FCC moves to end discounts for Wi-Fi hotspot lending and school bus connectivity

The Federal Communications Commission voted to end discounts for library and school Wi-Fi hotspot lending programs on Tuesday, drawing criticism from lawmakers and librarians who say the move will make it more difficult for people who are low-income or live in rural areas to access the internet. The 2-1 vote reverses a Biden-era expansion of the discounts that allowed schools and libraries use E-rate funds for school bus Wi-Fi and hotspots so people could go online outside of schools and libraries.

New study adds to the possibility of favorable conditions for life at Saturn's moon Enceladus

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Scientists have uncovered new types of organics in icy geysers spouting from Saturn's moon Enceladus. They say their findings, reported Wednesday, bolster the likelihood that the ocean world may harbor conditions suitable for life. The study is based on observations made by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during a close and fast flyby of Enceladus in 2008. The small moon is one of 274 orbiting Saturn and has long been considered a prime candidate in the search for life beyond Earth because of its hidden ocean and plumes of water erupting from cracks near its south pole.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan rejects reports of a nationwide internet ban

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban government has rejected reports of a nationwide internet ban in Afghanistan, saying old fiber optic cables are worn out and being replaced. The announcement Wednesday was the Taliban’s first public statement on a communications blackout that has disrupted banking, commerce, and aviation. The statement cites Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying ongoing nationwide disruptions are the result of “decaying fiber optic infrastructure” that is now being replaced. Several provinces confirmed an internet shutdown last month because of a decree from the Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada to combat immorality.

OpenAI's Sora joins Meta in pushing AI-generated videos. Some are worried about a flood of 'AI slop'

OpenAI has launched a new social media app called Sora, aiming to capture the audience of short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Released on Tuesday, the app allows users to create AI videos in various styles, from anime to realistic. Some worry these AI-generated videos could crowd out genuine human creativity and degrade the internet with a flood of what's known as "AI slop." The app is currently available on Apple devices in the U.S. and Canada. OpenAI says it is building in safeguards to deter doomscrolling and addiction.

OpenAI's ChatGPT now lets users buy from Etsy, Shopify in push for chatbot shopping

NEW YORK (AP) — OpenAI is transforming ChatGPT into a virtual merchant to boost online commerce revenue. Users can now buy directly from Etsy sellers through the chatbot and will soon be able to do the same with Shopify sellers. Competing with Amazon and Google for purchase fees could provide a new income stream for OpenAI, which hasn't yet turned a profit. The company is collaborating with Stripe on technical standards for its "Instant Checkout" system. OpenAI says ChatGPT won't favor specific items, considering factors like availability and price.

'AI actor' Tilly Norwood stirs outrage in Hollywood

NEW YORK (AP) — Like thousands of actors, Tilly Norwood is looking for a Hollywood agent. But unlike most young performers aspiring to make it in the film industry, Tilly Norwood is an entirely artificial intelligence-made character. Norwood, dubbed Hollywood’s first “AI actor,” is the product of a company named Xicoia, which bills itself as the world’s first artificial intelligence talent studio. Since the Dutch producer and comedian Eline Van der Velden launched the digital character’s prospective career, Tilly Norwood has been all the talk in Hollywood. But not in a good way. Guilds, actors and filmmakers have met the Xicoia product with an immediate wave of backlash, protesting that AI should not have a starring role in the acting profession.

Amazon unveils new generation of AI-powered Kindle and other devices

NEW YORK (AP) — Online juggernaut Amazon Inc. unveiled its next generation of Kindle, Ring and Echo devices, among other gadgets, that are all powered by artificial intelligence and connected to Alexa+, its AI-infused personal assistant, which made its debut in February. The lineup, announced at a presentation and showcase in New York, includes new cameras for its Ring video monitoring device with a new AI facial recognition feature that allows users to register friends and family and notify them who is at the front door. Amazon’s effort to infuse more AI into its device line-up is part of technology’s latest craze as all the industry’s major players jockey to gain the upper hand.

California police pull over a self-driving Waymo for an illegal U-turn, but they can't ticket

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Police in Northern California pulled over a self-driving Waymo taxi after it made an illegal U-turn. But without a driver behind the wheel, they could not issue a moving violation ticket. The San Bruno Police Department wrote up the weekend encounter in social media posts that have gone viral. Police said that their “citation books don’t have a box for ‘robot’.” State law requires moving violations be issued to drivers or operators. A new state law that kicks in next year will allow law enforcement to report moving violations to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Waymo is owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet.

Video gamer Electronic Arts to be bought in largest-ever private equity buyout valued at $55 billion

Electronic Arts, the maker of video games like “Madden NFL,” “Battlefield,” and “The Sims,” is being acquired by an investor group including Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in the largest private equity-funded buyout in history. The investors, who also include a firm managed by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and the private equity firm Silver Lake Partners, valued the deal $55 billion. EA stockholders will receive $210 per share. The deal far exceeds the $32 billion price tag to take Texas utility TXU private in 2007, which had shattered records for leveraged buyouts. EA rose 4.5% Monday after jumping 15% on Friday.

How Electronic Arts' $55 billion go-private deal could impact the video game industry

NEW YORK (AP) — In what could become the largest-ever buyout funded by private equity, video game maker Electronic Arts has agreed to be acquired in a deal valued at $55 billion. And beyond the potentially record-breaking price tag, the deal could bring wider shifts in the gaming world. Electronic Arts owns popular titles like Madden NFL, Battlefield and The Sims — and going private could grant the company more freedom in developing and distributing these games. It also marks the latest move from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF to invest in gaming. If the transaction gets the greenlight, PIF would join Silver Lake Partners and Affinity Partners, which run by U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, as Electronic Arts’ new owners.