Computer
Microsoft Brings Bing Chatbot To Phones For 1st Time After Curbing Quirks
Microsoft is ready to launch its new Bing chatbot into the mainstream less than a week after making major changes to keep the artificially intelligent search engine from crashing.
The company announced on Wednesday that the new AI technology would be available in its Bing smartphone app and the Edge internet browser app.
Microsoft hopes that giving smartphone users access to its new AI-powered search engine will give it an edge over Google, which is the leader in internet search but hasn’t made a chatbot public yet.
Reports of Bing’s strange behavior prompted Microsoft to look for a way to limit Bing’s propensity to respond to certain questions with strong emotional language. It accomplishes this primarily by limiting the length and duration of conversations with the chatbot, forcing users to restart the conversation after several turns. However, the improved Bing now politely declines questions that it would have answered just a week ago.
In the two weeks since Microsoft unveiled its revamped Bing, over a million users worldwide have tried out a public preview of the new product after signing up for a waitlist. According to Microsoft, most users responded positively, but others complained that Bing was insulting them, professing its love, or using another disturbing or bizarre language.
Microsoft Brings Chatbot To Phones
The new Bing uses some of the same technology as Microsoft partner OpenAI’s popular writing tool ChatGPT. It is part of a new class of AI systems that have learned human language and grammar by reading a huge amount of books and online writings. They can write songs, emails, and recipes on the spot, and they can sum up ideas in a few words using information they found on the internet. They are, however, prone to errors and unwieldy.
Reports of Bing’s strange behavior prompted Microsoft to look for a way to limit Bing’s propensity to respond to certain questions with strong emotional language. It accomplishes this primarily by limiting the length and duration of conversations with the chatbot, forcing users to restart the conversation after several turns. However, the improved Bing now politely declines questions that it would have answered just a week ago.
“I’m sorry, but I prefer not to continue this conversation,” it says when asked about how it works or the rules that govern it. “I’m still learning, so I appreciate your patience and understanding.”
Microsoft stated that its new technology would be integrated into its Skype messaging service as well.
SOURCE – (AP)
Computer
Actor Ian McKellen, 85, Is In ‘Good Spirits’ And Expected To Recover From Fall Off Stage In London
LONDON — Actor Ian McKellen is expected to recover fully after falling from a London stage during a fight scene and being hospitalized, according to producers.
According to a representative for the Noel Coward Theatre production, McKellen, 85, was in “good spirits” after medics indicated a scan showed he was likely to recover completely following his fall on Monday night.
Actor Ian McKellen, 85, Is In ‘Good Spirits’ And Expected To Recover From Fall Off Stage In London
According to producers, McKellen’s Tuesday performance was canceled, but he was anticipated to return to the stage on Wednesday.
The stage and screen veteran, who played Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” movie, yelled out in pain following the fall, according to a BBC correspondent at the theatre.
McKellen was cast as the rogue John Falstaff in “Player Kings,” a Robert Icke-directed dramatization of William Shakespeare’s two “Henry IV” history plays.
Actor Ian McKellen, 85, Is In ‘Good Spirits’ And Expected To Recover From Fall Off Stage In London
McKellen lost his balance and fell off the stage in a scene with Toheeb Jimoh’s Prince Hal and Samuel Edward-Cook’s Henry Percy, which surprised the audience.
“Sir Ian seemed to trip as he moved downstage to take a more active part in the scene,” audience member Paul Critchley told the PA news agency, describing it as a surprise. “He picked up momentum as he moved downstage which resulted in him falling off the stage directly in front of the audience.”
Staff and two medics in the audience assisted the actor, according to a statement from the theatre.
The theatre was evacuated, and the play was canceled.
Actor Ian McKellen, 85, Is In ‘Good Spirits’ And Expected To Recover From Fall Off Stage In London
McKellen, who played Magneto in the “X-Men” films, is a well-known Shakespearean actor in Britain, having performed in Richard III, Macbeth, and King Lear.
He has received a Tony Award (for “Amadeus”), six Olivier Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards, five Emmys, and several BAFTA awards.
SOURCE – (AP)
Computer
Aegis Space Law Helps Startups With Free Online Space Regulatory Calculator
Aegis Space Law is providing a free online Space Regulatory Calculator to help US businesses negotiate the complex regulatory landscape.
The Space Regulatory Calculator, which was unveiled on June 4, is intended to assist early-stage space companies in complying with space-related regulations issued by the Commerce Department, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Communications Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the State Department.
“Aegis works with a lot of space startups,” Bailey Reichelt, Aegis Space Law’s partner and co-founder, told SpaceNews via email. “The common denominator is that they don’t consider regulations as something to plan for until they have the engineering and financing in place. Unfortunately, regulatory timelines can be significantly longer than other timelines.”
Reichelt, who developed the Space Regulatory Calculator with Aegis colleague Will Lewis, advises founders to consider regulatory permission as soon as they start designing space technology and seeking funds “to maximize the chances of that business succeeding.”
Costly mistakes
Failure to address regulations early in the planning process might result in costly and time-consuming mistakes. For example, a satellite company may choose a foreign antenna array based on its cost and ground-station compatibility, unaware that the operating frequency would entail “a lengthy and expensive regulatory burden,” Reichelt said.
Furthermore, federal acquisition regulations governing current contracts may prohibit the use of foreign-sourced components.
“This kind of setback happens all the time when you have no idea what regulations apply to you,” Reichelt stated.
Legal Advice
Traditionally, space corporations used attorneys to identify which restrictions related to their operations. Many new space enterprises cannot afford “the sophisticated legal advice required to navigate this many agencies,” Reichelt stated.
“This leaves companies vulnerable to missteps that can cost time and money.” Mistakes in regulatory compliance can potentially jeopardize the firm’s or mission’s viability, she said.
It is “entirely unreasonable for a company with no cash flow to spend tens of thousands of dollars on lawyers before they even have paid employees,” Reichelt stated.
“If we want the space industry to prosper, and the United States’ technological sector to continue leading innovation globally, we must lower legal and regulatory hurdles across the board.
The Space Law Calculator is intended to assist entrepreneurs in determining what kind of licenses and permissions they will require, how long the approval process will typically take, and what costs they will incur to assure regulatory compliance.
“A small business looking to launch its first satellite, for example, would see, among other things, that it may need to plan at least two years in advance to ensure required licenses are obtained prior to launch,” according to the announcement.
Aegis attorneys want to update the Space Regulatory Calculator when regulations change.
Attorneys from Aegis Space Law in Washington contributed to the formation of the nonprofit Association of Commercial Space Professionals. Additionally, Aegis attorneys teach at the Association’s Space Regulatory Bootcamp.
By Debra Werner
Debra Werner is a correspondent for SpaceNews based in San Francisco. Debra earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. She… More by Debra Werner
Computer
Jennifer Lopez Cancels Summer Tour: ‘I Am Completely Heartsick And Devastated’
NEW YORK — The Associated Press was informed by Live Nation executives that Jennifer Lopez has canceled her 2024 North American tour.
They said, “Jennifer is taking time off to be with her children, family, and close friends.”
Jennifer Lopez Cancels Summer Tour: ‘I Am Completely Heartsick And Devastated’
In support of her first solo album in ten years, “This Is Me… Now,” and its accompanying film, she was scheduled to embark on her first tour in five years.
The tour was supposed to begin in Orlando, Florida on June 26 and end in Houston on August 31.
Jennifer Lopez Cancels Summer Tour: ‘I Am Completely Heartsick And Devastated’
Those who bought tickets through Ticketmaster will receive an immediate refund, according to a statement from Live Nation.
On her OntheJLo website and newsletter, Lopez addressed the fans with the following statement: “I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down.” Please understand that if I didn’t think this was absolutely necessary, I wouldn’t have done it.
Jennifer Lopez Cancels Summer Tour: ‘I Am Completely Heartsick And Devastated’
Her successful album “This Is Me… Then” was released twenty years ago, and this year, she released “This Is Me… Now.” According to Lopez, the new record is a “miracle” and “a second chance,” as she told the AP. And I wish I could freeze this instant in time the same way that album did.
SOURCE – (AP)
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