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

🍏 Apple is secretly developing its own AI chatbot
⚖️ U.S. antitrust enforcers plan to block Big Tech mergers
🔒 Google combats cyberattacks by restricting employee internet access
📺 Netflix discontinues basic ad-free tier in the U.S. and U.K.
📚 Authors seek compensation from AI companies for unauthorized work usage

🍏 Apple is secretly developing its own AI chatbotLINK

Apple is developing its own artificial intelligence tools, including a chatbot called "Apple GPT," to compete with Open AI and Google.

Apple has created its own framework called "Ajax" to build large language models, similar to ChatGPT and Bard, using Google Cloud and Google JAX.

Apple aims to make a significant AI-related announcement next year, and is focusing on privacy concerns while addressing the consumer demand for generative AI tools.

⚖️ U.S. antitrust enforcers plan to block Big Tech mergersLINK

The Biden administration is updating the guidelines for assessing mergers and acquisitions under federal antitrust laws, aiming to address modern market realities.

The Department of Justice has released 13 new guidelines that define conditions for identifying monopolies in mergers, emphasizing the avoidance of increased concentration and the elimination of potential entrants in concentrated markets.

The FTC's attempt to block the Microsoft-Activision merger was ultimately unsuccessful, highlighting ongoing scrutiny over big tech acquisitions and the importance of updated antitrust guidelines.

🔒 Google combats cyberattacks by restricting employee internet accessLINK

Google is conducting an experiment where it restricts employees' internet access, allowing them to access only Google-owned websites, in an effort to measure protection against cyberattacks.

The program initially included over 2,500 employees but later opened to volunteers and allowed employees to opt out.

By disconnecting employees from the internet, Google aims to reduce the risk of data breaches, while also planning to release more AI tools that could potentially increase privacy risks.

📺 Netflix discontinues basic ad-free tier in the U.S. and U.K.LINK

Netflix has removed its basic subscription plan in the U.S. and the U.K., following its removal in Canada, making it unavailable for new subscribers.

This move suggests that Netflix may eliminate the basic plan in all countries where it offers an ad-supported standard plan.

The company introduced an ad-supported plan in various countries and upgraded it in April, with analysts predicting significant ad revenues for Netflix in the future.

📚 Authors seek compensation from AI companies for unauthorized work usageLINK

Over 8,000 authors have signed an open letter requesting AI companies, including OpenAI, Alphabet, and Meta, to obtain consent and compensate them before using their work to train models.

The letter highlights the "inherent injustice" of using authors' works without credit or compensation, stating that AI systems rely on copyrighted books and texts, some of which are sourced from piracy websites.

The declining incomes of authors and the pressure from generative AIs contribute to the frustration, with some authors pursuing legal action against companies like Meta and OpenAI for training on pirated copies of their work.

Other news you might like

OpenAI has committed $5 million and API credits to the American Journalism Project to develop AI applications and support local journalism, following similar partnerships with the Associated Press and Shutterstock.LINK

G/O Media, the owner of Gizmodo, plans to continue publishing AI-written articles despite a recent debacle and criticisms from employees.LINK

The U.S. government has added two Israeli spyware companies, Intellexa and Cytrox, to its Entity List, severely restricting their business opportunities with American firms due to their involvement in selling cyber exploits used for hacking and surveillance. This move is part of the Biden administration's efforts to regulate and curtail the unethical practices of the spyware industry.LINK

Scientists at the University of Sydney have developed a self-healing solar panel using perovskite material, which can recover 100% of its original efficiency by using sunlight after being damaged by radiation in space, potentially revolutionizing satellite power generation and other applications.LINK

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