Latest news with #AriaAI
The Citizen
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Hidden dangers of increasingly advanced AI assistants
As AI assistants in South Africa continue to increase, so do the risks. The evolution of AI assistants over the past few years is nothing short of remarkable. Picture: Trend Micro. Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistants are becoming more prominent and continue to increase as people require efficient and speedy service. From querying about a product online to seeking help with your mobile contract, more and more companies are using digital assistants (DA) to cope with the influx of customers wanting attention. Risks However, as AI assistants in South Africa proliferate, so do the risks. Trend Micro Solutions Architect for the Middle East and Africa Zaheer Ebrahim said the evolution of AI assistants over the past few years is nothing short of remarkable. 'Initially designed to perform simple tasks such as setting reminders and playing music, these AI-driven software systems have transformed into sophisticated conversational agents, powered by advanced large language models like ChatGPT and Google Gemini.' ALSO READ: South Africa on track to regulate artificial intelligence Extraordinary ability DAs exhibit an extraordinary ability to understand and respond to natural language queries with impressive accuracy and context sensitivity. However, Ebrahim warns that as advanced helpers become more sophisticated, the security risks become more complex. 'It is imperative for both developers and users to be proactive and vigilant in addressing emerging threats, ensuring that the benefits of AI are not overshadowed by potential vulnerabilities. New threats As DA's become increasingly integrated into daily life and interconnected with various devices and services, they become attractive targets for malicious actors. Ebrahim said continuous interaction with DA's generates enormous amounts of personal data, including names, addresses, e-mail addresses, phone numbers and even sensitive health information. 'This data is essential for providing personalised and proactive assistance. However, it also raises significant privacy concerns. 'Unauthorised access or misuse of this data can lead to severe consequences, making robust data protection measures crucial. 'Encryption of sensitive data, both at rest and in transit, is a fundamental security measure that needs to be prioritised,' Ebrahim warned. ALSO READ: Opera adds Aria AI assistant to Opera Mini on Android Custom skills Ebrahim added that the advanced helpers also bring malicious 'custom skills' that seem legitimate but actually contain harmful functions. 'In this context, 'skills' refer to specific features or abilities that can be added to AI assistants to enhance their functionality, similar to apps on smartphones. These rogue skills can manipulate the assistant's responses to provide false information.' Social engineering He said social engineering can also be executed through DAs, where attackers manipulate the output generated by these assistants to deceive users. 'For instance, a DA might be instructed to relay a seemingly legitimate message from a trusted source, leading users to take harmful actions. 'This threat is particularly concerning as DAs take on more sophisticated tasks, such as managing user finances.' Recommendations Ebrahim said that to address these digital assistant-based threats, it is essential for both developers and users to be able to recognise the types of personally identifiable information collected by DAS and collaborate to promote a culture of security awareness, responsible behaviour and best practices. 'A holistic approach incorporating multiple layers of defence is key. Robust authentication mechanisms can ensure user identity verification and safeguard against unauthorised access. 'Encrypting sensitive data at various levels – at rest, in transit and within the DA's internal memory -protects user information from malicious actors.' Ebrahim advised that employing advanced threat detection techniques, utilising machine learning algorithms and behavioural analysis can proactively defend against evolving cyber threats. ALSO READ: The rise of AI tools and their impact on smartphone use
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opera adds its Aria AI assistant to Opera Mini on Android
Norway-based browser company Opera said today that it is making its AI assistant Aria available on its Opera Mini browser for on Android. Aria AI can help users get the latest news and information on different topics, learn more about various subjects, and generate images. Opera uses a mix of models from OpenAI and Google to get relevant answers. "AI is rapidly becoming an integral part of the daily internet experience – bringing Aria to Opera Mini is a natural addition to our most-downloaded browser. With the addition of our built-in AI, Aria, we're excited to explore how AI can further enhance the feature set our users rely on every day," Jørgen Arnesen, EVP Mobile at Opera, said in a statement. Opera Mini, which launched in 2005, helps users save on data while browsing. The company's claim is that even with the launch of the new AI assistant, it can help in saving data without adding to the app's size. The company said Opera Mini has over a billion downloads on Android and more than 100 million users worldwide. According to data from app analytics firm Appfigures, Opera Mini has clocked 7.1 million downloads this year worldwide. Apart from launching an AI assistant across all its apps, Opera has been experimenting with AI features, such as a way to control tabs through natural language prompts and an operator that helps you complete tasks autonomously. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opera adds its Aria AI assistant to Opera Mini browser
