United News of Bangladesh

Samsung Electronics on Thursday reported progress on a major supply deal for artificial intelligence-focused chips, aiming to reassure investors following a slowdown in semiconductor profits during the last quarter. The South Korean technology giant said its operating profit for the July-September period increased by more than 277% from a year earlier to 9.18 trillion won ($6.65 billion). But the figure represented a 12% decline from the second quarter, which Samsung attributed largely to one-off costs, such as provision of employee incentives in its computer chip business, and the effects of a weaker U.S. dollar. Samsung’s semiconductor division earned 3.86 trillion won ($2.8 billion) in operating profit during the quarter, rebounding from a deficit during 2023 but sharply declining from the 6.45 trillion won ($4.67 billion) it reported in the April-June period. While Samsung saw solid demand for AI and server chips during the past quarter, its mobile chip business weakened as some customers adjusted inventories. The market was also affected by Chinese manufacturers’ increased supply of legacy memory products, the company said in a statement. More critically, Samsung lagged behind key competitors such as SK Hynix in HBM3E, the latest generation of high bandwidth memory chips that are used to power AI applications. During a conference call, Samsung Executive Vice President Jaejune Kim said the company recently made a “meaningful advance” in a qualification test process to provide its HBM3E products to an unspecified “major client,” a development he said could possibly drive up sales during the fourth quarter. Kim’s comments touched off speculation that Samsung was closing in on a supply deal with Nvidia, a major U.S. maker that designs advanced chips powering AI. “In the fourth quarter, while memory demand for mobile and PC may encounter softness, growth in AI will keep demand at robust levels. Against this backdrop, the company will concentrate on driving sales of high-bandwidth memory and high-density products,” Samsung said.

M Rashidul Hasan has become the new president and Mostafizur Rahman Sohel senior vice president of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS). This development follows the resignation of former President Russell T. Ahmed and Vice President (Finance) Iqbal Ahmed Fakhrul Hasan, creating vacancies in both positions. In an urgent executive committee meeting held on Wednesday,, the BASIS Executive Committee (2024-26) voted to elevate Senior Vice President M Rashidul Hasan to President, Director Md. Mostafizur Rahman Sohel to Senior Vice President, and Director M Asif Rahman to Vice President (Finance). In its 332nd meeting, the committee members collectively decided to proceed without co-opting any external members, intending to manage all functions directly by the elected Executive Committee members. Earlier on October 20, 2024, BASIS had initiated an automated voting process among members to gauge opinions on two key propositions: 1) whether to undertake necessary reforms to the constitution and subsequently hold mid-term elections, or 2) whether the entire Executive Committee should resign. Out of 594 participating members, 77.27% voted in favor of completing reforms in collaboration with members and subsequently organizing elections, while 22.72% supported an immediate resignation by the current Executive Committee.

Some Apple AirPods wireless headphones can be used as hearing aids with a new software update available Monday. It's a high-profile move that experts applaud, even if they only reach a small portion of the millions of Americans with hearing loss. An estimated 30 million people — 1 in 8 Americans over the age of 12 — have hearing loss in both ears. Millions would benefit from hearing aids but most have never tried them, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Countless others have tried them, but don't use them because of cost, poor quality, poor fit, how they look or for other reasons. Over the past few years, there’s been a push to change that. Two years ago, federal rules changed to allow hearing aids to be sold over-the-counter, a move that many hoped would bring better and cheaper options to patients. And last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved software from Apple that would turn AirPods Pro 2 into hearing aids. It's unclear yet whether the rule changed has helped, experts say. But turning AirPods into hearing aids is the kind of creative move advocates had hoped for. Here's what to know about hearing loss, hearing aids, and Apple’s new option. Hearing loss can contribute to isolation, dementia, even fall risk About 15% of Americans report some difficulty hearing. Most people with hearing loss are over 60, but hearing problems don't only affect older people. One study found men and people living in rural areas are more likely to have hearing loss. And it has been linked to many health effects beyond the ear. It contributes to isolation, depression and cognitive