Top 10 Tech News of the Week

1. France’s Ambitious Digital Security Plan: A Safer Internet for All

France is on the verge of implementing a comprehensive digital security plan, featuring around twenty measures aimed at creating a safer online environment. This initiative is deeply rooted in new European digital regulations, specifically the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which seek to address abuses by large platforms concerning consumer rights and competition. A key proposal is the “anti-scam filter,” designed to protect less tech-savvy individuals from online fraud. This system would alert users, potentially via pop-ups, when they encounter malicious websites, emails, or SMS messages. An initial test is slated for September during the Rugby World Cup, with the 2024 Olympic Games also being a target for enhanced protection against ticket scams. While debated for its potential imperfections, this filter marks a crucial step in combating the pervasive issue of online fraud, which affects one in two French citizens.

2. Combating Online Hate: Banning Cyberbullies from Platforms

Beyond fraud, the French plan also targets online hate speech. In addition to existing fines, a new penalty of “banning” cyberbullies and other malicious individuals from platforms is being introduced. This measure is aimed at those disseminating violent images, engaging in child pornography, trivializing terrorism, or promoting homophobia, transphobia, or negationism. Perpetrators could face platform access blocks ranging from six months to a year. However, the practicalities of implementation remain a significant challenge, particularly in preventing the creation of new accounts. Platforms themselves would be responsible for enforcing these bans, facing potential fines of up to 75,000 euros for non-compliance. The regulation authority, Arcom, will also see its powers reinforced to act more swiftly against pornographic sites accessible to minors, accelerating the imposition of sanctions.

3. Google’s AI Revolution: Bard Takes Center Stage

Google’s annual I/O conference was a showcase for the company’s aggressive push into artificial intelligence. The highlight was undoubtedly the evolution of Google Bard, its AI-powered search engine. Bard will now leverage the next generation of Google’s advanced language model, PaLM 2, which comes in four specialized versions: Gecko, Otter, Bison, and Unicorn. PaLM 2 boasts enhanced capabilities in mathematics and medicine, potentially enabling it to interpret X-rays. Developers will also benefit from its ability to debug multiple lines of code and translate comments. The overarching strategy is to integrate Bard across all Google ecosystems, from search to Google Docs and Gmail, promising an interconnected and highly intuitive user experience. Upcoming integrations with Adobe suite and travel/shopping extensions are also planned, further emphasizing Bard’s widespread applicability.

4. Bard’s Global Rollout: Expanding Access, But Not Yet for All

The deployment of Google Bard is expanding, with the waiting list now eliminated and the service immediately available in 180 countries, including English, Japanese, and Korean versions. However, a notable absence from this initial rollout is Europe, including France. This delay is likely due to the continent’s stringent regulatory environment, which currently prevents Google from deploying Bard in any European country. This geographical limitation highlights the ongoing tension between rapid technological advancement and the need for ethical and privacy-compliant implementation, particularly in regions with robust data protection laws. For now, European users will have to wait patiently for Bard to become available in their local languages and territories.

5. The Edible Battery: A Tiny Step Towards Ingestible Electronics

Italian researchers, supported by the European Research Council, have made a fascinating breakthrough: a functional, edible battery. This minuscule battery is composed of everyday products, including riboflavin (Vitamin B2) for the anode, quercetin (found in capers) for the cathode, seaweed as a separator, and beeswax encapsulating the components, with a touch of gold leaf for contacts. This innovation means the battery can be ingested safely. While not yet powerful (it produces 0.65 volts and can sustain a current of 48 amperes for about twelve minutes), its potential applications are significant. It could revolutionize miniaturized electronic medical devices, making them less invasive than current surgical options. Furthermore, it offers a safer alternative to conventional button batteries, which pose a serious swallowing hazard to children. This prototype paves the way for future ingestible electronics.

6. BlackBerry: A Canadian Tech Saga on the Big Screen

The iconic BlackBerry, a Canadian invention, is the subject of a new film that chronicles the rise and fall of Research In Motion (RIM) and its revolutionary device. Released in Canada this week, the film depicts the journey of founders Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin, and the charismatic CEO Jim Balsillie, who propelled BlackBerry to global prominence. The BlackBerry phone, with its distinctive physical keyboard and push email capabilities, transformed mobile communication, becoming indispensable for business professionals and later, with BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), for a younger demographic. Its secure messaging system also made it a favorite among politicians and financiers. The film, described as an energetic portrayal of the tech boom era, captures the innovation, the challenges, and ultimately, the intense competition that led to BlackBerry’s decline after the advent of the iPhone.

7. TED2023: AI — The Double-Edged Sword of Progress

The recent TED conference in Vancouver was heavily dominated by discussions around Artificial Intelligence, reflecting its current paramount importance in the tech world. Greg Brockman, co-founder of OpenAI, presented the latest advancements in ChatGPT, emphasizing its evolving capability to integrate with various external services, from restaurant bookings to ride-sharing, vastly expanding its utility. This new interconnectedness promises a dramatically more powerful and autonomous AI. However, the conference also delved into the darker side of AI, with developer Tom Graham demonstrating real-time deepfake technology. His live on-stage transformation into another person underscored the vertiginous implications for information veracity and the growing challenge of distinguishing truth from fabrication, a theme summarized by the Victor Hugo quote: “The prodigy and the monster have the same roots.”

8. TED2023: AI as a Universal Translator and the Ethics of Development

Another fascinating AI application presented at TED2023 was its potential as a universal translator, not just for human languages, but for interspecies communication. Researcher Karen Baker showcased how AI can now understand and translate the complex expressions of dolphins into human speech, and vice-versa. Similar advancements have been made with bats using ultrasound. This suggests a future where AI could bridge communication gaps between species, opening new avenues for understanding the natural world. On a more controversial note, one AI specialist argued passionately against pausing AI development, particularly in the context of defense. He contended that given AI’s role in modern warfare, any slowdown in development by certain nations would merely give an advantage to others, creating an imbalance in global power and security.

9. Climate Innovation at TED2023: Bold Ideas for a Sustainable Future

While AI dominated, climate change and technological innovation for sustainability also featured prominently at TED2023. European attendees noted that many climate-tech discussions, though vital, covered familiar ground from a European perspective. A particularly striking idea revisited was the concept of space-based solar power, where massive solar farms in orbit would capture energy more efficiently due to their proximity to the sun. This energy would then be wirelessly transmitted to Earth. While the technical hurdles are immense, such as transmitting power across vast distances and through the atmosphere, the continued exploration of these “breakthrough” ideas highlights a persistent drive for radical solutions to the climate crisis. This commitment to bold innovation is seen as crucial for achieving global CO2 reduction targets.

10. Sven: The TikTok of News for a New Generation

Sven is a new French application aiming to be the “TikTok of news” for young audiences, specifically those under 35. It adopts the highly engaging, vertical video format and infinite scroll characteristic of popular social media platforms but focuses exclusively on aggregated, quality news content. Sven partners with over 80 media outlets, ranging from general news providers like TF1 and AFP to specialized channels focusing on science, ecology, or women’s issues. The app also innovates in user interaction by allowing video comments, where users can record 10-second video reactions to share with their friends. Crucially, Sven’s algorithm is designed to combat filter bubbles by promoting discovery and diversity in content, pushing users beyond their usual consumption patterns and encouraging them to encounter different perspectives on news topics. This approach seeks to empower young people to form their own, well-informed opinions on critical global issues.