This viral game in China reinvents hide-and-seek for the digital age

This company is building AI for African languages

In partnership with athenahealth Subscribe & save 50% The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology By Charlotte Jee • 11.20.23 Hello! Charlotte here, standing in for Rhiannon today. No doubt you'll want to catch up on all the latest goings-on at OpenAI—there are plenty of updates in the must-reads section below, but to get the full low-down, sign up to read our AI newsletter The Algorithm, which will land in inboxes at 12pm ET today.  Also: read about a viral game in China which creates a modern twist on hide-and-seek, meet a company trying to get AI models to be better at African languages, and all you need to know about the debate raging around the potential renewal of a controversial US surveillance program. This viral game in China reinvents hide-and-seek for the digital age   The "cat-and-mouse game" has gone viral in China this year, drawing thousands of people across the country to events every week. It's a fun combination of a childhood game, in-person networking, the latest location-sharing technology, and meme-worthy experience.  It's not a typical hide-and-seek game, though, but rather one for the digital age: both the seekers and the hiders chase and evade each other by following their real-time locations on a map on their phones. Our reporter Zeyi Yang played a game with 40 strangers in a seven-acre park built on the site of the infamous Kowloon Walled City. Read about his experience here. This company is building AI for African languages Inside a co-working space in the Rosebank neighborhood of Johannesburg, Jade Abbott popped open a tab on her computer and prompted ChatGPT to count from 1 to 10 in isiZulu, a language spoken by more than 10 million people in her native South Africa. The results were "mixed and hilarious," says Abbott, a computer scientist and researcher.  Then she typed in a few sentences in isiZulu and asked the chatbot to translate them into English. Once again, the answers? Not even close. Abbott's experience mirrors the situation faced by Africans who don't speak English. Many language models like ChatGPT do not perform well for African languages.  But a new venture called Lelapa AI, a collaboration between Abbott and a biomedical engineer named Pelonomi Moiloa, is trying to use machine learning to create tools that specifically work for Africans. Read the full story.   —Abdullahi Tsanni A controversial US surveillance program is up for renewal. Critics are speaking out. A debate is raging about the renewal of a controversial US surveillance program, created in 2008 to expand the power of US agencies to collect electronic "foreign intelligence information," whether about spies, terrorists, or cybercriminals abroad, without a warrant. It compels tech companies to hand over communications records to US intelligence agencies.  A lot of data about Americans who communicate with people internationally gets swept up in these searches. Critics say that is unconstitutional. Despite that, it's been renewed in both 2012 and 2017. So is it likely to be renewed yet again? Here's what you need to know.  —Tate Ryan-Mosley This story is from The Technocrat, our weekly newsletter all about politics, power, and Silicon Valley. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Friday. Get 50% off MIT Technology Review! For a limited time only, we're offering new subscribers 50% off print and digital subscriptions to MIT Technology Review, offering you unlimited access to the latest news and insights in AI, climate change, biotech, and more. Read on for more information.  ADVERTISEMENT In partnership with athenahealth athenahealth is simplifying healthcare IT The ugly truth of today's healthcare landscape is that both clinicians and patients are feeling negative effects from the complicated technology that much of the industry relies on. athenahealth is developing intuitive, easy-to-use solutions that help create a better experience for healthcare staff and their patients while also improving financial performance. Keep the focus on your patients, not on your paperwork. Learn more. The must-reads I've combed the internet to find you today's most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Microsoft has hired former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman He'll lead a 'new advanced AI research team' along with a bunch of his other former OpenAI colleagues. (The Verge) + Dozens of OpenAI employees have said they'll quit. (The Information $) + Trouble had been brewing at OpenAI for a while. (The Atlantic $) + Altman had been raising money for a new chip venture in the Middle East