New York City bans ChatGPT, Amazon lays off 18,000 workers and Chinese researchers find a way to break online encryption with quantum computers.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Friday, January 6th, and I am your host, Ashee Pamma.
According to a report by Vice, the New York City education department has banned access to machine learning chatbot, ChatGPT on school networks and devices, due to concerns about negative impacts on students’ learning. However, individual schools can request access to ChatGPT for studying AI or technology-related education. A spokesperson also said that while ChatGPT may provide quick and easy answers to questions, it does not provide critical thinking or problem solving skills. Concerns have also been raised about the safety and accuracy of the content as well as risks of AI plagiarism.
Source: Vice
Amazon is laying off 18,000 workers, which is more than what was initially expected and the largest cut the company ever made, Business Insider reported.The divisions said to be affected are Amazon Stores and People Experience and Technology Solutions. CEO Andy Jassy cited as reasons for the layoffs, uncertain economic conditions and rapid hiring over the last several years. The company announced late last year to lay off 10,000 workers but that number has since grown, and according to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Amazon will make the rest of the cuts in the coming week. It is the largest group of layoffs at a major tech company in recent months, according to the Journal.
Source: Business Insider
According to a report by Financial Times, Chinese researchers claim to find a way to break online encryption with quantum computing, years before the technology was expected to pose a threat. According to the claims from 24 researchers from a number of academic bodies and state laboratories, the method could be used to break the RSA algorithm that underpins most online encryption using a quantum machine with only 372 quantum bits. Other experts, as quoted by the Financial Times said that while the theory outlined in the research paper appeared sound, trying to apply it in practice could well be beyond the reach of today’s quantum technology.
Source: Financial Times
New York’s Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) said, in a settlement that required Coinbase to strengthen its security, that the cryptocurrency exchange platform is vulnerable to money laundering, drug trafficking and fraud. Financial regulators added that Coinbase did a poor job at screening new customers and examining transactions on the exchange to ensure they comply with state banking, cybersecurity and other rules.Under the settlement, the company will pay a $50 million penalty and agreed to spend another $50 million over the next two years to address shortcomings identified by the agency, CBS News reported.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, I’m Ashee Pamma.
