How the Internet’s Efforts to Become More Hospitable for Visually Impaired Users Are Not Working

NASA has released the second batch of images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, which reveal galaxies, planets and stars in unprecedented detail.

The new photos include an incredible study of the atmosphere of a gas giant planet 1,000 light-years from Earth called WASP-96 b, a dying star shedding its outer layers, and a stunning view of Stephan’s Quintet, a group of five galaxies about 300 meters away. million light-years from Earth. Check them out here.

—Jonathan O’Callaghan

The advancement of AI is not the same as creating human intelligence in machines

The term “artificial intelligence” actually has two meanings. AI refers both to the fundamental scientific quest to build human intelligence into computers and to the modeling of vast amounts of data. These two endeavors are very different both in their ambitions and in the degree of progress they have made in recent years.

Most of today’s rapid advances are in data-centric AI, and we’ve got an impressive lineup of people who have made inroads into the field in this year’s MIT Technology Review. 35 Innovators under 35† Learn about their work and what it takes to help them succeed in this essay by Oren Etzioni, CEO of the Allen Institute for AI.

This essay is part of MIT Technology Review’s 2022 Innovators under 35 package recognizing the most promising young people currently working in technology. View the full list here†

The must reads

I’ve scoured the internet to find today’s funniest/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 Twitter sues Elon Musk
The company said it “did everything to give him the data he asked for. (WSJ †
† It also claims that much of the data it asked for is essentially useless anyway. †NY Mag†
The case will be heard in Delaware, where many business statements will be quashed. †NYT †
† A loving throwback to some of Twitter’s wildest moments. †the guard†
Twitter “enjoyed” being Donald Trump’s favorite platform, a former staffer told the Jan. 6 committee. †WP †

2 The internet is failing visually impaired users
Tweaks to web pages designed to help often end up in the way instead. †NYT †

3 Sri Lanka Has Warned Citizens Not To Use Crypto Amid Its Political Chaos
Bad news for Sri Lankans who invested in crypto after their local currency plunged. †TechCrunch†
† Crypto companies are leaning towards lawsuits. †protocol†
† Actor Seth Green reportedly lost valuable NFTs as part of a multimillion-dollar scam. †Motherboard†
† Snap is experimenting with adding NFTs to its platform. †FT †

4 Conscious experience is still one of AI’s biggest obstacles
Especially since some experts claim that it is unique to humans. †CNET†
† What the mind of an octopus can teach us about the ultimate mystery of AI† (MIT Technology Review)

5 How Trump’s Tweets Have Come Back To Bite Him
His message encouraging followers to join his protest was presented as key evidence to the Jan. 6 commission. †The Atlantic Ocean †
† Trump’s aides repeatedly told him he was wrong, but he went ahead anyway. †wired †
† The 76-year-old is still the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2024. †New Yorker †

6 Chinese recruiters are streaming vacancies to desperate job seekers
Millions tune in in hopes of finding a new job. †SCMP†
† China wants to control how its famous live streamers behave, speak and even dress† (MIT Technology Review)

7 Indian rural workers are being punished by a faltering government app
It often doesn’t work in poorly connected areas and often crashes. †Rest of the world†
† The villagers fight to survive India’s deadly heatwaves† (MIT Technology Review)

8 sensor-equipped sea turtles are handy cyclone trackers
And also provide valuable insight into the changing structure of the ocean. †Hakai Magazine†

9 An Unmanned Aircraft Spent 26 Days In The Sky
The Airbus vessel has broken its own record. †BBC†

10 In Honor Of 80s Video Game Compilations
They don’t make them like they used to. †the guard†

Quote of the day