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Biden’s Executive Order Targets Energy Needs for AI Data Centers

Avery Winslow
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Biden’s Executive Order Targets Energy Needs for AI Data Centers

Addressing Energy Demands of Advanced AI Data Centres

In the last days of office, President Joe Biden is taking steps to address the growing energy demands of advanced AI data centres.

Executive Order to Fast-Track Development of Infrastructure

On Tuesday, he signed an executive order aimed at providing federal support to fast-track the development of infrastructure needed to power these AI DC facilities, the White House has announced.

Leasing Federal Land for Gigawatt-Scale AI Data Centres

The order sets out a plan to lease federal land managed by the Defence and Energy departments for gigawatt-scale AI data centres and clean power projects. The goal is to meet the immense energy requirements of these facilities in a shorter timeframe.

Emphasis on American-Made Technology

One notable aspect of the order is its emphasis on American-made technology. Companies that use federal sites for AI data centres will be ordered to purchase a fair amount of US-made semiconductors. The specifics will be worked out for each project and is in line with the Biden administration’s overall aim to invest over $30 billion in domestic chip production.

Streamlining Processes for Building AI Infrastructure

The administration is also working to streamline processes for building AI infrastructure. Federal agencies have been directed to expedite the granting of permits, improve connections to the electric grid, and advance transmission development around federal sites. The measures are intended to avoid delays that could hinder the rapid deployment of essential infrastructure.

Urgency of the Endeavour

Tarun Chhabra, White House technology adviser, emphasized the urgency of the endeavour. "It’s absolutely essential to make sure the AI industry can build the infrastructure it needs for training and deploying powerful AI models right here in the US," he told reporters.

AI Data Centres’ Energy Demands

Chhabra noted that the demand for computing power and electricity is soaring, especially as AI developers work on advanced "frontier models," the most powerful and resource-intensive AI systems available. He estimated that by 2028, some AI data centres could require as much as five gigawatts of capacity – enough energy to power millions of homes.

Environmental Considerations

The executive order also seeks to align AI development with environmental goals. Companies developing projects are urged to use sustainable energy and have minimal impact on electricity prices. The requirement reflects growing concerns about the environmental impact of AI data centres, which consume enormous amounts of energy, plus water for cooling.

National Security

In a related move, the Commerce Department has tightened restrictions on AI chip and technology exports. The goal is to keep advanced computing capabilities in the US and allied nations while limiting access for competing countries. This complements the executive order’s focus on safeguarding national security by keeping cutting-edge AI models secure and based on US soil.

Tech Industry Reaction

The tech industry has reacted positively to the order. Major corporations like Microsoft, BlackRock, and SoftBank have announced significant investments in US-based AI infrastructure, aligning with the administration’s ambition for domestic technological leadership.

Conclusion

By addressing energy demands, environmental considerations, and national security risks, Biden’s executive order lays the groundwork for a robust, secure, and sustainable AI infrastructure. It reflects the administration’s commitment to ensuring that the US remains a global leader in AI development and deployment.

FAQs

Q: What is the purpose of the executive order?
A: The executive order aims to provide federal support to fast-track the development of infrastructure needed to power AI data centres and meet the immense energy requirements of these facilities.

Q: What is the goal of the order in terms of energy demands?
A: The goal is to meet the energy demands of AI data centres in a shorter timeframe by leasing federal land for gigawatt-scale AI data centres and clean power projects.

Q: What is the emphasis on American-made technology in the order?
A: Companies using federal sites for AI data centres will be ordered to purchase a fair amount of US-made semiconductors, aligning with the Biden administration’s aim to invest over $30 billion in domestic chip production.

Q: How will the order streamline processes for building AI infrastructure?
A: Federal agencies will be directed to expedite the granting of permits, improve connections to the electric grid, and advance transmission development around federal sites.

Jaguar’s Designers Unhappy with Rebrand

Phil
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Jaguar’s Designers Unhappy with Rebrand

A letter written by Jaguar’s internal design team has apparently been leaked, which expresses concerns over the brand’s decision to ditch its iconic logo during its oh-so-controversial rebrand at the end of last year.

Jaguar’s Design Team Speaks Out

Jaguar’s new visual identity is worlds away from its traditional roots, something that designers and car enthusiasts have been despairing over since the event (the project was the biggest car logo story of 2024). This letter, as seen by Autocar India, includes complaints about the final design decision – as well as the fact the rebranding project was outsourced to an external team (Accenture Interactive).