decline, experts say. It raises dementia risk and rewires the brain. It's also been linked to an increased risk of falls — a major health concern among older adults. “Everything we do, all our relationships, whether it’s personal or in our work life, involve hearing conversation,” said Barbara Kelley, executive director of Hearing Loss Association of America. “We’re finding now that the sooner that people can pay attention to their hearing health, the better.” You don't need to see a doctor to get a hearing aid Before the 2022 rule change by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, everyone had to see a doctor and get a prescription for a hearing aid to get one. Now, they're available without one. “As more of them are sold, then hopefully the price will go down,” said Elizabeth Stangl, an audiologist at the University of Iowa. “But we haven’t seen a big rush to get them.” Even buying over-the-counter, a decent hearing aid can easily run you $400 to $500, said Stangl, who researches how well people adjust to using hearing aids. And some of the less expensive options are really just “cheap amplifiers," lacking the personalized level settings and noise canceling features that really make hearing aids helpful. How does the Apple AirPods hearing aid feature work? The hearing aid feature is available with AirPods Pro 2 models, and requires an iPhone or iPad to set it up. It starts with built-in tests that will help users determine if they have hearing loss, set up the feature if they do, and set personalized amplification levels. The headphones sell for $249 on Apple's website, and sometimes less from other retailers. While there are many other earbud-type devices that can function the same way, experts agreed that the AirPods addition is a good one, simply because of the way it could help normalize hearing aids. “It’s just mainstream,” Kelley said. The ubiquity of AirPods could make people worried about the look of a hearing aid more open to using them. There may be some drawbacks, though. Fit and comfort during long use might be an issue. And while other hearing aids are built to last through a whole day or more, Stangl said the battery life of the AirPods won't allow for that. She also noted that wearing earbuds can send a message to others that the person doesn't want to be disturbed or spoken to. "But we’re hoping that more people will try it and realize, ‘Yeah, these do help,’” she said. Tips for buying OTC hearing aids Stangl suggests people do plenty of research before buying. She said Facebook and Reddit forums can be especially helpful in vetting devices. The websites Hearing Tracker and Soundly also have reliable reviews and resources for selecting a hearing aid, she said. The Hearing Loss Association of America and American Academy of Audiology have guides to buying a hearing aid at their websites. If you are stuck, consult an audiologist. Look for devices that allow you to adjust different pitches. Most people with hearing loss have the hardest time hearing higher pitches, so find a device that can adjust amplification across frequencies. To avoid the piercing whistle of feedback, buy a device that has a “feedback manager.” Fit is critical, but beware: it might not necessarily be the one that’s initially the most comfortable, so take your time. Can you use your FSA or HSA money to buy OTC hearing aids — or even AirPods? Pre-tax money stashed away in flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts can be used to buy hearing aids, including ones sold over the counter. Does this mean you can score a new set of AirPods Pro2 with pre-tax money? Experts say it’s a gray area that hasn’t been tested yet, so be wary. You may even need a letter of medical necessity. It’s best to check with an accountant before you try it. Your smartphone can help you even without hearing aids Even if you can't afford the latest and greatest tech, your smartphone can be a tool to protect and improve your hearing. Most phones can now turn speech into text, which can help facilitate conversations. iPhone's “Live Listen” feature turns your phone into an amplifying microphone that can beam your dinner date's voice right to your ear even if you're in a noisy restaurant. There are also many apps and websites that can help beyond hearing aids. Some apps can vibrate your phone if an alarm is going off or the dog is barking. The University of Iowa gathers training resources through its Resource Center for Auditory Training. Free apps like the World Health Organization's “hearWHO” offer hearing tests and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Sound Level Meter App lets you measure if noise levels are dangerous. “The majority of people own smart phones and don’t realize all that their phone can do, including functioning as a good amplifier for people with mild to moderate hearing loss,” said Catherine Palmer, director of audiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and former president of the American Academy of Audiology. “This has made hearing care accessible to many.”

