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Welcome to the July 17, 2024 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for computer professionals three times a week.
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Silicon Valley has tested guaranteed income and unconditional cash payment programs for residents in dire need, particularly for people whose jobs could be replaced by AI. Even as some states ban guaranteed income, pilot programs have shown these payments can help stabilize cash-strapped families. Some proponents are calling for tech firms to lobby the federal government to adopt a guaranteed income program; others want more substantial commitments from tech companies.
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The New York Times; David Streitfeld (July 16, 2024)
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The Netherlands' Eindhoven University of Technology is embroiled in the U.S.-China chip war. Eindhoven is a key source of talent for ASML Holding NV, whose immersion DUV lithography machines are used in semiconductor production. Under pressure from the U.S. government, The Hague has restricted exports of the machines to Chinese customers.
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Bloomberg; Cagan Koc (July 15, 2024)
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 Russia's Kaspersky Labs is pulling out of the U.S. following a ban on the sale and distribution of its antivirus and cybersecurity software, noting that "business opportunities in the country are no longer viable." This follows comments from U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo that Kaspersky posed a serious risk to U.S. infrastructure and services due to Moscow's influence over the company. Software updates, resales, and licensing of Kaspersky products will be prohibited in the U.S. beginning Sept. 29.
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BBC; João da Silva (July 16, 2024)
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A team of researchers led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has developed a ChatGPT-like tool for the city's employees. Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said the tool, dubbed "document editing co-pilot application for civil servants," is being tested by his bureau before being rolled out government-wide later this year.
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Associated Press; Kanis Leung (July 16, 2024)
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Activist hacking group Nullbulge claimed it leaked thousands of Disney’s internal Slack messaging channels, which included information about unreleased projects, raw images, computer codes, and log-ins. The group said it leaked about 1.2 terabytes of information and that it wants to protect artists’ rights and compensation for their work, especially in the age of AI.
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CNN; Ramishah Maruf (July 15, 2024)
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 Salesforce reportedly eliminated around 300 jobs this month as the software giant seeks to streamline operations and control costs. The company cut around 700 job cuts earlier this year, and reduced headcount by 10% at the beginning of last year. Other tech companies also announcing staffing cuts recently include Intuit Inc., UiPath Inc., Open Text Corp., and Microsoft’s Azure cloud division.
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Bloomberg; Brody Ford (July 15, 2024)
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Around 250 Ukrainian defense startups have set up secret workshops where a robot army is under development. Entrepreneur Andrii Denysenko, for example, said his workshop can produce an unmanned ground vehicle in just four days for $35,000, 10% of the price tag for an imported model. The startup also is working on motorized exoskeletons for soldiers, and unmanned carrier vehicles to transport equipment or soldiers up inclines.
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Associated Press; Derek Gatopoulos; Anton Shtuka (July 15, 2024)
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The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has enabled payments at businesses in India and communication between India's central bank and the nation's banking industry smoother since 2016, but it's also an easy target for scammers. Shashank Shekhar, founder of the Delhi-based Future Crime Research Foundation, reported that between January 2020 and June 2023, nearly half of all financial fraud in the Indian banking system involved the use of UPI.
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BBC; Priti Gupta (July 12, 2024)
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To remain relevant in the field of generative AI, universities are shifting their research focus to areas of AI that are less computing-power-intensive. At the same time, academic institutions are looking to build out their computing resources or engage in resource-sharing with other universities. Meanwhile, universities in tech hubs like Silicon Valley, Boston, the Pacific Northwest, and Austin are forging partnerships with industry players.
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The Wall Street Journal; Isabelle Bousquette (July 12, 2024)
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A quantum computer developed by University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) researchers can simulate electron movement in a solid-state material. The quantum computer simulated the fermionic Hubbard model, which describes electron motion in lattices, something that supercomputers have found difficult to simulate.
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South China Morning Post; Zhang Tong (July 12, 2024)
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Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Chicago found that algorithms used to predict student success incorrectly determined that 19% of Black students and 21% of Latinx students would fail out of college. The researchers said variables "more predictive of student success for minority students" should be included in these algorithms, such as campus climate, family support, and distance from home.
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Diverse Education; Liann Herder (July 15, 2024)
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 The collegiate athletic Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Southeastern Conference (SEC) will roll out iPad technology in coaching booths and on the sidelines during the upcoming U.S. college football season. In collaboration with Apple, all ACC and SEC teams will use league-provided iPad Pro and iPad Air models for video playback. This follows an April decision by the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Playing Rules Oversight Panel approving in-game video use.
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ESPN (July 15, 2024)
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