News of the Cyber World

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Justine Bateman Blasts SAG-AFTRA Deal: If Actors Approve Contract, They’ll Be ‘Replaced’ by AI ‘Synthetic Objects’

She said that actors should OK the deal only “if they don’t want to work anymore. Sure. If they want to be replaced by synthetic objects that are made by generative AI, why not?”

She said studio executives “are choosing to no longer be in the film and series business.”

“I think they sort of like to think of themselves as being tech barons themselves or something. But this, doing projects that don’t involve humans —  you’re not in the film business anymore,” she added. “People who don’t want to have any human involved have never really been on a set. They don’t know what it’s like to make a film.”

SAG-AFTRA members are set to vote on the new contract on Tuesday. Actors walked off the job in July in a dispute over streaming compensation as well as a host of other issues, including AI.

The exact nature of the contract’s provisions concerning AI remains unclear since guild leaders haven’t made details public.

In recent years, Justine Bateman has emerged as a vocal opponent to Hollywood’s embrace of AI. The Family Ties actress and sister of star Jason Bateman earned a degree in computer science and digital media management and has branched out into directing.

Buyers of Tesla’s Cybertruck Will Owe Elon Musk $50,000 if They Sell Within a Year

Business Insider reports that Tesla’s Cybertruck, set to be delivered to those who pre-ordered it on November 30, comes with a unique condition: owners are prohibited from reselling the vehicle within the first year of purchase. This stipulation was detailed in a section titled “For Cybertruck Only” in Tesla’s Motor Vehicle Order Agreement.

Elon Musk hopes to produce a quarter of a million Cybertrucks annually by 2025. This new rule is an attempt to regulate the market and ensure that the vehicles reach genuine customers rather than being flipped for profit in a secondary market.

Tesla’s policy states that any attempt to resell the Cybertruck within the first year of delivery will lead to legal consequences. The company may seek injunctive relief to prevent the transfer of the vehicle’s title or demand liquidated damages from the seller. The amount could be as high as $50,000 or the value received from the sale, whichever is greater. Additionally, Tesla has warned that it may refuse to sell any future vehicles to individuals who violate this agreement.

However, Tesla seems to have provided a safety net for genuine cases where an owner might need to sell the vehicle within the first year. In such scenarios, Tesla may agree to buy back the Cybertruck at the original price, minus certain deductions. These include $0.25 per mile driven, reasonable wear and tear, and the cost to repair the vehicle to Tesla’s standards.

If Tesla chooses not to purchase the vehicle, the company may grant permission for the owner to sell it to someone else. This clause indicates Tesla’s understanding that certain unforeseen circumstances might force an owner to sell the vehicle prematurely.

Canadian Search & Rescue Saves Hikers Lost After Following Faulty Google Maps Directions

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that a dramatic rescue operation in British Columbia’s rugged forest terrain has highlighted the pitfalls of relying solely on digital map services. North Shore Rescue, a search-and-rescue team, successfully located and airlifted two hikers who found themselves in a perilous situation. The hikers, stranded on a steep, cliff-ridden area north of Mount Fromme, were apparently following a trail that only existed in Google Maps — there was no actual trail in the area at all.

To make matters worse, the hikers went into the wilderness without a light, unable to be seen under the dense canopy of a temperate rainforest that blankets the mountain, standing at 1,185 meters. North Shore Rescue revealed that it had previously mounted warning signs in the area, cautioning hikers about misleading paths directed towards dangerous cliffs. The area had witnessed similar rescue operations in September and a tragic fatality two years prior.

Following these events, North Shore Rescue strongly advised against using street map programs like Google Maps for wilderness navigation. They highlighted the importance of using specialized apps designed for trails, such as CalTopo and Gaia GPS, which provide more reliable and detailed information for hikers.

While Google Maps allows users to suggest edits for incorrect or missing data, the process and timelines for these updates remain unclear.

Major Step Taken in Proposed Truth Social Merger That Would Infuse Trump-Backed Social Media Startup with Mega Cash

Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC) and Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. made a major step in the proposed Truth Social merger that would inject the company with significant financing, a Monday announcement from both companies revealed.

The two companies announced the filing by DWAC of Amendment No. 1 to the Form S-4 Registration Statement, which includes a preliminary proxy statement and prospectus in connection with the proposed business combination with Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), which runs Truth Social.
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Truth Social aims to be more than a social media platform-we aspire to become the centerpiece of a movement, as well as a method for Americans to invest in their freedom.
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The merger would allow Truth Social to go public, issue stock, and access hundreds of millions of dollars in financing.

Former President Donald Trump created Truth Social after Facebook and Twitter, now known as X, banned him from the social media platforms.

Reuters reported in October that DWAC, the special purpose acquisition company designed to take Truth Social public, said this week it would return to investors the $533 million raised for the deal.

UPDATE

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Ports Covering 40 Per Cent of Australia’s Freight Trade Shut by Cyber Attack for Three Days

Major ports handling 40 percent of Australia’s freight trade have resumed operations, leading operator DP World said Monday, three days after they were crippled by a cyberattack.

DP World cut its systems from the internet when the attack was detected Friday, preventing trucks from unloading or picking up cargo at ports in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle.

“DP World Australia is pleased to announce that operations resumed at the company´s ports across Australia,” the operator said in a statement.

It said it expected to move 5,000 containers out of the four terminals during the day — not far from industry estimates of their usual daily traffic.

Investigations and efforts to protect systems may still cause “some necessary, temporary disruptions” to port services in the coming days, the company said.

DP World said its investigation and remediation work were likely to take “some time”.

DP World’s advisor on its response to the cyberattack, Alastair MacGibbon, said there had been “unauthorised activity in the system”.