OpenAI, the developer of the widely-used ChatGPT platform, has revealed plans to launch its latest AI model, codenamed Orion, by the end of 2024. According to a report from The Verge, the company aims to initially make the model available exclusively to select business partners. Following the launch of OpenAI o1, Orion is expected to be a significant step forward in artificial intelligence, building upon the advancements of previous models. Orion promises enhancements in reasoning, problem-solving, and language processing, addressing key challenges like AI hallucinations through advanced synthetic data techniques. While OpenAI’s new model is internally viewed as the successor to GPT-4, there has been no confirmation on whether it will be labelled as GPT-5 upon release. In keeping with its phased rollout strategy, OpenAI will initially provide Orion to its close business partners rather than releasing it broadly via ChatGPT. This limited-access approach will enable these partners to develop specialised products and features using the cutting-edge platform before a broader public release. Apple set to introduce Truecaller-like ID service for businesses Microsoft Collaboration on Azure Microsoft, OpenAI’s primary partner in AI model deployment, is expected to host Orion on its Azure platform as early as November. Microsoft engineers have reportedly been preparing for the rollout, which is anticipated to cater to industries where accuracy and reliability are paramount, such as healthcare and finance. This strategic collaboration allows OpenAI to strengthen its presence in the rapidly advancing AI sector, competing with other tech giants like Google DeepMind and Meta. OpenAI has been developing Orion for several months, utilising synthetic data generated by the recently launched OpenAI o1—an advanced model designed to approach human-like AI capabilities. OpenAI o1 has demonstrated substantial improvements in handling complex, multistep challenges and generating code. Notably, the model is said to perform at a level similar to PhD students in benchmark tasks within the fields of physics, chemistry, and biology. As OpenAI continues to evolve its AI offerings, the introduction of Orion aims to further push boundaries in artificial intelligence applications across various industries. Although the launch date remains tentative, with the potential for adjustments, Orion’s release is set to mark a major milestone in AI development, reflecting OpenAI’s ambitions to lead the AI landscape amid growing competition.

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of major government contractor SpaceX and a key ally of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the last two years, The Wall Street Journal reported. A person familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, confirmed to The Associated Press that Musk and Putin have had contact through calls. The person didn't provide additional details about the frequency of the calls, when they occurred or their content. Musk, the world's richest man who also owns Tesla and the social platform X, has emerged as a leading voice on the American right. He's poured millions of dollars into Trump's presidential bid and turned the platform once known as Twitter into a site popular with Trump supporters, as well as conspiracy theorists, extremists and Russian propagandists. Musk's contacts with Putin raise national security questions, given his companies' work for the government, and highlight concerns about Russian influence in American politics. Here's what to know: What they talked about Musk and Putin have spoken repeatedly about personal matters, business and geopolitics, The Journal reported Thursday, citing multiple current and former officials in the U.S., Europe and Russia. During one talk, Putin asked Musk not to activate his Starlink satellite system over Taiwan as a favor for Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose ties to Putin have grown closer, the Journal reported. Putin and Xi have met more than 40 times since 2013. Elon Musk promises daily $1 million award Russia has denied the conversations took place. In 2022, Musk said he'd only spoken to Putin once, in a call 18 months earlier focused on space. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said Friday that it was “not aware of the specifics” of any requests made by Putin on China’s behalf. There was no immediate response to messages left with X and Tesla seeking Musk's comment. What the talks mean for national security Musk’s relationship with Putin raises national security questions given the billions of dollars in government contracts awarded to SpaceX, a critical partner to NASA and government satellite programs. Trump also has vowed to give Musk a role in his administration if he wins next month. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said it’s unusual for business leaders to be in contact with Putin without informing U.S. authorities. While CEOs may often interact with foreign leaders, Putin stands apart, given his invasion of Ukraine, McFaul said. “He’s a war criminal who is slaughtering civilians. That makes this wrong in my view,” McFaul said of Musk’s talks with Putin. “You have to decide what team you are on. Are you on the American team or are you on the Russian team?” The request from Putin on Starlink as a favor to China is likely to get attention, given U.S. support for Taiwan and concerns about the growing partnership between the Kremlin and Beijing. Musk, whose Tesla operates Gigafactory Shanghai, has developed a close relationship with China’s leaders. His remarks about China have been friendly, and he has suggested Taiwan cede some control to Beijing by becoming a special administrative region. Moscow has growing ties to other American adversaries. The U.S. has accused Russia of sending ballistic missiles to Iran and said North Korea sent troops to Russia, possibly for combat in Ukraine. On Ukraine, Musk's views have shifted since he initially supported Kyiv following Russia's 2022 invasion and provided it with his Starlink system for communications. Musk then refused to allow Ukraine in 2023 to