Web browser Mozilla is investing $30 million into launching a startup, called Mozilla.ai, focused on building a "trustworthy, independent, and open-source AI ecosystem."
The company wrote in a blog post about the investment: "This new wave of AI has generated excitement, but also significant apprehension. We aren’t just wondering What’s possible? and How can people benefit? We’re also wondering What could go wrong? and How can we address it? Two decades of social media, smartphones and their consequences have made us leery."
Mozilla said it still sees the potential of AI to enrich peoples' lives, but it doesn't see those positive effects coming from "big tech and cloud companies with the most power and influence."
The company pitched Mozilla.ai as a "counterweight to the status quo" that will make "generative AI safer and more transparent." Moez Draief, who researched AI at Imperial College and LSE, will lead the initiative.
From the TikTok boom to social commerce shopping to livestreaming events, social media trends took on all different shapes and sizes this year. Stephanie Humphrey, technology and lifestyle expert, joined Cheddar to discuss the biggest fads of the year, as well as what to expect for next year.
If 2021 is any indication, 2022 will be a big year for social media. TikTok reached 1 billion users this year and is expected to grow even bigger. We got our first look at the Metaverse, NFTs soared in popularity, and the crypto craze starting hitting its stride - just to name a few fads. Mark Douglas, CEO and Founder of MNTN, joined Cheddar to discuss if these trends could continue, or if we'll see some surprises in the year ahead.
2021 was a big year for big tech, but it was also a wake-up call for the government. Lawmakers are still struggling to figure out how to regulate big tech companies as they grow bigger and get even more powerful. Evan Greer, director of the digital rights organization Fight for the Future, joined Cheddar to discuss key takeaways from the year, as well as what we can expect for big tech and regulation in 2022.
Bumble users are remaining active on the dating app and still linking up with potential matches despite the emergence of the omicron variant of COVID-19. CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd noted that no matter what is happening in the world, people will always need to connect.
There seems to be no stopping the crypto craze, and this week has been no exception. Dogecoin surged after ‘Time Person of the Year' Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla will accept some payments in the digital token. Everett Millman, Crypto & Metals Analyst at Gainsville Coins, gives Cheddar insight into just how much influence Musk has over the crypto world.
As the world of crypto evolves, the need from investors for some type of stability within crypto is also growing. Enter stablecoins. Stablecoins serve as a crypto-equivalent which hold their value, and allow investors to quickly move their profits across currencies. Patrick McConlogue, CEO of Overline and former Citadel Investment Group engineer, explains what to expect ahead of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee’s stablecoin hearing, as regulatory tensions between the crypto market and the government continue to hover in limbo.
Carlo and Baker cover the latest data showing the Omicron wave has likely started, Pfizer's Covid pill, Jan. 6 and a box office rescue attempt courtesy of Spider-Man.
