Latest news with #algorithms
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
The War on Truth
This episode explores the rise of fake news, uncovering its history, motives and the stories driving its global impact. The War on Truth examines the pervasive and transformative impact of misinformation in the digital age. Tracing its roots from propaganda to its rapid spread via social media algorithms, the episode explores the factors driving fake news and its consequences, such as polarisation and erosion of public trust. Featuring compelling stories, including the United States elections, bird flu and COVID-19 misinformation, with insights from experts, the episode employs dynamic visuals and infographics to dissect this pressing issue and offer solutions.
Sky News
22-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News
New internet rules come into force this week - here's what will change
New rules for the internet will start being enforced on Friday, which may well change how you browse. Ofcom's Children's Codes, a set of regulations designed to protect young people online, will mean sites hosting adult content like pornography will need to have "highly effective" age verification in place. Social media sites will need to make sure their algorithms aren't pushing harmful content to young people and if their terms and conditions say those kinds of posts aren't allowed, the sites will have to make sure their own rules are properly enforced. So what's going to change? The biggest change you'll notice straight away is around age verification. Many adult sites currently have simple boxes for users to tick and say they're over 18 - that's no longer good enough, according to Ofcom. Instead, they'll have to properly verify their users' ages before allowing them to see adult content. So on Friday, users visiting adult websites should be presented with a screen that offers them a few different ways to verify their age. That could be by checking credit card details, checking ID or by using AI facial age estimation. This is different to AI facial recognition; whereas facial recognition "recognises" a face by comparing it to an ID or to a database, facial age estimation doesn't attempt to identify the individual. Instead, it judges faces based on the positions of their features and other ageing traits to estimate how old a user is. "Facial age estimation is effectively taking a selfie in front of your mobile phone or your laptop, and we capture that image [...] on behalf of the business," Robin Tombs, the chief executive of age estimation company Yoti, told Sky News. "[The AI] checks 'liveness' to ensure it isn't a photo of somebody older and then estimates the age from that selfie, and then returns an over-18 or under-18 message to the business. "It then deletes the image." Every company with adult content on its site is obliged to put these rules into place and Ofcom is willing to "be tough" with non-compliers, according to Jessica Smith, the regulator's online safety principal. It can impose fines of up to £18m or 10% of revenue and, in very serious cases, stop sites operating in the UK. 1:11 Will it actually make a difference? Plenty of people hope so - the government, Ofcom, children's groups and campaigners are all banking on these new rules to change children's experience on the internet. "We've had unrestricted access to this content for a generation of children which has had a lot of impacts," Ms Smith told Sky News. "It is widely accepted that you have to check your age before you can drink alcohol, and so this is a kind of social change as well as a technical one. "It's about what we, as a society, say is normal for our online experiences. And I think these protections will be important for children in all walks of life." This isn't necessarily going to stop determined young people from seeking out adult content, according to Ms Smith, but it should stop inappropriate posts from popping up unexpectedly on young people's feeds. "The most common way that children come across pornography, at least at first, is that they come across it accidentally," she told Sky News. "So they're not seeking out, they are just scrolling through a social media service and then they'll see something that they don't want to see. And that can be really shocking and disturbing for them. "But it also shows them what content is out there and introduces them to a new type of online content." Some websites and apps have already announced they'll implement the changes, including the UK's biggest pornography site PornHub, social media sites Discord and Reddit, and dating app Grindr.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is quantum computing the next big thing in stocks?
