Today’s Tech Sightings:
Jack Ma, Founder and Executive Chairman, Alibaba Groups, talks with American television host Charlie Rose in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., June 20, 2017. (Reuters)
Alibaba’s Jack Ma: AI Could Lead to 4-hour Workdays and World War III
Adding his voice to a chorus of visionaries warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI), Alibaba Founder and CEO Jack Ma told CNBC AI automation could allow people more free time, perhaps leading to four-day work weeks in 30 years. But without oversight, he warned automation could also trigger a catastrophe. He noted technological revolutions triggered the first two World Wars, and suggested machine learning could be the beginning of the third technological revolution, possibly leading to the Third World War.
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick Resigns
Amid turmoil and mounting pressure from investors, Uber CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick has resigned. The decision came as the cab-hailing service battles sexual harassment lawsuits and accusations of fostering a toxic culture. Kalanick said he accepted the request to step down so that Uber “can go back to building rather than be distracted with another fight.” He will still serve on the company’s board.
Malvertising Drive Infects PCs With Ransomware Without Clicking Links
Cybersecurity researchers at Proofpoint have identified the ransomware that targeted universities in the UK and other entities around the world last week. The so-called Mole ransomware, according to researchers, is part of a widespread malvertising campaign that infected PCs whose users visited a compromised website, even if they did not click any malicious links.
More:
- Uber Shows Why Silicon Valley Needs to Rewrite Its Hero-founder Myth
- Billionaires Try Opposite Paths for Online Education in India
- How an Entire Nation Became Russia’s Test Lab for Cyberwar
- Google Removes 2 Malicious Play Store Android Apps
- Mobile Employees Willing to Place Security Above Privacy
- Microsoft Admits Windows 10 Does Temporarily Disable Third-party Antivirus
- IBM Supercomputers Will Power Global Weather Forecasts
- Why Chatbots Will Never Completely Take Over for Humans
- Microsoft Introduces New Dictation App in 20 Languages
- The 27 Best Tech CEOs, According to Employees
- Former iOS Chief Scott Forstall Discusses Creating the First iPhone
