Build AI, Get Sued
**TechLinked Article: A Comprehensive Look at Recent Developments in Technology**
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### FTC Investigates OpenAI Over Potential Consumer Harm
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has opened an investigation into OpenAI regarding potential consumer harm. This comes amid concerns about the company's large language model development and training practices, as well as its data security measures. The FTC sent a 20-page letter to OpenAI requesting documents related to these issues.
Among the key points of interest for the FTC are March's chat CPT bug, which exposed users' chat and payment information, and how OpenAI refines its models to prevent ChatGPT from hallucinating or making up facts. Additionally, the investigation will explore whether Sam Altman may have raised his popular AI on private information.
It’s worth noting that OpenAI isn't the only company facing legal trouble for data collection. A class action lawsuit has been filed against Google, accusing them of stealing data to train their chatbot, Bard. This lawsuit was filed by the same law firm that previously sued OpenAI. The new lawsuit claims Google has secretly stolen everything ever created and shared on the Internet by Americans, calling it the most brazen American theft since Nick Cage saw the Declaration of Independence.
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### LG Electronics Introduces Subscription-Based Home Appliances
LG Electronics is making waves in the家电 industry with its new subscription-based "home as a service" platform for appliances. The company aims to offer seasonal DLCs (downloadable content) for dishwashers, AI assistants for ovens, and unlockable premium content for fridges.
The motivation behind this shift is purely financial. LG recognizes that the average household can afford to buy at most one $4,000 premium smart fridge every decade. Instead of relying on occasional sales, LG wants customers to pay them forever through subscriptions. The company has set a goal to increase its annual income from $51 billion to $78 billion over the next six and a half years—a 53% increase—through these subscription models.
To achieve this ambitious target, LG plans to invest $39.5 billion in research and development. While it's unclear if the math adds up, it’s notable that LG had its highest revenue last year, with executives eager for more growth.
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### Perseverance Rover Discovers Organic Matter on Mars
In a significant discovery, the Perseverance Rover has found signs of organic matter on Mars. According to a study published in *Nature*, organic matter refers to molecules containing carbon bonded to hydrogen or other atoms. While this is not evidence of past life (as everyone knows Martians left years ago under orders from Bigfoot), it does hint at the building blocks of life.
The discovery was made using an instrument on the Rover called Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals, or Sherlock. Researchers analyzed 10 locations in the massive Jezreel crater and found organic compounds at all 10 sites.
To determine the origin of these compounds and whether they indicate that Mars once sustained life, samples need to be brought back to Earth via a Mars return mission. However, this may be challenging due to budget cuts by the U.S. Senate, which slashed funds for the mission due to ballooning costs.
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### Quick Bits from Samsung and Asus
Quick bits are like little forehead kisses your mom used to give you—except now you're grown up and receiving them from a large, bearded man. But let’s get back to tech news.
Samsung is gearing up for its Galaxy Unpacked event on July 26, where we can expect the next-gen Galaxy phones, laptops, and smartwatches. The excitement is real, especially since Samsung might finally unveil that smart can opener we've all been waiting for.
Meanwhile, Asus has confirmed that its Rog Ally SD card reader can malfunction under certain thermal stress conditions. This issue has gained attention due to the popularity of handheld PCs. Fortunately, Asus plans to release an update to mitigate the problem, though it may come with the side effect of increased fan noise—something only good if you're a live band and not a person.
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### Google Launches Public Testing of Notebook LM
Google has launched public testing of its Notebook LM, previously known as Project Tailwind. The AI assistant is designed to work with your own documents, such as helping med students upload Neuroscience articles and create glossaries of key terms related to dopamine.
Currently, Notebook LM is available only for Google Docs and in the U.S., as if the rest of the world has sealed America behind an airtight glass dome. If you're outside the U.S., tough luck—you won't be able to see your girlfriend who lives in Canada that you totally made up.
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### IEEE Releases New Standard for Light-Based Communication: Li-Fi
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has released a new standard for light-based communication networks, known as li-fi. Unlike Wi-Fi, which relies on radio waves, li-fi uses photons—essentially the same technology behind those stylish laser pointers.
While the idea of li-fi has been around for years, it could potentially increase data transfer speeds up to 100 times faster than existing Wi-Fi. However, implementation has proven challenging due to technical hurdles. Hopefully, one day our children will be able to blind pilots with a single laser carrying an AI-upscaled 4K 14GB copy of *Star Wars: The Holiday Special.*
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### Tiny Build’s Ethical Dilemma: Using AI to Monitor Employees
The CEO of Tiny Build, the studio behind *Hello Neighbor*, has raised eyebrows by suggesting that his company might use AI to monitor employees for burnout. At a conference, he described how Tiny Build uses AI to identify workers who use the words "I" and "me" too often and talk a lot in meetings—leading to termination.
While this idea was met with skepticism and even criticism for being "bizarrely Black Mirror-like," the CEO later clarified that it was all hypothetical. So, employees can breathe a sigh of relief—or at least until the next staff meeting where they might be monitored for their use of first-person pronouns.
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### Ubisoft Collaborates with Haptic Skin Suit Maker for Assassin’s Creed
Ubisoft has announced a collaboration with a haptic skin suit maker for *Assassin's Creed Mirage*. The product page promises that users will "be Basim," the game's protagonist, through a library of simulated sensations. These include light abdominal wounds, severe abdominal wounds, and being shot—complete with an exit wound.
While this might sound like the most brutal video game experience ever, it begs the question: Why simulate injuries when you could instead feel a pat on the back or hear your dad say he's proud of you? Ubisoft has yet to comment on whether milk is included in the package.
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### Closing Remarks
Jacob Rush wraps up the episode with his usual blend of humor and commentary. He jokes about not being less proud of us when we disappoint him, but assures viewers that he will always remain tech-obsessed and eager for more updates.
So there you have it—a roundup of all the latest tech news from Jacob Rush and *TechLinked*. Whether it's AI investigations, subscription-based fridges, or haptic gaming suits, the world of technology keeps getting more... interesting. Stay tuned for next week’s episode—because if Bigfoot hasn’t infiltrated the U.S. Senate yet, he probably will by then.
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*End of Article*