AI Personalization Raises Privacy Concerns, Southwest Ends Open Seating, and More News
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being designed to remember user preferences, raising new privacy concerns, while Southwest Airlines ended its 50-year tradition of open seating on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a human trial for a rejuvenation method is set to begin, and a study revealed land use's impact on extreme heat. Additionally, Atlas V Group secured funding to expand into gaming and VR.
The ability of AI chatbots to remember user data is becoming a key feature, according to MIT Technology Review. Google announced Personal Intelligence for its Gemini chatbot, which utilizes Gmail, photos, search, and YouTube histories to personalize interactions. OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta are also implementing similar features. MIT Technology Review noted the potential advantages of these features but cautioned about the new risks they could introduce.
Southwest Airlines passengers experienced their last boarding-time scrambles for seats on Monday as the airline transitioned to assigned seating on Tuesday, according to Fortune. The airline began selling tickets shaped by the new policy in July. Customers now have the option to pay more for preferred seats closer to the front of the plane or seats with extra legroom. Under the previous open-seat system, customers could check in exactly 24 hours before departure to secure places in boarding lines.
A human trial for a rejuvenation method developed by Life Biosciences, a Boston startup cofounded by Harvard professor David Sinclair, is set to begin shortly after receiving FDA approval, MIT Technology Review reported. Sinclair confirmed the trial on X in response to Elon Musk's comments at Davos, where Musk suggested aging is solvable. Sinclair wrote that aging has a relatively simple explanation and is apparently reversible. The treatment is codenamed ER-100.
A study published in Communications Earth & Environment revealed that land-use change, particularly deforestation and unplanned agricultural expansion, is dramatically intensifying heat waves, according to Phys.org. The study, conducted using Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI), identified land use as a "silent amplifier" of extreme heat.
Atlas V Group, a European VR and immersive content production company, raised $6 million to diversify into free-to-play gaming and location-based VR, Variety reported. The funding round included investments from HTC, a Taiwan-based company formerly known as High Tech Computer Corporation.
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