Today in Tech IDG

Big Tech companies trying to roll out new AI tools face some blowback in recent weeks, whether it was OpenAI using a Scarlett Johannson-like voice (without her permission or licensing) to tout new voice AI features; or Microsoft hyping a new feature that takes screen shots of your computer every few seconds; or Google proudly announcing that AI overviews and paid sponsors will bury search results even further. Chris Shaw from NTT Research joins the show as guest co-host with the crew to discuss these and other top technology stories from the week.

Four years after most workers began using video calls for meetings, workers are discovering that we are still not good with the technology. In addition, a new survey suggests that video calls cause anxiety and fatigue. Keith chats with Sylvia Johnson, head of methodology at Preply, about the survey and how we can ease the anxiety around video calls.

OpenAI launches a new AI model that lets users have voice conversations with ChatGPT, creating the world of ‘Her’. With rumors of Apple creating a “better Siri” at some point, are we getting to a world with better AI voice assistants? Guest co-host Chris Shaw joins the crew to discuss these topics and also news around autonomous vehicles making a comeback, why solar storms disrupted tractors in the Midwest, and whether people just don’t want to work anymore.

The onslaught of new artificial intelligence tools is causing burnout for many engineers, while another research paper suggests that AI will produce generic, bland content if humans don’t challenge the AI systems to be better. Also, Apple faces backlash for its ‘Crush’ ad promoting its new iPad, and TikTok heads to the courts to try and prevent its sale in the U.S. Chris Shaw from NTT Research joins the crew as guest co-host as they discuss these stories and other technology topics.

As businesses look to deploy artificial intelligence, many are concerned about making sure the systems are 100% accurate in their responses, and that ‘AI hallucinations’, where the system seems to make up answers, are eliminated. However, there are cases where AI hallucinations can be good for a business. Keith chats with Ryan Welsh, Field CTO for Generative AI at Qlik, about how companies can determine the right level of accuracy for their AI needs, and whether hallucinations are OK in certain situations.

Elon Musk gets rid of most of his Supercharger team, confusing and stunning others in the automotive industry, which leads us to ask whether Musk is playing chess while the rest of us play checkers. Chris Shaw, CMO of NTT Research, joins the show as guest co-host to discuss this with Keith and Chris. Also covered – UnitedHealth CEO admits a security failure that caused a huge ransomware attack, Google continues to act ‘evil’ with its latest layoffs, the Rabbit R1 gadget could have just been an Android app, and a Catholic group deploys an ‘AI priest’ chatbot with easily predictable disastrous effects.