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Biden Threw the Cyber Gauntlet – Be Careful What You Wish For

In his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Joe Biden claimed to have presented his counterpart with a list of 16 red-line targets, ostensibly the critical infrastructure sectors that are listed on the Department of Homeland Security’s webpage. Such sectors are considered vital to the United States, and any potential incapacitation or…
Potential Future Opportunities, Risks and Mitigation Strategies in the Age of Continuous Crisis

Now more than ever, organizations need to apply rigorous thought to business risks and opportunities. In doing so it is useful to understand the concepts embodied in the terms Black Swan and Gray Rhino. This post examines both and leads to recommended action plans for any organization in government or business who seeks to mitigate…
Chinese Trolls Show That Information Can’t Be Stopped, Nor Should It Be

Beijing has been engaged in a battle for public opinion for several years, aggressively promoting a positive vision of China to counter criticisms for its involvement in human rights violations, intellectual property theft, currency manipulation, its engagement with Taiwan and the South China Sea disputes, and its suspected involvement in the COVID-19 outbreak. In 2017,…
The New Enterprise Architecture Is Zero Trust

Enterprise technologists use the term “Zero Trust” to describe an evolving set of cybersecurity approaches that move defenses from static attempts to block adversaries to more comprehensive measures that improve enterprise performance while improving security. When the approaches of Zero Trust are applied to an enterprise infrastructure and workflows, the cost of security can be…
Sophisticated Cyber Espionage Exploits Russia and No One Says a Word

In mid-May 2021, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB)’s National Coordination Center for Computer Incidentspublished a joint report with Rostelecom-Solar, the cybersecurity arm of Russian telecom company Rostelecom, about a 2020 cyber espionage campaign that targeted Russian government agencies. The publicly-available portion of the report disclosed stealthy cyber operations that targeted key individuals associated with “the…
The Executive’s Guide To Mitigating The Ransomware Threat

This is the second part of our special series on Ransomware. The first provided an update on the nature of the threat, including an anatomy of a modern attack. This post, produced with inputs from real world cybersecurity practitioners Matt Devost, Bob Flores, Junaid Islam and Bob Gourley, provides information for Corporate Board of Directors and…
Ransomware: The Present we Deserve?

The scourge of ransomware is the inevitable result of decades of schizophrenia about our relationship with information technology and security. Treating this problem in the same fashion as we have those that came before it will only prolong our suffering. Clarity, creativity, and will are required if we are to have any hope of a…
Recent Iranian Cyber Attacks Show How Geopolitics Drive Cyber Activity

A recent report has revealed that an Iranian threat actor group dubbed “Agrius” has been operating in Israel since 2020. The group has been linked to cyber espionage activity and has quickly evolved into conducting destructive wiper malware attacks against Israeli targets. What’ more, these attacks have been posing as ransomware attacks in order to…
Ransomware: An update on the nature of the threat

The technology of ransomware has evolved in sophistication and the business models of the criminal groups behind it have as well. The result: The threat from ransomware has reached pandemic proportions. This post provides an executive level overview of the nature of this threat. This post is part of the OODA Cybersecurity Sensemaking series and…
FTC Expectations For Corporate Board Level Oversight of Cybersecurity

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has published expectations for corporate board level oversight of cybersecurity. They advise every member of every board: “Don’t underestimate your role in data security oversight”. This post provides insights for OODA members on what this new guidance may mean for the future of board operations.
Dark Side Reports Closing Shop: What’s the Future for Ransomware Gangs?

The ransomware attack against Colonial Pipeline revealed how disruptive this malware can be when it impacts civilian critical infrastructure. The successful shutdown of 5,500 miles of pipeline created concern among gas-strapped populations and a government wondering if this attack was the work of cyber criminals or a foreign adversary looking for retribution.
President Biden Supports Cease-Fire in Call With Netanyahu

President Biden declared his support for a cease-fire between Israel and Palestine during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel claims to be targeting Hamas locations and a tunnel network used by the terrorist organization via airstrikes, however, the moves have caused rising civilian casualties as well as power outages and resource shortages.…
Civilian Critical Infrastructure Is No Longer a Taboo Target

Several governments including the United States recognize the criticality of protecting critical infrastructure as a national security priority. But there is little headway in determining what, if any, operations against critical infrastructure are acceptable. Without such consensus, nation states are left to their own devices, opting to use sanctions or retaliatory cyber strikes to register…
A CTO’s Perspective on Technology Debt in M&A

One of the critical factors which needs to be evaluated in any technical due diligence is the concept of Technology Debt. This report provides insights into technology debt from the perspective of an enterprise CTO turned due diligence professional. These lessons can help companies preparing for a future transaction to better position themselves for optimal…
Is the FBI Hacking into Private Sector Computers Okay?