Disconnection from Panthera Products

“We felt that the logo disconnects from the narrative and the visual identity of the Panthera products. On product it feels too rounded and playful, which does not speak to us the feeling of ‘Exuberance’,” the letter says.

Designers’ Concerns

The internal design team also felt that the design could have been handled better in house. “As a team, we worked collaboratively across our design disciplines for the holistic purpose and modern luxury narrative needed for the project. Everything was designed authentically with meaning and soul with a distinct purpose for which to develop,” the letter allegedly says.

Jaguar’s Response

Autocar provided a statement from Jaguar in response to its story on the subject, though it doesn’t directly mention the letter or criticism of the design. It reads as follows:

“The creative process encompasses various stages of developing new ideas and tackling challenges. Given that creativity naturally involves a level of subjectivity, our priority is to foster an environment that nurtures the growth of these creative ideas. As we navigate this significant transformation, we naturally engage in numerous discussions and debates to refine and evolve our thinking. Together, we embrace these opportunities for growth and innovation, ensuring that our collective efforts lead to meaningful and impactful outcomes.”

Conclusion

Jaguar’s decision to rebrand and replace its iconic logo has been met with mixed reactions. While some have praised the bold move, others have criticized the design as disconnected from the brand’s traditional roots. Even Jaguar’s own design team expressed concerns over the creative decisions made during the project. It’s clear that this rebrand will be a divisive topic for the foreseeable future.

FAQs

Q: What does the letter claim about the Jaguar logo?

A: The letter claims that the new logo disconnects from the narrative and visual identity of Jaguar’s Panthera products, feeling too rounded and playful.

Q: Who wrote the letter?

A: The letter was reportedly written by 25-30 members of Jaguar’s internal design team.

Q: Why did Jaguar outsource the rebranding project?

A: It is unclear why Jaguar chose to outsource the rebranding project to an external team, but it’s possible that they were looking to bring in new perspectives and expertise.

Q: Has Jaguar commented on the criticism of the new logo?

A: Jaguar provided a statement on the subject, but it didn’t directly address the criticism of the design or the leaked letter.

Qlik and dbt Labs Drive Big Data Integration

Parker Lennox
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Qlik and dbt Labs Drive Big Data Integration

Data Integration Acquisitions Signal New Era of Open, Real-Time Data Architectures

Data never stands still, which makes data integration a perennial challenge. That’s ultimately what drove Qlik and dbt Labs today to announce strategic data integration acquisitions, including Qlik’s purchase of Upsolver, a provider of a no-code data ingestion environment for lakehouses and Apache Iceberg, and dbt Labs’ acquisition of SDF Labs and its real-time SQL validation tool.

Qlik Acquires Upsolver

Qlik is known mainly for its business intelligence, analytics, and ML/AI tools, but the company also has a significant stable of data integration tools that provide an array of data management, data quality, and data governance capabilities. The acquisition of Upsolver, which was founded by Ori Rafael and Yoni Eini in 2014, bolsters that data integration toolset.

Upsolver devoted itself to automating the data engineering work that typically goes into building data pipelines that load data lakes and lakehouses. The Sunnyvale, California-based company developed a no-code platform that it claims can eliminate much of the tedium of hand-coding SQL-based data transformation routines, such as converting unstructured or semi-structured data into database tables.

In recent years, Upsolver has adapted its tools to write data in the Apache Iceberg table format. Iceberg, as we have discussed, is at the center of a resurgence in the data lakehouse design pattern, as it frees organizations to use a multitude of data processing engines against their tables, without the close coupling to the processing engines that was previously required to achieve accuracy and performance.

Qlik says that the acquisition of Upsolver and its real-time ingestion and optimization technologies will enable it to offer a single scalable platform for delivering analytics and AI insights on open, trusted, and governed data.

dbt Labs Acquires SDF Labs

Meanwhile, dbt Labs also made a strategic acquisition aimed at bolstering the data integration capabilities of its extremely popular data transformation environment.

The dbt folks from the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia bought SDF Labs, which isn’t even a year old. SDF Labs, which is based in Seattle, Washington, came out of stealth last June with a Rust-based toolset and framework that’s designed to compile and understand the SQL that users write, regardless of platform. It can be used as an alternative to dbt, or used with it.

On its website, SDF Labs says its technology is "a multi-dialect SQL compiler, transformation framework, and analytical database engine packaged into a single CLI. Unlike other data transformation tools like DBT, SDF extracts SQL compilers from their clouds, understanding proprietary dialects of SQL (like Snowflake) so deeply that it can ultimately execute them."