use Starlink for a surprise attack on Russian soldiers in Crimea. Elon Musk's xAI seeks AI tutors with good offer He also floated a peace proposal that would have required Ukraine to drop plans for NATO membership and given Russia permanent control of Crimea, which it seized in 2014. The plan infuriated Ukrainian leaders. The timing of the calls reported by The Journal and Musk’s changing views on Ukraine was a “disturbing coincidence,” said Bradley Bowman, a former West Point assistant professor who is now senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank. “The policy of the U.S. government is to try to isolate Vladimir Putin, and Elon Musk is directly undercutting that,” Bowman said. “What is Putin doing with Musk? Putin is trying to reduce his international isolation and impact American foreign policy.” One person familiar with the talks between Musk and Putin told The Journal that there is no evidence Musk's contact with Putin represents a security problem for the U.S. Asked about Musk’s contacts with Putin, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday that he had no information to share. The Pentagon and U.S. intelligence officials declined to comment. The State Department didn't respond to an email seeking comment. Musk's close ties to Trump Musk recently appeared at a Trump rally, sporting a Make America Great Again hat and delivered a ominous warning that if Trump lost the race “this will be the last election.” Last year, Musk mocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request for aid and said in February that Ukraine couldn’t win the war. Trump, who has praised Putin’s leadership and criticized the NATO alliance and U.S. aid for Ukraine, has raised questions about what he would be willing to concede if he's elected in a negotiation over Ukraine's future. Family outraged as AI Chatbot mimics murdered daughter U.S. intelligence officials and private sector analysts have concluded that Russia is working to covertly support Trump with disinformation and propaganda targeting his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. Since Musk took over X, it has become a leading online source of Russian propaganda and disinformation aimed at Americans. Trump has faced scrutiny over his own recent contacts with Putin, outlined in a new book by Watergate journalist Bob Woodward. Woodward quoted an unnamed Trump aide who said the former president and Putin may have had as many as seven conversations since Trump lost reelection in 2020. Before one of the calls, the aide said they were asked to leave Trump’s office to give the two privacy. The Trump campaign and the Kremlin have denied those calls occurred. In response to questions about Musk and Putin, Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Musk “a once-in-a-generation industry leader” whose ideas could benefit “our broken federal bureaucracy.” “As for Putin, there’s only one candidate in the race that he did not invade another country under, and it’s President Trump,” Leavitt said in a statement. “President Trump has long said that he will re-establish his peace through strength foreign policy to deter Russia’s aggression and end the war in Ukraine.” Russia confirms one conversation Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday rejected The Journal’s report as “absolutely false information.” Peskov said Putin and Musk once held a “medium-length phone conversation” prior to 2022 that was “more of an introductory nature” and focused on “visionary technologies." “After that, Musk had no contacts with Putin,” Peskov said, dismissing The Journal’s article as political. “The election has entered its home stretch, and of course the opponents stop at nothing,” Peskov said. “Remember that a week ago they were saying that Putin allegedly talks to Trump all day long. Now he allegedly talks to Musk all the time. It’s all untrue.” Ukraine’s military intelligence told the AP that they would “refrain from commenting” about communication between Putin and Musk.

Eleven major high-tech zones in China have jointly established a collaborative network to promote innovation in the country's AI industry, China Science Daily has reported. A conference on the establishment of this network held early this week in Beijing revealed that the newly-founded network features 11 major high-tech zones nationwide, including Beijing's Zhongguancun, also dubbed China's "Silicon Valley," and those in the cities of Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Qingdao, Wuhan, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Xi'an, according to the report published on Tuesday. Wu Jiaxi, deputy director of the planning department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, expressed hope that the collaborative innovation network would cultivate fertile ground for AI innovation in China -- via an open and inclusive approach. High-tech zones are the core carriers and major hubs for AI development in China, and they have become a significant force in AI innovation, said Wu. He also emphasized the importance of building a community for AI innovation and development through shared benefits, as well as deepening the domestic AI industry layout through an innovation-driven model. During the conference, network participants announced the Zhongguancun Initiative, which aims to accelerate the development of AI technologies in areas such as chips, algorithms and models. The Zhongguancun Initiative also seeks to establish a comprehensive innovation and entrepreneurship service system for the entire AI industry chain and to build mechanisms for the exchange of technology, industry, capital and talent. The initiative encourages the establishment of open AI platforms to maximize the sharing of AI development achievements and seeks the active participation of high-tech zones in the formulation of international and national standards. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of strengthening data security and privacy protection, as well as providing regular supervision and regulatory services for AI platform companies, to ensure the traceability and reliability of AI technologies.      

