June 19, 2025

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 moderation policies. Now new research shows that not all chatbots are equally willing to talk dirty: DeepSeek is the easiest to convince. But other AI chatbots can be enticed too, if…

The Download: AI’s limitations

June 18, 2024
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. Why does AI hallucinate? The World Health Organization’s new chatbot launched on April 2 with the best of intentions. The virtual avatar named SARAH, was designed to dispense health tips about how to…

Loop Golf looks to take the stress out of booking a tee time

June 18, 2024

Golf has exploded in popularity in recent years thanks to the pandemic and the popularity of Netflix’s Full Swing documentary series. More than 531 million rounds of golf were played in the U.S. in 2023 alone, according to the National Golf Foundation. Because of this surge in interest, golfers are finding that nabbing a tee […]

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Bitsening raises $25M for its high-resolution radar in autonomous driving

June 18, 2024

Self-driving vehicles rely on many sensors to detect objects and the world around them. The conventional approach is to work with cameras and lidars. But some tech companies and startups have built advanced high-resolution radar technology for autonomous vehicles, also known as 4D imaging radar.   Among them is a South Korea-based startup called bitsensing. The […]

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Porch Pirates Stole 119 Million Packages From Doorsteps Last Year Alone. Here’s What You Can Do to Make Sure This Doesn’t Happen to Your Customers.

June 18, 2024
The rapid growth of ecommerce, fueled by the pandemic, has increased opportunities for “porch pirates” who target packages left on doorsteps, impacting both consumer confidence and business finances. This rise in theft underscores the need for effective security measures — read on for some suggestions from my 17 years in the industry.

SewerAI uses AI to spot defects in sewer pipes

June 18, 2024

SewerAI sells cloud-based, AI-powered subscription products designed to streamline field inspections and data management of sewer infrastructure.

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Why artists are becoming less scared of AI

June 18, 2024
This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here. Knock, knock.  Who’s there?  An AI with generic jokes. Researchers from Google DeepMind asked 20 professional comedians to use popular AI language models to write jokes and comedy performances. Their results…

Waabi’s genAI promises to do so much more than power self-driving trucks

June 18, 2024

For the last two decades, Raquel Urtasun, founder and CEO of autonomous trucking startup Waabi, has been developing AI systems that can reason as a human would.  The AI pioneer had previously served as the chief scientist at Uber ATG before launching Waabi in 2021. Waabi launched with an “AI-first approach” to speed up the […]

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Why does AI hallucinate?

June 18, 2024
MIT Technology Review Explains: Let our writers untangle the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what’s coming next. You can read more from the series here. The World Health Organization’s new chatbot launched on April 2 with the best of intentions.  A fresh-faced virtual avatar backed by GPT-3.5, SARAH (Smart AI Resource Assistant…

EV startup Fisker files for bankruptcy

June 18, 2024

Fisker Inc., the EV startup founded by famed designer Henrik Fisker, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection —  a capstone to months of problems with its Ocean SUV that included recalls and dozens of lemon law lawsuits. The California-based company, which filed for bankruptcy in the Delaware Court, had been seeking a deal with another […]

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