New Australian Law Targets Tech Giants with News Bargaining Tax, Google Launches AI-Powered Study Suite for Search and Gemini, and Meta Faces Scrutiny Over Kromix Deepfake Advertisements.
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Show Notes
U.S. Warns of AI-Assisted Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure
U.S. security agencies, including CISA, the FBI, and the NSA, have issued warnings regarding ongoing cyberattacks on Siemens S7 programmable logic controllers within critical infrastructure sectors like water and energy. Hackers are leveraging AI to generate exploit scripts targeting poorly secured or outdated devices, potentially causing significant operational disruption. These incidents, often linked to suspected Iranian hackers, have impacted various U.S. states, prompting officials to reiterate the importance of keeping critical systems disconnected from the internet to mitigate risks.
Source: TechCrunch
Australia Taxes Tech Giants That Don’t Pay Local News Publishers
Australia’s new “News Bargaining Incentive” legislation imposes a 2.5% tax on the advertising revenue of major tech companies, including Meta, Google, TikTok, and Microsoft, unless they establish commercial agreements with local Australian news publishers. Platforms can offset this levy by reaching deals with at least eight publishers, with financial incentives favoring agreements with smaller and medium-sized outlets to support domestic journalism.
Source: Reuters
Google Adds New AI Study Tools to Search and Gemini
Google has introduced new AI-powered study tools for Search and Gemini, aimed at enhancing learning and competition with other educational platforms. These features include interactive 3D simulations, custom study documents created from uploaded files, personalized practice quizzes, and a new Lens-based problem-solving experience. Additionally, Gemini now offers multi-step research report capabilities in Gemini Live and a dedicated learning hub to centralize study materials like flashcards and notes, providing students with a comprehensive, interactive academic assistant.
Source: TechCrunch
Meta Faces Scrutiny Over Ads for AI Deepfake Tool
Meta recently faced scrutiny for running advertisements for “Kromix,” an AI-powered tool capable of generating nonconsensual pornographic deepfakes, including images of female U.S. politicians, which violated the company’s policies against sexual content. Despite claims by Meta and Apple that they employ automated systems and strict policies to block such harmful material, both platforms continue to struggle with effective enforcement, with critics pointing to Meta’s heavy reliance on AI moderation over human oversight as a key factor in these repeated failures.
Source: Ars Technica
Samsung Galaxy Users Report RCS Problems After Switching Phones
Samsung Galaxy users switching to new devices are reporting widespread RCS connectivity issues in Google Messages, often manifesting as error code 3100 after using Samsung Smart Switch. Google suggests these problems may stem from corrupted cache files transferred during the setup process, recommending that users update the app, clear Carrier Services data, and toggle RCS off and on. While some users find these steps ineffective and occasionally resort to factory resets, the underlying cause remains a significant point of frustration for those migrating data to new handsets.
Source: Android Central
U.S. Gaming Market Revenue Falls 10% in July
In July, U.S. gaming market revenue fell 10% year-over-year to $4.5 billion, with console sales experiencing their worst July performance since 2020, dropping 29% due to waning Nintendo Switch 2 interest and memory crisis-related price hikes. Additionally, gaming accessory sales fell 6% and overall video game sales declined 9% largely due to mobile segment setbacks, while the Call of Duty: Black Ops II port emerged as the month’s top-grossing paid game.
Source: Game World Observer
Roblox Agrees to Major Child Safety Changes in Australia
Roblox has entered a court-enforceable agreement with Australia’s eSafety commission to significantly enhance child safety on its platform, following findings that it failed to prevent unauthorized adult-child contact and visibility of sensitive underage user data. While Roblox has implemented tiered age-gating and verification measures globally, it must now further commit to making children’s accounts private by default, restricting adult-initiated contact without parental consent, and undergoing third-party safety audits within the next three months to address ongoing regulatory concerns and lawsuits.
Source: Engadget
OpenAI Targets 2027 or Earlier for IPO
OpenAI has targeted 2027 or earlier for its IPO, with CFO Sarah Friar emphasizing that the move is a strategic milestone rather than a financial necessity. Despite projecting strong revenue growth and enterprise momentum, the company faces significant challenges, including intensified competition from Anthropic.
Source: The Next Web
Slack Launches AI Coding Channels
Slack has launched “Slack Code,” a new feature that creates dedicated, project-specific channels for teams to collaborate with AI coding agents like Claude and Devin. These channels allow users to build features, fix bugs, and update pages with full visibility, featuring real-time code auditing, live previews, and automated archiving upon task completion. Available on all plans, the feature integrates seamlessly with major AI agents from partners like Vercel and GitHub to enable collaborative development directly within the Slack workspace.
Source: The Verge
YouTube Pays Creators Millions to Stay Exclusive
YouTube is offering millions in financial incentives to popular creators for content exclusivity, aiming to counter Netflix’s efforts to license their videos for concurrent release. While Netflix appeals to creators with additional revenue and exposure to its vast subscriber base, YouTube argues that cross-posting undermines its viewership and advertising value. Consequently, YouTube is strengthening its stance, threatening to deprioritize creators who work with Netflix while leveraging exclusive deals to maintain its position as the primary platform for these influencers.
Source: Bloomberg
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