Electronics

AI Learns To Outsmart Humans In Video Games – And Real Life in 2023

Published

1 year ago

2023-02-27

Driving around a French village in Gran Turismo, you might notice a Corvette trying to catch your slipstream.

Skilled players of PlayStation’s realistic racing game prefer to use the draft of an opponent’s racecar to speed up and overtake them.

But this Corvette driver isn’t being guided by a human — it’s GT Sophy, a powerful artificial intelligence agent created by Sony.

Gran Turismo players have been competing against computer-generated racecars since the franchise’s inception in the 1990s; the new AI driver released last week on Gran Turismo 7 is smarter and faster because it was trained using the most advanced AI methods.

“Gran Turismo had a built-in AI from the start, but it has a very narrow performance band and isn’t very good,” said Sony AI’s chief operating officer Michael Spranger. “It’s extremely predictable. It no longer entices you once you’ve reached a certain level.”

But now, he says, “this AI is going to fight back.”

When you visit an artificial intelligence laboratory at a university or a company like Sony, Google, Meta, Microsoft, or ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, it’s not uncommon to see AI agents like Sophy racing cars, slinging angry birds at pigs, fighting epic interstellar battles, or assisting human gamers in creating new Minecraft worlds – all part of the job description for computer systems trying to learn how to get smarter in games.

it’s not uncommon to see AI agents like Sophy racing cars

However, in some cases, they also attempt to learn how to become smarter in the real world. A University of Cambridge researcher who created an AI agent to control Pokémon characters argued in a January paper that it could “inspire all sorts of applications that require team management under conditions of extreme uncertainty, such as managing a team of doctors, robots, or employees in an ever-changing environment, such as a pandemic-stricken region or a war zone.”

While this may sound like a child arguing for three more hours of Pokémon Violet, game research has been used to advance AI research — and train computers to solve complex problems — since the mid-20th century.

Initially, AI was used to test winning strategy games such as checkers and chess. A new field of study now focuses on performing open-ended tasks in complex worlds and interacting with humans rather than just beating them.

“Reality is like a super-complicated game,” said Nicholas Sarantinos, who co-wrote the Pokémon paper and recently turned down a doctoral offer at Oxford University to launch an AI company to assist corporate workplaces in forming more collaborative teams.

Tarantino created an algorithm to analyze a team of six Pokémon in the web-based Pokémon Showdown battle simulator, predicting how they would perform based on all of the possible battle scenarios ahead of them and their comparative strengths and weaknesses.

That real humans behave very differently than fictional video game creatures,

Microsoft, which owns the popular Minecraft game franchise and the Xbox game system, has given AI agents tasks ranging from avoiding lava to chopping trees and building furnaces. Researchers hope that some of their discoveries will eventually play a role in real-world technology, such as how to program a home robot to do certain chores.

While it “goes without saying” that real humans behave very differently than fictional video game creatures, “the core ideas can still be used,” Tarantino says. “If you use psychological tests, you can use this information to determine how well they can collaborate.”

Amy Hoover, an assistant professor of informatics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology who developed algorithms for the digital card game Hearthstone, stated that “there is a reason for studying games,” but it is not always obvious.

“People don’t always get that the point is about the optimization method rather than the game,” she explained.

According to Vanessa Volz, an AI researcher at the Danish startup Modl.ai, which builds AI systems for game development, games also provide a useful testbed for AI, including some real-world robotics or healthcare applications that are safer to try in a virtual world.

“It can get overhyped,” she adds.

“It’s unlikely that there will be one big breakthrough, and everything will be shifted to the real world,” Volz predicted.

Sony launched its own AI research division in 2020

Sony launched its own AI research division in 2020 with entertainment in mind, but it has nonetheless attracted broader academic interest. Its research paper introducing Sophy was featured on the cover of the prestigious science journal Nature last year, with the journal stating that it could have implications for other applications such as drones and self-driving vehicles.

Sophy’s technology is based on an algorithmic method known as reinforcement learning, which trains the system by rewarding it when it gets something right as it runs thousands of virtual races.

“The reward will tell you that you’re making progress. ‘This is good,’ or ‘You’ve gone off the rails. “Well, that’s not good,” I say. Spranger explained.

At tournaments, the world’s best Gran Turismo players continue to finish ahead of Sophy, but average players will find it difficult to beat — and can adjust difficulty settings depending on how much they want to be challenged.

PlayStation players can only race against Sophy on a limited number of circuits until March 31, so it can gather feedback and return to testing. According to Peter Wurman, director of Sony AI America and project lead on GT Sophy, training AI agents on 20 PlayStations takes about two weeks.

“It will take some more breakthroughs and time before we’re ready,” he said.

And getting it onto real-world streets or Formula One track? That could take a long time.