Russia, China and Iran are increasingly relying on criminal networks to lead cyberespionage and hacking operations against adversaries like the U.S., according to a report on digital threats published Tuesday by Microsoft. The growing collaboration between authoritarian governments and criminal hackers has alarmed national security officials and cybersecurity experts who say it represents the increasingly blurred lines between actions directed by Beijing or the Kremlin aimed at undermining rivals and the illicit activities of groups typically more interested in financial gain. In one example, Microsoft's analysts found that a criminal hacking group with links to Iran infiltrated an Israeli dating site and then tried to sell or ransom the personal information it obtained. Microsoft concluded the hackers had two motives: to embarrass Israelis and make money. Microsoft Copilot adds ChatGPT-like features In another, investigators identified a Russian criminal network that infiltrated more than 50 electronic devices used by the Ukrainian military in June, apparently seeking access and information that could aid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. There was no obvious financial motive for the group, aside from any payment they may have received from Russia. For nations like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, which has its own ties to hacking groups, teaming up with cybercriminals offers a marriage of convenience with benefits for both sides. Governments can boost the volume and effectiveness of cyber activities without added cost. For the criminals, it offers new avenues for profit and the promise of government protection. "We're seeing in each of these countries this trend towards combining nation-state and cybercriminal activities," said Tom Burt, Microsoft's vice president of customer security and trust. So far there is no evidence suggesting that Russia, China or Iran are sharing resources with each other or working with the same criminal networks, Burt said. But he said the growing use of private cyber "mercenaries" shows how far America's adversaries will go to weaponize the internet. Microsoft's report analyzed cyber threats between July 2023 and June 2024, looking at how criminals and foreign nations are using hacking, spear phishing, malware and other techniques to gain access and control over a target's system. The company says its customers face more than 600 million such incidents every day. Russia focused much of its cyber operations on Ukraine, trying to gain entry into military and government systems and spreading disinformation designed to undermine support for the war among its allies. Iran is accelerating cyber activity that appears meant to influence the US election, Microsoft says Ukraine has responded with its own cyber efforts, including one last week that knocked some Russian state media outlets offline. Networks tied to Russia, China and Iran have also targeted American voters, using fake websites and social media accounts to spread false and misleading claims about the 2024 election. Analysts at Microsoft agree with the assessment of U.S. intelligence officials who say Russia is targeting the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, while Iran is working to oppose former President Donald Trump. Iran has also hacked into Trump's campaign and sought, unsuccessfully, to interest Democrats in the material. Federal officials have also accused Iran of covertly supporting American protests over the war in Gaza. Russia and Iran will likely accelerate the pace of their cyber operations targeting the U.S. as election day approaches, Burt said. China, meanwhile, has largely stayed out of the presidential race, focusing its disinformation on down-ballot races for Congress or state and local office. Microsoft found networks tied to Beijing also continue to target Taiwan and other countries in the region. In response, a spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington said allegations that China partners with cybercriminals are groundless and accused the U.S. of spreading its own "disinformation about the so-called Chinese hacking threats." In a statement, spokesperson Liu Pengyu said that "our position is consistent and clear. China firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms." Russia and Iran have also rejected accusations that they're using cyber operations to target Americans. Messages left with representatives of those three nations and North Korea were not immediately returned on Monday. Microsoft quits OpenAI board seat as antitrust scrutiny of artificial intelligence pacts intensifies Efforts to disrupt foreign disinformation and cyber capabilities have escalated along with the threat, but the anonymous, porous nature of the internet sometimes undercuts the effectiveness of the response. Federal authorities recently announced plans to seize hundreds of website domains used by Russia to spread election disinformation and to support efforts to hack former U.S. military and intelligence figures. But investigators at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab found that sites seized by the government can easily and quickly be replaced. Within one day of the Department of Justice seizing several domains in September, for example, researchers spotted 12 new websites created to take their place. One month later, they continue to operate.

