Facepalm: Generative AI services are gaining immense popularity among both internet users and cybercriminals. According to the FBI, "synthetic" content is increasingly being exploited to carry out various types of fraud. However, with the right precautions, individuals can still effectively protect themselves online. The FBI has issued an alert about the criminal misuse of generative AI technology. In a recently published public service announcement, the bureau warns Americans that fraudsters are exploiting AI-generated content to make their illegal schemes more convincing and effective.According to the FBI, generative AI allows criminals to reduce the time and effort needed to deceive their targets. These AI tools take user inputs to "synthesize" entirely new content based on prompts. They can even help correct human errors that might otherwise raise suspicion, particularly in AI-generated text.Creating content with AI isn't inherently illegal, but it becomes a crime when that content is used in fraud or extortion attempts. The FBI's alert outlines several examples of how generative AI can be misused and offers practical advice to help users protect themselves online.AI-generated text can appear highly convincing in social engineering or spear-phishing campaigns. Fraudsters are leveraging generative AI to produce large amounts of fake content, create fake social media profiles, send messages, and translate languages with greater accuracy and fewer grammatical errors. Entire fraudulent websites can now be built in record time, and chatbots are being used to trick victims into clicking malicious links.AI-generated images are, unsurprisingly, at the forefront of current trends, and cybercriminals are taking full advantage of them. Fraudsters are using AI-generated visuals to enhance fake social media profiles and counterfeit ID documents that support fraudulent activities. According to the FBI, AI algorithms can produce "realistic" images that are being exploited in social engineering campaigns, spear phishing attempts, scams, and even "romance schemes."AI-generated audio and video content poses similar risks. Criminals can now impersonate public figures or even people personally known to their targets, requesting financial assistance or access to sensitive information like bank accounts. // Related StoriesThe FBI advises users to establish a "secret word" or phrase with trusted family and friends as a quick way to verify identities. Additional tips to guard against generative AI-enabled crimes include carefully inspecting images and videos for irregularities or inconsistencies, as well as minimizing the online availability of personal images or voice recordings.When dealing with financial requests, the FBI stresses the importance of verifying their legitimacy through direct phone calls rather than relying on text or email. Sensitive information should never be shared with individuals met exclusively online. While it may seem obvious, the FBI also reiterates that sending money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to strangers online is highly risky and often leads to fraud.

TL;DR: Apple has some significant upgrades in store for the displays adorning the MacBook Pros. Not only is the company switching from mini-LED to OLED, but it's also finally planning to ditch the notch for something less conspicuous. A new product timeline by research firm Omdia suggests that Apple intends to do away with the controversial notch cutout that has graced the MacBook Pro screens since 2021. Instead, it will implement a streamlined "hole punch" design to accommodate the webcam.Although controversial, the notch was functional, allowing Apple to extend the display area closer to the chassis edges while providing a dedicated space for the webcam. Besides a cleaner, more uniform display, removing the notch should marginally increase the usable menu bar space across the top of the screen. It might also allow Apple to port the iPhone's Dynamic Island to MacBooks.Click to enlargeThe roadmap reveals that this change will apply to both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models and go live in 2026 or 2027. It also shows that Macs will finally make the switch over to OLED. Interestingly, Apple aims to utilize a hybrid OLED variant akin to the technology it debuted on its latest iPad Pro.Regardless of its implementation, OLED would deliver tangible benefits compared to mini-LED. Owners can expect higher brightness, better contrast with inky blacks, improved power efficiency for longer battery life, and more. The switch may also enable a slimmer chassis design for added portability.Apple's OLED ambitions extend beyond the MacBook Pro, too. The forecast shows the compact iPad mini upgrading to OLED panels by late 2026, followed by the mid-range iPad Air roughly a year later. Meanwhile, the mainstream MacBook Air will complete the OLED migration in 2028, though the word is that it will retain the notch. // Related StoriesRounding out the roadmap, Apple is working towards some form of foldable OLED device slated for 2028 or later. Details are scant other than that its overall screen size is listed as a whopping 18.8 inches.Image credit: Jukanlosreve