In early April 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas granted the Department of Justice the authority to disrupt the exploitation of Microsoft Exchange server vulnerabilities. This authority empowered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to “hack” into private sector computers without having to notify those organizations. The intent was to…

Briefs

Google researchers unveil ‘VLOGGER’, an AI that can bring still photos to life

Google researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence system that can generate lifelike videos of people speaking, gesturing and moving — from just a single still photo. The technology, called VLOGGER, relies on advanced machine learning models to synthesize startlingly realistic footage, opening up a range of potential applications while also raising concerns around deepfakes…
Apple Is in Talks to Let Google Gemini Power iPhone AI Features

Apple Inc. is in talks to build Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence engine into the iPhone, according to people familiar with the situation, setting the stage for a blockbuster agreement that would shake up the AI industry. The two companies are in active negotiations to let Apple license Gemini, Google’s set of generative AI models, to…
Russia’s Putin Hails Victory in Election Criticized as Illegitimate

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cemented his grip on power in a landslide election victory that has been widely criticized as lacking democratic legitimacy. In a post-election news conference, Putin cast the outcome as a vindication of his decision to defy the West and invade Ukraine. Putin’s victory was never in doubt as his critics…
Ukrainian Drones Target Russia on Final Day of Voting, Russian Officials Say

Ukraine fired a volley of exploding drones at Moscow and other targets on the final day of Russia’s presidential vote on Sunday, the local authorities said. The assaults combine strategic goals, diverting Russian troops from the front inside Ukraine and destroying energy infrastructure, with a political objective, namely undermining President Vladimir V. Putin’s long-cultivated image…
EU Announces $8bn Package for Egypt as part of Deal to Check Migration

The European Union has announced a 7.4 billion-euro ($8.06bn) aid package and an upgraded relationship with Egypt, part of a new deal to stem migrant flows to Europe that has been criticized by rights groups. The aid package includes both grants and loans over the next three years, with the EU saying it is upgrading…
North Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles as Blinken Visits Seoul

North Korea fired short-range ballistic missiles towards its eastern waters as United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepared to open a democracy summit in neighboring South Korea, officials have said. The launches come days after the US and South Korea wrapped up 11 days of so-called Freedom Shield joint military drills. North Korea has…
IMF Emails Hacked

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently detected a cybersecurity incident that involved nearly a dozen email accounts getting hacked. The hacked accounts were ‘re-secured’ and there is no indication at this point in the ongoing probe that the attacker gained access beyond these email accounts. It’s unclear what the attackers’ goal was and what type…
Apple’s New AI Move Just Changed The Game For All iPhone Users

Apple has just ramped up its AI plans after buying Canadian startup DarwinAI. Ahead of the iOS 18 launch, which is already earmarked for a number of AI enabled features, Bloomberg describes how DarwinAI makes technology that can “inspect components during the manufacturing process.” Another advantage of DarwinAI that will benefit Apple specifically is the…
Google Chrome Warning Issued For All Windows Users

Google chrome is the default browser for a billion-plus Windows users, almost off of whom also default to Google for their search. This situation appears to irk Microsoft, and the company seemingly can’t understand why all those Windows users don’t also use Microsoft Edge as their browser and Microsoft’s Bing as their search engine. As…
Abu Dhabi in talks to invest in OpenAI chip venture

A new Abu Dhabi investment company is in talks to back OpenAI’s ambitious chip venture, in the latest effort by the United Arab Emirates to become a global powerbroker in the development of artificial intelligence. State-funded MGX is in early stage discussions over a funding deal with OpenAI, according to two people with knowledge of…
Hackers can read private AI-assistant chats even though they’re encrypted

AI assistants have been widely available for a little more than a year, and they already have access to our most private thoughts and business secrets. People ask them about becoming pregnant or terminating or preventing pregnancy, consult them when considering a divorce, seek information about drug addiction, or ask for edits in emails containing…
Mercedes is trialing humanoid robots for ‘low skill, repetitive’ tasks