A sophisticated AI-driven scam is now targeting Gmail users, aiming to steal personal data by tricking individuals into approving fraudulent account recovery requests. The scam, which has raised concerns among cybersecurity experts, uses professional-sounding AI voices and cleverly spoofed emails to gain unauthorised access to users' Gmail accounts. Deceptive Tactics Uncovered Sam Mitrovic, an IT consultant and tech blogger, recently shared his experience of this new scam in a detailed blog post. The scam typically begins when the user receives an unexpected Gmail account recovery request notification, which appears legitimate at first glance. However, the recovery request is entirely fake and usually originates from a different country, as Mitrovic discovered when his request came from the United States. Declining the recovery request, as Mitrovic did, doesn’t stop the scam. About 40 minutes later, users receive a phone call from a number that appears to be from Google. Microsoft quits OpenAI board seat as antitrust scrutiny of artificial intelligence pacts intensifies The call is highly convincing, with a professional-sounding, polite voice claiming to be from Google, warning the user of suspicious activity on their account. The scammer then raises alarm by asking if the user has logged into their Gmail from a foreign location. Further complicating matters, the number displayed on the caller ID may appear to be from an official Google office. The scammer uses this to convince the victim that someone has accessed sensitive information from their account and urges them to approve the recovery request in order to secure their data. If the victim complies, the scammers gain full access to the Gmail account, putting personal information at serious risk. How to Stay Safe Mitrovic stresses the importance of vigilance when dealing with unexpected account recovery requests or suspicious phone calls. He outlines several steps Gmail users can take to protect themselves from falling victim to this clever AI-based scam: Do Not Approve Unrequested Recovery Requests: If you receive a recovery request that you didn’t initiate, do not approve it. This is a strong sign that your account is being targeted by scammers. Verify Calls Claiming to be from Google: Google typically does not call users directly, except in cases related to business services. If you receive a suspicious call, it’s best to hang up and verify the phone number independently before engaging further. UN adopts Chinese resolution with US support on closing the gap in access to artificial intelligence Check Emails Carefully: Spoofed emails are designed to look authentic but often contain small giveaways, such as discrepancies in the “To” field or domain name. Be vigilant and inspect email details thoroughly before responding. Review Security Activity Regularly: Users should regularly check their Gmail security settings for unfamiliar logins. This can be done by going to the Gmail “Security” tab and reviewing recent activity for any signs of unauthorised access. Inspect Email Headers: For tech-savvy users, reviewing the original email headers can help confirm whether an email was truly sent from a legitimate Google server or a spoofed one. This new scam serves as a reminder for Gmail users to stay alert and cautious when dealing with unusual activity on their accounts. While the use of AI has made these scams more sophisticated, following these protective measures can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to such attacks. By double-checking all recovery requests, phone calls, and emails, users can safeguard their personal data from scammers exploiting AI technologies to deceive the unsuspecting.   Source: With inputs from agencies    

Tesla unveiled its long-awaited robotaxi at a Hollywood studio Thursday night, though fans of the electric vehicle maker will have to wait until at least 2026 before they are available. CEO Elon Musk pulled up to a stage at the Warner Bros. studio lot in one of the company's “Cybercabs," telling the crowd that the sleek, AI-powered vehicles don't have steering wheels or pedals. He also expressed confidence in the progress the company has made on autonomous driving technology that makes it possible for vehicles to drive without human intervention. Tesla began selling the software, which is called “Full Self-Driving,” nine years ago. But there are doubts about its reliability. “We’ll move from supervised Full Self-Driving to unsupervised Full Self-Driving. where you can fall asleep and wake up at your destination,” he said. "It’s going to be a glorious future.” Tesla expects the Cybercabs to cost under $30,000, Musk said. He estimated that the vehicles would become available in 2026, then added “before 2027.” The company also expects to make the Full Self-Driving technology available on its popular Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in Texas and California next year. Tesla is unveiling its long-awaited robotaxi amid doubts about the technology it runs on “If they’re going to eventually get to robotaxis, they first need to have success with the unsupervised FSD at the current lineup,” said Seth Goldstein, equity strategist at Morningstar Research. “Tonight’s event showed that they're ready to take that step forward.” When Tesla will actually take that step, however, has led to more than a little anxiety for investors who see other automakers deploying similar technology right now. Shares of Tesla Inc. tumbled almost 7% before the opening bell Friday. Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit of Alphabet Inc., is carrying passengers in vehicles without human safety drivers in Phoenix and other areas. General Motors’ Cruise self-driving unit had been running robotaxis in San Francisco until a crash last year involving one of its vehicles. Also, Aurora Innovation said it will start hauling freight in fully autonomous semis on Texas freeways by year’s end. Another autonomous semi company, Gatik, plans to haul freight autonomously by the end of 2025. “Tesla yet again claimed it is a year or two away from actual automated driving -- just as the company has been claiming for a decade. Indeed, Tesla’s whole event had a 2014 vibe, except that in 2014 there were no automated vehicles actually deployed on public roads,” Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina law professor who studies automated vehicles, told The Associated Press in an email. “Now there are real AVs carrying real people on real roads, but none of those vehicles are Teslas. Tonight did not change this reality; it only made the irony more glaring.” Tesla had 20 or so Cybercabs on hand and offered event attendees the opportunity to take rides inside the movie studio lot — not on Los Angeles' roads. At the presentation, which was dubbed “We, Robot” and was streamed live on Tesla’s website and X, Musk also revealed a sleek minibus-looking vehicle that, like the Cybercab, would be self-driving and can carry up to 20 passengers. 5th recall for Tesla Cybertruck within a year, the latest due to rearview display The company also trotted out several of its black and white Optimus humanoid robots, which walked a few feet from the attendees before showing off dance moves in a futuristic-looking gazebo. Musk estimated that the robots would cost between $28,000-$30,000 and would be able to babysit, mow lawns, fetch groceries, among other tasks. “Whatever you can think of, it will do,” he said. The unveiling of the Cybercab comes as Musk tries to persuade investors that his company is more about artificial intelligence and robotics as it labors to sell its core products, an aging lineup of electric vehicles. Tesla’s model lineup is struggling and isn’t likely to be refreshed until late next year at the earliest, TD Cowen analyst Jeff Osborne wrote in a research note last week. Osborne also noted that, in TD Cowen’s view, the “politicization of Elon” is tarnishing the Tesla brand among Democrat buyers in the U.S. Musk has endorsed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and has pushed many conservative causes. Last weekend he joined Trump at a Pennsylvania rally. Musk has been saying for more than five years that a fleet of robotaxis is near, allowing Tesla owners to make money by having their cars carry passengers while they’re not in use by the owners. Future of Elon Musk and Tesla are on the line as shareholders vote on massive pay package But he has acknowledged that past predictions for the use of autonomous driving proved too optimistic. In 2019, he promised the fleet of autonomous vehicles by the end of 2020. The announcement comes as U.S. safety regulators are investigating Full Self Driving and Autopilot based on evidence that it has a weak system for making sure human drivers pay attention. In addition, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration forced Tesla to recall Full Self-Driving in February because it allowed speeding and violated other traffic laws, especially near intersections. Tesla was to fix the problems with an online software update. Last April in Snohomish County, Washington, near Seattle, a Tesla using Full Self-Driving hit and killed a motorcyclist, authorities said. The Tesla driver told authorities that he was using the system while looking at his phone when the car rear-ended the motorcyclist. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. NHTSA says it’s evaluating information on the fatal crash from Tesla and law enforcement officials. The Justice Department also has sought information from Tesla about Full Self-Driving and Autopilot, as well as other items.