Is quantum computing the next big thing in stocks? originally appeared on TheStreet. For decades, quantum computing had remained largely a theoretical concept. The promise was staggering, teasing machines that, in seconds, could solve problems that would take modern supercomputers hundreds of years to complete. That narrative is changing today, with billions of investor dollars pouring into the quantum computing industry, leading to breakthroughs in quantum hardware, algorithms, and supporting computing has already rapidly shifted from research papers and laboratories into early commercial deployments. Investors can now purchase shares of several publicly traded quantum computing stocks, allowing them to gain exposure to this budding market in their portfolios. But is quantum computing really the next big thing in stocks? Or is it just another fad, incapable of generating any real, meaningful value for investors over the long term? How quantum computing is different (and why it matters) Traditional, classical computers process information in zeros and ones called binary "bits." Quantum computers instead use qubits, which can represent a combination of zero and one simultaneously, thanks to a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics called "quantum superposition." The unique multi-state ability of qubits enables quantum computers to perform many calculations concurrently, which in turn allows them to solve certain types of problems exponentially faster than even the most advanced modern traditional supercomputers. But qubits are notoriously unstable. Even small environmental changes (temperature, vibrations, or electromagnetic interference, for example) can cause noise or "decoherence," causing them to lose their quantum leaders are investing billions of dollars to achieve truly stable qubits capable of maintaining themselves in a desired quantum state for a sufficient amount of time to perform accurate computations. Still, multiple industries are already working to harness the power of quantum computing. Health care and pharmaceutical companies hope to drastically accelerate timelines for various stages of pharmaceutical research and development. Logistics, automotive, and aerospace companies are looking to leverage vast amounts of data to speed up machine learning and find the most efficient routes around warehouses, roadways, and flight paths. Finance leaders are exploring ways to more quickly and accurately detect fraud, optimize investment portfolios, and price unusual derivatives. How big is the quantum computing market? The quantum computing industry is still in its infancy, but it's predicted to experience significant growth over the next decade. According to recent research published by McKinsey, quantum computing is expected to generate as much as $72 billion in revenue in 2035, up from approximately $4 billion in 2024. By 2040, researchers suggest the value of the quantum computing market could swell to nearly $150 Consulting Group has estimated that quantum computing could unlock between $450 billion and $850 billion in value over the next 15 to 30 years, primarily by accelerating R&D and creating efficiencies across various industries. Whether the market achieves such scale in that time frame remains to be seen, of course, given the wide variance in potential adoption rates, technological progress, and scale over the coming years. On quantum computing leaders, methodologies Various disparate quantum computing technologies are being embraced by multiple companies in the space. For instance, these four companies are among the most prominent quantum computing stocks accessible to investors today. Below is a brief discussion of their respective focus and chosen quantum methodologies. 💵💰 💰💵 IBM: () is perhaps the most visible quantum computing company, launching the first cloud-accessible quantum computer in 2016. IBM continues to invest heavily in its quantum efforts, outlining a roadmap to deliver a 100,000-qubit machine by 2033. IBM is also building Qiskit, a software ecosystem designed to cultivate quantum computing talent. Alphabet: Subsidiary Google () surprised industry watchers by declaring "quantum supremacy" in 2019 after performing a calculation on its Sycamore processor in 200 seconds that its researchers claimed would take a classical supercomputer 10,000 years. The milestone effectively demonstrated that quantum computers could vastly outperform their classical counterparts for specific tasks. Google continues to advance in areas such as quantum error correction. Microsoft: () is investing heavily in topological qubits, which may offer more inherent stability than other approaches. Microsoft's Azure Quantum platform also provides access to various quantum hardware providers. More Tech Stocks: Amazon tries to make AI great again (or maybe for the first time) Veteran portfolio manager raises eyebrows with latest Meta Platforms move Google plans major AI shift after Meta's surprising $14 billion move Rigetti Computing () went public in early 2022. The company focuses on developing and deploying integrated quantum computing systems using superconducting circuits. The company builds scalable, cost-effective quantum computers accessible to clients through quantum cloud services integrated with public, private, and hybrid cloud environments. IonQ () became the first publicly traded "pure-play" quantum computing company after listing on the public markets in late 2021. IonQ focuses on developing and commercializing "trapped-ion" quantum computers and related software, which are designed to use individual atoms trapped in space and manipulated by lasers to perform calculations. IonQ's