Here is the top trending news from the world of technology. News that every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.
1)
Microsoft is revamping its software security after series of Cloud attacks
In the aftermath of series of cybersecurity incidents over the years, Microsoft has decided to overhaul its software security and has just announced a new cybersecurity approach called Secure Future Initiative (SFI). As part of this new initiative, Microsoft plans to greatly rely on automation and AI throughout the software development lifecycle to identify and fix vulnerabilities more quickly and effectively. It will also build an AI-based “cyber shield” in order to detect threats rapidly across Microsoft’s vast network of data centers. With these and many other preventive features, Microsoft is hoping that it will be able to enhance the security of its cloud services.
2)
Google Chrome is not going ahead with Web Integrity API (here’s why)
Google Chrome has announced that it won’t proceed with the Web Integrity API proposal following heavy criticism. This API basically allowed websites to confirm the authenticity of the user and their device/browser. However, many expressed concerns over data privacy and argued that this API could be used to implement DRM-like restrictions on the web. Chrome is now reportedly piloting a new Android WebView Media Integrity API that will be narrowly scoped and will target only WebViews embedded in apps. Overall, the decision to scrap the Web Integrity API is a victory for those who believe that the open web should be free from DRM and other restrictions.
3)
Brave’s AI assistant is now available for Desktop Users
Popular web browser Brave, which competes with Chrome and Edge, is launching its AI powered assistant Leo to all desktop users. Simultaneously, the company is also launching a $15 dollar per month paid version called Leo Premium that will offer extra-features. Leo Premium will also offer faster and more accurate responses than the free version. Leo is powered by the Llama 2 large language model and Anthropic’s Claude LLMs. It can fulfil wide variety of tasks such as summarizing web pages and videos, answering questions about content and generating new content, such as poems, code, and scripts. Leo is still in development and hence it is too early to compare it with ChatGPT and Bard.
4)
AI Companies to test their technology for National Security Risk
OpenAI and DeepMind among other big AI companies have signed a legally non-binding agreement at the just concluded global AI summit in UK. As per this agreement, the AI companies will closely work with the US and UK governments to test their technology for national security risks. They will have to allow their AI systems tested by internal and external experts before they are commercial released. Separately, they will have to publicly report AI capabilities and limitations on a regular basis. Other countries like Australia, Canada, France and Germany are also signatory to this agreement. However, China is not a signatory.