Archive for the 'Rise of the Machines' Category
Sam Altman Looking to Back Neuralink Rival
August 13th, 2025Via: TechCrunch: Sam Altman is in the process of co-founding a new brain-to-computer interface startup called Merge Labs and raising funds for it with the capital possibly coming largely from OpenAI’s ventures team, unnamed sources told the Financial Times. The startup is expected to be valued at $850 million. A source familiar with the deal […]
“Providing ChatGPT to the Entire U.S. Federal Workforce” for $1 for a Year
August 6th, 2025Try to imagine the insights into U.S. Government operations that OpenAI will gain from doing this… Also, by interacting with these systems, I wonder if the workers will inadvertently be training AI agents that will replace them? Before you cheer for fewer government workers, consider that fact that AI hallucinations are getting worse, not better: […]
New Zealand to Charge Drivers of All Vehicles by Distance Driven
August 6th, 2025They are not saying precisely how this will be enforced, but my guess is that some sort of black box with GPS tracking will be required to be added to most vehicles. Via: Radio New Zealand: “We’re not going to shift millions of drivers from a simple system at the pump to queues at retailers. […]
Mexico Mandates Biometric Digital ID by 2026
August 4th, 2025It’s coming very fast now. Via: Reclaim the Net: Mexico has formally mandated the use of a new biometric-based digital ID system, making compulsory a previously voluntary identification mechanism known as the Unique Population Registry Code, or CURP. Under the new law, CURP IDs will now incorporate detailed personal biometric records, including fingerprints, iris scans, […]
AI Is Doing Job Interviews Now
August 4th, 2025Via: Fortune: AI is replacing human hiring managers in job interviews—and candidates are pushing back. Despite being unemployed, professionals told Fortune they’re refusing to take calls with bots, calling it an “added indignity” and a red flag for company culture. Still, stretched-thin HR teams say it’s the only way to handle thousands of applicants.
Redwood Materials Repurposes Used EV Batteries for Fixed Energy Storage
August 3rd, 2025Redwood Materials is acquiring old EV battery packs that have years of useful life remaining when they are repurposed as fixed energy storage. The number of these packs is growing exponentially. Notice the wide spacing and white wrap. That’s an attempt to keep the whole place from going up in case an individual pack experiences […]
Companies Offering Top AI Researchers Hundreds of Millions of Dollars
August 3rd, 2025Via: Ars Technica: Silicon Valley’s AI talent war just reached a compensation milestone that makes even the most legendary scientific achievements of the past look financially modest. When Meta recently offered AI researcher Matt Deitke $250 million over four years (an average of $62.5 million per year)—with potentially $100 million in the first year alone—it […]
Palantir Gets $10 Billion U.S. Army Contract
August 2nd, 2025Via: The Register: There are no official criteria for what constitutes membership in the upper echelon of the US military industrial complex, but a $10 billion deal that consolidates dozens of contracts under a single blanket purchase agreement sure makes it seem like Palantir has earned entry. The US Army announced on Thursday that, rather […]
U.S. Navy Demonstrates Multi-Day Solar UAS Flight
August 1st, 2025Via: U.S. Navy: The Navy, in partnership with Skydweller Aero, recently achieved continuous solar-powered unmanned flight during a nonstop three-day test from Stennis, Mississippi. Led by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), the test of Skydweller UAS marks a significant advancement in both long-endurance solar-powered UAS technology and its potential to enhance maritime […]
President Donald Warp Speed Trump Announces ‘Digital Health Ecosystem,’ Working with Amazon, Apple, Google and OpenAI
July 30th, 2025“Are you in?” MORE- "Are you in?!" pic.twitter.com/6MO49mwi4h — Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) July 30, 2025 Via: DailyMail: President Donald Trump is being criticized for a plan that would have Americans share their personal health data with private tech companies. In the East Room on Wednesday, Trump hosted a ‘Making Health Technology Great Again’ event that unveiled […]
