Today in Tech

Robots and self-driving cars continue to get themselves in trouble, but humans aren’t really helping the situation either. Keith and Chris discuss how people keep messing around with (and in) self-driving cars, as well as other technology news topics. Also, is Elon Musk a supervillain or anti-hero?

Years of security solutions have not made the Internet more secure, as reports of new attacks and data breaches occurring regularly. The issue is a broken system based on an incorrect assumption of what security is. Keith talks with Wes Kussmaul, CTO of The Authenticity Alliance, about how authenticity and better identification management can solve many of today’s security problems.

Companies are now competing to bring in workers who are talented in the artificial intelligence space, with huge salary offers, including companies like Amazon and Netflix. Keith and Chris discuss this push for AI talent and whether it will last; whether price hikes in streaming services will cause consumers to cancel; and whether TikTok will ever change its recommendation algorithm for U.S. users like they did in Europe. 

Despite hype and negative headlines about generative AI and tools like ChatGPT, companies are finding useful and efficient uses for the tools. We chat with Ajay Mohan, a principal of AI and analytics at Capgemini, about the ways in which businesses will deploy generative AI tools.

When Zoom gives up on employees being able to work fully remote, you know the remote-work movement is on its last legs. Keith and Chris discuss whether hybrid work is the compromise we all need, or if it’s back to the past with 5-day-a-week, in-the-office work for everyone. Plus, Disney raises rates on streaming platforms Disney+ and Hulu, despite having really bad content; and why some EV owners in California are going back to gas-powered cars.

The newest version of Wi-Fi (version 6E) allows for higher capacity and bandwidth with the opening of 6GHz frequency spectrum, but with version 7 likely to occur next year, companies might decide to wait. Keith talks with IDC analyst Brandon Butler about the pros and cons of the latest wireless LAN standards. 

With the costs of large language models and generative AI platforms coming down, companies are beginning to explore highly focused systems that can answer questions to specific, niche topics. We explore the pros and cons of this approach with Lawrence Spracklen, senior technical advisor at Numenta.

Concerns about artificial intelligence cloning actors and their likenesses continue to be raised in the actors’ strike; the FBI warns about hackers using open-source AI tools to create better malware and phishing attacks (along with audio cloning to mimic a victim’s loved ones); and Intel gets a boost in revenue due to AI chip demand.

New research shows that companies involved in a four-day workweek project benefited from improved productivity and better mental health for employees, with the number of hours needed to complete the same amount of work continuing to decline. Lucas Mearian, a senior reporter at Computerworld, talks with us about the latest findings.

Keith and Chris look at the week’s news in our latest episode of ‘Today in Tech,’ including whether Elon Musk changing the Twitter logo from a blue bird to a giant X will have any impact; Threads adds a feed so you can just follow your followers; and TikTok gets into the selling cheap stuff from China game. Also, would you allow yourself to be scanned so a digital avatar could talk with family members after you die?