NewsMinimalist

Signal’s president, Meredith Whittaker, criticized Telegram’s security, labeling its founder Pavel Durov’s claims about Signal as false. In a TechCrunch interview, Whittaker stated that Telegram is not encrypted and is the least secure among messaging and social media services. The remarks intensify a debate between Whittaker, Durov, and Twitter owner Elon Musk over platform security, with Whittaker asserting that Signal’s end-to-end encryption and open-source code offer superior privacy, trusted by the security community.

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/24/05/24/1542208/signal-slams-telegrams-security?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Are you tired of Google’s AI Overview cluttering your search results? Good news—you can switch back to the classic “web” search using a URL parameter trick. By adding “&udm=14” to your Google search URL, you get back to the clean 10 blue links interface. Although not officially supported as a default setting, you can make it easier by customizing your browser’s search engine settings to automatically include this parameter. While it’s a handy workaround, the broader concern remains: Google’s AI and SEO spam issues may still push users to consider alternative search engines.

https://arstechnica.com/?p=2026948

WhatsApp is revamping its mobile app interface to provide a fresher and more streamlined experience. The update includes the introduction of a new “darker dark mode.” The company announced these changes on Thursday, noting that while they have mainly focused on enhancing the app’s utility over the years, the product’s design also needs to evolve as it continues to grow.

In summer 2023, OpenAI created a team called “Superalignment” to control future AI systems that could potentially lead to human extinction. Less than a year later, this team has been dissolved. According to Bloomberg, the company is integrating the safety group more deeply into its research efforts. However, Jan Leike, a leader of the team who recently quit, revealed on social media that there were internal tensions and resource struggles. Leike criticized OpenAI for prioritizing products over safety and mentioned that his team was increasingly struggling to get crucial AI safety research done.

The dissolution follows the departure of key figures like Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, who was also a co-founder of OpenAI. Sutskever left six months after being part of a controversial decision to fire and then reinstate CEO Sam Altman. The Superalignment team faced ongoing challenges, including the dismissal of two researchers in April 2024 for allegedly leaking information.

OpenAI announced that future safety efforts will be led by co-founder John Schulman, with Jakub Pachocki replacing Sutskever as Chief Scientist. Despite the disbandment, OpenAI has introduced a new “preparedness” team to manage potential AI risks, highlighting the company’s ongoing commitment to AI safety, albeit through different organizational structures.

https://www.engadget.com/the-openai-team-tasked-with-protecting-humanity-is-no-more-183433377.html?src=rss

A new social network called Maven thinks it can save us all from the misery of traditional social media by eliminating followers and likes. Instead, users join private “clubs” where they share interests and chat without worrying about their follower count. Maven aims to foster genuine connections and reduce online stress. Sounds like just what we needed – another social platform claiming to revolutionize our digital lives.

https://www.wired.com/story/maven-social-network-that-eliminates-followers-and-stress/