Conclusion

The acquisitions of Upsolver and SDF Labs by Qlik and dbt Labs, respectively, indicate that data integration is entering a period of accelerated development and change. Out are proprietary databases and tools and brittle data pipelines that lock you in and break. In are open formats, lakehouses, customer choice of query engines, and tools that allow you to easily point your data sources to new data destinations, without the loads of work that used to be required.

And of course, that’s great news for customers.

FAQs

Q: What does the acquisition of Upsolver by Qlik mean for the data integration landscape?

A: The acquisition of Upsolver by Qlik bolsters the company’s data integration toolset and enables it to offer a single scalable platform for delivering analytics and AI insights on open, trusted, and governed data.

Q: What does the acquisition of SDF Labs by dbt Labs mean for the data integration landscape?

A: The acquisition of SDF Labs by dbt Labs brings SQL understanding into dbt, which is something that dbt had always left to the user and the database. This enables dbt to elevate its user experience with unprecedented levels of speed, accuracy, and velocity.

Q: What is the significance of Apache Iceberg in the data lakehouse design pattern?

A: Apache Iceberg is at the center of a resurgence in the data lakehouse design pattern, as it frees organizations to use a multitude of data processing engines against their tables, without the close coupling to the processing engines that was previously required to achieve accuracy and performance.

Q: What does the future hold for data integration?

A: The future of data integration is open, real-time data architectures that enable customers to easily point their data sources to new data destinations, without the loads of work that used to be required.

Facebook Dumps Fact Checkers

Phil
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Facebook Dumps Fact Checkers

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s New Era

So, as you are probably by now aware, Meta CEO and near-perfect human simulacrum Mark Zuckerberg has entered a whole new era. He wears a gold chain now, and he has a perm. It looks very nice.

Dumping Fact-Checkers

Also, perhaps more significantly, he’s dumping Facebook’s fact-checkers in favour of a Twitter-style ‘Community Notes’ system, as part of an attempt to ‘get back to our roots’ on free speech on social media platforms. It’s an alarming move that reportedly even caught the fact-checking teams themselves by surprise, and as many people have pointed out, the idea that this is going to in any way mitigate Facebook’s infamous problem with rampant disinformation seems implausible to say the least (time to move to Cara?).

Zuckerberg’s Heel Turn

Of course, Zuckerberg hasn’t stopped at sacking the fact-checkers. He’s also been on Joe Rogan’s podcast to explain that companies need more ‘masculine energy’ and less ‘feminine energy’. And if that wasn’t enough, his company, presumably with his approval, has revised its hate speech policy, in which it now determines that it is acceptable for users to call gay people mentally ill, to refer to women as property, and to refer to trans people as ‘it’. Top stuff across the board.

Community Notes and Free Speech

This has also led a lot of people to start gleefully roasting Zuckerberg by posting fake headlines about him – since who exactly is now going to stop them? This has been especially popular on the Meta-owned Threads:

Post by @trs122p

View on Threads

Of course, there are other schools of thought:

Elsewhere, a lot of people are preoccupied by simply trying to imagine what a ‘Community Notes’ system on Facebook could actually look like. Though it’s been heavily associated with Elon Musk, the Community Notes system actually predates his takeover of Twitter, having been first implemented in 2021. It allows users to independently add context or clarification to each other’s posts, which are then rated by the community as helpful or unhelpful. Twitter demonstrated that it can actually work quite well – or at least, it works when a right-wing CEO isn’t transparently putting his thumb on the scale.

Conclusion

Ultimately, this is all pretty depressing. It’s hard to think that Facebook’s descent into a slop-ridden radicalisation incubator is going to be anything other than accelerated by these changes, while Elon Musk continues to turn X into his personal fiefdom of crypto scammers and blackpilled TikTokers. So here, enjoy a few more of the funniest roasts and memes we’ve seen about Zuckerberg and his latest right-wing firmware update. You might as well.

FAQs

Q: Why is Mark Zuckerberg dumping Facebook’s fact-checkers?
A: Zuckerberg claims it’s an attempt to ‘get back to our roots’ on free speech on social media platforms, but many experts believe it’s a move to enable more disinformation and hate speech on the platform.

Q: What is the Community Notes system?
A: The Community Notes system allows users to independently add context or clarification to each other’s posts, which are then rated by the community as helpful or unhelpful.

Q: Will the Community Notes system improve Facebook’s hate speech problem?
A: It’s unclear, but many experts believe that the system will not be effective in addressing Facebook’s long-standing problem with hate speech and disinformation.

