A recent campaign urging users to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptions, concerns about AI hype surrounding a social network for bots, and internet blackouts impacting academic institutions are among the top technology stories. Additionally, mothers in the U.S. are using crowdfunding to assist families in war-torn Gaza.
In September, Alfred Stephen, a freelance software developer in Singapore, subscribed to ChatGPT Plus, but grew frustrated with the chatbot's coding abilities and replies, according to MIT Technology Review (Source 1). This led him to the "QuitGPT" campaign, which urged users to cancel their subscriptions, citing OpenAI president Greg Brockman's contribution to a political super PAC and the use of ChatGPT-4 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Meanwhile, a Reddit clone called Moltbook, designed as a social network for bots, went viral in late January (Source 3). The platform allowed instances of an open-source LLM-powered agent, OpenClaw, to interact. While some viewed Moltbook as a glimpse into the future of AI, others, like Will Douglas Heaven, senior editor for AI at MIT Technology Review, compared it to Pokémon, suggesting it was less interesting than it appeared (Source 2).
In other news, Iran experienced a near-total internet blackout on January 8th, causing severe disruptions to the higher-education system, according to Nature News (Source 5). These restrictions echo a five-day internet blackout in 2019, sparking concerns about digital isolation.
Finally, mothers in the U.S. have been using crowdfunding to help families in Gaza afford food and shelter, according to NPR Politics (Source 4). This informal network of mothers connected through social media and began raising funds. A ceasefire agreement reached in October has brought a relative and tentative peace to Gaza, but many residents are still in need.
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