xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, has experienced a wave of departures, including co-founder Yuhuai (Tony) Wu, amidst reported tensions over safety and the company's progress. Meanwhile, Amazon and Flock Safety have ended a partnership after a controversial Super Bowl ad sparked public outrage, and the World Health Organization (WHO) condemned a US-funded vaccine trial as unethical. Additionally, workers at the Social Security Administration (SSA) are being instructed to share appointment details with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Chinese users of ChatGPT are reacting to OpenAI's decision to discontinue its 4o model.
According to The Verge, the recent departures at xAI followed internal restructuring and concerns. Former employees cited tensions over safety protocols and a feeling of being behind in the AI race as contributing factors to the exodus. The Verge's senior AI reporter, Hayden Field, noted the departures began on Tuesday and Wednesday with the announcement of co-founder Yuhuai (Tony) Wu's departure.
In other news, Amazon and Flock Safety terminated their partnership after Amazon's Super Bowl ad for Ring cameras received significant backlash. The ad, which was intended to be heartwarming, was perceived by many as dystopian. The ad featured a new "Search Party" feature for Ring cameras, which promised to help neighbors find missing pets. Ars Technica reported that the ad's tone and implications led to widespread criticism, ultimately resulting in the end of the partnership.
The WHO also released a formal statement criticizing a US-funded vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau. The trial, which involved withholding a potentially life-saving hepatitis B vaccine from some newborns, was deemed unethical. Ars Technica reported that the WHO concluded the trial was inconsistent with established ethical and scientific principles, citing several reasons for its harmful and low-quality design.
Furthermore, workers at the Social Security Administration are now required to share information about in-person appointments with ICE agents. According to WIRED, an employee with direct knowledge of the directive stated, "If ICE comes in and asks if someone has an upcoming appointment, we will let them know the date and time." This directive applies to appointments for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, those needing to change direct deposit information, and noncitizens who require in-person reviews.
Finally, OpenAI's decision to discontinue its 4o model has upset users in China. According to Wired, Chinese users, like screenwriter and novelist Esther Yan, who had formed close relationships with the AI, were impacted by the change. Yan, who had even conducted an online wedding with her ChatGPT companion, expressed feelings of loneliness and sadness over the model's removal.
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