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Civil society groups push FTC to sue AI companies over book destruction

Mashable

Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Look Up Say More Mashable Selects Mashable Voices Safety Net Creator Hub Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Switch Off Trending Now In My Bag All Series Deliberately destroying rare books might be the final straw in the eyes of the Federal Trade Commission. Earlier this month, we reported on the disturbing trend of AI companies using physical copies of books to train their agentic AI, in a practice so eerily reminiscent of book burning that it's spooking even devotees of artificial intelligence . Well, according to Axios, the FTC is now being urged to investigate the practice, not, as we might like, for crimes against humanity, but for violations of antitrust law, since every book destroyed is one less book available for competing AI agents to use. SEE ALSO: AI companies keep destroying old books. Axios reports that [m]ore than a dozen civil society groups, including Demand Progress Education Fund, the Consumer Federation of America, and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, are urging the FTC to investigate these practices, particularly those involving rare books.


'Digging the grave of my profession': the Hollywood creatives training AI to do their jobs

The Guardian

'Digging the grave of my profession': the Hollywood creatives training AI to do their jobs H ollywood creatives are taking gig work to train AI models to replicate their skills in a bid to offset tightening earnings in a trend one compared to being "handed a shovel and asked to dig the grave of my profession". Experienced and award-winning writers, directors and producers are being paid from $12 to $200 an hour to teach AI models the intricacies of their jobs, from writing a screenplay to devising a shooting schedule. With feelings ranging from fatalism to guilt, the creatives have signed up with some of the booming training agencies, which have contracts with the biggest AI companies including Anthropic and OpenAI, to pass on hard-won human skills in industries such as finance, health, law and social work. While they wait for entertainment industry work, they give notes on the AI systems' attempts to do the tasks they would hope to be paid for themselves. It comes amid a slump in jobs in the motion picture and sound recording industries, where AI is starting to take roles from actors, editors and special effects artists.


Burnham economic adviser O'Neill rules out government job

BBC News

The economist Lord Jim O'Neill, who has been advising the prime minister, has said he will not be taking a job in Andy Burnham's government. Lord O'Neill, a crossbench peer, was once a treasury minister under the Conservatives. As first reported by, external the Financial Times, he said he did not want the constraints involved in taking on a formal role. The former chief economist at Goldman Sachs had been tipped to become Burnham's chief economic adviser. He said he was enjoying what he was currently doing too much and did not want to have to give up control of his business interests to comply with official rules.


GTA 6 leaks - a nightmare or a blip for the biggest video game of the year?

BBC News

It's been more than 18 months since the last trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 was released. A few weeks ago, developer Rockstar announced it would break its long silence with a special extended look at the highly anticipated video game in a 30-minute special on Netflix. But the run-up to the splashy preview has been potentially overshadowed by a string of apparent leaks which appear to show footage of GTA 6 in action. Rockstar has not publicly acknowledged the clips, nor replied to any requests for comment, since the first leaks appeared on Wednesday. But there's plenty to suggest the material that's been posted online is genuine.


Tesla's Door Handles Lead to Its Biggest Recall Yet

WIRED

Tesla's Door Handles Lead to Its Biggest Recall Yet A Chinese agency says the two recalls affecting some 3 million vehicles can mostly be fixed by over-the-air updates--but they will also require physical warning stickers and camera-related updates. Government regulators have spent the last year asking serious questions about Tesla's electronic, retractable door handles, a cool-looking automotive design flourish that has since been imitated by plenty of competitors. The handles have been blamed, in the US and in China, for making it difficult for passengers to quickly exit vehicles, and for impeding rescue efforts. A handful of crash victims' families have even filed lawsuits against Tesla, alleging the door handle designs played roles in their loved ones' deaths. Now the door handles have led to Tesla's largest recall ever--and China's.


These bookshops let Chinese readers question their country - now the doors are closing

BBC News

When Chen Zhu heads to Hong Kong from mainland China every month, there's one place she always goes: Hunter Bookstore. Founded four years ago by a former councillor, the independent bookshop has earned a reputation for stocking what authorities would consider sensitive books - accounts of Hong Kong's pro-democracy campaigners to famous allegories on authoritarianism, such as George Orwell's Animal Farm or Hajime Isayama's Manga series Attack on Titan. It's a short journey from Zhu's home in Guangzhou on China's southern coast to the crowded street in Hong Kong's Sham Shui Po district, where Hunter is sandwiched between fabric sellers, garages and trendy cafes. But, for the 23-year-old, it is also a passage into a different, freer world - where she can find answers to forbidden questions. When she learned the bookshop had been raided by police in late June, Zhu broke into tears: I was devastated.


GTA 6 makers subpoena Microsoft, Discord, and Github over stolen content

Mashable

Say More Look Up Mashable Selects Mashable Voices Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Safety Net Creator Hub Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Switch Off Trending Now In My Bag All Series GTA 6 makers subpoena Microsoft, Discord, and Github over'stolen content' The filings also confirm what most people have assumed: At least some of the GTA 6 leaks are legitimate. Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men's grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he's also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl. Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., the parent company of Rockstar Games, filed two subpoenas on Aug. 20 in the Southern District Court of New York, as first reported by Kotaku .


Russian double-tap drone strike kills 15 in Ukrainian mall, officials say

BBC News

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. At least 15 people have been killed in a Russian double-tap drone strike on a shopping centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, local officials have said. Another 130 people - including 23 children - were injured in the city's biggest mall. More people are also reported to be trapped in the rubble. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the absolutely cynical and despicable daytime attack in his home town was carried out in two waves, with the second strike targeting emergency workers at the scene.


Oddly etched Neolithic arrowheads baffle archaeologists in Turkey

Popular Science

No two obsidian weapon tips are alike. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. The scratch markings required flint, which was rare in the region. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .


Neck fans might look goofy, but tests show they work surprisingly well

Popular Science

The wearable might just do the trick in stuffy offices. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. The head and neck are particularly susceptible to temperature, despite making up only 5.5 percent of the body's surface. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .