IN THE SPOTLIGHT
🎓 Snack Attack Stopped
A university in Canada is removing vending machines over concerns about facial recognition technology. The controversy started with a Reddit post showcasing an error message on one of the machines, hinting at the use of facial recognition software. This sparked an investigation by a student journalist, who discovered the machines were equipped with technology designed to detect faces.
While the companies involved claim the technology did not store personal information, the incident highlights growing concerns about privacy and potential misuse of facial recognition, particularly in sensitive spaces like universities.
TL;DR
- Canadian university removes vending machines with facial recognition tech.
- Companies involved claim the tech was privacy-preserving, but concerns remain.
- Incident highlights broader anxieties surrounding facial recognition technology.
TECH HEADLINES FROM ACROSS THE WEB
👓 Grammarly Gaffe
A college student was put on probation for using Grammarly, an AI-powered writing assistant. Anti-plagiarism software flagged her paper as AI-generated, though she maintains she only used Grammarly for proofreading.
✈️ Airplane Mode Myth Busted
Turns out, airplane mode might be more about keeping the peace with your fellow passengers than keeping the plane safe.
🤖 Slackbot Shenanigans
A former Gizmodo writer changed his name to Slackbot to avoid detection after he left the company. He was able to keep his account for months by using a special character that resembled the letter “o” to impersonate the real Slackbot.
TECH FOR GOOD
Traditional wind turbine inspections are risky and expensive, hindering the clean energy potential. This week’s “Tech for Good” highlights an AI-powered method developed by EPFL and the University of Glasgow that uses radar technology to detect blade defects, offering a faster, safer, and more affordable solution to ensure efficient and reliable wind turbine operations, ultimately contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
