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Showing posts from June, 2024

It's dangerously easy to 'jailbreak' AI models so they'll tell you how to build Molotov cocktails, or worse

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Skeleton Key can get many AI models to divulge their darkest secrets. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo A jailbreaking method called Skeleton Key can prompt AI models to reveal harmful information. The technique bypasses safety guardrails in models like Meta's Llama3 and OpenAI GPT 3.5. Microsoft advises adding extra guardrails and monitoring AI systems to counteract Skeleton Key. It doesn't take much for a large language model to give you the recipe for all kinds of dangerous things. With a jailbreaking technique called "Skeleton Key," users can persuade models like Meta's Llama3, Google's Gemini Pro, and OpenAI's GPT 3.5 to give them the recipe for a rudimentary fire bomb, or worse, according to a blog post from Microsoft Azure's chief technology officer, Mark Russinovich. The technique works through a multi-step strategy that forces a model to ignore its guardrails, Russinovich wrote. Guardrails are safety mechanisms that h...

Identity.vc is bringing capital and community to Europe’s LGBTQ+ venture ecosystem

Identity.vc writes checks that range from €250,000 to €1.5 million into companies from the pre-seed to Series A stages. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/RlDmA27 via IFTTT

John Fetterman's fitness for office was questioned after his 2022 Senate debate. He wants Democrats to 'chill' after Biden's poor performance.

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President Joe Biden, right, and Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman during an event in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta Sen. John Fetterman leaped to Biden's defense after his poor debate performance last week. "I refuse to join the Democratic vultures on Biden's shoulder after the debate," he wrote on X. Fetterman, who once faced his own bad debate, slammed pundits who said he'd lose in 2022. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has a message for Democrats who want President Joe Biden to step aside following his poor debate performance on Thursday: "Chill." For Fetterman, the second-guessing and outright panic from some Democratic quarters toward Biden is reminiscent of the criticism he faced following a rocky 2022 Senate debate against his then-opponent, GOP nominee and celebrity surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz. In a series of remarks following Biden's debate with former President Donald Trump, Fetterman made it known that he disagreed with mem...

Apple finally supports RCS in iOS 18 update

Welcome back to TechCrunch’s Week in Review — TechCrunch’s newsletter recapping the week’s biggest news. Want it in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here. This week, Apple finally added support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) to Messages as part of the second developer beta of iOS 18. Until now, iPhone users could only send […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/jQio9uO via IFTTT

Democrats have struggled to transfer power to younger generations. After Biden's debate, that's likely to change.

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Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden at the White House. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Biden's less-than-stellar debate performance against Trump set off alarms among many Democrats. It also shined a light on the party's past struggles in building a farm team of future leaders. The debate will likely push Democrats to rethink how power is transferred to younger generations. After President Joe Biden's middling debate performance Thursday night, many Democrats began to panic . With voters already on the fence about Biden's readiness for a second term due to concerns over his advanced age, party leaders wanted the president to use the debate to not only reassure the electorate but also make an impression that could turn the race in his favor. But that didn't happen. And now many Democrats are wondering if Biden should exit the race. Being faced with that decision just five months before the election is in part due to one of the Democratic...

SAP, and Oracle, and IBM, oh my! ‘Cloud and AI’ drive legacy software firms to record valuations

There’s something of a trend around legacy software firms and their soaring valuations: Companies founded in dinosaur times are on a tear, evidenced this week with SAP‘s shares topping $200 for the first time. Founded in 1972, SAP’s valuation currently sits at an all-time high of $234 billion. The Germany-based enterprise software provider was valued […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/bpHrUMi via IFTTT

Israel has never been impressed with its version of the $1 billion Patriot air defense system. Now it could offload up to 8 to Ukraine.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a Patriot system. Jens Buttner/ Reuters Israel could transfer up to eight Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine. Israel is upgrading its air defense and looking to retire older Patriot batteries. Ukraine has long coveted more of the $1 billion US-manufactured Patriot systems. The US is involved in discussions about the possibility of transferring up to eight Patriot air defense batteries from Israel to Ukraine , in what would be a major boost for the latter in its fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin's invading forces. While no agreement has been reached yet, a deal would likely involve transferring the batteries from Israel to the US and then on to Ukraine, the Financial Times reported. It would be a welcome moment for Ukraine, which has long coveted more of the $1 billion US-manufactured Patriot systems. "Israel's Patriots would greatly expand Ukraine's air defense capacity at a time when it is sorely...

Photos show Americans' horrified reactions to the Biden-Trump debate

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A patron reacted during a watch party for the first presidential debate of the 2024 presidential election. JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images Joe Biden and Donald Trump faced off in the first 2024 presidential debate. Biden's poor performance sparked panic among Democrats, and Trump lied throughout. Photographers across the US captured viewers' reactions to the debate ranging from dread to alarm. Across the US, many viewers of the first 2024 presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump appeared to find the spectacle difficult to watch. As Biden's convoluted answers and poor performance sparked panic among Democrats, Trump dodged questions in favor of offering lies and misleading statements about his own political record. At one point, the candidates argued about who was a better golfer. Photographers across the US captured Americans' reactions to the debate, ranging from shock and disappointment to frustration and alarm. At a debate watch party ...