Hours after the artificial intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton won a Nobel Prize in physics, he drove a rented car to Google's California headquarters to celebrate. Hinton doesn't work at Google anymore. Nor did the longtime professor at the University of Toronto do his pioneering research at the tech giant. But his impromptu party reflected AI's moment as a commercial blockbuster that has also reached the pinnacles of scientific recognition. That was Tuesday. Then, early Wednesday, two employees of Google's AI division won a Nobel Prize in chemistry for using AI to predict and design novel proteins. “This is really a testament to the power of computer science and artificial intelligence,” said Jeanette Wing, a professor of computer science at Columbia University. Asked about the historic back-to-back science awards for AI work in an email Wednesday, Hinton said only: “Neural networks are the future.” Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Japanese organization of atomic bombing survivors Nihon Hidankyo It didn't always seem that way for researchers who decades ago experimented with interconnected computer nodes inspired by neurons in the human brain. Hinton shares this year's physics Nobel with another scientist, John Hopfield, for helping develop those building blocks of machine learning. Neural network advances came from “basic, curiosity-driven research,” Hinton said at a press conference after his win. “Not out of throwing money at applied problems, but actually letting scientists follow their curiosity to try and understand things.” Such work started well before Google existed. But a bountiful tech industry has now made it easier for AI scientists to pursue their ideas even as it has challenged them with new ethical questions about the societal impacts of their work. One reason why the current wave of AI research is so closely tied to the tech industry is that only a handful of corporations have the resources to build the most powerful AI systems. “These discoveries and this capability could not happen without humongous computational power and humongous amounts of digital data,” Wing said. “There are very few companies — tech companies — that have that kind of computational power. Google is one. Microsoft is another.” The chemistry Nobel Prize awarded Wednesday went to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper of Google’s London-based DeepMind laboratory along with researcher David Baker at the University of Washington for work that could help discover new medicines. Hassabis, the CEO and co-founder of DeepMind, which Google acquired in 2014, told the AP in an interview Wednesday his dream was to model his research laboratory on the “incredible storied history” of Bell Labs. Started in 1925, the New Jersey-based industrial lab was the workplace of multiple Nobel-winning scientists over several decades who helped develop modern computing and telecommunications. “I wanted to recreate a modern day industrial research lab that really did cutting-edge research,” Hassabis said. “But of course, that needs a lot of patience and a lot of support. We’ve had that from Google and it’s been amazing.” Hinton joined Google late in his career and quit last year so he could talk more freely about his concerns about AI’s dangers, particularly what happens if humans lose control of machines that become smarter than us. But he stops short of criticizing his former employer. Hinton, 76, said he was staying in a cheap hotel in Palo Alto, California when the Nobel committee woke him up with a phone call early Tuesday morning, leading him to cancel a medical appointment scheduled for later that day. By the time the sleep-deprived scientist reached the Google campus in nearby Mountain View, he “seemed pretty lively and not very tired at all” as colleagues popped bottles of champagne, said computer scientist Richard Zemel, a former doctoral student of Hinton’s who joined him at the Google party Tuesday. “Obviously there are these big companies now that are trying to cash in on all the commercial success and that is exciting,” said Zemel, now a Columbia professor. But Zemel said what’s more important to Hinton and his closest colleagues has been what the Nobel recognition means to the fundamental research they spent decades trying to advance. Guests included Google executives and another former Hinton student, Ilya Sutskever, a co-founder and former chief scientist and board member at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. Sutskever helped lead a group of board members who briefly ousted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman last year in turmoil that has symbolized the industry's conflicts. An hour before the party, Hinton used his Nobel bully pulpit to throw shade at OpenAI during opening remarks at a virtual press conference organized by the University of Toronto in which he thanked former mentors and students. “I’m particularly proud of the fact that one of my students fired Sam Altman,” Hinton said. Asked to elaborate, Hinton said OpenAI started with a primary objective to develop better-than-human artificial general intelligence “and ensure that it was safe.” "And over time, it turned out that Sam Altman was much less concerned with safety than with profits. And I think that’s unfortunate,” Hinton said. In response, OpenAI said in a statement that it is “proud of delivering the most capable and safest AI systems” and that they “safely serve hundreds of millions of people each week.” Conflicts are likely to persist in a field where building even a relatively modest AI system requires resources “well beyond those of your typical research university,” said Michael Kearns, a professor of computer science at the University of Pennsylvania. But Kearns, who sits on the committee that picks the winners of computer science's top prize — the Turing Award — said this week marks a “great victory for interdisciplinary research” that was decades in the making. Hinton is only the second person to win both a Nobel and Turing. The first, Turing-winning political scientist Herbert Simon, started working on what he called “computer simulation of human cognition” in the 1950s and won the Nobel economics prize in 1978 for his study of organizational decision-making. Wing, who met Simon in her early career, said scientists are still just at the tip of finding ways to apply computing's most powerful capabilities to other fields. “We’re just at the beginning in terms of scientific discovery using AI,” she said.