Tags: X

Astro Teller, chief of Alphabet’s X moonshot factory, explained the firm’s definition of a moonshot, its "fail fast" approach, and the culture that balances audacity with humility. He said a moonshot must tackle a huge problem, propose a product that could eradicate it, and rely on breakthrough technology. X launches more than 100 projects annually, with a 2% hit rate, but spends 44% of its budget on graduates that become "outrageously good" companies such as Waymo and Wing. Teller emphasized rapid testing, early termination of weak ideas, and an environment that encourages bold, creative thinking. Lire la suite

OpenAI’s video generation tool Sora can produce realistic deepfake videos of public figures and copyrighted characters, exposing gaps in current detection and labeling systems. Although the platform embeds Content Credentials from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), these metadata tags are not visible to most users and are often stripped before sharing on social media. Platforms such as Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and X have provided limited or no visible labeling, leaving the public vulnerable to misinformation. Experts argue that metadata alone is insufficient and call for broader industry adoption and regulatory action. Lire la suite

Elon Musk has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by four former Twitter executives—Parag Agrawal, Ned Segal, Vijaya Gadde, and Sean Edgett—over more than $128 million in unpaid severance. The settlement, filed in the U.S. Northern District Court of California, is contingent on Musk meeting unspecified conditions. The dispute originated after Musk’s 2022 acquisition of Twitter, which the executives allege was closed early to deny them stock option vesting. The agreement postpones existing deadlines and may be rescinded if conditions are not satisfied. Lire la suite

Social network X said it will appeal a Karnataka High Court decision that upheld the Indian government's Sahyog portal for content takedowns. The company called the portal "secretive" and argued it lacks legal basis, claiming it bypasses Section 69A of the IT Act and threatens free expression. X maintains that the ruling denies the platform’s right to free speech under Indian law. The appeal follows X's broader effort to challenge the system, which other tech firms have joined, while Elon Musk continues expanding his businesses in India, including Tesla and Starlink. Lire la suite

X is contesting a Karnataka High Court ruling that would compel the platform to obey millions of takedown requests via the government‑run Sahyog portal, a system X describes as a censorship tool that bypasses judicial review. The company says the order threatens free expression and could expose platforms to criminal liability for non‑compliance. X’s appeal follows earlier disputes with Indian authorities, including challenges to block orders in 2024 and 2022 and a 2021 confrontation that saw officials threaten jail for Twitter employees. Lire la suite

The Karnataka High Court ruled that the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, cannot invoke Article 19 of the Indian Constitution to challenge government-ordered content removals. The court held that free‑speech protections apply only to Indian citizens, affirming the government's use of the Sahyog portal to issue takedown orders. X had argued that the portal lacked transparency, but the judgment emphasizes that foreign platforms must comply with Indian law. The decision marks a notable moment in India’s approach to regulating global tech firms. Lire la suite

Google Discover, the personalized news feed in the Google app and on select Android home screens, is adding a follow button for publishers and creators and widening the types of content it surfaces. Users will soon see a blend of web articles, YouTube videos and posts from X and Instagram, while the new follow option lets them track specific outlets directly from the feed. The changes are currently rolling out to devices, with broader availability expected in the coming weeks. Lire la suite

Google is adding new content types to its Discover feed, bringing in social media posts from platforms such as Instagram and X, as well as YouTube Shorts. The company says users asked for a mix of articles, videos, and social posts, and the update will roll out in the coming weeks. Alongside the expanded feed, Discover now lets users follow creators or publishers, preview content, and customize what appears in their personalized stream, mirroring recent changes to Google Search. Lire la suite

OpenAI chief Sam Altman posted on X that the surge of bots is turning social media into a landscape where it’s hard to tell if posts are written by real people. He cited the flood of Reddit posts about OpenAI’s Codex as an example, noting that many may be generated by automated accounts or astroturfed campaigns. Altman highlighted broader industry data indicating that a majority of internet traffic is non‑human, raising concerns about authenticity and the influence of AI‑driven content on online discourse. Lire la suite

Vodafone is experimenting with an AI-generated character that appears as a German‑speaking woman in a red hoodie to promote its high‑speed home internet services. The AI figure has been featured in multiple TikTok videos posted on the company’s official account, collectively drawing over  2 million views, and the clips have also run as ads on X. Vodafone says the test is part of broader advertising experiments, emphasizing the growing role of AI in everyday marketing. Industry observers note that such AI spokespeople raise questions about transparency, brand safety and consumer trust. Lire la suite