Q: Why is Mark Zuckerberg wearing a gold chain and perm?
A: Because he can, apparently.

AI Impersonates Brad Pitt, Woman Loses €800k

Emerson Blake
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AI Impersonates Brad Pitt, Woman Loses €800k

What Began as a Ski Holiday Instagram Post Ended in Financial Ruin for a French Interior Designer

The 18-month scam targeted Anne, 53, who received an initial message from someone posing as Jane Etta Pitt, Brad’s mother, claiming her son "needed a woman like you."

The Relationship Deepened

Not long after, Anne started talking to what she believed was the Hollywood star himself, complete with AI-generated photos and videos. "We’re talking about Brad Pitt here and I was stunned," Anne told French media. "At first, I thought it was fake, but I didn’t really understand what was happening to me."

The Scammers’ Tactics

The relationship deepened over months of daily contact, with the fake Pitt sending poems, declarations of love, and eventually a marriage proposal. "There are so few men who write to you like that," Anne described. "I loved the man I was talking to. He knew how to talk to women and it was always very well put together."

The Scammers’ Request for Money

After building rapport, the scammers began extracting money with a modest request – €9,000 for supposed customs fees on luxury gifts. It escalated when the impersonator claimed to need cancer treatment while his accounts were frozen due to his divorce from Angelina Jolie.

The Aftermath

A fabricated doctor’s message about Pitt’s condition prompted Anne to transfer €800,000 to a Turkish account. "It cost me to do it, but I thought that I might be saving a man’s life," she said. When her daughter recognized the scam, Anne refused to believe it: "You’ll see when he’s here in person then you’ll say sorry."

The Devastating Consequences

Her illusions were shattered upon seeing news coverage of the real Brad Pitt with his partner Inés de Ramon in summer 2024. Even then, the scammers tried to maintain control, sending fake news alerts dismissing these reports and claiming Pitt was actually dating an unnamed "very special person." In a final roll of the dice, someone posing as an FBI agent extracted another €5,000 by offering to help her escape the scheme.

The Aftermath

The aftermath proved devastating – three suicide attempts led to hospitalization for depression. Anne opened up about her experience to French broadcaster TF1, but the interview was later removed after she faced intense cyber-bullying. Now living with a friend after selling her furniture, she has filed criminal complaints and launched a crowdfunding campaign for legal help.

A Tragic Situation

Anne’s story parallels a massive surge in AI-powered fraud worldwide. Spanish authorities recently arrested five people who stole €325,000 from two women through similar Brad Pitt impersonations.

Why These Scams Succeed

Speaking about AI fraud last year, McAfee’s Chief Technology Officer Steve Grobman explains why these scams succeed: "Cybercriminals are able to use generative AI for fake voices and deepfakes in ways that used to require a lot more sophistication."

Would You Be Able to Spot an AI Scam?

Most people would fancy their chances of spotting an AI scam, but research says otherwise. Studies show humans struggle to distinguish real faces from AI creations, and synthetic voices fool roughly a quarter of listeners.

Conclusion

As companies and individuals wrestle with compellingly real AI-generated media, the human cost – illustrated by Anne’s devastating experience – will probably rise.

FAQs

Q: How did the scam begin?
A: The scam began with an initial message from someone posing as Jane Etta Pitt, Brad’s mother, claiming her son "needed a woman like you."

Q: How did the scammers convince Anne?
A: The scammers used AI-generated photos and videos to convince Anne that she was in a relationship with Brad Pitt.

Q: How much money did Anne lose?
A: Anne lost €800,000 to the scammers.

Q: What happened to Anne after the scam?
A: Anne’s illusions were shattered when she saw news coverage of the real Brad Pitt with his partner Inés de Ramon. She then faced intense cyber-bullying and has since filed criminal complaints and launched a crowdfunding campaign for legal help.

Agents’ Autonomy: How Much Should We Allow?

Avery Winslow
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Agents’ Autonomy: How Much Should We Allow?

Should I Set Up a Personal AI Agent to Help with My Daily Tasks?

The Case Against

As a general rule, I think relying on any kind of automation in your daily life is dangerous when taken to the extreme and potentially alienating, even when used in moderation, especially with regards to personal interactions. An AI agent that organizes my task list and gathers online links for further reading? Fabulous. An AI agent that automatically messages my parents every week with a quick life update? Horrific.

The Environmental Impact

The strongest argument for not involving more generative AI tools into your daily routine remains the environmental impact these models continue to have during training and output generation. With all of that in mind, I dug through WIRED’s archive to find more historical context for your question.

