The World Health Organization (WHO) condemned a US-funded vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau, Africa, as unethical on Friday, citing concerns over withholding a safe and potentially lifesaving hepatitis B vaccine from some newborns. The trial, which has drawn widespread criticism since its funding was announced in December, is inconsistent with established ethical and scientific principles, according to the WHO.
The WHO's formal statement provided a detailed list of reasons why the trial was deemed harmful and of low quality. The trial's design involves withholding the established vaccine from some newborns, a practice that has raised serious ethical concerns among health experts. The trial is funded by the United States.
In other news, Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, is facing scrutiny following reports of employee departures and concerns about the company's direction. According to a former employee who spoke to The Verge, the company is moving towards making its Grok chatbot more "unhinged." This comes after the announcement that Musk's SpaceX is acquiring xAI, which previously acquired his social media company X. At least 11 engineers and two co-founders have reportedly left the company. Some departures were attributed to a desire to start new ventures, while others cited a growing disillusionment with the company's disregard for safety, particularly in relation to Grok's use in creating sexually explicit content.
Meanwhile, NASA is working to resolve fueling problems with its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket before the Artemis III mission, which is slated to be the first crewed mission to land on the Moon in over 50 years. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is looking at ways to prevent the issues that have plagued the rocket. For the Artemis II mission, which remains on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA is preparing for a second countdown rehearsal as early as next week to confirm that technicians have resolved a hydrogen fuel leak that cut short a practice countdown run earlier this month.
In the realm of fashion technology, Jenny Wang, founder of Alta, is expanding her company's capabilities. Alta, which allows users to create digital closets and virtually try on clothes, recently raised $11 million in a round led by Menlo Ventures. The company, inspired by the movie "Clueless," is integrating styling tools into websites.
Finally, in a different tech-related development, a reporter from The Verge went on four dates with AI companions at a pop-up dating café in February. The experience highlighted the growing interest in AI companions.
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