Mercedes-Benz is the latest automotive company to trial how humanoid robots could be used to automate “low skill, physically challenging, manual labor.” On Friday, robotics company Apptronik announced it had entered into a commercial agreement with Mercedes to pilot how “highly advanced robotics” like Apollo — Apptronik’s 160-pound bipedal robot — can be used in…
Apple Buys Canadian AI Startup as It Races to Add Features

Apple Inc. has acquired Canadian artificial intelligence startup DarwinAI, adding technology to its arsenal ahead of a big push into generative AI in 2024. The iPhone maker purchased the business earlier this year, and dozens of DarwinAI’s employees have joined Apple’s artificial intelligence division, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who asked not…
Microsoft to Release Security AI Product to Help Clients Track Hackers

Microsoft Corp. plans to release artificial intelligence tools on April 1 that will help cybersecurity workers produce summaries of suspicious incidents and ferret out the devious methods hackers use to obscure their intentions. Microsoft unveiled its Copilot for Security about a year ago and has been trialing it with corporate customers ever since. Testers include…
Vessel Struck in Red Sea as Houthis Promise Attacks on More Shipping Lanes

A merchant vessel has been damaged in a missile strike in the Red Sea off Yemen, marine security monitors said. This comes as the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels threatened to expand their attacks on shipping which have disrupted global trade. The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November…
Russia Strengthens Its Internet Controls in Critical Year for Putin

Russia is ratcheting up its internet censorship ahead of elections this weekend that are all but assured to give President Vladimir V. Putin another six years in power. The Russian authorities have intensified a crackdown against digital tools used to get around internet blocks, throttled access to WhatsApp and other communications apps in specific areas…
US Senate Leader Chuck Schumer Calls for New Israel Elections Amid Gaza War

The top legislator in the United States Senate, Chuck Schumer, has offered his most strident criticism of Israel since the war in Gaza began. Schumer has called for Israel to hold elections to replace Netanyahu and said the prime minister had “lost his way” in his pursuit of “political survival”. President Joe Biden and other…
NATO Allies Must do More as Ukraine Runs Out of Ammunition: Stoltenberg

Ukraine is running out of ammunition and NATO members are not doing enough to help Kyiv, said Jens Stoltenberg, the alliance’s secretary-general, . More than two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s military has recently been grappling with significantly reduced weapons supplies from the West. On Tuesday, the US announced a new $300m weapons package…
OpenAI swoops up French and Spanish news partners for AI chatbot training

OpenAI continues to expand its partnerships in the media and entertainment industry with the announcement of new collaborations with French newspaper Le Monde and Spanish media company Prisa Media. On March 13, the ChatGPT developer revealed the partnerships, saying it would help bring news content in French and Spanish to deliver “real-time, authoritative information to…
The World’s First Major AI Law Has Arrived. What the EU’s Rules Mean for Big Tech

The world’s first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence has been finalized. European Union lawmakers on Wednesday approved the bloc’s AI Act, which is likely to shape the approach of U.S. technology companies. As whole, the legislation aims to protect European citizens’ rights from certain applications of AI and bring stricter oversight to the technology…
China hits out at US push to ban TikTok as Steven Mnuchin plots bid

Beijing has hit out at US legislation to ban TikTok as former Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said he was assembling a consortium to buy the app from its Chinese owner. Foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Thursday that the US had shown a “robber’s logic” towards the app, which has 170mn users in America.…
ABB Opens Revamped Robotics Center in Michigan Amid Growing Demand for AI Robots

ABB, a Zurich-based automation technology provider, Wednesday opened a $20 million expansion to its U.S. robotics headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich. The move comes as demand for automation grows not just in traditional industries like logistics and manufacturing, but also new ones, such as construction and healthcare. Advancements in the software side through artificial intelligence are…
How work devices may evolve to keep up in the AI era

The emergence of the neural processing unit (NPU) may be heralded as a game changer for personal computers (PCs), but finding the right balance in product design remains critical to deliver what consumers want. Growing workplace demand for artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including generative AI (GenAI), has prompted industry players such as chipmakers and device manufacturers…
Putin warns the West: Russia is ready for nuclear war