A Brief History of AI Agents

The idea of AI agents, or "agentic AI," is the current buzzword du jour for every tech leader who’s trying to hype their recent investments. But the concept of an automated assistant dedicated to completing software tasks is far from a fresh idea. So much of the discourse around "software agents" in the 1990s mirrors the current conversation in Silicon Valley, where leaders at tech companies now promise an incoming flood of generative AI-powered agents trained to do online chores on our behalf.

An Expert’s Perspective

"I called Maes early in January to hear how her perspective on AI agents has changed over the years. She’s as optimistic as ever about the potential for personal automation, but she’s convinced that "extremely naive" engineers are not spending enough time addressing the complexities of human-computer interactions."

Potential Pitfalls

To better understand other potential pitfalls for personal AI agents, let’s break the nebulous term into two distinct categories: those that feed you and those that represent you.

Feeding Agents

Algorithms with data about your habits and tastes that search through swaths of information to find what’s relevant to you. Sounds familiar, right? Any social media recommendation engine filling a timeline with tailored posts or incessant ad tracker showing me those mushroom gummies for the thousandth time on Instagram could be considered a personal AI agent.

Representative Agents

Agents that take on a more active role, making decisions on your behalf, such as ordering products or sending messages. This category of agents raises important questions about responsibility and accountability.

Conclusion

As we continue to develop and integrate AI agents into our daily lives, it’s essential to consider the potential consequences of their use. While AI agents can be incredibly helpful, it’s crucial to approach their development with a critical eye, considering the environmental impact, potential pitfalls, and the complexities of human-computer interactions.

FAQs

Q: What is an AI agent?
An AI agent is a software program that can perform tasks on your behalf, such as organizing your schedule or sending messages.

Q: What are the benefits of using AI agents?
AI agents can help streamline your daily routine, save time, and make it easier to complete tasks.

Q: What are the potential drawbacks of using AI agents?
The potential drawbacks include the environmental impact of training and generating AI models, the risk of over-reliance, and the potential for biased or incorrect information.

Q: How can I get started with AI agents?
You can start by exploring existing AI-powered tools, such as virtual assistants or recommendation engines, and experimenting with their capabilities to see how they can benefit your daily routine.

AI Chatbot Essentials

Avery Winslow
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AI Chatbot Essentials

Timeline of the most recent ChatGPT updates

January 2025

ChatGPT now lets you schedule reminders and recurring tasks

ChatGPT’s new beta feature, called tasks, allows users to set simple reminders. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to remind you when your passport expires in six months, and the AI assistant will follow up with a push notification on whatever platform you have tasks enabled. The feature will start rolling out to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Pro users around the globe this week.

New ChatGPT feature lets users assign it traits like ‘chatty’ and ‘Gen Z’

OpenAI is introducing a new way for users to customize their interactions with ChatGPT. Some users found they can specify a preferred name or nickname and “traits” they’d like the chatbot to have. OpenAI suggests traits like “Chatty,” “Encouraging,” and “Gen Z.” However, some users reported that the new options have disappeared, so it’s possible they went live prematurely.

December 2024

ChatGPT Search can be tricked into misleading users, new research reveals

ChatGPT Search can be fooled into generating completely misleading summaries, The Guardian has found. They found ChatGPT could be prompted to ignore negative reviews and generate “entirely positive” summaries by inserting hidden text into websites it created and that ChatGPT Search could also be made to spit out malicious code using this method.

Microsoft and OpenAI reportedly have a finance-centric definition of AGI

Microsoft and OpenAI have a very specific, internal definition of AGI based on the startup’s profits, according to a new report from The Information. The two companies reportedly signed an agreement stating OpenAI has only achieved AGI when it develops AI systems that can generate at least $100 billion in profit, which is far from the rigorous technical and philosophical definition of AGI many would expect.

OpenAI trained o1 and o3 to ‘think’ about its safety policy

OpenAI released new research outlining the company’s approach to ensure AI reasoning models stay aligned with the values of their human developers. The startup used “deliberative alignment” to make o1 and o3 “think” about OpenAI’s safety policy. According to OpenAI’s research, the method decreased the rate at which o1 answered “unsafe” questions while improving its ability to answer benign ones.

OpenAI announces new o3 reasoning models

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the successors to its o1 reasoning model family: o3 and o3-mini. The models are not widely available yet, but safety researchers can sign up for a preview. The reveal marks the end of the “12 Days of OpenAI” event, which saw announcements for real-time vision capabilities, ChatGPT Search, and even a Santa voice for ChatGPT. 

