Unusual Car Hack while Kid's Favorite Store Uses AI

Author

Walter Wimberly
June 27, 2024

Welcome back my Tech Curious friend. I’m so glad you’re here.

After a simple second half of last week, this week the tech world has decided to make up for lost time.

Below you can find information about the most recent tech news. So let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Guess Who Got Hacked?

CDK Global was the victim of a cyber attack this week. Now, if you’re going “Who’s CDK?” Don’t worry, you’re not the only one.

CDK Global is a data provider who is used by over 17,000 car dealerships, and the cyber attack is effecting every one of them. The service they provide to dealerships helps with a variety of services, and has brought the process of buying a car 20 years into the past in some ways.

While they are working to resolve the issue, it could take months for the problems to be fully resolved. How much is that worth? Well last month, car dealerships sold $122 BILLION. Even a small hiccup could cause several billion in lost sales, which could shed a percentage point or two off the entire US economy for the month.

Toys ‘R Us is Back

Toys ‘R Us just unveiled the first ever commercial created by AI, specifically OpenAI’s Sora.

While some are saying its cutting edge, others are labeling it creepy. And I have to say, personally, I’m falling into the second category on that one.

Little known fact, animating people it tough, because we instinctively know what it’s supposed to look like. This is why Pixar’s first movies were about things like Toys, Bugs, and Cars.

Well, Sora just doesn’t get it. (Yet.) It reminds me of watching Polar Express, which was also creepy, but also one of the first times humans were attempted to be animated with computers.

Supreme Court Allows the Censoring of Speech!

Well, sort of…

In the US, the first amendment guarantees the right to free speech, although not how some people think. Specifically it says that the government can’t try to infringe on your right to speak. Even lies are covered by the first amendment.

However, the government has been pushing social media companies to block what they deem as misinformation. Controlling, or even limiting, what people say would seem to be breaking the spirit, it not the letter of the first amendment, especially during an election year.

However, the Supreme Court decided to skip the thorny issue of limiting speech, and instead kicked it back saying that the plaintiffs didn’t have a right to sue.

Does this mean that what we find on social media is only government approved, no. Is it more likely… yes. Especially since anyone who believes that eating carrots helps your eyesight, is believing a government lie.

Amazon Working on a ChatGPT Killer?

Amazon houses many Murderers in their online library, and are now seeming to try to become one themselves. Of course, it’s no mystery on who they are targeting, the same top dog as everyone else: OpenAI.

Truth be told, Amazon has had several AI projects for years, but now they are working hard to catch up on a conversational one like ChatGPT.

Unfortunately, they’ve lost a lot of their top staff it seems (over 400 people by public records while only recruiting a little over 300), and will have a harder time playing catch up. Lucky for them, they have a lot of resources to help them along the way.

Record Labels Feel Threatened

Record labels have sued AI start ups Suno and Udio AI which allow people to create AI music.

Suno after it’s recent investment cash influx is paying creators who create and share songs they’ve created with their platform.

Both are known for allowing you to create music using the style of artist, and since the labels often have the rights to the songs, they get to sue.

How effective it will be, and will we see licensing deals like we’ve seen OpenAI start to sign, that’s all for time to tell.

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