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that from a technical standpoint, Russia is ready for nuclear war. Continuing, he stated that if the U.S. sent troops to Ukraine it would be considered a significant escalation of the conflict. Putin added that he saw no need for the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Furthermore,…
Plan to install new leaders in Haiti appears to crumble after political parties reject it

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, a 74-year-old neurosurgeon resigned. The resignation was met with both celebration and uncertainty as the future of Haiti’s leadership hangs in the balance. The next elections to find Henry’s replacement are going to be the first since 2016. A proposal on Wednesday to install a new…
LockBit Ransomware Affiliate Sentenced to Prison in Canada

Mikhail Vasiliev, a Russian-Canadian national was sentenced to about four years to Canadian prison with the possibility of additional U.S. charges following his participation in the LockBit ransomware operation. Vasiliev, a 34-year-old was arrested in Bradford, Ontario in October 2022. This past February, Vasiliev pleaded guilty to both stealing computer data and holding the data…
Stanford University Data Breach Impacts 27,000 Individuals

Standford University has begun the process of notifying around 27,000 individuals of a data breach wherein personal information was stolen. The breach came as a result of a ransomware attack on the university’s Department of Public Safety (DPS). The ransomware attack was initially discovered on September 27, 2023. However, the attackers had access to the…
North Korea’s Kim ‘drives’ new tank during mock battle

On Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided a military demonstration with a new battle tank according to state media KCNA. This military exercise is the latest show of force as both South Korea and the US recently concluded joint drills. According to the KCNA, Kim had “great satisfaction” over the first performance of…
Vietnam urges respect of international law as China draws Gulf of Tonkin baseline

On Thursday, Vietnam’s foreign ministry stated that both international law and the rights of other countries must be respected. This comment comes in response to a question regarding China’s demarcation of a baseline in the Gulf of Tonkin. Earlier this month, China’s government delineated the baseline located in the Gulf of Tonkin. China stated its…
Kubernetes Vulnerability Allows Remote Code Execution on Windows Endpoints

An attacker can exploit a high-severity Kubernetes vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on Windows endpoints. This vulnerability impacts default Kubernetes installations and has been found in the processing of YAML files by the open-source container orchestration system. This process is used for almost every function. This vulnerability was witnessed during the creation of a pod…
Government Launches Probe Into Change Healthcare Data Breach

The US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is currently launching an investigation to determine whether confidential health information has been compromised. Following the recent Change Healthcare data breach on February 21, 7,000 pharmacies and hospitals were unable to process prescriptions. As a result of a ransomware attack, Change Healthcare’s…
AI startup Cerebras unveils the WSE-3, the largest chip yet for generative AI

The race for ever-larger generative artificial intelligence models continues to fuel the chip industry. On Wednesday, Cerebras Systems, one of Nvidia’s most prominent competitors, unveiled the “Wafer Scale Engine 3,” the third generation of its AI chip and the world’s largest semiconductor. Cerebras released the WSE-2 in April 2021. Its successor, the WSE-3, is designed…
Ethereum Network Finishes Cost-Cutting ‘Dencun’ Software Upgrade

Ethereum has successfully completed a major software upgrade that should make using the blockchain network ecosystem cheaper. Referred by developers as Dencun, the update lowers expenses for so-called Layer 2 networks — dozens of chains like Arbitrum, Polygon and Coinbase Global Inc.’s Base that link to Ethereum. A transaction that used to cost $1 can…
Physical Intelligence Is Building a Brain for Robots

Since the earliest sci-fi books and films, computers imbued with artificial intelligence have almost always been accompanied by equally clever moving machines, like androids and other robots. Over the past 15 years or so, however, AI systems that work entirely in software have grown far more sophisticated than their moving counterparts. Robots can build cars…
OpenAI Made AI Videos for Us. These Clips Are Good Enough to Freak Us Out.