OpenAI brings ChatGPT to your landline

In an effort to make ChatGPT accessible to as many people as possible, OpenAI announced a 1-800 number to call the chatbot — even from a landline or a flip phone. Users can call 1-800-CHATGPT, and ChatGPT will respond to your queries in an experience that is more or less identical to Advanced Voice Mode — minus the multimodality.

OpenAI brings its ChatGPT Search to more users

OpenAI is bringing ChatGPT Search to free, logged in users. Search gives ChatGPT the ability to access real-time information on the web to better answer your queries, but was only available for paid users when it launched in October. Not only is Search available now for free users, but it’s also been integrated into Advanced Voice Mode.

OpenAI blames massive ChatGPT outage on a ‘new telemetry service’

OpenAI is blaming one of the longest outages in its history on a “new telemetry service” gone awry. OpenAI wrote in a postmortem that the outage wasn’t caused by a security incident or recent product launch, but by a telemetry service it deployed to collect Kubernetes metrics.

You can make ChatGPT sound like Santa for a limited time

OpenAI announced that ChatGPT users could access a new “Santa Mode” voice during December. The feature allows users to speak with ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode, but with a Christmas twist. The voice sounds, well, “merry and bright,” as OpenAI described it. Think boomy, jolly — more or less like every Santa you’ve ever heard.

OpenAI adds vision to Advanced Voice Mode

Looking Glass utilizes ChatGPT to produce holograms you can communicate with by using ChatGPT.  And nonprofit organization Solana officially integrated the chatbot into its network with a ChatGPT plug-in geared toward end users to help onboard into the web3 space.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does GPT mean in ChatGPT?

GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer.

What is the difference between ChatGPT and a chatbot?

A chatbot can be any software/system that holds dialogue with you/a person but doesn’t necessarily have to be AI-powered. For example, there are chatbots that are rules-based in the sense that they’ll give canned responses to questions.

ChatGPT is AI-powered and utilizes LLM technology to generate text after a prompt.

Can ChatGPT write essays?

Yes.

Can ChatGPT commit libel?

Due to the nature of how these models work, they don’t know or care whether something is true, only that it looks true. That’s a problem when you’re using it to do your homework, sure, but when it accuses you of a crime you didn’t commit, that may well at this point be libel.

We will see how handling troubling statements produced by ChatGPT will play out over the next few months as tech and legal experts attempt to tackle the fastest moving target in the industry.

Does ChatGPT have an app?

Yes, there is a free ChatGPT mobile app for iOS and Android users.

What is the ChatGPT character limit?

It’s not documented anywhere that ChatGPT has a character limit. However, users have noted that there are some character limitations after around 500 words.

MetaHuman Tech Elevates Storytelling in Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream

Phil
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MetaHuman Tech Elevates Storytelling in Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream details

Publisher: Nordcurrent Labs
Developer: River End Games
Platform: Windows PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Format: Unreal Engine 5
Release date: 2025

Why choose Unreal Engine 5 and MetaHuman for this game?

When we began pre-production of this game, the only two game engines that were viable options were Unreal Engine and Unity. At that point in time, Unity had yet to implement PBR in its rendering pipeline, so Unreal Engine became the natural choice. MetaHuman wasn’t available at this point, so it wasn’t until later that we adopted the technology. Before MetaHuman, we had another pipeline in place with a face-scanning rig that we built ourselves. The results were really good, but it was a very slow and tedious process.

How does MetaHuman help indie developers and smaller teams achieve high-quality character design?

MetaHuman is a very powerful tool that allows for a lot of customisation, but this is only part of the equation. An aspect that is easily overlooked is just how difficult it can be to create realistic shaders for skin, eyes, teeth, and hair – but all of these are included in the package. Epic has done all that work for you, which would be very difficult to do yourself unless you’re already an expert.

What storytelling or performance challenges did MetaHuman solve for this game?

MetaHuman Creator allowed us to quickly create believable characters with a very wide range of facial expressions. But the other part of the equation is MetaHuman Animator that does a tremendous job of capturing our actors’ performances and applying it as animation data to the facial rig.

How has MetaHuman with UE5 tools like Lumen and Nanite helped the immersion of the game?

For performance reasons we use baked lighting in Eriksholm, but for our cinematics we use Lumen since those are pre-rendered movies. Using Lumen in our cinematics allows us to tweak or re-arrange the lighting for each shot in a scene dynamically, which is a very useful process in order to get each shot looking as good as possible.

