Lots has happened this past week in the tech world! With the first patient of the Neuralink brain chip playing Chess, the U.S. Department of Justice suing Apple, the UN welcoming Global AI solutions, and more, there’s much to catch up on. So, let’s get started!
First Patient of Neuralink Brain Chip Plays Chess
A man paralyzed from the shoulders down engaged in online chess using a form of “telepathy” facilitated by a brain chip developed by Elon Musk’s neurotechnology company, Neuralink. This marks the initial public demonstration of this technology’s application in humans following trials that commenced last year.
Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old individual rendered quadriplegic due to a diving accident, participated in a game of chess on his laptop, manipulating the cursor through the Neuralink device. The implant aims to empower individuals to navigate a computer interface solely through their thoughts.
Having received the implant from the company in Jan. 2024, Mr. Arbaugh was able to manipulate a computer mouse with his thoughts, as disclosed by Musk the previous month.
US Department of Justice Sues Apple
On Mar. 21, the U.S. Department of Justice, along with 15 states, filed a lawsuit against Apple in the ongoing governmental crackdown on big tech. The lawsuit alleges that Apple has monopolized the smartphone market, harmed smaller competitors, and inflated prices. This action adds Apple to the list of competitors facing regulatory lawsuits, including Alphabet’s Google, Meta Platforms, and Amazon.com, spanning both the administrations of former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.
The UN Welcomes Global AI Solution
On Mar. 21, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the inaugural global resolution on artificial intelligence, urging nations to protect human rights, safeguard personal data, and monitor AI tech for potential risks. Proposed by the United States and supported by China and 122 other countries, the nonbinding resolution underwent three months of negotiations. Senior U.S. administration officials briefed reporters before its approval, highlighting its call for reinforcing privacy policies.
In a statement preceding the resolution’s passage, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield emphasized the collective decision of all 193 UN member states to govern artificial intelligence collectively, rather than allowing it to dictate terms to humanity.
Reports Show Increased Recorded Music Services
In 2023, global recorded music revenues extended their growth streak for the ninth consecutive year, surging by 10.2% to reach $28.6 billion, primarily driven by an increase in paid streaming tech subscriptions, as indicated in a report released on Mar. 21.
For the first time, paid subscriptions to music streaming platforms surpassed 500 million globally, with over 667 million users holding such accounts, according to the IFPI’s Global Music Report. Streaming revenues accounted for the majority of the overall growth, climbing by 10.4% to $19.3 billion, with subscription streaming revenues increasing by 11.2%.
FTX Negotiates With the US Government
FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange, has stated its anticipation to negotiate U.S. government claims in its bankruptcy proceedings down to a range of $3 billion to $5 billion. This projection implies no allocation of funds for shareholders and contradicts what founder Sam Bankman-Fried described as a “reckless and false” assertion that FTX’s collapse inflicted no harm.
According to court documents filed on Mar. 20, FTX disclosed these estimates in response to Bankman-Fried’s assertions that he should receive a lenient prison sentence since FTX purportedly will be able to fully reimburse its customers. Bankman-Fried was convicted in Nov. 2023 for embezzling $8 billion from FTX clients.