Spoilers for Secret Levels Pac-Man episode follow.Pac-Man: Circle is the one episode of Secret Level thats truly unforgettable.Recommended VideosWhile most of Amazons new gaming anthology TV series plays it very safe, Pac-Man: Circle takes a radical new direction. The episode sees an alien-looking man called the Swordsman freed by an ominous spherical orb called Puck. While Puck is obviously supposed to be Pac-Man, Emily Swallows excellent portrayal of this character sounds more like Hal 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey than any voiced version of the character weve seen before. Puck constantly reminds the Swordsman that theyre trapped in a maze they need to break free of and that its eat or be eaten if you want to survive.You are the chosen. Enter p4cm4n @ entersecretlevel.com #SecretLevelPac-Man: Circle is a bloody, violent, and subversive interpretation of a game typically touted for its universal appeal. As I watched it, it was hard to believe Bandai Namco would encourage such an episode to be associated with Pac-Man, but executive producer Dave Wilson tells Digital Trends that Bandai Namco Entertainment outright encouraged it.They really just threw down the gauntlet, Wilson says. Through the translator, the mission statement from Bandai was: We would like audiences to wonder what the f**k they did with Pac-Man.According to Wilson, Secret Levels writers room distilled the elements of Pac-Man down to single lines that appear in the episode, such as eat or be eaten and you can eat them, but never their eyes. Those serve as the basis for the tragic, mature story this episode of Secret Level tells through the basic framework of Pac-Man. On the visual front, the episodes look was inspired by artists like Moebius and Pascal Blanchet, leaning into vivid colors while not being afraid to have some grit.Wilson and executive producer Tim Miller admitted to Digital Trends that many other elements of Pac-Man: Circle were established early on and stayed relatively similar throughout development. Swallow, whose voice you may recognize as The Armorer from The Mandalorian, and Aleks Le, who portrayed Luke in Street Fighter 6, came in as the voices of Puck and the Swordsman early on in the story reel process and werent ever replaced by other actors. Wilson said hed love to release the story reel at some point so people can see how close it is.AmazonPac-Man: Circle is much longer than other episodes of its ilk in Secret Level because the developers stuck so closely to the original vision. Wilson explained that the episode was originally supposed to only be 5 minutes long, but Illusorium Studios story reel for the episode came in at 9 minutes. Wilson and Miller thought it would be sacrilege to cut it half, so they gave Illusorium a choice of whether to keep it at the longer length or cut it in half. Illusorium chose to put in the extra work to realize the full vision for Pac-Man: Circle.In its boldness, Pac-Man: Circle is Secret Level at its best. The series low points are the slower, more dialogue-filled episodes that can feel like a marketing ploy for games like New World: Aeternumor PlayStation as a brand. Episodes that lean into action (like the Gladiator-riffing Unreal Tournament episode) or take large creative risks like Pac-Man: Circle are the most enjoyable to watch.If I only get one shot, I want to be able to do whatever the f**k I want.This anthologys oddball collection of adaptations has an eclectic feeling, but to its creators, that variety is part of Secret Levels beauty. Miller is appreciative that so many companies, from Bandai Namco to the console publishers, were willing to work together and be included alongside each other in Secret Level.You could think that they might want to go off into their separate marketing corner and jealously guard their IP, but they dont, Miller tells Digital Trends. They all came together in a really joyous, eager way. I think they like the fact that its this sort of jam session between the whole game industry, from indies to classics to games that havent come out yet to blockbuster AAA stuff thats on the market now.Prime VideoIt also may have helped that Miller didnt have a preexisting notion of wanting to connect all of the episodes together narratively or thematically. Especially with an anthology based on games, I didnt want to limit it to just one genre or one type of game If I only get one shot, I want to be able to do whatever the f**k I want or that I think might make a cool story.While that approach resulted in some duds, it also gave us a few unforgettable episodes like Pac-Man: Circle. Regardless of the uneven quality of the overall show, theres solace to be taken from the fact that some episodes were able to take brave leaps of faith and reinterpret the classic franchises they were based on. This makes an episode like Pac-Man: Circle that does just that well worth watching.Pac-Man: Circle and several other Secret Level episodes are now available on Prime Video. Another batch of Secret Level animated shorts will drop on December 17.Editors RecommendationsConcord returns from the dead in Amazons Secret Level trailer

