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Here's the latest tech news from the last 24 hours:
🧠 OpenAI's GPT-5 Development Status by Sam Altman
⚖️ US sues Coinbase as crypto crackdown widens
💵 Binance's U.S. Clients at Risk due to SEC Actions
🔒 FBI Alerts on Increasing Use of Deepfakes in Sextortion Schemes
🔍 Accusations against ByteDance for Alleged Spying on Hong Kong Activists

🧠 OpenAI's GPT-5 Development Status by Sam AltmanLINK

OpenAI, led by CEO Sam Altman, has reaffirmed its commitment to not train GPT-5 for the foreseeable future, in response to concerns about rapid advancements in AI.

Altman emphasized that OpenAI is addressing potential risks through methods like external audits, red-teaming, and safety tests, while stating that they don't support regulating smaller AI startups.

As part of a global outreach, Altman is meeting with lawmakers and industry leaders to foster a proactive discussion on potential abuse and downsides of AI proliferation, aiming to establish safety measures to prevent unintended accidents.

⚖️ US sues Coinbase as crypto crackdown widensLINK

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sued Coinbase, alleging the company violated laws by failing to register its cryptocurrency trading platform and crypto asset-staking program since 2019.

The SEC claims that Coinbase's actions deprived investors of crucial protections such as inspections by the SEC, recordkeeping requirements, and safeguards against conflicts of interest.

In response to the lawsuit, Coinbase asserts that the SEC's crackdown on crypto exchanges is an overstep, calling for clear legislation regarding digital assets before enforcement is appropriate.

💵 Binance's U.S. Clients at Risk due to SEC ActionsLINK

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed an emergency motion to freeze the assets of Binance's US platform, alleging that funds were improperly commingled with Binance's.

The freeze would apply to Binance's two US holding companies and does not affect the international exchange; it involves multiple accounts held at various financial institutions.

The SEC's actions also compel Binance's founder, Changpeng Zhao, to justify why a preliminary injunction should not be issued against him and his two holding companies, further aiming to prevent destruction of evidence.

🔒 FBI Alerts on Increasing Use of Deepfakes in Sextortion SchemesLINK

The FBI has issued a warning about cybercriminals using artificial intelligence to manipulate photos and create illicit deepfakes for blackmail, with reports already coming in from victims including children.

These AI-generated explicit images are often sourced from public photo libraries, like social media profiles, and are circulated for extortion purposes, leaving victims at risk of harassment, financial loss, and long-term re-victimization.

Users are advised to exercise caution when sharing media online and to employ strong security measures, with victims encouraged to report such instances to the Internet Crime Complaint Center or other relevant bodies.

🔍 Accusations against ByteDance for Alleged Spying on Hong Kong ActivistsLINK

A former ByteDance engineer has claimed in a filing that members of a CCP committee had access to a "superuser" credential, allowing them to view all data collected by ByteDance and allegedly used to identify and locate Hong Kong protesters and activists.

ByteDance strongly denied the allegations, pointing out that the accuser, Mr. Yu, worked on a discontinued app and didn't raise these claims until five years after his employment ended.

While a ban on TikTok is set to take effect in Montana in January 2024, the company has sued to block it, arguing it conflicts with US free speech rights; the ban doesn't prevent those who already have the app from using it.

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