Autonomous vehicle companies use similar machine-learning techniques, but “they don’t hand over complete control of the car the way we can,” Wurman said. “In a simulated world, no one’s life is in danger. You know exactly what you’re going to see in the environment. There are no cars on the road or anything like that.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Electronics

FTC Sends $5.6 Million In Refunds To Ring Customers As Part Of Video Privacy Settlement

Published

2 days ago

2024-04-25

Kiara Grace

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The backslash character – escapes special characters in programming languages and other contexts. The following information is from a news article published by the Associated Press: Due to a settlement with Amazon-owned Ring, the Federal Trade Commission is giving consumers over $5.6 million in reimbursements. Ring was accused of neglecting to safeguard private video data against unauthorized access.

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FTC Sends $5.6 Million In Refunds To Ring Customers As Part Of Video Privacy Settlement

The FTC complained in 2023, alleging that the doorbell camera and home security provider permitted its employees and contractors to gain access to consumers’ confidential videos. Ring purportedly utilized this film for algorithmic training without obtaining authorization, among other objectives.

Ring was additionally accused of neglecting to install crucial security measures, thereby allowing hackers to get control over customers’ accounts, cameras, and footage. The FTC observed that this resulted in severe breaches of users’ privacy.

The final settlement necessitated Ring to remove unlawfully acquired content, implement enhanced security measures, and pay a substantial penalty. The FTC is currently utilizing a significant portion of the funds to provide refunds to qualifying Ring customers.

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FTC Sends $5.6 Million In Refunds To Ring Customers As Part Of Video Privacy Settlement

As per a notice issued on Tuesday, the FTC will be delivering 117,044 PayPal payments to consumers who were affected and owned specific types of Ring devices, such as interior cameras, during the periods when unlawful access is claimed to have occurred.

Customers who meet the requirements must claim these payouts within 30 days, as stated by the FTC. The FTC also mentioned that consumers can reach out to Rust Consulting, the refund administrator for this case, or refer to the FTC’s FAQ page on refunds for further details regarding the procedure.

Ring has stated that unauthorized individuals used stolen email addresses and passwords from other companies to gain unlawful access to certain customers’ Ring accounts in 2019. This occurred because these customers used the same login credentials on multiple websites. Upon discovering this breach, Ring promptly notified the affected customers and took measures to safeguard their accounts.

Ring did not promptly respond to the FTC’s accusations regarding employees and contractors inappropriately viewing footage.

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FTC Sends $5.6 Million In Refunds To Ring Customers As Part Of Video Privacy Settlement

In a recent announcement, the California-based company confirmed that it will no longer accept requests from police agencies to access doorbell camera footage from its users. This decision effectively terminates a controversial function that had faced scrutiny from privacy advocates.

SOURCE – (AP)

Business

The House Votes For Possible TikTok Ban In The US, But Don’t Expect The App To Go Away Anytime Soon

Published

7 days ago

2024-04-21

Kiara Grace

Why Buying TikTok Views is the Best Way to Maximize Followers

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Washington — The House passed legislation Saturday that would prohibit TikTok from operating in the United States if the popular social media platform’s Chinese owner does not sell its stake within a year, but the app is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

The decision by House Republicans to include TikTok as part of a bigger foreign aid package, a priority for President Joe Biden with broad congressional backing for Ukraine and Israel, accelerated the prohibition after an earlier version had been blocked by the Senate. A standalone bill with a shorter, six-month selling period cleared the House in March with an overwhelming bipartisan majority, as both Democrats and Republicans expressed national security worries about the app’s owner, Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd.

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The House Votes For Possible TikTok Ban In The US, But Don’t Expect The App To Go Away Anytime Soon

The updated bill, which passed by a vote of 360-58, now goes to the Senate following discussions that extended the company’s selling timeframe to nine months, with an extra three months conceivable if a sale is in the works.

Legal disputes may extend that period even further. If the law passes, the corporation has stated that it will likely file a lawsuit to block it, claiming that it will deprive the app’s millions of users of their First Amendment rights.

TikTok has fought aggressively against the proposal, encouraging the app’s 170 million U.S. users, many of whom are young, to contact Congress and express their objections. However, the intensity of the backlash enraged politicians on Capitol Hill, where there is widespread worry about Chinese threats to the US and few members use the platform themselves.

“We will not stop fighting and advocating for you,” TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in a video released on the platform last month, addressing the app’s users. “We will continue to do all we can, including exercising our legal rights, to protect this amazing platform that we have built with you.”

The bill’s rapid passage through Congress is remarkable because it only affects one firm and Congress has adopted a hands-off approach to technology regulation for decades. Lawmakers had failed to act despite efforts to protect children online, preserve users’ privacy, and hold firms more accountable for content put on their platforms, among other things. However, the TikTok ban reflects broad fears among lawmakers about China.

