News of the Cyber World

[kyonides]

Bad News for All Game Developers

Especially in the US!!

AI-generated art can't be copyrighted
federal judge rules
with potential consequences for Hollywood studios

The lawsuit, first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, was brought against the US Copyright Office by plaintiff Stephen Thaler, in an attempt to list his own AI system as the sole creator of an artwork called "A Recent Entrance to Paradise."

Thaler has previously filed other lawsuits related to AI inventions, such as listing his AI machine as an inventor in a patent application.

In Friday's ruling, US District Judge Beryl Howell upheld the Copyright Office's decision to reject Thaler's copyright application.

She said humans are an "essential part of a valid copyright claim" and "human authorship is a bedrock requirement of copyright."

"Plaintiff can point to no case in which a court has recognized copyright in a work originating with a non-human," Howell added.

The judge also cited the famous "monkey selfie" case, in which photographer David Slater was sued for claiming copyright on an image that a crested macaque took with Slater's camera. The court found that non-humans don't have any legal authority for copyright claims.
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The ruling could still provoke apprehension among Hollywood studios in relation to the contract dispute with striking actors and writers.

AI is a key issue in the strike, amid concerns that the technology could be used to write screenplays or reproduce actors' likenesses.

Tech advocacy groups press FTC to investigate Google
for alleged children’s privacy violations

Advocacy groups Fairplay and Center for Digital Democracy filed a request with the Federal Trade Commission Wednesday asking the agency to investigate whether Google and YouTube serve personalized ads on “made for kids” YouTube channels.

The groups are asking the FTC to use its investigative authorities to determine if Google’s behavior has violated federal children’s privacy law as well as an agreement it reached with the agency in 2019 over previous alleged violations.

Documents submitted as part of the request for investigation detail research conducted independently by Fairplay that raises the possibility Google may be personalizing ads placed on videos from “made for kids” channels, potentially contradicting the tech giant’s claims it does not target children.

The documents do not provide any evidence that Google has violated federal children’s privacy law. Rather, the groups are asking the FTC to use its investigative authorities to make a determination as to whether Google has committed any violations.

Electronic Privacy Information Center and Common Sense Media joined Fairplay and Center for Digital Democracy in writing to the FTC.

Fairplay said it conducted its investigation following a report by the firm Adalytics last week that YouTube was putting ads for adult products on the channel, potentially leading to the collection of data on children. The research, which was first reported by The New York Times, sparked calls from members of Congress for an FTC probe.

Excessive Screen Time Translates into Developmental Delays in Children

Gizmodo reports that a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association of Pediatrics (JAMA) on Monday has sent shockwaves through the pediatric community. The research involved over 7,000 children and discovered that those who spent up to four hours per day in front of screens were three times more likely to experience delays in communication and problem-solving skills. Even more concerning, children who spent more than four hours on screens were nearly six times more likely to face similar developmental issues.

Interestingly, the study also shed light on the demographic factors contributing to excessive screen time. Children who were exposed to more screen time typically came from families with younger, first-time mothers who had lower household incomes and education levels, and who suffered from postpartum depression.

Experts argue that screen time not only hampers developmental milestones but also affects a child’s ability to be bored, which is crucial for fostering creativity. “When they’re allowed to be a little bit bored for a second, they get a little uncomfortable, but then they’re like, ‘OK, I want to make myself more comfortable.’ And that’s how creativity happens,” said Dr. John Hutton, an associate professor of general and community pediatrics.

Elon Musk’s Twitter/X Follower Count Bloated
by Millions of Suspicious or Inactive Accounts

According to a recent report from Mashable, new data raises questions about the authenticity and engagement levels of Elon Musk’s massive Twitter/X following, which now exceeds 153 million users on the recently renamed platform. Musk has been a towering figure on social media since long before his acquisition of Twitter in October 2022. However, recent data suggests that the numbers on his gigantic following may not be as straightforward as they seem.

Mashable reports that third-party researcher Travis Brown recently conducted an exhaustive analysis of Musk’s Twitter followers. According to Brown, a staggering 42 percent of Musk’s followers have zero followers of their own, and over 72 percent have fewer than 10. Roughly 40 percent of Musk’s followers have never tweeted. This leads to questions about the authenticity of Musk’s followers, as these users follow many of the behaviors associated with bots, or fake accounts.

Another focus of the research is the timing of account creations. More than 25 percent of Musk’s current followers created their accounts after he acquired Twitter in October 2022. This could either indicate a surge of interest in Musk or point to a potential influx of bot accounts. Despite the colossal following, only a minuscule 0.3 percent of Musk’s followers are subscribed to X Premium, the platform’s paid subscription service that was formerly known as Twitter Blue. This is particularly surprising given that Musk has been actively promoting the service, which offers features like a verification badge and monetization eligibility.

Ronan Farrow Documents Elon Musk’s ‘Shadow Rule’ over the War in Ukraine

In an article titled “Elon Musk’s Shadow Rule,” published by the New Yorker, Ronan Farrow details the influence of Elon Musk and his companies on the Ukraine war due to the Ukrainian military’s extensive use of SpaceX Starlink internet hardware to communicate on the battlefield.

In October 2022, Colin Kahl, then the Under-Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon, called Musk to discuss SpaceX’s role in providing internet access across Ukraine.
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Musk became involved in the Ukraine conflict after Russia’s invasion in February 2022. The Kremlin was launching cyberattacks on Ukraine’s digital infrastructure and Ukrainian officials and tech expatriates discussed potential solutions in group chats on WhatsApp and Signal. They identified SpaceX’s Starlink, a line of mobile Internet terminals, as a possible solution.
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Three individuals involved in bringing Starlink to Ukraine, who spoke anonymously due to concerns that Musk might withdraw his services if displeased, said they initially didn’t consider the implications of his personal control. One Ukrainian tech executive said, “Nobody thought about it back then. It was all about ‘Let’s go, people are dying.'”
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“We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time,” SpaceX’s director of government sales told the Pentagon in a letter, last September. (CNBC recently valued SpaceX at nearly a hundred and fifty billion dollars. Forbes estimated Musk’s personal net worth at two hundred and twenty billion dollars, making him the world’s richest man.)
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Since that time, Musk has become selective about what Starlink can be used for in Ukraine.