The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has moved to block Microsoft's takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard, citing concerns that the deal would thwart competition by denying rivals access to popular gaming content. Microsoft, which owns the Xbox video game console system, said in January 2022 that it would buy Activision for $68.7bn, which would make it the biggest gaming industry deal in history. Activision is the maker of popular games including Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. The FTC voted 3-1 on Thursday to issue its complaint after a closed-door meeting, with the three Democratic commissioners voting in favor and the sole Republican voting against. The US agency, which enforces consumer protection and antitrust laws, said the merger could suppress competitors to its Xbox game consoles and its growing games subscription business.

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published a report on Thursday (8 December) dissecting how biases develop in algorithms apply to predictive policing and content moderation models. The research concludes by calling on EU policymakers to ensure that these AI applications are tested for biases that could lead to discrimination. This study comes as the proposal on the Artificial Intelligence Act makes its way through the legislative process, with the European Parliament particularly considering the introduction of a fundamental rights impact assessment for AI systems at high risk of causing harm. "Well-developed and tested algorithms can bring a lot of improvements. But without appropriate checks, developers and users run a high risk of negatively impacting people's lives," said FRA's director Michael O'Flaherty.

The Federal Trade Commission said Thursday it is suing to block Microsoft's planned $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard, saying it could suppress competitors to its Xbox game consoles and its growing games subscription business. The FTC voted 3-1 to issue the complaint after a closed-door meeting, with the three Democratic commissioners voting in favor and the sole Republican voting against. A fifth seat on the panel is vacant after another Republican left earlier this year. The FTC's complaint points to Microsoft's previous game acquisitions, especially of well-known developer Bethesda Softworks and its parent company ZeniMax, as an example of where Microsoft made some popular game titles exclusive despite assuring European regulators it had no intention to do so. "Microsoft has already shown that it can and will withhold content from its gaming rivals," said a prepared statement from Holly Vedova, director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition.

The Federal Trade Commission said it is suing to block Microsoft's planned $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard, saying it could suppress competitors to Microsoft's Xbox game consoles and its growing games subscription business. The Federal Trade Commission said it is suing to block Microsoft's planned $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard, saying it could suppress competitors to Microsoft's Xbox game consoles and its growing games subscription business. The Federal Trade Commission said Thursday it is suing to block Microsoft's planned $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard, saying it could suppress competitors to its Xbox game consoles and its growing games subscription business. The FTC voted 3-1 to issue the complaint after a closed-door meeting, with the three Democratic commissioners voting in favor and the sole Republican voting against. A fifth seat on the panel is vacant after another Republican left earlier this year.

The Federal Trade Commission has filed an antitrust lawsuit in a bid to block Microsoft's planned $68.7 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard. The FTC started looking into the deal and its potential impact on the video game market soon after it was announced in January. Evidently, the agency was concerned enough to pump the brakes on the buyout. The FTC said that, were the deal to go through, it "would enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business." The FTC's commissioners voted in favor of the lawsuit along party lines, with the three Democratic members approving it.

Ultromics has secured clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its artificial intelligence (AI)-based echocardiography software for the detection of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). EchoGo Heart Failure uses AI to identify HFpEF from a single echocardiogram image, according to the firm. The clearance come just weeks after Ultromics joined the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Accelerating Medicines Partnership Heart Failure program, which is a collaboration between the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the FDA, the American Heart Association, the American Society of Echocardiography, and industry, the company said.

The Kremlin said Thursday that the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula was vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks after officials said they had shot down a drone near a key naval base. The latest drone attack comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin recently visited the only bridge connecting Crimea with the Russian mainland to survey work to repair the key artery damaged in a blast Moscow blamed on Kiyv. "There are certainly risks because the Ukrainian side continues its policy of organising terrorist attacks. But, on the other hand, information we get indicates that effective countermeasures are being taken," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. The Moscow-appointed governor of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov said last month that Russia was strengthening fortifications on the peninsula in the wake of recent attacks.

Supervisors in San Francisco voted Tuesday to give city police the ability to use potentially lethal, remote-controlled robots in emergency situations -- following an emotionally charged debate that reflected divisions on the politically liberal board over support for law enforcement. The vote was 8-3, with the majority agreeing to grant police the option despite strong objections from civil liberties and other police oversight groups. Opponents said the authority would lead to the further militarization of a police force already too aggressive with poor and minority communities. Supervisor Connie Chan, a member of the committee that forwarded the proposal to the full board, said she understood concerns over use of force but that "according to state law, we are required to approve the use of these equipments. So here we are, and it's definitely not a easy discussion."

To support delivery of the Roadmap to an effective AI assurance ecosystem published in December 2021, the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) launched its AI Assurance Programme. In its first year, the programme has focused on gaining a better understanding of current levels of industry engagement with AI assurance, to best focus the CDEI's work to ensure that we have the highest potential for impact. To achieve this, the CDEI has facilitated a series of events with stakeholders; this report summarises key findings from these activities. It identifies industry barriers and enablers to engage with AI assurance, and goes on to identify potential practical interventions to support increased uptake and adoption of AI assurance techniques and standards. The report also examines in more detail three sectors with a breadth of risks that are introduced by increased AI adoption.

Tesla plans to add a new radar product to its vehicles in mid-January, according to documents posted with the Federal Communications Commission. The disclosure, which was first reported by Electrek, comes as the company faces scrutiny over the safety and capabilities of its standard advanced driver assistance system known as Autopilot and the $15,000 optional upgraded product branded as "Full Self-Driving." Tesla FSD beta software offers some automated driving features but is not a self-driving system. The luxury EV-maker has long claimed it could reach full autonomy through a "vision only" approach that shuns other sensors like lidar and radar in favor of cameras and a deep neural network that quickly processes a vehicle's surroundings and responds in real time. Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously promised to "solve" full self-driving by the end of this year (he's also promised Tesla would get there every year for roughly nine years now).