Members of both parties, as well as intelligence officials, have expressed concern that Chinese authorities may force ByteDance to pass over American user data or direct the business to suppress or promote TikTok content that benefits its interests. TikTok has disputed claims that it is being utilized as a tool by the Chinese government and has stated that it has not shared user data from the United States with Chinese authorities.

The US government has not publicly shown evidence that TikTok exchanged US user data with the Chinese government or tampered with the company’s popular algorithm, which impacts what Americans see.

The corporation has good reason to believe that a legal challenge will be successful, as it has already won court battles over its operations in the United States. In November, a federal judge halted a Montana law that would have prohibited TikTok use throughout the state after the business and five TikTok content providers sued.

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The House Votes For Possible TikTok Ban In The US, But Don’t Expect The App To Go Away Anytime Soon

In 2020, federal courts blocked then-President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban TikTok after the firm sued, claiming that the order violated its free speech and due process rights. His administration arranged a deal in which US businesses Oracle and Walmart would have acquired a significant share in TikTok. The transaction fell through for a variety of reasons, including China’s tougher export curbs on technology companies.

Dozens of states and the federal government have imposed TikTok restrictions on official equipment. The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University filed a lawsuit last year, claiming that Texas’ restriction violated academic freedom because it applied to public universities. In December, a federal judge decided in favor of the state.

The software has received support from organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union. “Congress cannot take away the rights of over 170 million Americans who use TikTok to express themselves, engage in political advocacy, and access information from around the world,” Jenna Leventoff, a lawyer for the group, stated

According to AdImpact, an advertising tracking service, TikTok has spent $5 million on television ads opposing the law since mid-March. The advertisements have featured a variety of content creators, including a nun, touting the platform’s benefits in their life and claiming that a prohibition would violate the First Amendment. The corporation has also urged its customers to contact Congress, with some lawmakers receiving profanity-laced calls.

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The House Votes For Possible TikTok Ban In The US, But Don’t Expect The App To Go Away Anytime Soon

“It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy, annually,” Alex Haurek, a spokesperson for the organization, said.

California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna voted against the bill. He believes there could have been less restrictive ways to pursue the corporation that would not end in a blanket ban or jeopardize free speech.

“I don’t think it will be well received,” Khanna remarked. “It’s a sign of the Beltway being out of touch with where voters are.”

Nadya Okamoto, a TikTok content creator with approximately 4 million followers, stated that she has been speaking with other creators who are expressing “so much anger and anxiety” about the bill and how it will affect their life. The 26-year-old, whose company “August” offers menstrual goods and is recognized for her activism for de-stigmatizing monthly cycles, earns the majority of her money via TikTok.

“This is going to have real repercussions,” she told me.

SOURCE – (AP)

Business

Apple Pulls WhatsApp And Threads From App Store On Beijing’s Orders

Published

1 week ago

2024-04-19

Kiara Grace

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HONG KONG — Apple said it has deleted Meta’s WhatsApp messaging service and Threads social media program from the service Store in China in accordance with Chinese authorities’ requests.

Chinese officials withdrew the apps from the store on Friday, citing unspecified national security concerns.

Their departure coincides with heightened tensions between the United States and China over trade, technology, and national security.

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Apple Pulls WhatsApp And Threads From App Store On Beijing’s Orders

The United States has threatened to ban TikTok due to national security concerns. However, while TikTok, owned by Chinese technology giant ByteDance, is popular in the United States, apps such as WhatsApp and Threads are not widely utilized in China.

Instead, the texting program WeChat, owned by the Chinese giant Tencent, dominates.

Other Meta apps, like as Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, remained available for download, however usage of such international apps is prohibited in China due to the country’s “Great Firewall” network of filters, which restricts access to foreign websites like Facebook and Google.

“The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns,” the company stated in a statement.

“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” the company added.

Meta didn’t immediately respond.

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Apple Pulls WhatsApp And Threads From App Store On Beijing’s Orders

Apple, previously the world’s leading smartphone manufacturer, has lost that position to Korean rival Samsung Electronics. The US company has faced headwinds in China, one of its top three markets, with sales falling after Chinese government agencies and state-owned company employees were told not to bring Apple devices to work.

Apple has been expanding its production sites beyond China.

Its CEO, Tim Cook, has been visiting Southeast Asia this week, visiting Hanoi and Jakarta before concluding his trip in Singapore. On Friday, he met with Singapore’s deputy prime minister, Lawrence Wong, and “discussed the partnership between Singapore and Apple, as well as Apple’s continued commitment to doing business in Singapore.”

Apple has vowed to invest more than $250 million to develop its campus in the city-state.

Cook visited with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh earlier this week in Hanoi, promising to spend more money on Vietnamese suppliers.

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Apple Pulls WhatsApp And Threads From App Store On Beijing’s Orders

He also met with Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo. Cook later told reporters that they discussed Widodo’s intention to increase manufacturing in Indonesia, and that Apple will “look at” it.

SOURCE – (AP)