Iran’s government says it shut down internet to protect against cyberattacks
The government cited the recent hacks on Bank Sepah and cryptocurrency exchange Nobite as reasons to shut down internet access to virtually all Iranians.
The Download: talking dirty with DeepSeek, and the risks and rewards of calorie restriction
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. It’s pretty easy to get DeepSeek to talk dirty AI companions like Replika are designed to engage in intimate exchanges, but people use general-purpose chatbots for sex talk too, despite their stricter content…
Nvidia wants in on the nuclear renaissance, invests in Bill-Gates backed TerraPower
TerraPower has been riding a wave of interest from hyperscalers, data center developers, and now chip designers.
Deezer starts labeling AI-generated music to tackle streaming fraud
Deezer announced on Friday that it will start labeling albums that include AI-generated tracks as part of its efforts to combat streaming fraud. The company reports that about 18% of the music uploaded each day — more than 20,000 tracks — is now fully AI-generated. Although most of these tracks don’t go viral, Deezer says […]
After raising $38M, African e-commerce startup Sabi lays off 20%, pivots to traceable exports
African B2B e-commerce startup Sabi has laid off around 20% of its workforce (~50 employees) as it pivots from its original retail-focused platform to double down on a growing business in commodity exports. The layoffs, confirmed by the company on Thursday, are part of a broader restructuring aimed at aligning resources with what it describes […]
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‘Largest Data Breach in History’: Apple, Google, and Meta Passwords Reportedly Among 16 Billion Stolen in Massive Hack
“Massive datasets” have been emerging every few weeks, according to a new report.
Tech Billionaire Announces Inheritance Plan for the More Than 100 Children He’s Fathered
In an interview with French news magazine “Le Point,” Telegram founder and billionaire Pavel Durov explained how he intends to dole out his fortune.
Amazon Tells Thousands of Employees to Relocate or Resign
Amazon says the move to bring teams together will make them more “effective.”
After trying to buy Ilya Sutskever’s $32B AI startup, Meta looks to hire its CEO
Mark Zuckerberg’s AI talent hiring spree continues. In recent months, Meta tried to acquire Safe Superintelligence, the $32 billion AI startup co-founded by OpenAI’s former chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, according to a report from CNBC on Thursday. Sutskever ultimately turned Meta down, according to CNBC, but the company is now in talks to hire Safe […]
SoftBank reportedly looking to launch a trillion-dollar AI and robotics industrial complex
The investing conglomerate is looking to team up with TSMC on the initiative as SoftBank continues to pour money into AI.