Plus, a US-China TikTok agreement is allegedly imminent.
I tried OpenAI’s new Atlas browser but I still don’t know what it’s for
–Food Female
Last week, OpenAI released a new web browser called Atlas.
OpenAI’s Atlas browser is new, but I don’t understand what it does
–Food Female.
OpenAI launched a new web-browser last week called Atlas. It has ChatGPT and an agent built in so you can browse the web, get answers and have automated tasks done on your behalf.
Over the past few days, I’ve been playing around with Atlas. I’ve used Atlas to do my normal web surfing, and I’ve also tried to use the ChatGPT features–plus I threw it some weird agentic missions to see how well it handled them.
Is it fair to say that Atlas is… okay? My biggest takeaway from this is that it is pretty useless for anyone who is not employed by OpenAI. Atlas is little more than cynicism dressed up as software. Read the complete story. This review was first published in The DebriefMat Honan’s subscriber-only weekly newsletter.
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The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
Donald Trump claims that a TikTok agreement could be reached in the next few days
Maybe on Thursday when he is due to meet Xi Jinping. (CNBC)
+US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent seemed to have jumped the gun when he stated that the deal was already done. The Guardian
Two Covid vaccines have helped prolong the lives of cancer patients.
The results raise hopes that a universal vaccine can help patients with various cancers. (WP $)
+ Reasons why US federal health agencies have abandoned mRNA vaccines. MIT Technology Review
How developing nations benefit from “AI decolonization”.
Rules requiring Silicon Valley giants to process their data locally have helped spread the AI boom’s wealth. (WSJ $)
+ Saudi Arabia wants to be known for being the “AI exporter.” (NOW $)
+ India’s struggle for AI independence. MIT Technology Review
The rising costs of electricity aren’t solely due to AI.
More important factors are the cost of electrical equipment and disaster preparation. (WP $)
+ Amazon thought about hiding its data center’s water usage. The Guardian
AI changes the grid. Could it do more good than harm? MIT Technology Review
California State University wants to be America’s largest AI-empowered university
They’re teaming up with Amazon OpenAI, Nvidia and Nvidia in order to prepare their students for increasingly AI driven careers. How does technology change our ability to learn skills? The Atlantic $)
+ Why ultra-wealthy parents send their children to High Point University. The job market may be tough, but we have been through this before. This new startup is selling AI bot interactions for social media manipulation
despite the fact that it violates all major platforms’ policies. (404 Media )
8 Even real estate is not safe from AI slop.
Househunters are forced to wade their way through AI-enhanced listing. (Wired $)
8 Why we’re obsessed with sleepmaxxing.
Sleep is good for us. But does the technology that tracks it do what it claims? (The Atlantic $)
+ I tried to hack my insomnia using technology. Here’s what I did. MIT Technology Review
[9It’sprobablynogoodbuyinganUltraHDTV[9It’sprobablynogoodbuyinganUltraHDTV
Feel free to ignore the persuasive marketing jargon. The Guardian (19459037)
Ten Sneaky Employees are Using AI to Fake Their Expense Receipts
The expense firms are now using AI to detect the fakes. (FT$)
Today’s Quote
I’m skeptical about all the hype surrounding AI right now. This is not my fist bubble.
–Jay Goldberg is a senior analyst with Seaport Global Securities and is familiar with the hype surrounding overhyped technology, he told Bloomberg .
Another thing
Inside Clear’s ambitions to manage identity beyond the airportClear Secure, the most visible biometric identification company in the United States. It is best known for its line jumping service in airports. But it has also been popping up in sports arenas and stadiums across the country. It can also be used to verify your identity on Uber, rent tools at Home Depot and put your profile before recruiters on LinkedIn.
If Clear has its way it will soon be available at your favorite retailer, bank and doctor’s offices, or anywhere else you have to currently pull out your wallet (or stand in line).
The company has been working toward this vision for years. It now appears that its time has come. What will be the cost of biometrics as they become more mainstream? Read the complete story.
–Eileen Guo.
You can still enjoy nice things.
A place to relax, have fun, and distract you from your daily routine. (Do you have any ideas? Drop a line to me or skeet them at me
Ancient manuscripts are full of strange and wonderful creatures
+ Horror writers share the spooky taleswhich send shivers down their spines. Here’s why it’s not as crazy as you think to live on a red dwarf.
– Kiki the sheep isn’t able to walk but she doesn’t let that stop her from getting around. (Thanks Amy!)
