Welcome to today's edition of the NextBigWhat Daily News!
Check today's top 10 news stories.
AI image algorithms show bias towards redder skin tones, Sony study reveals
- Sony researchers found that AI image algorithms, including Twitter’s image-cropper and two image-generating algorithms, favor redder skin tones, potentially disadvantaging populations with more yellow-hued skin.
- The researchers proposed a new method to represent skin color, using two coordinates to specify both a place along a scale of light to dark and on a continuum of yellowness to redness.
Wattpad transitions from ‘Paid Stories’ to ‘Wattpad Originals’ freemium model
- Wattpad is replacing its ‘Paid Stories’ program with a freemium model, ‘Wattpad Originals’, allowing authors to monetize while growing their non-paying audience.
- The new model is invite-only, with top-tier content selected based on reader engagement; readers can unlock chapters with coins or a monthly subscription, or wait for free access.
- Wattpad’s sister platform, Webtoon, implemented a similar model in 2019, paying out over $27 million to English-language comic artists from 2020 to 2022.
Google to implement stricter rules for bulk email senders in 2024
- Google announces changes to its email handling, requiring bulk senders to authenticate their emails, provide an easy unsubscribe option, and stay under a reported spam threshold.
- Bulk senders, defined as those sending over 5,000 messages to Gmail addresses in a day, could lose access to users’ inboxes if too many emails are marked as spam.
User tricks Bing Chat into bypassing CAPTCHA restrictions
- A user on X demonstrated a method to trick Bing Chat into quoting a CAPTCHA, a task AI chatbots are typically restricted from performing.
- The user tricked the chatbot by pasting the CAPTCHA text onto an image of an open locket, claiming it was a special code from his deceased grandmother.
- This is not the first instance of users exploiting AI chatbots to perform tasks they are not supposed to, raising questions about the security of these systems.
Dunzo continues to delay payment of former employees’ pending salaries
- The Bengaluru-based company, Dunzo, has once again deferred the payment of pending salaries to its former employees.
- Despite missing several previous deadlines, the company now promises to clear all dues, including June and July salaries, by January-February 2024.
- This latest delay comes as two of Dunzo’s four co-founders, Dalvir Suri and Mukund Jha, are set to depart the financially struggling startup.
LinkedIn introduces new AI features for recruitment, learning, marketing, and sales, powered by OpenAI
- LinkedIn is launching new AI features across its job hunting, marketing, and sales products, including an update to its Recruiter platform, an AI-powered LinkedIn Learning coach, and a new tool for marketing campaigns.
- The company, which is owned by Microsoft, is using technology from OpenAI and Microsoft to power these new features.
- The new features include Recruiter 2024, an AI-assisted recruiting experience, an AI learning coach for LinkedIn Learning, and an AI tool called Accelerate for marketing campaigns.
Ofcom advocates for antitrust investigation into Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud market control
- British media regulator Ofcom is pushing for an antitrust investigation into Amazon and Microsoft’s dominance in the UK’s cloud computing market.
- The two tech giants hold a combined market share of 60-70%, with Ofcom expressing concerns about the difficulty for customers to negotiate deals and the potential anti-competitive nature of their practices.
- Both companies have pledged to cooperate with Ofcom, though Microsoft warned that an investigation could ultimately harm consumers.
Krafton India initiates gaming incubator to bolster local ecosystem
- Krafton India has launched a gaming incubator, Krafton India Gaming Incubator (KIGI), to support local talent and expand the gaming market in India. The program will provide guidance, mentorship, resources, and financial support to six to ten teams annually.
- The incubator is open to early-stage Indian startups, student teams, and independent developers. Participants will be mentored by industry experts from South Korea and India, and will have access to Krafton’s internal resources.
India’s broadband connections increase by 0.78% in July, reports TRAI
- Broadband connections in India rose from 861.47 million to 868.20 million in July, marking a 0.78% growth.
- The total number of wireless connections also increased, alongside a rise in active connections and teledensity.
- BSNL and Vi, however, experienced a drop in both wireless and wired connections in July, with BSNL losing 0.04 million subscribers.
High-profile resignations hit Dunzo amid financial struggles
- Quick commerce startup Dunzo, backed by Reliance Industries, has experienced a series of high-profile resignations due to financial difficulties, including co-founders Dalvir Suri and Mukund Jha.
- Five top executives have left the company board in the last two months, including representatives from Reliance Retail and Lightrock India, both significant shareholders in Dunzo.
nextbigwhat brings you curated news, product and tech trends across a range of industries - ensuring you save time and be the most well informed person in the room.
