The United States and China will likely agree this week to set up a formalized channel for talks on artificial intelligence when President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping meet in San Francisco during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, according to people familiar with the matter. The talks are expected to take the form of “track 1” or “track 1.5” diplomatic discussions, meaning they would involve some level of official government participation. One person posited that the discussions could amount to a new “working group” on AI guardrails. The White House did not respond to a request for...…The United States and China will likely agree this week to set up a formalized channel for talks on artificial intelligence when President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping meet in San Francisco during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, according to people familiar with the matter. The talks are expected to take the form of “track 1” or “track 1.5” diplomatic discussions, meaning they would involve some level of official government participation. One person posited that the discussions could amount to a new “working group” on AI guardrails. The White House did not respond to a request for...WW…

Former Twitch Chief Executive Emmett Shear will become interim CEO of OpenAI, according to an internal company message on Sunday. Shear confirmed on X that he had accepted the role, writing “I did not make the decision lightly. Ultimately I felt that I had a duty to help if I could.” The news comes after negotiations aimed at bringing back former CEO Sam Altman, who was fired by the board on Friday, broke down over the composition of a potential new board, people familiar with the matter said. Shear has warned about the dangers AI can pose, aligning him with concerns of some of OpenAI’s...…Former Twitch Chief Executive Emmett Shear will become interim CEO of OpenAI, according to an internal company message on Sunday. Shear confirmed on X that he had accepted the role, writing “I did not make the decision lightly. Ultimately I felt that I had a duty to help if I could.” The news comes after negotiations aimed at bringing back former CEO Sam Altman, who was fired by the board on Friday, broke down over the composition of a potential new board, people familiar with the matter said. Shear has warned about the dangers AI can pose, aligning him with concerns of some of OpenAI’s...WW…

In January, my coworker received a peculiar email. The message, which she forwarded to me, was from a handful of corporate Walmart employees calling themselves the “Concerned Home Office Associates.” (Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, is often referred to as the Home Office.) While it’s not unusual for journalists to receive anonymous tips, they don’t usually come with their own slickly produced videos.The employees said they were “past their breaking point” with Everseen, a small artificial intelligence firm based in Cork, Ireland, whose technology Walmart began using in...…In January, my coworker received a peculiar email. The message, which she forwarded to me, was from a handful of corporate Walmart employees calling themselves the “Concerned Home Office Associates.” (Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, is often referred to as the Home Office.) While it’s not unusual for journalists to receive anonymous tips, they don’t usually come with their own slickly produced videos.The employees said they were “past their breaking point” with Everseen, a small artificial intelligence firm based in Cork, Ireland, whose technology Walmart began using in...WW…

As the novel coronavirus sweeps the globe, an otherwise marginalized class of workers is suddenly in the spotlight. Often undervalued and poorly paid, they are grocery store clerks, sanitation workers, medical professionals, and other employees who can’t stay home—even when the nation is on lockdown. In the United States, of these so-called essential workers are employed by or contract for Amazon, whose delivery network has emerged as a for millions of Americans their homes.Wired spoke with nine people working for Amazon during the Covid-19 crisis over the past two weeks and is publishing...…As the novel coronavirus sweeps the globe, an otherwise marginalized class of workers is suddenly in the spotlight. Often undervalued and poorly paid, they are grocery store clerks, sanitation workers, medical professionals, and other employees who can’t stay home—even when the nation is on lockdown. In the United States, of these so-called essential workers are employed by or contract for Amazon, whose delivery network has emerged as a for millions of Americans their homes.Wired spoke with nine people working for Amazon during the Covid-19 crisis over the past two weeks and is publishing...WW…

By andShare this storyEvery second, the surveillance cameras installed in each classroom at Niulanshan First Secondary School in Beijing snap a photo. The images are then fed into the Classroom Care System, an “emotion recognition” program developed by Hanwang Technology. It identifies each student’s face and analyzes their behavior: a student rifling through their desk might be labeled “distracted,” while another looking at the board would be labeled “focused.” Other behavioral categories include answering questions, interacting with other students, writing, and sleeping. Teachers and...…By andShare this storyEvery second, the surveillance cameras installed in each classroom at Niulanshan First Secondary School in Beijing snap a photo. The images are then fed into the Classroom Care System, an “emotion recognition” program developed by Hanwang Technology. It identifies each student’s face and analyzes their behavior: a student rifling through their desk might be labeled “distracted,” while another looking at the board would be labeled “focused.” Other behavioral categories include answering questions, interacting with other students, writing, and sleeping. Teachers and...WW…