Norway-based browser company Opera said today that it is making its AI assistant Aria available to Opera Mini users on Android. This move will help users with low-end devices and data constraints access better AI features. Aria AI can help users get the latest news and information on different topics, learn more about various subjects, and generate images. Opera uses a mix of models from OpenAI and Google to get relevant answers. "AI is rapidly becoming an integral part of the daily internet experience – bringing Aria to Opera Mini is a natural addition to our most-downloaded browser. With the addition of our built-in AI, Aria, we're excited to explore how AI can further enhance the feature set our users rely on every day," Jørgen Arnesen, EVP Mobile at Opera, said in a statement. Opera Mini, which launched in 2005, helps users save on data while browsing. The company's claim is that even with the launch of the new AI assistant, it can help in saving data without adding to the app's size. Over the years, the company has struck up partnerships with local telcos in Africa to offer free data to Opera Mini customers. Last year, the company had to shut its free data program in Kenya after authorities issued a directive curbing ads on bookmark tiles interface on browsers. The company said that Opera Mini has over a billion downloads on Android and more than 100 million users worldwide. According to data from app analytics firm Appfigures, Opera Mini has clocked 7.1 million downloads this year worldwide. Apart from launching an AI assistant across all its pages, Opera has been experimenting with AI features, such as a way to control tabs through natural language prompts and an operator that helps you complete tasks autonomously. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Sign in to access your portfolio
WIRED
04-04-2025
- WIRED
Opera's Latest Browser Is Here to Make Your Internet Experience Less Stressful
Apr 4, 2025 8:00 AM Stay well on the web with Opera Air, a browser that plays soothing ambient music and encourages you to take breaks. It's all too easy to lose time on the internet. Scrolling through social media, falling down algorithm-led rabbit holes on YouTube, and clicking on bad news story after bad news story. We know too much screen time is bad for us, but acknowledging the problem and doing something about it are two different things. Browser maker Opera has an idea for cultivating a healthier relationship with the web and our computers, and it's a new browser called Opera Air. Now available for Windows and macOS, its reason for being is to 'actively improve your well-being' by encouraging breaks, exercises, and meditations. The Opera Air Ethos When it comes to improving your user experience, Opera Air starts with the basic building blocks of the browser interface: It's all round corners and frosted glass effects, and Opera itself describes it as a "minimalist Scandinavian design." (Opera is headquartered in Oslo, Norway.) It's all designed to be as relaxing and as gentle as possible—though the amount of relaxation you'll feel does still to some extent depend on the sites you choose to look at. "The web is beautiful, but it can be chaotic and overwhelming," says Mohamed Salah, the senior director of product at Opera. "We decided to look at science-backed ways to help our users navigate it in a way that makes them feel and function better." Even the wallpaper inside the browser is designed to be calming. Courtesy of David Nield To that end you've got a choice of background sounds and a choice of exercises to work with, both easily accessible from the main browsing screen. You can also set up reminders to take a break at regular intervals, and it's likely Opera will add more over time—the current version of the browser is labeled 'early access.' To research the need for a calming tool like Opera Air, the company conducted a survey of 7,000 people across seven countries. It found that 58 percent of respondents 'sometimes feel overwhelmed or stressed while browsing the web,' while 83 percent of respondents said they would like a 'web browser made them feel better as they went about their day.' Running Opera Air The initial setup for Opera Air won't take you long to work through. You'll need to choose a wallpaper backdrop, and there are a variety of soothing images and looping videos to pick from. You're also able to import data such as bookmarks and browsing history from another browser. After that, you get to the Speed Dial quick links page borrowed from the main Opera browser. If you've used Opera before, you'll notice some of the browser's distinctive features: The choice of workspaces on the left, for example, where you can separate groups of tabs, and the integrations with the Aria AI, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. Boosts are customized sounds to help you work. Courtesy of David Nield The two key well-being tools in Opera Air are on the left sidebar. Explore Boosts (the flower icon) leads you to a series of binaural background beats, with names like Emotional Navigation, Focused Calm, and Creativity Boost. Pick the one that matches the mood you're looking for. For each selection, you can click the three dots to tweak the mix. You're able to choose the frequency of the beats, the ambient sound, and the music track that all work together to produce the sounds you're listening to. (There are a multitude of combinations to go through.) You can also set a fixed time for the boost audio before clicking Start. Breaks are guided exercises you can use regularly. Courtesy of David Nield The other main feature here is Take a Break, which is the icon that looks like three wavy lines. You've got four options: Breathing, Neck Exercise, Meditation, and Full Body Scan (which "tunes you into your body and surroundings"). You'll be talked through each step of each exercise, and they take between three and 15 minutes to complete. Click the three dots to the top right of the Take a Break screen and you can pick the voice you want to use for the narration. You can also turn break reminders on or off; Opera Air can nudge you to take some time away from the web at regular intervals of between 45 and 180 minutes. What's more, if you have a webcam, there's the option to use it for some of the exercises to make sure you're stretching correctly. Opera doesn't make any specific reference to a privacy policy when it comes to this feature, but we can't see any indication that any kind of permanent recordings are made, and generally speaking, Opera is a privacy-focused browser.
