Lots has happened this past week in the tech world! With a security breach exposing thousands of Wyze camera users, Cruise robotaxi tests set to resume, Gemini AI creating inaccurate historical images, and more, there’s much to catch up on. So, let’s get started!
Security Breach Exposes Thousands of Wyze Camera Users
Numerous Wyze camera users recently found their home images, and in certain instances, videos exposed to unknown individuals due to a “security event” involving third-party caching and technical complications, as disclosed by the tech company on its user forum this Tuesday.
Wyze Labs, the creator of smart home cameras, notified customers who encountered a service disruption last Friday that 13,000 camera users received video thumbnails featuring other people’s residences, according to an update shared by co-founder Dave Crosby.
Cruise Robotaxi Tests Set to Resume
General Motors’ self-driving car division, Cruise, is gearing up to restart testing its autonomous vehicles on public roads with safety drivers in the next few weeks. According to Bloomberg News on Thursday, potential locations for the resumption of testing include Houston and Dallas. Cruise had halted its U.S. operations in October following an incident in San Francisco, where one of its self-driving vehicles was involved in an incident with a pedestrian struck by another car.
Gemini AI Creates Inaccurate Historical Images
On Feb. 23, Google announced the temporary suspension of its Gemini artificial intelligence image generation feature due to acknowledged “inaccuracies” in historical pictures. Social media users had raised concerns, noting that the AI tech tool produced images of historical figures, such as the U.S. Founding Fathers, as individuals of color, deeming it inaccurate.
Google CEO Says AI Can Prevent Cyber Threats
Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, has expressed that the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) could play a crucial role in bolstering defenses against security tech threats in cyberspace. Despite growing concerns about the potential misuse of AI, Pichai highlighted the potential of intelligence tools to enhance the speed of detection and response to threats posed by hostile actors.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Pichai acknowledged the legitimate worries regarding the impact on cybersecurity. However, he counterintuitively emphasized that AI has the capacity to strengthen defense mechanisms in the realm of cybersecurity.
Massive Cellular Outage Across the United States
On Thursday, a widespread cellular disruption impacted thousands of AT&T users in the United States, causing disruptions in calls, text messages, and emergency services, particularly affecting major cities like San Francisco. The company reported that service was fully restored to all affected customers shortly after 3 p.m. ET.
In a statement, the company emphasized, “Maintaining connectivity for our customers is our foremost priority, and we are implementing measures to prevent a recurrence of this issue in the future.”