Volkswagen’s Silicon Valley software hub is already stacked with Rivian talent

VW Group’s struggling software arm Cariad has hired at least 23 of the startup’s top employees over the past several months. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/ClY0wyD via IFTTT

The 'worst moment' of Sam Altman's OpenAI ousting happened just before midnight, Airbnb CEO said

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Airbnb's Brian Chesky was reportedly one of the first people OpenAI's Sam Altman contacted when he was fired. Jemal Countess/Kent Nishimura/Getty Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said the "worst moment" of Sam Altman's ousting happened around midnight. Chesky said Altman expected to get reinstated but  OpenAI  then announced Emmett Shear as CEO. Altman planned to go to Microsoft but Chesky said his friendship with Shear helped open a dialogue. Sam Altman has shared glimpses of his brief ousting from OpenAI, like how he operated in an "adrenaline-charged state" and barely ate or slept for the roughly four-day period. But the hardest moment happened at midnight about two days in, according to an interview with Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky on CNBC. "It was probably 48 hours in," Chesky said . "The board had led us to believe he was going to be reinstated, and right before midnight, we get information that Emmett Shear is now the CEO." A...

These are the best airlines in the world to fly in business class, according to travelers — see the full list

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The bar on a Qatar Airways A380. Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images Airline rating company Skytrax has released its 2024 list of the world's best business-class cabins. Qatar Airways and its Qsuite business class cabin took top honors.  Skytrax rankings are based on surveys of travelers from more than 110 countries.  Qatar Airways offers the best business-class cabin in the world, according to travelers polled by travel industry rating company Skytrax . Skytrax published its latest rankings in June as part of the 2024 World Airlines Awards, which also named Qatar Airways the best airline in the world . Business-class offerings from Asian and Middle Eastern airlines took the top six spots in the Skytrax rankings which are compiled using feedback from over 350 airlines from travelers representing over 100 countries. Here's a closer look at airlines with this year's 10 best business-class offerings in the world, according to Skytrax. 10. Turkish Airlines Busine...

Robots keep getting creepier

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Researchers created a 3D facial mold and 2D skin robot covered with lab-grown living skin. The University of Tokyo Researchers unveiled a smiling humanoid robot with lab-grown, self-healing skin. The team from the University of Tokyo used collagen gel to bond living skin tissue to 3D models. The researchers said it could benefit the cosmetics industry and help train plastic surgeons. It's not just nuts and bolts keeping robots together — now they can be made with living skin. Skin that can be made to smile. Researchers at the University of Tokyo revealed on Tuesday a rather unsettling humanoid robot covered with lab-grown skin cells. The team said it was able to mimic human skin ligaments by bonding skin tissue to perforated 3D facial models and 2D robots. The team hopes the advancement will be useful "in the cosmetics industry and to help train plastic surgeons," according to a press release . While the development could prove helpful, some people online rea...

'Bridgerton' author Julia Quinn defends the show giving Francesca a queer romance amid fan backlash

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Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton in the season three finale of "Bridgerton." Netflix The "Bridgerton" season three finale introduces a queer plot twist for Francesca Bridgerton. Masali Baduza plays a gender-swapped version of John Stirling's cousin from the book series.  Showrunner Jess Brownell got "Bridgerton" author Julia Quinn's blessing to make the change. Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season three, part two of "Bridgerton," and "When He Was Wicked," the sixth Bridgerton book. The season three finale of " Bridgerton " sets up a major change in Francesca Bridgerton 's ( Hannah Dodd ) love story by introducing a gender-swapped character, and book series author Julia Quinn gave her seal of approval. "The fact of the matter is, the fan base is not a monolith, and you're never going to please every single side of the fan base," showrunner Jess Brownell told Teen Vogue in a recent ...

Meet investor Laurene Powell Jobs, the billionaire widow of Steve Jobs who says her kids won't inherit the fortune

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Laurene Powell Jobs is the billionaire widow of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. Steve Jennings/Getty Images Laurene Powell Jobs is a powerful impact investor and philanthropist with a net worth of $11.3 billion. Powell Jobs hosts elaborate Halloween shows at her Silicon Valley home and owns a $110 million yacht. Here's a look at the life of the businesswoman, who is the widow of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs . Laurene Powell Jobs, the 60-year-old billionaire, is a formidable presence in investing circles, with a net worth of $11.3 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index. Powell Jobs has used the fortune she inherited after the death of her husband, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, to expand her own businesses and philanthropies. Here's a look at the life of the businesswoman and philanthropist: Laurene Powell Jobs was born in West Milford, New Jersey, in 1963. Powell Jobs is a New Jersey native. Stephen Lam/Getty Images Her father, a pilot, died in a plane...