How much creative control does MetaHuman offer for customisation, to make sure characters fit the unique narrative of your game?

There are a lot of customisation options in MetaHuman Creator, but you can also use the Mesh to MetaHuman feature to make small or large adjustments as well.

Can you share examples of how MetaHuman enabled you to create nuanced character expressions and performances?

The fact that MetaHuman Animator’s solve is not based on just 2D video data, but 3D mesh data generated from stereo video input, means that you get a much better solve where very subtle nuances of the actor’s performance are captured in a very convincing way.

Did you face any limitations when using MetaHuman? How did you overcome them?

The only problems we’ve encountered so far have been related to creating very young characters, where there’s not a whole lot in the database to work from. But we manage to overcome it by blending multiple types of characters together, and using the Mesh to MetaHuman feature for additional tweaks to proportions.

Before MetaHuman how much longer would this kind of character creation take, and could you do it with your team size?

I would say that it would probably take twenty times longer to create characters with our previous pipeline. But it’s not just that – with our previous pipeline we would scan real people, which means that you also have to find those people and negotiate contracts with them.

Are there any other innovations you’re looking forward to in 2025, or making use of? Are their AI tools like Nvidia ACE you’d ever consider using?

What I’m looking forward to the most is not necessarily technical innovations, but rather new ways of thinking about a game’s story, design, characters and environments to make the experience even more meaningful to the player. I love that there are always new frontiers to explore when it comes to the player’s experience.

How do you see MetaHuman evolving in the future and what new possibilities do you see for small dev teams?

I think that we’ve come a really long way the last ten years in terms of democratising the means of production. You don’t have to have a large team and a huge budget to make something truly great anymore, because there are so many tools readily available to the public. MetaHuman is a great example of this, and part of a trend that I think will continue. A future that is much more about coming up with interesting ideas than overcoming barriers of entry.

Conclusion

In conclusion, MetaHuman has been a game-changer for the development of Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream. With its advanced facial animation capabilities and customisation options, it has allowed us to create nuanced and believable characters that bring the game to life. Its integration with Unreal Engine 5 tools like Lumen and Nanite has also enhanced the game’s immersion and visuals.

FAQs

Q: What is MetaHuman?

A: MetaHuman is a facial animation tool developed by Epic Games that allows developers to create realistic and nuanced character expressions and performances.

Q: How does MetaHuman help indie developers and smaller teams?

A: MetaHuman offers a high level of customisation and flexibility, making it easier for indie developers and smaller teams to create high-quality characters without having to invest in expensive hardware or software.

Q: What are some of the benefits of using MetaHuman?

A: Some of the benefits of using MetaHuman include its ability to capture subtle nuances of an actor’s performance, its ease of use, and its integration with Unreal Engine 5 tools like Lumen and Nanite.

Office for Mac running slowly? Here’s how to speed it up

Taylor Marlowe
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Office for Mac running slowly? Here’s how to speed it up

Reasons why Microsoft Office slows down

Microsoft Office can end up running slowly because of one, or even all, of the following:

  • Office files get corrupted and the application runs slowly as a result.
  • A buildup of temporary files can cause a slowdown.
  • Microsoft Office has not been updated. Updates can speed up the application.
  • Documents that have DOC or DOCM extensions might be storing macros, which can lead to delays when opening documents.
  • Lack of hardware resources on the device.

Uninstall and re-install Microsoft Office

As detailed in this article, one of the best methods to speed up Microsoft Office is to reinstall it, a process which will overwrite corrupted elements and/or replace any missing files. Fully deleting the app is important to create a fresh environment for the reinstallation.

  • Go to the Applications folder and move the Microsoft Office folder to the Trash.
  • Press Shift+Command+G to open “~/Library/Containers”.
  • From the Group Containers folder, drag UBF8T346G9.OfficeOsfWebHost, ubf8t346g9.office and ubf8t346g9.ms to the Trash.
  • Trash the following: com.microsoft.onenote.mac, com.microsoft.Word, com.microsoft.RMS-XPCService, com.microsoft.Powerpoint, com.microsoft.Outlook, com.microsoft.Excel and any other file that contains ‘.com.microsoft’ in its name.

Use a Mac cleanup tool

An alternative is to use a cleanup tool. Cleanup tools identify any remaining files or temporary files from apps and remove them. The advantage for less technically-skilled users is that the deletion of unwanted or unused files happens with just the press of a button.

