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My Tech Week #5: Musk Wants X Money, Apple’s Nuclear Phone, Writers Sue OpenAI & More
Credit: LeonardoAI/MyTechPiece
What happened recently in the tech world? This is what we’re answering for you today with this article. We have four new controversies from Elon Musk, Apple, Unity, and the writers guild suing OpenAI.
Let’s see what this is all about, and don’t hesitate to comment and recommend news for the next My Tech Week!
Credit: LeonardoAI/MyTechPiece
Elon Musk Wants You To Pay For X
Elon Musk, the owner of X, has recently floated the idea of transitioning the social network, formerly known as Twitter, into a paid subscription model. During a live-streamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk revealed plans to introduce a “small monthly payment” for X’s use, citing the need to combat the issue of bots on the platform as the driving force behind this change.
Musk emphasized that the move to a paid model was necessary because bots are incredibly cost-effective, with each bot costing a fraction of a penny to operate. By introducing a fee, even a nominal one, the barrier for bot creators would rise significantly. Every new bot would require a fresh payment method, further complicating their proliferation.
While Musk didn’t specify the exact cost of the subscription, he referred to it as a “small amount of money.” Notably, X has seen substantial growth, boasting 550 million monthly users who generate 100 to 200 million daily posts. However, it remains unclear whether these figures include automated accounts, both benign and malicious.
Musk’s plan to charge for X aligns with his efforts to promote the paid subscription product, X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue), which offers various features for $8 per month or $84 per year. Despite these efforts, X Premium has not garnered a majority of X’s user base, with independent research suggesting a relatively low number of subscribers.
This move towards a subscription model is not entirely new, as reports have previously indicated Musk’s consideration of putting the entire Twitter platform behind a paywall. The broader conversation during Musk’s interaction with Netanyahu delved into AI technology and regulation, with a mention of addressing hate speech on X. Musk expressed his stance against antisemitism and any content promoting hate and conflict, although recent controversies have clouded his stance on these issues.
This has also benefitted Bluesky, the concurrent service saw a surge in subscriptions following this controversial announcement.
Credit: LeonardoAI/MyTechPiece
Apple’s iPhone 12 has a radiation problem according to France
Apple is taking swift action to address concerns raised by French regulators regarding the iPhone 12’s radiation emissions. France’s National Frequency Agency (ANFR) recently ordered a halt to the sales of the 2020 model in the country, asserting that it exceeded European radiation exposure limits. However, Apple has clarified that this suspension is not due to safety concerns, but rather stems from a specific testing protocol used by French regulators.
In response to the situation, Apple has committed to issuing a software update tailored to the requirements of French regulators. This update will ensure that the iPhone 12 complies with the radiation standards applicable in France, allowing the device to continue being available to consumers in the country.
The term of concern here is “Specific Absorption Rate” (SAR), which measures the rate of energy absorption by the body from a radiation source. Despite the regulatory measures, experts and regulators generally advise against excessive worry over SAR levels.
France’s Minister for the Digital Economy, Jean-Noel Barrot, confirmed that Apple will be rolling out the update in the coming days. Once the update aligns the iPhone 12 with European standards in France, sales are expected to resume.
This development coincides with Apple’s unveiling of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro during its annual keynote event in California, highlighting the company’s commitment to innovation and product development.
Credit: LeonardoAI/MyTechPiece
Unity Tried To Make Money, It Backfired
Unity has swiftly responded to the uproar caused by its controversial new pricing scheme for its cross-platform game engine. The initial policy, which imposed a “runtime fee” on games exceeding a specific revenue threshold, faced overwhelming backlash from the gaming community and independent developers, many of whom were considering abandoning Unity.
Just a week after its announcement, Unity has made a significant reversal of its policy. In an apologetic message, Unity Create head Marc Whitten acknowledged the shortcomings in their approach and expressed regret for not involving the community earlier.
Under the revised terms, the runtime fee will only apply to developers adopting the latest Unity version in 2024. Current Unity users are exempt from this fee. The free Unity Personal version remains free, and the revenue threshold for mandatory upgrades has been raised to $200,000. Beyond $1 million, users can choose between a per-user fee or a 2.5% revenue share, whichever is lower.
These changes appear to address most of the concerns raised by the community. Importantly, they will only affect new projects in 2024, rather than games already in existence. Despite these revisions, Unity’s high-handed approach has eroded some of the trust it had built with its user base. Developers will remain vigilant for any future changes, and some may explore alternatives to Unity to avoid potential risks down the road. Unity’s attempt to reshape its pricing strategy has undoubtedly left a lasting impact on its relationship with the gaming community.
Credit: LeonardoAI/MyTechPiece
Georges R.R. Martin Joins a Lawsuit Against OpenAI
A group of renowned fiction writers, including George R.R. Martin, Jodi Picoult, John Grisham, and Jonathan Franzen, has initiated a class-action lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that the company’s technology is unlawfully utilizing their copyrighted works. The complaint asserts that OpenAI, the organization behind the widely known ChatGPT chatbot, is engaging in blatant and harmful copyright infringement by copying famous literary works and feeding them into algorithms to enhance the generation of human-like text responses.
This legal action, led by the Authors Guild, an association safeguarding writers’ rights, contends that OpenAI’s models directly undermine writers’ livelihoods. The technology not only generates texts that authors could be paid to create, but also employs copyrighted material to produce imitative content. The Authors Guild stated, “Generative AI threatens to decimate the author profession.”
The lawsuit argues that OpenAI stands to profit by “writing” new works in the styles of these authors, while the original creators receive nothing. For example, AI-generated books available on Amazon and attempts to create new volumes in George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series were cited as concerns.
Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger emphasized the need to protect literature and authors’ control over how their works are used by generative AI. This class-action lawsuit joins a growing chorus of voices in the creative industry expressing concerns about the impact of generative AI systems on their works.
OpenAI, while acknowledging discussions with creators and the Authors Guild, maintains that they respect writers’ rights and seek mutually beneficial ways to integrate AI technology into content creation.
US lawmakers have also begun addressing the implications of AI for creative professions, including the need for transparency in AI training and fair compensation for authors. The debate over AI’s role in creative fields continues, with authors asserting their right to decide how their works are used in the development of AI technologies.
Credit: LeonardoAI/MyTechPiece
Motto of the Week: Innovation Attracts Business
The recent tech news shed light on the issue that at some point tech is also an industry. Elon Musk invested a lot in Twitter, and he intends to bank on it. Unity forgot that it had indie roots and tried to become economically viable the wrong way. Apple is getting forced to update an older model, when they’re always trying to sell the newest product. Writers see their jobs escaping their grasps with the rise of ChatGPT, and they try to react.
However, in each case it’s the wrong way to go about it. Musk lost subscribers, Unity is in a bit of a pickle, and Apple learns to consider customers’ right (partially). Writers forget that their work is more valuable than what a machine could write, and Martin should finish his books instead of complaining. In any case, at the end of the day, money always catches up with any-tech related product or idea.
