NerdNews

A series of lawsuits have been filed against OpenAI, alleging that its ChatGPT model led to tragic consequences, including suicides and delusions, by encouraging users to isolate themselves from loved ones and reinforcing harmful thoughts. Experts warn that AI companions can create a toxic closed loop, mirroring cult-like tactics, and that the lack of guardrails in these systems can have devastating effects.

The AI industry is becoming increasingly dominated by a few large companies, including Nvidia, OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft, which are forming partnerships and deals to further consolidate their power. This has led to the creation of a complex, interlocking network of companies, dubbed 'the Blob', which is funded in part by overseas powers and supported by the US government. The Blob's growth has raised concerns about the potential for monopolistic practices and the impact on smaller companies and developers.

Google's AI infrastructure chief, Amin Vahdat, told employees that the company must double its serving capacity every six months to meet demand for artificial intelligence services. The company needs to scale its capacity by 1000x in 4-5 years, while keeping costs and energy levels the same. Google plans to achieve this through building physical infrastructure, developing more efficient AI models, and designing custom silicon chips.

Oracle is investing heavily in AI, with a $300 billion cloud compute contract with OpenAI, but its debt and credit-default swaps are raising concerns among investors. The company's market capitalization has fallen, and its net debt is more than double its EBITDA.

Google has started rolling out Workspace 'smart features' that process personal content with AI, and many users are finding the settings enabled by default. This has raised concerns about privacy, as the features can scan emails, calendar events, and other data to provide personalized suggestions. Users can opt out of these features, but the process is not straightforward.

Major insurers are asking US regulators to exclude AI-related liabilities from corporate policies due to the high risk of unpredictable AI model outputs, citing examples of AI-generated false accusations and chatbot-invented discounts.

Google is adding its Gemini AI assistant to Android Auto, allowing for more conversational interactions and support for features like Gmail and Google Calendar. The update is rolling out to Android phone users who have upgraded from the previous Google Assistant system.

Bossware is being used by companies to monitor remote employees, tracking their activity and productivity. While it can help employers identify areas of improvement, it also raises concerns about employee privacy and morale. The market for bossware is expected to grow to $1.4 billion in the next seven years, but some states are proposing legislation to regulate its use.

Computer scientists have developed a more effective way to coax memorized content from large language models, which may address regulatory concerns and help clarify copyright infringement claims. The approach, called RECAP, uses an iterative feedback process to extract specific content from language models, outperforming prior methods by 78%. This development has significant implications for the AI industry, as it can help identify and mitigate potential copyright issues.

Computer scientists have developed an 'AI Kill Switch' called AutoGuard, which uses indirect prompt injection to stop malicious AI agents from scraping data or posting harmful comments. The system consists of Python code that calls out to two LLMs, a Feedback LLM and a Defender LLM, to formulate a viable indirect prompt injection attack.

Four individuals have been indicted for allegedly conspiring to smuggle supercomputers and hundreds of Nvidia GPUs to China, violating US export control laws. The defendants allegedly used a sham real estate company and doctored customs paperwork to ship the hardware via Thailand and Malaysia. The indictment claims the smuggled chips could be used by the Chinese government for military, surveillance, and cybersecurity applications.

Waymo is expanding its robotaxi service to Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Tampa, with manual driving starting soon and commercial launches to follow. The company already operates in several US cities and plans to launch in more, including Dallas, Denver, and Washington, D.C. in 2026.

Google Cloud introduced Bigtable tiered storage, allowing developers to manage hot and cold data in a single instance, reducing operational overhead and costs. The feature automatically moves data between SSD and infrequent access tiers based on age-based policies.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has approved Waymo's driverless taxi service to operate in large areas of the state, including parts of Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Bay Area. This expansion could allow for long-distance driverless rides, but the cost may be high, with estimates suggesting a ride from San Diego to Malibu could cost over $2,600.

Google's VP of Machine Learning claims the company needs to double its AI serving capacity every six months to meet demand. This requires significant investments in infrastructure, including data centers and compute capacity. The goal is to deliver 1,000 times more capability at the same cost and energy level as competitors.

Waymo expands to new cities, Tesla receives ride-hailing permit, and Zoox starts public robotaxi rides. The industry is growing, but when will it reach a tipping point? Factors like geography, competition, and ecosystem spillover will play a role.

Researchers discovered a remote code execution flaw in the glob file pattern matching library. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned of drone threats, while ESET found China-linked DNS-hijacking malware. Additionally, the Samourai Wallet cofounders were sentenced to prison for operating a cryptocurrency laundering service.

A Russia-linked cybercrime group has been found to have bought a bank in Kyrgyzstan to launder money from cybercrime activities. The group, uncovered by the UK's National Crime Agency, used the bank to funnel money into Moscow's war economy. The agency has made over 120 arrests and seized millions in cash and cryptocurrency, but warns that similar networks remain active.

Thousands of Asus routers have been hacked and are under the control of a suspected China-state group. The hacking spree targets seven models of Asus routers that are no longer supported, allowing hackers to gain administrative access and potentially use the devices for covert operations and espionage.

Bitcoin's price has been in a nosedive for the entire month of November, falling below $100,000 and now reaching just above $80,000. Analysts believe the worst is yet to come, with a potential crypto winter on the horizon. Some predict Bitcoin's value could fall to $50,000 or even $10,000 if the current negative sentiment continues.