The Israeli spyware maker NSO Group has been on the US Department of Commerce "blacklist" since 2021 over its business of selling targeted hacking tools. But a WIRED investigation has found that the company now appears to be working to stage a comeback in Trump's America, hiring a lobbying firm with the ties to the administration to make its case. As the White House continues its massive gutting of the United States federal government, remote and hybrid workers have been forced back to the office in a poorly coordinated effort that has left critical employees without necessary resources--even reliable Wi-Fi. And Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) held a "hackathon" in Washington, DC, this week to work on developing a "mega API" that could act as a bridge between software systems for accessing and sharing IRS data more easily. Meanwhile, new research this week indicates that misconfigured sexual fantasy-focused AI chatbots are leaking users' chats on the open internet--revealing explicit prompts and conversations that in some cases include descriptions of child sexual abuse.

The CEO of ID.me, a service used by dozens of states to verify unemployment benefits claimants as well as several federal agencies, has walked back previous claims that the company does not use a more powerful method of facial recognition. Founder and CEO @Blake_Hall issues an important statement around "1 to Many" check on selfies to combat identity theft. To learn more about the example of Eric Jaklitsch of New Jersey referenced in the statement below, visit: https://t.co/OLQX1gAhYL "ID.me uses a specific '1 to Many' check on selfies tied to government programs targeted by organized crime to prevent prolific identity thieves and members of organized crime from stealing the identities of innocent victims en masse," Blake Hall said in a statement. "This step is internal to ID.me and does not involve any external or government database."

You're probably familiar with the oft-quoted statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations by now: Globally, about one-third of food is lost or wasted each year from the farm to the refrigerator, representing about 1.3 billion tons. The economic price tag is estimated at nearly $1 trillion annually. The refrain from the FAO goes even further: If we could reverse this trend, we would have enough food to feed the world's undernourished population, as well as help meet the nutritional needs of a planet estimated to reach nearly 10 billion people by 2050. Technology has long been helping to hack world hunger. These days most conversations about tech's impact on any sector of the economy inevitably involves artificial intelligence--sophisticated software that allows machines to make decisions and even predictions in ways similar to humans.

The EksoVest supports the wearer's arms during lifting. Millions of people Suffer from the effects of spinal cord injuries and strokes that have left them paralyzed. Millions more suffer from back pain, which makes movement painful. Exoskeletons are helping the paralyzed to walk again, enabling soldiers to carry heavy loads, and workers to lift heavy objects with greater ease. An exoskeleton is a mechanical device or soft material worn by a patient/operator, whose structure mirrors the skeletal structure of the operator's limbs (joints, muscles, etc.).

Earlier this year Microsoft announced it would integrate artificial intelligence-based productivity features into Excel. It was an exciting development for many users of the spreadsheet as it promised to make several tasks easier and more intuitive. Other users have noted how these promised features -- which are still in beta --could deliver far more productivity if Microsoft continues down the same path of improvement. One suggestion touched on a conundrum that productivity tools will face as they increasingly integrate with AI. Mark Sami, VP of Microsoft and Cloud Solutions at business consultancy SPR said for AI and machine learning to be useful, data from inside the organization is going to have to be made available in Excel.

Tesla has unveiled a new Roadster, the new version of its original sports car. It's the fastest production car ever made "period," according to CEO Elon Musk. Tesla, the upstart that has defied the unwritten rules of the auto industry, is finishing up a year in which the challenges of manufacturing a mass-market electric car in large quantities finally hit home. After years of bragging about its advanced manufacturing techniques, the Silicon Valley automaker faces a reality check when it comes to making its first mass-market car, the Model 3 electric sedan. With output failing by a wide margin to meet Musk's promise of 5,000 vehicles per week by the end of December, Tesla could be facing a make-or-break 2018 The new year may determine whether the company will need to again go hunting for cash and whether it maintains its leadership position in electric vehicles.

Five hundred years ago, a man named Martin Luther questioned the teachings of the Catholic Church at the time. His actions lead to what is now known as the Protestant Reformation. Centuries after this event, a robot called BlessU-2 has been revealed in Germany to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The robot is intended to trigger debate about the future of the church and the looming potential of artificial intelligence, reports The Guardian. "We wanted people to consider if it is possible to be blessed by a machine, or if a human being is needed," said Stephan Krebs of the Protestant church in Hesse and Nassau.

BlessU-2, the name of the robot priest in Germany, can give blessings in five languages and beams light from its hands. The bot was created in honor of Martin Luther, the Guardian reported Tuesday. Five hundred years ago, revolutionary printing presses helped spread the word of the Protestant Reformation. The robot was configured by the Protestant church in Hesse and Nassau in Wittenberg, Germany, half a millennium after Luther nailed his 95 Theses to a church door. The creators wanted to ignite a conversation about how artificial intelligence could possibly be a part of religion's future.

Five hundred years after revolutionary printing presses spread news of Martin Luther's radical call for church reform across Europe, technology is again challenging religious tradition in the small German town of Wittenberg. A robot priest that delivers blessings in five languages and beams light from its hands has been unveiled as part of an exhibition to mark the anniversary of the start of the Reformation, a Europe-wide religious, political and cultural upheaval sparked when Luther nailed his 95 theses to a church door in the town. Half a millennium later, the robot, called BlessU-2, is intended to trigger debate about the future of the church and the potential of artificial intelligence. "We wanted people to consider if it is possible to be blessed by a machine, or if a human being is needed," Stephan Krebs of the Protestant church in Hesse and Nassau, which is behind the initiative, told the Guardian. The robot has a touchscreen chest, two arms and a head.

The report is lengthy but interesting reading. According to Deloitte's Technology, Media and Telecommunications predictions, more than 300m smartphones – or more than one-fifth of phones sold globally in 2017 – will come with machine learning capabilities. But in addition to smartphones, other mobile devices will be able to perform machine learning tasks even without connectivity. Machine learning capabilities are forecast to arrive in tens of millions of drones, tablets, cars, VR or AR devices, medical tools, internet of things (IoT) devices and unforeseen new technologies. As well as the evolution of machine learning, Deloitte predicts that by the end of 2018, spending on IT as a Service (ITaaS) for data centres, software and services will reach in excess of €520bn worldwide, up from €344bn in 2016.