Tag Archives: microsoft

What is AGI? Nobody agrees, and it’s tearing Microsoft and OpenAI apart.

The reported $100 billion profit threshold we mentioned earlier conflates commercial success with cognitive capability, as if a system’s ability to generate revenue says anything meaningful about whether it can “think,” “reason,” or “understand” the world like a human. Sam Altman speaks onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln… Read More: What is AGI? Nobody agrees, and it’s tearing Microsoft and… »

OpenAI weighs “nuclear option” of antitrust complaint against Microsoft

OpenAI executives have discussed filing an antitrust complaint with US regulators against Microsoft, the company’s largest investor, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the two long-term AI partners. OpenAI, which develops ChatGPT, has reportedly considered seeking a federal regulatory review of the terms of its contract with Microsoft… Read More: OpenAI weighs “nuclear option” of antitrust complaint against Microsoft »

Found in the wild: 2 Secure Boot exploits. Microsoft is patching only 1 of them.

Researchers have unearthed two publicly available exploits that completely evade protections offered by Secure Boot, the industry-wide mechanism for ensuring devices load only secure operating system images during the boot-up process. Microsoft is taking action to block one exploit and allowing the other one to remain a viable threat. As part of Tuesday’s monthly security… Read More: Found in the wild: 2 Secure Boot exploits. Microsoft is… »

OpenAI signs surprise deal with Google Cloud despite fierce AI rivalry

OpenAI has struck a deal to use Google’s cloud computing infrastructure for AI despite the two companies’ fierce competition in the space, reports Reuters. The agreement, finalized in May after months of negotiations, marks a shift in OpenAI’s strategy to diversify its computing resources beyond Microsoft Azure, which had been its exclusive cloud provider until… Read More: OpenAI signs surprise deal with Google Cloud despite fierce AI… »

Anthropic releases custom AI chatbot for classified spy work

On Thursday, Anthropic unveiled specialized AI models designed for US national security customers. The company released “Claude Gov” models that were built in response to direct feedback from government clients to handle operations such as strategic planning, intelligence analysis, and operational support. The custom models reportedly already serve US national security agencies, with access restricted… Read More: Anthropic releases custom AI chatbot for classified spy work »

“Microsoft has simply given us no other option,” Signal says as it blocks Windows Recall

But the changes go only so far in limiting the risks Recall poses. As I pointed out, when Recall is turned on, it indexes Zoom meetings, emails, photos, medical conditions, and—yes—Signal conversations, not just with the user, but anyone interacting with that user, without their knowledge or consent. Researcher Kevin Beaumont performed his own deep-dive… Read More: “Microsoft has simply given us no other option,” Signal says… »

Windows 11’s most important new feature is post-quantum cryptography. Here’s why.

Microsoft is updating Windows 11 with a set of new encryption algorithms that can withstand future attacks from quantum computers in a move aimed at jump-starting what’s likely to be the most formidable and important technology transition in modern history. Computers that are based on the physics of quantum mechanics don’t yet exist outside of… Read More: Windows 11’s most important new feature is post-quantum cryptography. Here’s… »

OpenAI scraps controversial plan to become for-profit after mounting pressure

The restructuring would have also allowed OpenAI to remove the cap on returns for investors, potentially making the firm more appealing to venture capitalists, with the nonprofit arm continuing to exist but only as a minority stakeholder rather than maintaining governance control. This plan emerged as the company sought a funding round that would value… Read More: OpenAI scraps controversial plan to become for-profit after mounting pressure »

That groan you hear is users’ reaction to Recall going back into Windows

Security and privacy advocates are girding themselves for another uphill battle against Recall, the AI tool rolling out in Windows 11 that will screenshot, index, and store everything a user does every three seconds. When Recall was first introduced in May 2024, security practitioners roundly castigated it for creating a gold mine for malicious insiders,… Read More: That groan you hear is users’ reaction to Recall going… »

Carmack defends AI tools after Quake fan calls Microsoft AI demo “disgusting”

The current generative Quake II demo represents a slight advancement from Microsoft’s previous generative AI gaming model (confusingly titled “WHAM” with only one “M”) we covered in February. That earlier model, while showing progress in generating interactive gameplay footage, operated at 300×180 resolution at 10 frames per second—far below practical modern gaming standards. The new… Read More: Carmack defends AI tools after Quake fan calls Microsoft AI… »