Cleanup tools can also uninstall apps. As we saw earlier, manually installing and then re-installing Office can be tricky to perform manually. With a cleanup tool, app removal is streamlined and automatic. The cleanup app removes files for you, saving time and ensuring all elements of Office are fully removed from your Mac.

Update your Microsoft Office installation

Microsoft releases plenty of updates for Microsoft Office, and, in general, it’s a good idea to keep apps updated. If you’re still using an older version of Office, it’s possibly one of the reasons for poor performance. Users are typically notified by the Microsoft Office Update tool whenever a new version is available, plus, there’s always the option of going to Microsoft’s website and downloading available updates manually.

Manually delete temporary files

Using a cleanup tool is the best option to find and delete temporary files. However, if you’re a confident Mac user, empty the contents of ‘~/Library/Caches’ into the Trash. Again, use Shift+Command+G to locate the folder.

Reinstall an older version

If after reinstalling Office and running all available updates, the problem persists, it may be worth using an older version of Office. Start with a version that’s only a month or two older than the original, and then progress to even older versions, testing the performance of the application as you go.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to speed up your Microsoft Office installation and get back to working efficiently. Remember to regularly update your Office installation and consider using a cleanup tool to keep your Mac running smoothly.

FAQs

Q: Why does Microsoft Office slow down?
A: Microsoft Office can slow down due to corrupted files, temporary files, lack of updates, macros in documents, and lack of hardware resources.

Q: How do I uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Office?
A: To uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Office, move the Microsoft Office folder to the Trash, delete the Group Containers folder, and trash any files containing ‘.com.microsoft’ in their name.

Q: What is a Mac cleanup tool?
A: A Mac cleanup tool is a software that identifies and removes temporary files and unwanted files from your Mac, including apps and their associated files.

Q: How do I manually delete temporary files?
A: To manually delete temporary files, empty the contents of ‘~/Library/Caches’ into the Trash. Use Shift+Command+G to locate the folder.

Nothing Phone 3 Teased

Emerson Blake
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0
Nothing Phone 3 Teased

The Hype Surrounding the Nothing Phone 3: What to Expect and What I’d Like to See

For the past few years, Nothing has been synonymous with mid-range Android phones that offer an aesthetic no other phone manufacturer can match. The Nothing phones are unique devices, beloved by fans.

The Big Announcement

The company recently announced that the Nothing Phone 3 will be its first true flagship phone, and that should have fans champing at the bit to get their hands on the next iteration.

Leaked Information

The Nothing Phone 3 was originally set to be released in 2024, but Nothing CEO Carl Pei pushed the release to Q1 2025. A leaked internal email from Pei confirmed the release, hinting at "breakthrough innovations in user interface, taking our first step toward our AI-powered platform."

Rumored Specifications

Although the leak does not confirm the phone’s specs, some of the rumored specs include:

  • Camera: Sony’s latest LYTIA sensor with a 2X zoom
  • Storage: 128 GB, 256GB, and 512GB
  • Design: Transparent back with Glyph lights
  • Display: 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 1600 nits, and HDR10+ support
  • Battery: 5,000 mAh or 4,880 mAh
  • CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

What I’d Like to See Happen

I’d prefer that Nothing pull back its claim that the Phone 3 will be an AI-driven mobile device — but that’s just my opinion.

  • Audio Support: I’d like to see Nothing add hardware support for high-res audio. With more headphones supporting high-res audio codecs, phones without hardware support can’t produce higher-quality sound.
  • Glyph Lights: I’d like to see Nothing go all in on the glyph lights instead of pulling back and making them more subtle. The glyphs are what truly set the devices apart.
  • Price: I hope Nothing doesn’t jack the phone price so high that its current crop of fans can’t afford the device. If the company can stay within the $600-$800 range, the Nothing Phone 3 could make some serious waves.

Conclusion

As of now, there is no official release date (other than Q1 2025), so keep checking back. We’ll report the date as soon as it’s available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When is the Nothing Phone 3 expected to be released?
A: Q1 2025

Q: What are the rumored specifications of the Nothing Phone 3?
A: Camera: Sony’s latest LYTIA sensor with a 2X zoom, Storage: 128 GB, 256GB, and 512GB, Design: Transparent back with Glyph lights, Display: 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 1600 nits, and HDR10+ support, Battery: 5,000 mAh or 4,880 mAh, CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

Q: Is the Nothing Phone 3 an AI-driven mobile device?
A: According to the leaked internal email, the device will take the first step towards an AI-powered platform, but it’s unclear if it will be a full-fledged AI-driven device.

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