Welcome to today's edition of the NextBigWhat Daily News!
Check today's top 10 news stories.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Now Able to Browse Internet for Real-time Information
- ChatGPT, trained on data up to September 2021, can now answer modern queries due to a fresh ‘Browse with Bing’ feature.
- The browsing feature notifies users when looking up information and provides citation links.
- The feature, previously exploited to bypass paywalls, is initially available to Plus and Enterprise users.
Chrome 117 desktop version eliminates ‘All Bookmarks’ prompt
- The unwanted ‘All Bookmarks’ reminder introduced in Chrome 117’s desktop browser has been removed.
- The list of bookmarks is now located in the persistent side panel, along with Search, History, and Reading List.
- The latest Chrome update, version 117.0.5938.132, includes 10 security fixes and the removal of the ‘All Bookmarks’ prompt.
X (formerly Twitter) removes feature to directly report political misinformation
- X, led by Elon Musk, removed the option for users to directly report misleading political information.
- Users in US, Australia, Brazil, and Spain are primarily affected; the feature reportedly remains for EU due to legal requirements.
- The removal has sparked concerns ahead of a major vote in Australia and amidst rising disinformation on the platform.
ISRO Plans Public-Private Partnerships to Enhance India’s Space Economy
- ISRO Chief S. Somanath seeks to increase India’s space economy via public-private partnerships, aiming for a shift from the current $7bn to approximately $50bn.
- Somanath expressed the need for private sector R&D and plans to provide companies with licenses to create their own satellites.
- With the FDI policy for the space industry in advanced stages, alongside India’s 2023 Space Policy and IN-SPACe, a new business model for the sector is being developed.
Threads to Allow Individual Account Deletion Separate from Instagram
- Meta’s chief privacy officer, Michael Protti, announces new feature allowing Threads account deletion without removing Instagram account.
- Initial difficulty in separating the linked platforms resulted in development of alternative tools, confirmed by Instagram head Adam Mosseri.
- Web developer Alessandro Paluzzi found early versions of the update, which temporarily block a new Threads account with the same Instagram details for 120 days after deletion.
Meta introduces AI Studio for creation of personalized AI chatbots
- AI Studio enables businesses to create AI chatbots for Meta’s messaging services, which reflect their brand and enhance customer service.
- Meta will also launch a sandbox tool for AI experimentation, with plans to incorporate these into Meta’s metaverse platforms.
- The performance of the chatbots, despite utilising advanced language models like Llama 2, is under scrutiny due to current limitations and biases in chatbot technology.
Meta Introduces AI-Powered Image Editing and Sticker-Creation on Instagram
- Meta previews ‘restyle’, a generative AI tool that enables users to remix photos into different looks, and ‘backdrop’, allowing users to generate new backgrounds for images.
- Posts using these tools will be labeled to indicate AI use, preventing misinterpretation of content as human-generated.
- AI-generated stickers, rolled out across Meta-owned platforms, offer customization options for users’ chats and stories.
Online gaming firms anticipate GST Council meeting and evaluate legal options concerning GST demand
- Online gaming companies awaiting the GST Council’s meet on Oct 7 for clarity regarding taxing norms.
- Companies are preparing for legal actions such as filing writ petitions following GST notices; Dream11 has recieved a tax notice of Rs 25,000 cr.
- With potential additional GST demand notices looming, the industry expects the government to clarify previous tax issues and ease the financial plight.
Byju’s Restricts Employee Media Engagement Amid Restructuring
- Byju’s introduces new social media policy preventing employee media engagement, coinciding with major restructuring and potential employee layoffs.
- The Indian edtech company plans to monitor employee interactions and social media posts regarding the company.
- These changes come amidst criticism for lay-offs, delayed appraisals and withheld payments, and efforts to address financial challenges and a liquidity crisis.
LinkedIn ranking: Zepto tops the list of India’s top 20 startups
- LinkedIn’s report emphasizes the thriving innovation in fintech, deep tech, AI, and sustainability sectors within India’s startup ecosystem.
- Zepto, a quick commerce company, topped the list becoming 2023’s first unicorn, followed by BluSmart, India’s first electric ride-sharing company.
- The report excluded companies that laid off more than 20% of their workforce, staffing firms, venture capital firms, nonprofits, and government-owned entities.
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