Portland’s Face-Recognition Ban Is a New Twist on ‘Smart Cities’
The first big US city to prohibit private businesses from using the technology reflects rising skepticism of new tools and concerns about fairness.
As Trump Squeezes China, Alipay’s Star Rises
Chinese consumers tap the fintech app to pay bills, order in restaurants, and book appointments. Now it’s preparing for an IPO that could value it at $200 billion.
YouTube’s Plot to Silence Conspiracy Theories
From flat-earthers to QAnon to Covid quackery, the video giant is awash in misinformation. Can AI keep the lunatic fringe from going viral?
Nvidia’s Arm Deal Would Make It the Center of the Chip World
Combining the two chipmakers would unite leaders in two big tech trends—artificial intelligence and mobile computing.
Google’s Autocomplete Ban on Politics Has Some Glitches
The search giant tweaks its algorithm after WIRED finds it would suggest “Donate Biden,” but not “Donate Trump.”
Anduril’s New Drone Offers to Inject More AI Into Warfare
A swarm of Ghost 4s, controlled by a single person on the ground, can perform reconnaissance missions like searching for enemy weapons or soldiers.
AI Ruined Chess. Now, It’s Making the Game Beautiful Again
A former world champion teams up with the makers of AlphaZero to test variants on the age-old game that can jolt players into creative patterns.
Google Offers to Help Others With the Tricky Ethics of AI
After learning its own ethics lessons the hard way, the tech giant will offer services like spotting racial bias or developing guidelines around AI projects.
A Dogfight Renews Concerns About AI’s Lethal Potential
Alphabet’s DeepMind pioneered reinforcement learning. A California company used it to create an algorithm that defeated an F-16 pilot in a simulation.
Skewed Grading Algorithms Fuel Backlash Beyond the Classroom
Thousands protest in the UK after a formula replaced a test that influences college placement. It’s led to broader scrutiny of automation and inequality.
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