We aim to inform readers not only about events in the bitcoin industry but also about developments in related technological fields — cybersecurity, and now the world of artificial intelligence (AI).
ForkLog AI has gathered the most important AI news of the past week.
- AWS and Google Cloud paused registering new users from Russia.
- Facebook barred Russians from running ads on its social network.
- Yandex halted testing of autonomous vehicles in the United States.
- Italy’s data protection regulator fined Clearview AI €20 million.
- The U.S. government threatened Chinese companies with sanctions for supplying chips to Russia.
- Apple unveiled the M1 Ultra processor.
- Researchers developed an AI algorithm to determine the state of pigs from their grunts.
AWS and Google Cloud stopped registering Russian users
One of the largest cloud service providers, Amazon Web Services (AWS) blocked the ability to register new accounts from Russia and Belarus.
The company said AWS has no data centers or offices in Russia. It also does not conduct any business with the Russian government.
Google Cloud also stopped registering new users from Russia.
“We can confirm that we are not taking on new customers in Russia. We will continue to monitor developments closely,” the company said.
Google emphasized that the policy does not extend to users in Belarus.
Facebook banned Russian users from running ads
Meta said Russian users will no longer be able to create or run ads anywhere in the world, including in Russia.
“Russian advertisers will no longer be able to create or run ads anywhere in the world, including in Russia,” the company said.
On 4 March, Roskomnadzor blocked access to Facebook on the territory of the Russian Federation. In response, the network pledged to devote maximum efforts to ensuring broad access to its services.
Yandex suspended testing of robotaxis in the United States
Yandex paused testing of autonomous vehicles in the United States.
The company tested robotaxis in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as well as six-wheeled sidewalk delivery robots at several university campuses.
Yandex hopes to resume operations soon in the future.
The United States threatened China with sanctions over chip shipments to Russia
The United States government will consider sanctions against Chinese companies for supplying chips to Russia.
According to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Washington could impose draconian measures against manufacturers who ignore the export ban on microchips to Russia. She added that the administration could effectively shut Chinese firms like SMIC if they continue to supply chips and other technologies to Russia.
“Russia will seek to have other countries circumvent our sanctions and export controls,” said Raimondo.
Italy fines Clearview AI €20 million
The Italian data protection authority fined Clearview AI for breaches of EU law €20 million.
According to the agency, the company’s database containing 10 billion images includes Italians’ faces. The startup was also ordered to delete all biometric data on citizens.
Apple unveils M1 Ultra
Apple unveiled its flagship 5-nanometer ARM-based processor, the M1 Ultra.
The device features 16 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, 64 graphics cores and a 32-core Neural Engine for AI tasks.
The processor supports up to 128 GB of RAM with a bandwidth of up to 800 GB/s.
According to company representatives, the M1 Ultra is more productive than a 16-core desktop processor, while consuming 100 watts less energy.
The new chip will appear in the Mac Studio desktop computer, which was also unveiled at the spring event.
March update for Android 12 with AI features released
Google released the March Android 12 update for Pixel smartphones with new machine-learning-powered features.
Developers integrated Night Sight algorithms into Snapchat. Users can now capture photos in low-light conditions directly in the app.
Live Translate on Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro gained support for three additional languages: French, Spanish and Italian.
Also in the Recorder app, there is now the ability to transcribe Italian and Spanish.
Apple announces iOS 15.4 with mask Face ID
Apple will release iOS 15.4 in the coming weeks. One of the key features will be the ability to unlock the device with Face ID while wearing a mask.
To activate the feature, users will need to turn it on in the ‘Face ID & Passcode’ section of Settings. The company noted that the feature does not work with sunglasses.
Other iOS 15.4 features include an AirTag stalking warning, additional Siri voices, support for the PS5 DualSense adaptive trigger, a way to add notes to iCloud Keychain passwords, and dozens of emojis.
Researchers teach algorithm to recognise pig emotions by their grunts
Researchers created an AI algorithm to determine pigs’ state from their grunts.
They trained a neural network to identify positive or negative emotions in animals using audio recordings and behavioral data from different situations. They then analysed acoustic signatures of 7,414 calls from 400 pigs. Most recordings were made on farms; others came from experimental enclosures where pigs were given toys, food and unfamiliar objects.
They found that in negative situations the animals scream loudly. At the same time, a brief grunt often indicates positive emotions.
Currently, researchers are seeking developers who can turn the algorithm into an app. They believe the program could help farmers improve the welfare of their animals.
Also on ForkLog:
- Netflix halted operations in Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine.
- Developers of antivirus programs ESET, Avast and Norton halted sales in the Russian Federation.