Pilot union urges FAA to reject Rainmaker’s drone cloud-seeding plan
Rainmaker Technology’s bid to deploy cloud-seeding flares on small drones is being met by resistance from the airline pilots union, which has urged the Federal Aviation Administration to consider denying the startup’s request unless it meets stricter safety guidelines. The FAA’s decision will signal how the regulator views weather modification by unmanned aerial systems going forward. Rainmaker’s bet on small drones hangs in the balance.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
7:08
--------
7:08
Apple’s latest iPhone security feature just made life more difficult for spyware makers
The feature is called Memory Integrity Enforcement (MIE) and is designed to help stop memory corruption bugs, which are some of the most common vulnerabilities exploited by spyware developers and makers of phone forensic devices used by law enforcement.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
7:26
--------
7:26
Justice Department sues Uber for allegedly discriminating against people with disabilities, also, FTC launches inquiry into AI chatbot companions
The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Uber, accusing the ride-hailing company of violating federal law by discriminating against people with physical disabilities. In particular, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) civil rights division claims that the company and its drivers “routinely refuse to serve individuals with disabilities, including individuals who travel with service animals or who use stowable wheelchairs.”
Also, the FTC announced on Thursday that it is launching an inquiry into seven tech companies that make AI chatbot companion products for minors: Alphabet, CharacterAI, Instagram, Meta, OpenAI, Snap, and xAI.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
6:37
--------
6:37
How Bill Gates’s fellowship program is adapting to global uncertainty, plus a California bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots is close to becoming law
There’s plenty of uncertainty to go around this year, including a global trade war, shifting policy priorities, and an economy that’s starting to stumble. Breakthrough Energy, a climate tech organization founded by Bill Gates, has also been shifting in response. The group always placed long bets, though it appears to be reappraising some of them. Its policy team was scrapped in March, for example, and it didn’t continue funding a publication that covered the climate tech world.
In other news, the California State Assembly took a big step toward regulating AI on Wednesday night, passing a bill that regulates AI companion chatbots in order to protect minors and vulnerable users.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
8:38
--------
8:38
OpenAI and Oracle reportedly ink historic cloud computing deal, also Thinking Machines Lab wants to make AI models more consistent
Oracle sent its shares soaring after markets closed yesterday after reporting that it signed multiple multi-billion-dollar contracts with several customers. Now, we have an idea of who those customers might be.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
UK