFC as it pulls in $24B in Q2 payments revenue (TWIF 8/16).

xxx

xxx

Soon after creating Margot, Madison and Laura found themselves receiving pushy messages from men trying to pursue relationships with Margot despite the profile clearly stating she was not real.

From: As AI influencers storm social media, some fear a ‘digital Pandora’s box’ has been opened – ABC News.

xxx

xxx

The inspiration was Aitana Lopez, a bright-haired, 25-year-old model and content creator with 325,000 followers on Instagram.

But Aitana, whose profile describes her as a “gamer at heart” and “fitness lover” living in Barcelona, is entirely generated by AI.

From: As AI influencers storm social media, some fear a ‘digital Pandora’s box’ has been opened – ABC News.

xxx

xxx

The regulator will now offer updated proposals in the autumn for further stakeholder comment.

From: PSR sets out next steps for variable recurring payments in the UK.

xxx

I have thought for some time that the crime is undereported. There are credible reports of thefts and attempted thefts of cryptocurrency via physical attacks that are not reported (because the victims do not want to share their details and, presumably, attract further attacks). In-person digital larceny may well be on the rise as thieves realize the attraction of crypto as a transportable theft target.