Welcome to the next “holy cow” moment in AI, where your words transform into smooth, highly realistic, detailed video. So long, reality! Thanks for all the good times. OpenAI won’t publicly release Sora, its new text-to-video tool, until later this year. Still, it’s already showing us how easy it could be to replace many people…
World’s Most Extensive AI Rules Approved in EU Despite Criticism

The European Union is on the verge of enacting the most comprehensive guardrails on the fast-developing world of artificial intelligence. The bloc’s parliament will vote Wednesday on the AI Act, a landmark set of rules that, in the absence of any legislation from the US, could set the tone for how AI is governed in…
Pirates seize control of cargo ship near Somalia, say owners

Pirates have seized the MV Abdullah, a Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier, off the coast of Somalia, taking its 23-member crew hostage. The vessel, owned by Kabir Steel Re-Rolling Mills, was en route from Maputo, Mozambique, to the United Arab Emirates with a cargo of 55,000 tonnes of coal when it was attacked. Approximately 15-20 Somali pirates…
Nordic tensions on the rise amid Russian anger over NATO accessions

Tensions with Russia are escalating in the Nordic region following Sweden and Norway’s accession to NATO. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo warned of Russia’s preparation for a prolonged conflict with the West and emphasized the need for increased European defense spending and coordination. Orpo urged the EU to bolster defense capabilities independently of US election…
Leonid Volkov: Navalny ally blames Putin henchmen for attack in Lithuania

Leonid Volkov, a close associate of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was attacked outside his home in Lithuania, sustaining injuries including a broken arm and hammer blows to his leg. Lithuanian intelligence suspects Russian involvement in the attack, which Volkov attributes to Vladimir Putin’s regime. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda condemned the assault, expressing…
Nigerian Islamic police in Kano arrest non-fasting Muslims during Ramadan

In Nigeria’s northern state of Kano, 11 Muslims were apprehended by the Islamic police, known as Hisbah, for eating during daylight hours in violation of the Ramadan fast. Kano, with a predominantly Muslim population, operates under both Islamic Sharia law and secular law. Hisbah conducts routine searches of eateries and markets during Ramadan. The individuals,…
Nozomi Networks Raises $100 Million to Expand Industrial Cybersecurity Business

Nozomi Networks, an industrial and IoT cybersecurity firm, has secured a substantial $100 million Series E funding round, raising its total funding to over $250 million. Mitsubishi Electric and Schneider Electric are among the investors, joining previous backers such as Honeywell and Johnson Controls. The influx of funds will support product development efforts and global…
ChatGPT Plugin Vulnerabilities Exposed Data, Accounts

Salt Security has revealed vulnerabilities in ChatGPT plugins that could have led to data breaches and account takeovers on third-party websites. These plugins, designed to provide updated information and integrate with services like GitHub and Google Drive, required permissions to send user data and access accounts. The vulnerabilities included an OAuth authentication flaw in ChatGPT…
White House Budget Proposal Seeks Cybersecurity Funding Boost

The White House has unveiled a $7.3 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2025, with a significant focus on increasing cybersecurity spending. The plan allocates $13 billion in cybersecurity funding across civilian departments and agencies, including a $3 billion budget for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), representing a $103 million increase. This funding…
Healthcare’s Ransomware Epidemic: Why Cyberattacks Hit the Medical Sector With Alarming Frequency

The healthcare industry remains a prime target for ransomware attacks due to its critical nature, extensive use of IT and OT, and low tolerance for disruptions, as highlighted in Claroty/Team82’s State of CPS Security – Healthcare 2023 report. With phishing and BEC campaigns increasingly targeting healthcare organizations, vulnerabilities in their IT environments are exploited, posing…
Deepgram’s Aura gives AI agents a voice

Deepgram has made a name for itself as one of the go-to startups for voice recognition. Today, the well-funded company announced the launch of Aura, its new real-time text-to-speech API. Aura combines highly realistic voice models with a low-latency API to allow developers to build real-time, conversational AI agents. Backed by large language models (LLMs),…
Artificial Intelligence to run world’s largest high-speed rail network in China

Engineers involved in China’s high-speed rail network have reported significant advancements in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, according to a recent peer-reviewed paper published in the academic journal China Railway. The AI system, located in Beijing, is actively processing extensive real-time data from across the country’s 45,000km (28,000-mile) high-speed rail network. This system…
5 AI Predictions For The Year 2030

Making predictions for the year ahead is difficult enough. What if we tried to predict the future not one year out, but half a decade out? The further into the future we attempt to peer, the hazier things look and the more speculative our thinking must become. If one thing is certain in technology, it…
How the A.I. That Drives ChatGPT Will Move Into the Physical World