when much of the United States was still , Amazon made an extraordinary decision. As the company struggled to fulfill a in orders related to the pandemic, it subtly tweaked its website to encourage consumers to buy less, not more.In addition to modifying shipping timelines and inventory, Amazon disabled a recommendation feature that displays items frequently bought together, like batteries to go with the toy already in your cart, reported. The changes underscored, in a roundabout way, the extent to which digital retailers carefully calibrate their websites to maximize the amount that...…when much of the United States was still , Amazon made an extraordinary decision. As the company struggled to fulfill a in orders related to the pandemic, it subtly tweaked its website to encourage consumers to buy less, not more.In addition to modifying shipping timelines and inventory, Amazon disabled a recommendation feature that displays items frequently bought together, like batteries to go with the toy already in your cart, reported. The changes underscored, in a roundabout way, the extent to which digital retailers carefully calibrate their websites to maximize the amount that...WW…

joint are a convenient way to consolidate the cost of staying connected. Carriers because they prevent customers from easily switching to another competitor. But for survivors of intimate partner violence, getting locked into a family phone plan can be dangerous. The person who controls the account, oftentimes their abuser, can access a survivor’s call records and even the precise location of their device—information that can then be used to harass, intimidate, or carry out violence. And unlike a that can be deleted, survivors can’t always abandon their phone and number, which may be their...…joint are a convenient way to consolidate the cost of staying connected. Carriers because they prevent customers from easily switching to another competitor. But for survivors of intimate partner violence, getting locked into a family phone plan can be dangerous. The person who controls the account, oftentimes their abuser, can access a survivor’s call records and even the precise location of their device—information that can then be used to harass, intimidate, or carry out violence. And unlike a that can be deleted, survivors can’t always abandon their phone and number, which may be their...WW…

few weeks, as relations between the US and China sank to , the social media app TikTok has emerged as a new target for the Trump administration. Both secretary of state Mike Pompeo and White House adviser Peter Navarro warned on Fox News that the US was considering outlawing Chinese apps, of which TikTok is the most popular, over security concerns. Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows Wednesday that there are “a number of administration officials who are looking at the national security risk as it relates to TikTok and other apps,” adding that action may come within weeks, not...…few weeks, as relations between the US and China sank to , the social media app TikTok has emerged as a new target for the Trump administration. Both secretary of state Mike Pompeo and White House adviser Peter Navarro warned on Fox News that the US was considering outlawing Chinese apps, of which TikTok is the most popular, over security concerns. Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows Wednesday that there are “a number of administration officials who are looking at the national security risk as it relates to TikTok and other apps,” adding that action may come within weeks, not...WW…

has turned Hong Kong into a battleground for the United States and China's escalating war over control of the global internet. Whether Hong Kong eventually falls behind China’s Great Firewall will depend on how strictly Beijing enforces the regulation, and how willing are to stand up in the face of —particularly when their business interests are at stake. Some tech giants like Google and Facebook have already paused accepting requests for data from Hong Kong authorities. Others, like Chinese-owned TikTok, have decided to pull out of the region altogether.The was imposed by the Chinese...…has turned Hong Kong into a battleground for the United States and China's escalating war over control of the global internet. Whether Hong Kong eventually falls behind China’s Great Firewall will depend on how strictly Beijing enforces the regulation, and how willing are to stand up in the face of —particularly when their business interests are at stake. Some tech giants like Google and Facebook have already paused accepting requests for data from Hong Kong authorities. Others, like Chinese-owned TikTok, have decided to pull out of the region altogether.The was imposed by the Chinese...WW…

was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, igniting the national , everyone from then president to members of embraced a relatively new solution for reform: Equip officers with body cameras. If police knew their every action was being recorded, the reasoning went, they would more likely be on their best behavior. If not, the cameras would at least capture any misconduct, making law enforcement more transparent and accountable.Six years later, body cameras are now used by nearly every major police department in the US, but they’ve failed to prevent more police violence. Technology...…was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, igniting the national , everyone from then president to members of embraced a relatively new solution for reform: Equip officers with body cameras. If police knew their every action was being recorded, the reasoning went, they would more likely be on their best behavior. If not, the cameras would at least capture any misconduct, making law enforcement more transparent and accountable.Six years later, body cameras are now used by nearly every major police department in the US, but they’ve failed to prevent more police violence. Technology...WW…