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Here's the latest tech news from the last 24 hours:

🤖 Amazon announces a security guard robot
🫠 Underage workers are training AI
✋ OpenAI pauses new signups for ChatGPT Plus due to overwhelming demand
🚗 Uber wants to protect drivers from deactivation due to false allegations
🚁 New York intends to have electric air taxis by 2025
🧠 Researchers develop a system to keep the brain alive independent of body

🤖 Amazon announces a security guard robotLINK

Amazon has introduced a new security robot named Astro for Business to patrol businesses, featuring autonomous movement, remote control, and an HD camera with night vision.

The robot's security features include a subscription service for virtual security guards and the ability to autonomously respond to alerts and patrol predefined routes.

Astro for Home, which is aimed at consumers for home use, has been available by invite, but the new Astro for Business is designed for larger commercial spaces up to 5,000 sq. ft.

🫠 Underage workers are training AILINK

Underage workers, including teenagers from Pakistan and Kenya, are being employed by AI data-labeling platforms like Toloka and Appen, often exposing them to explicit and harmful content while circumventing age verification systems.

These gig workers, often from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, contribute to training machine-learning algorithms for major tech companies, performing tasks such as content moderation and data annotation for minimal pay.

The reliance on underage and low-paid workers in countries like Pakistan, India, and Venezuela raises ethical concerns about digital exploitation and the uneven benefits of AI development, favoring the global north over the south.

✋ OpenAI pauses new signups for ChatGPT Plus due to overwhelming demandLINK

OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, has declared a temporary halt on new sign-ups, responding to the unexpectedly high demand for the company's advanced AI services.

This strategic pause is intended to effectively manage the surge in interest and ensure the infrastructure can support the growing user base.

The AI start-up said at its conference that roughly 100 million people use its services every week and more than 90 per cent of Fortune 500 businesses are building tools on OpenAI’s platform.

🚗 Uber wants to protect drivers from deactivation due to false allegationsLINK

Uber is acknowledging issues with unfair driver deactivations and is implementing new initiatives to support drivers.

Drivers will now have additional methods to appeal deactivations, including the use of audio and video as evidence.

The company plans to identify and discount ratings from users frequently reporting drivers, although technical details are unspecified.

🚁 New York intends to have electric air taxis by 2025LINK

New York plans to introduce electric air taxis by the year 2025, aiming to modernize urban transportation with environmentally friendly vehicles.

The initiative includes setting up necessary infrastructure like charging stations, with the goal of making air travel within the city faster and more sustainable.

This project, part of a larger vision for a technologically advanced New York, represents a significant step towards integrating futuristic transport solutions into everyday city life.

🧠 Researchers develop a system to keep the brain alive independent of bodyLINK

Scientists have created a device that can keep a brain functioning separately from the body by managing its independent blood flow and vital parameters.

The device was successfully tested on a pig's brain, maintaining normal brain activity for hours, with potential applications in medical research and heart bypass technology improvements.

While the concept raises questions about head transplants, the technology is primarily envisioned for advancing brain studies without interference from bodily conditions.

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The highly-anticipated AI Pin made factual errors in its demo, highlighting industrywide issues with AI accuracy and fact-checking.LINK

AI-generated white faces are perceived as more real than human ones, revealing AI training biases and coining "AI hyperrealism."LINK

Airbnb acquires secretive firm launched by Siri co-founder.LINK

Baidu's CEO criticizes the excessive creation of AI large language models in China, advocating instead for more AI-native applications.LINK

Tesla reverses its stance by removing threats of lawsuits and hefty fines against Cybertruck resellers from its order agreement page.LINK

Rivian blames 'fat finger' for infotainment-bricking software update.LINK

Nothing Phone (2) introduces Nothing Chats app to mimic iPhone's blue bubble experience on Android, featuring encryption and Apple ID login.LINK

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel adopts a Musk-like "hardcore" work ethic, scrutinizing staff performance closely amid the company's financial struggles.LINK

Crispr gene editing has been demonstrated to permanently lower high cholesterol by directly inactivating a gene in liver cells.LINK

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