Companies like OpenAI and Midjourney build chatbots, image generators and other artificial intelligence tools that operate in the digital world. Now, a start-up founded by three former OpenAI researchers is using the technology development methods behind chatbots to build A.I. technology that can navigate the physical world. Covariant, a robotics company headquartered in Emeryville, Calif.,…
Gold-Medalist Coders Build an AI That Can Do Their Job for Them

A new installment of Silicon Valley’s most exciting game, Are We in a Bubble?!, has begun. This time around the game’s premise hinges on whether artificial intelligence technology is poised to change the world as the consumer internet did—or even more dramatically—or peter out and leave us with some advances but not a new global…
Anti-Fraud Project Boosts Security of African, Asian Financial Systems

A nonprofit has launched the first open source platform to deliver anti-fraud capabilities to financial systems in Africa and parts of Asia and the Middle East. The Tazama open source project is a real-time financial transaction monitoring software that can be used to detect and block fraudulent transactions and protect consumer accounts. Large financial firms…
Japan Blames North Korea for PyPI Supply Chain Cyberattack

Japanese cybersecurity officials warned that the Lazarus Group hacking team, infamous from North Korea, recently carried out a supply chain attack on the PyPI software repository for Python apps. Threat actors uploaded tainted packages with names similar to the legitimate “pycrypto” encryption toolkit for Python. Developers who downloaded the nefarious packages are infected with a…
First aid ship to Gaza sets off from Cyprus

A ship carrying almost 200 tons of food is heading to Gaza after departing a port in Cyprus early on Tuesday. This ship is functioning in a pilot project to open a new sea route of aid to the population in Gaza on the edge of famine. The charity ship Open Arms sailed out of…
European Commission to recommend EU accession talks with Bosnia

The European Commission will recommend that the European Union open accession talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The EU’s executive arm will ask member states to open negotiations with Sarajevo, despite lingering ethnic divisions in the Western Balkan country. Bosnia is among six Western Balkan nations that are at different stages of the EU accession process.…
Ukrainian drones and missiles strike Russian oil refineries

Ukraine has completed drone and missile strikes against Russia, igniting two oil refineries in the process. The attacks occurred overnight and some of them reached deep into Russian territory. The strikes hit refineries in towns hundreds of miles apart in the Oryol and Nizhny Novgorod regions. No casualties were reported. Ukraine and Russia have both…
Why Walmart’s quick success in generative AI search should have Google worried

Planning purchases for a special occasion like recent Super Bowl parties or Valentine’s Day celebrations might typically require consulting more than one online source — or the primary source of Google — but if Walmart has its way, that is going to change in the future. Walmart is talking up its ability to use generative AI…
Brevian is a no-code enterprise platform for building AI agents

Sunnyvale-based Brevian wants to make it easier for business users to build custom AI agents. Currently, the company is focused on support teams and security analysts — areas where both the use cases and training sets are well defined — but plans to expand to other areas over time. Brevian is coming out of stealth…
Elon Musk takes another swing at OpenAI, makes xAI’s Grok chatbot open-source

Elon Musk said on Monday his artificial intelligence startup xAI would open-source its ChatGPT challenger “Grok” this week, days after he sued OpenAI for abandoning its original mission in favor of a for-profit model. The billionaire has warned on several occasions against the use of technology for profit by big technology companies such as Google.…
Sam Altman rejoins OpenAI board of directors as investigation into his ouster comes to a close

OpenAI on Friday announced its new board and the wrap-up of an internal investigation by U.S. law firm WilmerHale into the events leading up to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s ouster. Sam Altman will also rejoin OpenAI’s board. The new board members are: Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, who is also on…
Covariant is building ChatGPT for robots

Covariant this week announced the launch of RFM-1 (Robotics Foundation Model 1). Peter Chen, the cofounder and CEO of the U.C. Berkeley artificial intelligence spinout tells TechCrunch the platform, “is basically a large language model (LLM), but for robot language.” RFM-1 is the result of, among other things, a massive trove of data collected from the…
U.S. Must Move ‘Decisively’ to Avert ‘Extinction-Level’ Threat From AI, Government-Commissioned Report Says

The U.S. government must move “quickly and decisively” to avert substantial national security risks stemming from artificial intelligence (AI) which could, in the worst case, cause an “extinction-level threat to the human species,” says a report commissioned by the U.S. government published on Monday. “Current frontier AI development poses urgent and growing risks to national security,”…