US-China Tech Clash...

Microsoft asks some employees in China to....

Author

Saidul Islam
May 17, 2024

In partnership with

Welcome to BrainBuzz.

Today you will read about:

  • AI Tool of the Day

  • US-China Tech Clash

  • Scammers using deepfake voices

  • Google makes it easier for low-vision users to find objects with their phones.

  • AMD Stock Prediction

  • And More….

AI TOOL OF THE DAY

Access All the Best AI Tools in 1-Click.

MaxAI.me - Outsmart Most People with 1-Click AI

Discover MaxAI.me, one of the top 50 GenAI apps of 2024!

Best features:

  • Chat with the latest AI like GPT-4, Claude 3, and Gemini 1.5, all in one place.

  • Perfect your writing anywhere with 1-click AI without copy-pasting.

  • Save 90% of your reading & watching time with AI summaries.

  • Reply 10x faster with AI on email, social media, and messaging web apps.

  • Rapidly turn your visions into stunning images with AI art generators.

LATEST AI UPDATES

US-China Tech Clash

Microsoft has reportedly offered a relocation opportunity to about 700 to 800 China-based employees working in machine learning and other work related to cloud computing. The staff, mostly comprising Chinese engineers, have been offered the opportunity to transfer to countries including the U.S., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

U.S. Crackdown on Advanced Technology Access

This move comes as Washington seeks to crack down on Beijing’s access to advanced AI and cloud computing technology. In the past two years, the U.S. has placed waves of restrictions on China limiting its ability to buy advanced chips and chip-making equipment that can be deployed to train AI models.

Future of AI Export Regulations

The Biden administration is looking to place new guardrails on the export of advanced AI models, such as the large language model that powers Microsoft-backed ChatGPT. There is currently little government oversight stopping companies like Microsoft, one of the U.S.'s largest cloud-computing and AI players, from selling or offering AI model services to foreign entities.

Potential Risks of AI Models

The U.S. reportedly fears that AI models, which mine vast amounts of data to generate content, could be used for cyber attacks or to create biological weapons.

Scammers using deepfake voices for fake kidnapping ransoms.

In a horrifying incident, scammers used artificial intelligence to clone a teenager’s voice and demand a ransom from her mother. Jennifer DeStefano from Arizona received a distressing call from an unknown number, where she heard what she believed to be her 15-year-old daughter sobbing. A male voice then took over and made threatening demands.

The Threatening Call

The apparent kidnapper told the mother, "You call the police, you call anybody, I’m going to pop her so full of drugs, I’m going to have my way with her, and I’m going to drop her off in Mexico". In the background, Ms. DeStefano could hear her daughter saying “help me, mom, please help me” and crying. The scammer demanded $1 million for the daughter to be released, before lowering the figure to $50,000.

The Role of AI in the Scam

The scammer appears to have used artificial intelligence voice clone technology, which has become increasingly competent in recent years at mimicking people’s voices. It is also relatively easy to access and use, with AI tools freely available on the internet. The technology has raised fears that it could be misused by scammers or people attempting to create deepfake videos.

The Growing Danger from Voice Cloning

This incident is an early example of the growing danger from voice cloning enabled by artificial intelligence. The problem has become so rampant that the FBI issued a warning to consumers that criminals manipulating benign videos and photos are targeting people in various kinds of extortion attempts.

Google makes it easier for low-vision users to find objects with their phones.

Android has always been committed to making its platform accessible to all users, including those with low vision. The platform offers a range of custom tools to meet the needs of users with vision impairments.

New Accessibility Features for Low Vision Users

Google has introduced new accessibility features for Android users with low vision. These features include Lookout and TalkBack settings, which are designed to assist vision-impaired users.

Adjusting Visual Settings for Better Accessibility

Android allows users to adjust their phone’s visual settings to suit their vision. Users can increase the font and display size, switch to bolded text or high-contrast mode to make content stand out, and use color inversion or correction to boost visibility. Additionally, users can zoom in on details with powerful magnification.

The Role of TalkBack in Accessibility

TalkBack is a screen reader feature that reads the contents on the screen to the user. This feature is particularly useful for blind and low vision users, making Android devices more accessible.

The Growing Importance of Accessibility in Technology

This development underscores the growing importance of accessibility in technology. As tech companies continue to innovate, ensuring that their products and services are accessible to all users, regardless of their physical abilities, is becoming increasingly crucial.

AI STOCKS

AMD Stock Could Surge to $250 in 2025

Expect middling price performance for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) in the near term. There’s another potential factor that could impact how the chip designer’s shares perform in the months ahead. With more AI growth ahead, it’s too early to say goodbye to Advanced Micro Devices stock.

Possibility of Another Sell Off

“Show me stock” is an apt descriptor for AMD today. Following the quarterly earnings release, investors have come to terms with the fact that sales of the company’s AI accelerator chips will not hit some of the loftier forecasts presented by analysts in recent months. Investors have become more motivated to take profit on semiconductor stocks, including those benefiting from the AI chips boom.

Potential China-Related Headwinds

There’s a potential for further China-related headwinds for the company. So far this year, AMD has already been affected by Chinese crackdowns on U.S. chip technology. Now, with the Biden Administration imposing new tariffs on various Chinese-made products, including semiconductors, China could retaliate with some tariffs and/or restrictions of its own.

Better Times Ahead

Despite the waning “AI mania” and new risks for AMD, better times for this stock may be just around the corner. After mixed results for the preceding quarter, the market has dialed back its expectations. This leaves plenty of room for AMD to provide some positive surprises in its next few earnings releases. For instance, the company could once again raise its 2024 MI300 AI accelerator chip sales forecasts.

MORE NEWS YOU MAY KNOW