Shakeup at OpenAI as more key execs leave the company, Meta unveils its new Llama 3.2 release with voice and vision capabilities, FAA testimony reveals a huge legacy with ancient systems that are well past their live span, and an ex-Amazon employee reveals tricks for beating the return to office.
Welcome to Hashtag Trending – today’s top tech news. I’m your host Jim Love, let’s get into it.
OpenAI Shakeup: CTO Mira Murati and Key Executives Depart
CTO Mira Murati announced her departure from OpenAI on Wednesday after 6½ years with the company. CEO Sam Altman also revealed that Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew and VP of Research Barret Zoph are leaving, marking a major shift in OpenAI’s executive team.
Murati, who briefly served as interim CEO during Sam Altman’s temporary ousting last year, stated she’s leaving “to create the time and space to do my own exploration.” Altman emphasized that these departures were independent decisions made amicably. In response, OpenAI has appointed Mark Chen as Senior VP of Research and Jakub Pachocki as Chief Scientist.
This executive exodus follows previous high-profile departures, including co-founder Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike, who led the company’s long-term safety efforts. The shakeup raises questions about OpenAI’s future direction and stability, particularly for businesses relying on or considering adopting their AI technologies.
It’s not known yet whether these executive departures are related to OpenAI recently indicating that it was in the process of potentially becoming a “for profit” company.
While OpenAI is regarded as the leader in AI development, the exodus of key staff underscore the importance of diversifying AI partnerships and closely monitoring the stability of key AI providers. It’s crucial to have contingency plans in place and to stay informed about potential shifts in AI company strategies and leadership.
Sources include: X (Twitter) posts by Mira Murati and Sam Altman, Axios reporting.
Meta Takes a Giant Leap in AI with Llama 3.2 Release
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has just unveiled a major upgrade to its artificial intelligence capabilities.
The star of the show is Llama 3.2, Meta’s latest open-source AI model. This new version is a game-changer, as it can now understand both text and images. This means developers can create more versatile AI applications, including those that interact with your phone’s camera or screen.
But that’s not all. Meta’s AI assistants are getting a voice makeover. Soon, you might hear the likes of Dame Judi Dench or John Cena responding to your queries. These AI helpers are also gaining the ability to see and interpret images, opening up a world of new possibilities.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg demonstrated some exciting features at the company’s recent Connect event. Imagine smart glasses that can suggest recipes based on ingredients they see, or provide commentary on clothes as you shop.
The company is also experimenting with live translation between languages and automatic video dubbing. They’re even working on AI avatars that can answer fan questions on behalf of creators.
These new features will be rolled out gradually, starting in select markets. With over 180 million people already using Meta AI weekly, these upgrades could significantly change how we interact with AI in our daily lives.
By offering Llama 3.2 for free, Meta is also making a bold move in the AI development space. This could give developers and startups new tools to innovate and compete in the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence.
As always, we’ll be watching closely to see how these advancements shape the future of AI and our digital experiences.
Source: WIRED article, September 2024
FAA’s Air Traffic Control Systems Dangerously Outdated, Modernization Delayed Until 2030
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is facing severe challenges with its outdated air traffic control (ATC) systems, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Over a third of the FAA’s 138 ATC systems are deemed unsustainable, with critical modernization efforts not expected to be completed until 2030 at the earliest.
Key findings from the GAO report include
1, 51 ATC systems are unsustainable due to lack of parts, funding shortfalls, or absence of technology refresh funding.
- 54 additional systems are potentially unsustainable for similar reasons.
- 17 critical systems with high operational impact won’t be modernized until 2030-2035, with four having no modernization plans at all.
- Some systems in use are over 40 years old.
The GAO cites poor project management, lack of oversight, and inefficient approval processes as key factors contributing to the delays. The FAA has agreed with most of the GAO’s recommendations and is seeking $8 billion for modernization efforts.
FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker told the US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that “The FAA facilities have been somewhat famously underinvested in over the years. We have 21 Centers that control high altitude aircraft, those were designed to be a maximum life at 50 years. They’re now on average between 60 and 70 years old.
“All these facilities need to be replaced and upgraded. It is a fairly heavy lift financially. We have requested $8 billion in next year’s budget to begin working on some of that replacement.
“There’s a huge backlog of sustainment and modernization and right now 90 percent of our budget for facilities goes on sustainment rather than new systems, so we have a lot of work to bring the system up to speed.
https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/24/us_air_traffic_control_system_upgrade/?td=rt-3a
Sources include: The Register article by Brandon Vigliarolo, GAO report, FAA statement.
Headline: Ex-Amazon Employee Reveals Remote Work Evasion Tactics Amid Return-to-Office Mandate
John McBride, a former Amazon Web Services (AWS) engineer, has exposed creative methods some employees are using to circumvent Amazon’s strict return-to-office policy. This revelation comes in the wake of Amazon’s recent announcement ending remote work, requiring employees to be in the office five days a week.
McBride, who left AWS in June 2023, shared three “wild” tactics in a viral social media post that has garnered over a million views. These methods include briefly badging into the office during lunch breaks, renaming home Wi-Fi networks to mimic office networks, and arranging for colleagues to badge in and out on behalf of absent employees.
Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy has emphasized the benefits of in-office work, but the company’s mandate has faced criticism from employees reluctant to return. McBride’s post highlights the ongoing tension between corporate policies and employee preferences for flexible work arrangements in the post-pandemic era.
For IT professionals and business leaders, this situation underscores the challenges of implementing return-to-office policies. It suggests a need for companies to reassess their approach to remote work, considering employee satisfaction and productivity alongside traditional office-based models. Organizations may need to develop more sophisticated methods to ensure compliance with attendance policies while also addressing the desire for flexibility among their workforce.
Sources include: Article by Divyanshi Sharma, social media post by John McBride.
And I thought I was clever in the old days when I’d leave my jacket on my chair and some work on my desk.
That’s our show for today. I’m you host, Jim Love. Thanks for listening and have a fantastic Friday.