before he was pushed out. (Bloomberg $) + Who's who on OpenAI's board, the group behind Altman's ouster. (CNBC) + Read our recent interview with OpenAI's chief scientist, reportedly one of the board members who pushed Altman out. (MIT Technology Review) + Our 2020 feature on OpenAI uncovered many of the tensions that have come to a head this week. (MIT Technology Review)   2 Robotaxi company Cruise's CEO has resigned  The company is in chaos after being forced to pull its entire driverless fleet over safety concerns. (WP $) + Why city employees tend to dislike driverless cars. (NYT $) + Robotaxis are here. It's time to decide what to do about them. (MIT Technology Review)   3 Inside Ukraine's invisible war Both sides are using radio signals to overwhelm communications links to drones and troops, locate targets, and trick guided weapons. (NYT $)   4 Ad execs are urging X's CEO to step down They say that by staying, Linda Yaccarino is endorsing Musk's anti-semitic diatribes. (Forbes) + This is the growing list of companies pulling ads from X. (WP $)   5 The southern hemisphere is in for a sweltering summer It's highly likely it'll see record-breaking temperatures over the coming months, scientists say. (Nature) + The richest 1% are responsible for more carbon emissions than the poorest 66%, according to Oxfam. (The Guardian) 6 SpaceX's Starship rocket reached space, but then exploded 🚀💥 Or, as they like to put it, experienced a 'rapid unscheduled disassembly'. (CNBC)   7 Teen boys are falling for a Snapchat nude photo scam It's a classic—but devastating—example of online sextortion. (WSJ $) 8 Italy's parliament has banned lab-grown meat 🥩 The right-wing government said it posed a threat to the country's way of life. (Quartz $) + Read our review of lab-grown chicken at a Michelin-starred restaurant. (MIT Technology Review)   9 We may have to wait longer for Apple's Vision Pro headset than planned There's no way it's going to launch in January as originally planned, insiders say. (Mashable) 10 The argument for using AI to log every moment of your life It's a dream for some… but a total nightmare to others. (Wired $) Quote of the day "OpenAI is nothing without its people."  —Wording that's being posted online by a growing number of OpenAI employees, indicating that further resignations are still to come. The big story How to befriend a crow October 2022 Nicole Steinke feeds a family of the birds from her apartment balcony in Alexandria, Virginia, twice daily. Once there's no food left, they'll look for her as she walks around her neighborhood. When one crow finds her, it will call to the others, and they'll surround her. The crows have become minor TikTok celebrities thanks to CrowTok, a small but active niche that has exploded in popularity. CrowTok isn't just about birds, though. It also often explores the relationships that corvids—a family of birds including crows, magpies, and ravens—develop with human beings. They're not the only intelligent birds around, but in general, corvids are smart in a way that resonates deeply with humans. But how easy is it to befriend them? And what can it teach us about attention, and patience, in a world that often seems to have little of either? Read the full story. —Abby Ohlheiser We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.) + I can't stop watching these extreme close-up videos of everyday objects. + Turn a clip of you singing into a roster of songs, thanks to this clever site. + Wildlife is everywhere in our cities, you just need to know where to look. + Start planning your escape for next year, courtesy of the best places to visit in 2024. + Brace yourself: it's nearly Star Wars Holiday Special time. 🔥 CYBER WEEK DEAL: SAVE 50% Our biggest sale of the year is happening now! For a limited time, save 50% on an annual subscription to MIT Technology Review and gain access to trusted reporting, analysis and insight that you can't get anywhere else. Don't miss out, claim this offer now. SUBSCRIBE & SAVE 50% Register for free to join us at our TR35 Festival virtual event to meet the innovators changing the world. Top image credit: PHOTO ILLUSTRATION STEPHANIE ARNETT/MITTR | GETTY, MIDJOURNEY Please send Chewbacca's robe to hi@technologyreview.com. —Charlotte  Was this newsletter forwarded to you, and you'd like to see more? Sign up today → View in browser | This email was sent to manojdole1.InformationTech@blogger.com. Manage your preferences | Unsubscribe | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy MIT Technology Review · 196 Broadway, 3rd fl, · Cambridge, MA 02139 · USA Copyright © 2023 MIT Technology Review, All rights reserved. Opt out of all promotional emails and newsletters from MIT Technology Review