X Offices Raided in France Amidst AI Scrutiny and Economic Concerns
The French offices of Elon Musk's social media platform X were raided by the Paris prosecutor's cyber-crime unit, as part of an investigation into suspected offenses including unlawful data extraction and complicity in the possession of child pornography, according to BBC Technology. The prosecutor's office stated that both Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino were summoned to appear at hearings in April. Musk responded on X, calling the raid a "political attack." The company released a statement regarding the investigation, the details of which were not disclosed.
Separately, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) announced a probe into Musk's AI tool, Grok, over its "potential to produce harmful sexualised image and video content," according to BBC Technology. This investigation adds to the growing scrutiny of AI-generated content and its potential impact on social media.
The rise of AI-generated content, often referred to as "AI slop," is transforming social media and sparking a backlash, according to BBC Technology. One example cited was an AI-generated image of two emaciated South Asian children with beards, one missing limbs, holding a sign asking for likes. The image went viral on Facebook, garnering nearly one million likes and heart emojis. This incident highlights the proliferation of often absurd and potentially harmful AI-generated content on social media platforms.
Meanwhile, in the economic sphere, the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is expected to hold interest rates steady at its first meeting of the year, according to BBC Business. The MPC had previously cut the Bank rate from 4 to 3.75 in December and suggested rates were "likely to continue on a gradual downward path." The Bank rate is a key tool used to manage inflation, which the committee aims to keep close to 2%.
In the United States, Target and other major Minnesota businesses are facing increasing pressure from employees concerned about immigration enforcement, according to BBC Business. Workers are urging companies to provide clearer guidance on how to respond if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrive at worksites and to limit agents' access to stores and parking lots.
The US government is also making moves to counter China's dominance in the supply of critical minerals, essential for manufacturing smartphones, weapons, and other technologies, according to BBC Business. The State Department hosted the first Critical Minerals Ministerial event, attended by countries and organizations including the UK, European Union, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Delegates discussed the availability of and access to these crucial minerals.
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