This Week in Tech (Audio) TWiT 1041: A $4 Bill - DOGE Kills Free Tax Tool
Jul 21, 2025
Iain Thomson, a tech journalist from The Register, joins Devindra Hardawar from Engadget, and CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti for a lively discussion. They dive into the implications of surveillance culture through humorous celebrity moments. The trio talks about AI's impact on jobs, ethics, and the explosive talent race in the industry. Cryptocurrency news takes center stage with recent legislative changes that may reshape the market. They also tackle digital privacy concerns and the risks of cyber operations, all while sharing personal anecdotes and insights.
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Coldplay Kiss-Cam Surveillance Flap
- The Coldplay kiss-cam incident revealed how pervasive surveillance is in public spaces.
- Internet sleuths rapidly spread the story, showing our role as our own surveillance state.
Amazon Ring Enables Police Surveillance
- Amazon Ring restored police access to live video streams without warrants or user consent.
- This exposes privacy risks and suggests a move toward surveillance-first AI strategies.
AI Reaches Gold Medal Math Level
- OpenAI reported their AI achieved gold medal-level performance on unseen International Math Olympiad problems.
- This marks a significant advancement in creative reasoning capabilities for AI.
