Ericsson ConsumerLab just released its annual "10 Hot Consumer Trends for 2018" report, providing insight on the biggest consumer tech trends for the coming year. The report hits on underlying shifts behind automation and the creation of a leisure society, social media echo chambers, augmented hearing, and other trends. Michael Bjorn, Head of Research at Ericsson and author of the report, sat down with us to discuss the biggest trends to watch out for.
Bjorn fills us in on what he believes is the most surprising trend. He says we used to have to know how to use the devices, but now the devices know how to use us. As an example, Bjorn highlights face recognition technology and says it could help use your mood or expressions to know how to react.
Emerging tech is scary and alluring at the same time, says Bjorn. One of the scary parts uncovered from his research is that half of the people said they'd be spooked if they couldn’t tell whether communication was coming from a bot or a human. Concerns that privacy is at risk have been rising, but he predicts we’ll see more of a demand for services that protect us as well.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
A group of book authors has reached a settlement with AI company Anthropic after suing for copyright infringement. A federal appeals court filing Tuesday said both sides have negotiated a proposed class settlement, with terms to be finalized next week. Anthropic declined to comment. A lawyer for the authors called it a "historic settlement." In June, a federal judge ruled that Anthropic didn't break the law by training its chatbot on copyrighted books. However, the company was still facing trial over acquiring those books from online "shadow libraries" of pirated copies.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
Elon Musk’s X has reached a tentative settlement with former employees of the company then known as Twitter who’d sued for $500 million in severance pay.
Small-scale solar panels about the size of a door are poised to be plugged into more U.S. homes and apartments as homeowners and renters who want to harness the sun’s energy look for cheaper alternatives to rooftop installations.
Rebecca Bellan, Senior Reporter at TechCrunch, dives into ChatGPT’s GPT‑5 release—what’s new, what’s controversial, and why this model could change the game.
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan says he’s “always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards” after coming under pressure following President Donald Trump’s call for him to resign.
