This Program Can Give AI a Sense of Ethics—Sometimes
Researchers trained an algorithm to answer questions about human values. Some of the responses are troubling. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Nov 03, 2021•9 min
Business, Spoken
Get in-depth coverage of current and future trends in technology, and how they are shaping business, entertainment, communications, science, politics, and society.
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Episodes
Apple’s New MacBook Pro Chips Flex the Power of Custom Silicon
The new M1 Pro and M1 Max better integrate the computers’ hardware with their software—much like the iPhone. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Nov 02, 2021•5 min
Facebook Is Everywhere; Its Moderation Is Nowhere Close
Human reviewers and AI filters struggle to police the flood of content—or understand the nuances in different Arabic dialects. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Nov 01, 2021•12 min
I Used Facebook Without the Algorithm, and You Can Too
Making your News Feed chronological is an enlightening look at what's really happening on the platform. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 29, 2021•9 min
You Can Get This Free Crypto—If the ‘Orb’ Scans Your Eye
Worldcoin's backers see it as a potential first step to a universal basic income. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 28, 2021•8 min
The ‘Broadband Gap’ Is Now a Housing Problem
Many people eligible for Covid-era rent assistance have trouble navigating a “tangled web” of agencies because they don't have reliable internet access. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 27, 2021•8 min
Facebook Can't Hide Its Problems Behind a New Name
Can rebranding the company herald a fresh start? Experts, as you might guess, are skeptical. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 26, 2021•4 min
A New Credit Card Arrives—With a Silicon Valley Twist
The X1 is designed for spenders who are young, high-earning, and live on their phones. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 25, 2021•5 min
With Subscriptions, Automakers Mimic Netflix’s Playbook
GM thinks consumers might pay $135 a month for emergency assistance, enhanced maps, and software-enabled upgrades that boost acceleration. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 22, 2021•6 min
AI’s Smarts Now Come With a Big Price Tag
As language models get more complex, they also get more expensive to create and run. Some companies are locked out. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 21, 2021•7 min
These Virtual Obstacle Courses Help Real Robots Learn to Walk
Researchers used specialized chips and simulation software to teach a four-legged robot to navigate stairs and blocks. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 19, 2021•7 min
The Government Wants to Bolster Its Tech—Starting With Workers
Robin Carnahan, head of the agency that manages the federal government's offices and IT, is revamping job descriptions and pushing remote work. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 18, 2021•6 min
Borrowed a School Laptop? Mind Your Open Tabs
Students—many from lower-income households—were likely to use school-issued devices for remote learning. But the devices often contained monitoring software. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 15, 2021•8 min
A True Story About Bogus Photos of People Making Fake News
A photographer set out to capture the misinformation producers in a small town in Macedonia. He wound up revealing uncomfortable truths about his own profession. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 14, 2021•15 min
Weighing Big Tech’s Promise to Black America
Last year, Netflix made a pledge that represents the tech industry’s best shot at redressing the nation’s racial inequality. How seriously should we take it? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 13, 2021•16 min
Clearview AI Has New Tools to Identify You in Photos
In an interview with WIRED, CEO Hoan Ton-That said the company has scraped 10 billion photos from the web—and developed new ways to aid police surveillance. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 12, 2021•9 min
Bring on the Fist Bumps and Nasal Swabs—Tech Conferences Are Back
Hundreds of (vaccinated) attendees gathered in a Beverly Hills hotel ballroom as Code Conference returned after a year-long hiatus. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 11, 2021•5 min
China's Sweeping Cryptocurrency Ban Was Inevitable
The decentralized technology clashes with the government’s plans for a state-dominated economy—one that includes its own digital currency. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 08, 2021•8 min
Soon Your Google Searches Can Combine Text and Images
With the help of AI, you’ll be able to take a picture of a shirt, then ask Google to find socks with the same pattern. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 07, 2021•6 min
This Software Aims to Make Your Flight Smoother—and Help the Planet
Airplanes taxiing isn't just annoying—it's a big source of emissions. The FAA and NASA created a new system to save time and fuel. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 06, 2021•6 min
Why Tesla Is Designing Chips to Train Its Self-Driving Tech
Developing AI is costly and time-consuming. Custom silicon can give companies an edge. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 05, 2021•6 min
These Deepfake Voices Can Help Trans Gamers
Players of online games can be harassed when their voices don't match their gender identity. New AI-fueled software may help. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 04, 2021•9 min
AI Can Write Code Like Humans—Bugs and All
New tools that help developers write software also generate similar mistakes. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 01, 2021•6 min
It’s Time to Talk About Facebook Research
Plus: Adam Mosseri on News Feeds, remote drivers for cars, and a pickle for Greenland. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Sep 30, 2021•11 min
How Computationally Complex Is a Single Neuron?
Scientists taught an artificial neural network to imitate a biological neuron. The result offers a new way to think about the complexity of brain cells. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Sep 29, 2021•9 min
The Elizabeth Holmes Trial Is Underway. Silicon Valley Is Watching
“I’m glad the ‘Fake it till you make it’ mantra of Silicon Valley is coming into question,” one investor told WIRED. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Sep 28, 2021•7 min
Google Is Getting Caught in the Global Antitrust Net
As more governments force US tech companies to change how they do business, one case in Turkey cuts to the heart of the search giant’s power. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Sep 27, 2021•9 min
A Stanford Proposal Over AI's 'Foundations' Ignites Debate
A research paper that dubs some artificial intelligence models "foundational" is sparking a dispute over the future of the field. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Sep 24, 2021•6 min
Community Pharmacies Stepped Up During Covid—and Changed for Good
Pharmacies have long been perceived as commodities. Now, they’re a central tool for removing barriers to health care. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Sep 23, 2021•7 min
In the US, the AI Industry Risks Becoming Winner-Take-Most
A new study illustrates just how geographically concentrated AI activity has become. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Sep 22, 2021•9 min
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