researchers assert theirs is the "best path forward to scale." Like Rigetti Computing, IonQ aims to make quantum computing accessible through cloud platforms, including Amazon Braket, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. It's still early days for quantum computing The quantum computing industry remains in its earliest, nascent stages, generating minimal revenue but with the potential to scale rapidly in the years to come. Significant advances in error correction and system scaling are required before quantum computing can achieve meaningful commercial scale. As that scale unfolds, it remains to be seen whether any particular hardware approach will prove superior at the expense of the others. Early investors would likely do well, then, to be prepared for volatility and to allocate only a small portion of their portfolios to quantum computing stocks. And even then, investors may want to split their allocation between a combination of quantum computing pure plays and larger technology giants for which quantum technology is only a small part of their overall quantum computing the next big thing in stocks? first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 17, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Russia Today
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
France opens criminal case against Musk's X
France has opened a criminal investigation into whether algorithms on Elon Musk's X platform were used to interfere in domestic politics. The probe stems from two complaints filed in January, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Friday. Without naming Musk directly, she stated that investigators will examine the company and its executives for allegedly manipulating algorithms 'for purposes of foreign interference.' The first complaint came from Eric Bothorel, a legislator from President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Ensemble party. He alleged that a 'reduction in the diversity of voices and options' on X has created a dangerous environment. Bothorel also criticized the platform's moderation model as lacking clarity and accused Musk of personally intervening in its management, according to France 24. The complaint described X's activities as posing a 'real danger and a threat to our democracies.' The second complaint reportedly originated from a government cybersecurity official who claimed that changes to the algorithm promote racist and homophobic content, aiming to 'skew democratic debate in France.' On Thursday, Socialist Party politicians Thierry Sother and Pierre Jouvet filed a separate complaint against Musk's chatbot Grok, which recently generated antisemitic and otherwise offensive comments on X, including praise of Adolf Hitler. The Grok team said on Wednesday that they had updated the model to remove hate speech. Musk commented that the chatbot was 'too compliant to user prompts' and 'too eager to please and be manipulated' into producing hateful rhetoric. European politicians have increasingly called for greater oversight of X and similar platforms, warning of potential abuse by bad actors. Musk caused controversy in Berlin when he openly endorsed the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party during the parliamentary elections in February. AfD significantly increased its vote share, becoming the second-largest faction in the Bundestag.
Malay Mail
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
French police investigate Musk's X over alleged algorithm abuse and data fraud
PARIS, July 12 — A French probe into Elon Musk's social media platform X deepened yesterday, when the Paris prosecutor's office said it had enlisted police to investigate suspected abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data extraction by the company or its executives. The move adds to the pressure on Musk, a former ally of U.S. President Donald Trump who has accused European governments of attacking free speech and has also voiced support for some of the region's far-right parties. French police could conduct searches, wiretaps and surveillance against Musk and X executives, or summon them to testify. If they do not comply, a judge could issue an international arrest warrant. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Paris prosecutors launched a preliminary probe in January, after receiving complaints of alleged foreign interference by X from a lawmaker and a senior French official, Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement. On July 9, after preliminary findings provided by researchers and French public institutions, they asked police to investigate X 'as both a legal entity and through individual persons'. The alleged crimes are 'organised interference with the functioning of an automated data processing system' and 'organised fraudulent extraction of data from an automated data processing system'. Paris prosecutors' latest investigation of powerful tech figures may deepen a rift between Washington and European capitals over what sort of discourse is permitted online. Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of the Telegram messaging app, is under judicial supervision in France after being arrested last year and placed under formal investigation for alleged organised crime on the app. He denies guilt. Durov's arrest, which Musk criticised, ignited a debate about free speech that has been taken up by senior Trump officials. Musk has used X to personally support right-wing parties and causes in France, Germany and Britain. After months in lockstep with Trump, he recently broke with the president over his federal budget, and he is now launching his own political party. — Reuters
