OpenAI Sued

WELCOME FRIENDS

To the very first edition of the Blacklynx Brief of 2024. It’s going to be a wild one.

Whether it’s the further development of AI and it being challenged by legal issues, the constant barrage of cyberattacks and the looming threat of “the big one,” or the crypto world that is holding it’s breath for the ETF approvals, spectacular things are guaranteed to happen.

On top of that, there’s war, political instability, and the economy is once again on shaky ground.

It feels like the moment between the press of a button and a giant explosion. There’s so much movement and so much that can go wrong.

But change is here, and it’s our job to keep you informed of the most important events and those things that matter.

We’re opening this year with a relatively short newsletter, as we’re still coming out of hibernation.

[AI]
This Week’s AI News

United States Chief Justice John Roberts released his annual report, urging the legal system to not shy away from AI but to embrace it in a cautious manner. He warned of the pitfalls and also, of course, mentioned the large New York Times vs. OpenAI lawsuit that is coming in 2024.

Indeed, while you were gobbling turkey at your Christmas dinner, the New York Times sued OpenAI for copyright infringement. In the filing, the Times states that OpenAI is looking to “free-ride” on decades of investment in journalism. In short, if you drill down into the report, they’re losing subscribers, and they’re looking for a scapegoat.

There is indeed a lot of money to get from OpenAI. They have the best model and the best people. But that comes at a price.

The average yearly salary for an AI researcher at OpenAI is $865.000, according to a study by Rora

If you’re wondering where all this money comes from,. The answer came last week.

OpenAI is in early discussions to raise a new round of investment at a valuation at or above $100 billion, even though its tender offer at a $86 billion valuation isn’t yet completed. The new deal valuing OpenAI at $100 Billion would make the ChatGPT maker the second-most valuable startup in the US, behind SpaceX

If you ask ChatGPT to speak ill of Joe Biden, he won’t. He is willing to go to town on Donald Trump, however. Trackingai.org performed a study on the political bias of chatbots, and surprisingly, Grok (Elon Musk’s X chatbot) is the most left-leaning of all. The one that is most centered is France’s “Mistral” chatbot.

A groundbreaking AI application has led to the discovery of a new class of antibiotics that can kill drug-resistant bacteria. As the death toll from antibiotic resistance continues to grow (claiming over 1.2 million lives in 2019 alone), this advancement shows promising real-world results of combining AI with drug discovery. Researchers used graph neural networks to predict the toxicity of over 12M compounds (impossible to do in a wet lab). The AI successfully identified compounds capable of killing drug-resistant strains, leading to a new class of antibiotics.

[Cyber]
This Week’s Cyber News

Albanian Networks Under Siege:Albania's cybersecurity agency, AKCESK, reported significant cyberattacks on the country's parliament and largest telecommunications provider, Albania ONE. On Christmas Day, the identity of the assailants remains an enigma

Ukrainian Retaliation on Russian Tech: Evotor, a Russian enterprise known for its online cash registers, recently experienced a crippling cyber onslaught. Responsibility was claimed by the “IT Army of Ukraine”.

Serbian Energy Sector's Silent Struggle: The Serbian public energy company EPS, alongside the Serbian government, remains notably reticent regarding a ransomware attack during the Christmas period.

EasyPark's Unwelcome Intrusion: EasyPark, Europe's leading parking app operator, has been the latest to join the growing list of cybersecurity breach disclosures.

Google's Legal Entanglement Resolved: In a development that is likely to resonate across the tech industry, Google has settled a lawsuit accusing it of tracking users in Chrome's private browsing mode.

TISAK: A New Threat Emerges: Researchers at Symantec have identified a new ransomware strain, TISAK, in the wild.

Tesla's Autopilot Compromised: In a feat that blurs the lines between technological prowess and vulnerability, three security researchers have exploited a voltage drop glitch to gain root access to Tesla's autopilot system. The discovery of a hidden feature, dubbed "Elon Mode," not only raises eyebrows but also raises crucial questions about the security of increasingly autonomous vehicles.

[Closing Thoughts]

As promised, a short one to get us started this year—that leaves me to wish you the very best for 2024. May all your wishes come true!

See you next week!