CruiseAutonomous-driving operations at Cruise look certain to end after its main backer, General Motors (GM), said it will stop funding the initiative.GM, which has owned about 90% of Cruise since 2016, announced the decision in a statement shared on Tuesday. It follows a challenging period for Cruise after one of its autonomous cars ran over a woman after she was knocked into its path by a human-driven car in San Francisco in October 2023. The incident led to California regulators suspending Cruises license to test its driverless cars on the states streets, a decision that prompted Cruise to pause operations in other locations where it operated. It restarted low-level testing in Arizona in May 2024.Recommended VideosGM, which has invested billions of dollars in Cruise, said on Tuesday that it will no longer fund Cruises robotaxi development work given the considerable time and resources that would be needed to scale the business, along with an increasingly competitive robotaxi market, adding that it plans to combine Cruise and GM technical teams into a single unit that will focus on advancing autonomous and assisted driving. GM is committed to delivering the best driving experiences to our customers in a disciplined and capital efficient manner, Mary Barra, CEO of GM, said in the statement. Cruise has been an early innovator in autonomy, and the deeper integration of our teams, paired with GMs strong brands, scale, and manufacturing strength, will help advance our vision for the future of transportation.RelatedDave Richardson, senior vice president of software and services engineering at GM, said the automaker is fully committed to autonomous driving and excited to bring GM customers its benefits things like enhanced safety, improved traffic flow, increased accessibility, and reduced driver stress.Cruise has yet to comment publicly on GMs decision to end funding and how it will impact its autonomous testing in the immediate future. The company has driverless cars on roads in Texas and Arizona, but GMs announcement could see Cruise pause operations with immediate effect. Digital Trends has reached out to Cruise for comment and we will update this article when we hear back.GMs decision highlights the difficulties in making the fledgling robotaxi industry that currently comprises mostly pilot services. In a similar move, another major automaker, Ford, pulled funding for autonomous-car specialist Argo in 2022. Alphabet-backed Waymo, which tests its robotaxis in multiple cities and recently announced it will be launching in Miami, is the current leader in the field.Editors Recommendations

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Moxie Startup will brick $800 emotional support robot for kids without refunds Embodied says it will try to refund recent purchases but makes no promises. Scharon Harding Dec 10, 2024 4:55 pm | 25 Parents are determining how to tell their kids that their robot friend will stop playing with them. Credit: Embodied Parents are determining how to tell their kids that their robot friend will stop playing with them. Credit: Embodied Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreStartup Embodied is closing down, and its product, an $800 robot for kids ages 5 to 10, will soon be bricked.Embodied blamed its closure on a failed critical funding round." On its website, it explained:We had secured a lead investor who was prepared to close the round. However, at the last minute, they withdrew, leaving us with no viable options to continue operations. Despite our best efforts to secure alternative funding, we were unable to find a replacement in time to sustain operations.The company didnt provide further details about the pulled funding. Embodieds previous backers have included Intel Capital, Toyota AI Ventures, Amazon Alexa Fund, Sony Innovation Fund, and Vulcan Capital, but we don't know who the lead investor mentioned above is.When it first announced Moxie in April 2020, Embodied described the robot as a safe and engaging animate companion for children designed to help promote social, emotional, and cognitive development. It advertised play built around best practices in child development and early childhood education; changing weekly themes, like empathy, friendship, and respect; and activities like meditation, reading, and drawing with the bot.But soon, none of those features will be available, making the pricey childrens toy virtually useless. According to Embodied, Moxie cant perform core functionality with cloud connectivity. Worse, owners apparently have an uncertain and limited amount of time until the devices are bricked. Per Embodied:We dont know the exact date when services will cease. It is likely to happen within days. However, we are exploring options to keep Moxie operational for as long as possible, although we cannot provide any guarantees.Since Embodied marketed Moxie as a companion and development toy for children, theres concern about kids potentially suffering an emotional toll after the robot abruptly becomes inoperable. Embodied has responded by promising to provide a guide for telling children about Moxie's demise. Online, however, customers are already sharing videos of their sad kids learning that their robot friend will stop playing with them, as Axios pointed out.In addition to the robot being bricked, Embodied noted that warranties, repair services, the corresponding parent app and guides, and support staff will no longer be accessible.Unable to offer refundsEmbodied said it is unable to offer most Moxie owners refunds due to its financial situation and impending dissolution. The potential exception is for people who bought a Moxie within 30 days. For those customers, Embodied said that if the company or its assets are sold, we will do our best to prioritize refunds for purchases," but it emphasized that this is not a guarantee.Embodied also acknowledged complications for those who acquired the expensive robot through a third-party lender. Embodied advised such customers to contact their lender, but its possible that some will end up paying interest on a toy that no longer works.Embodied said its looking for another company to buy Moxie. Should that happen, the new company will receive Embodied customer data and determine how it may use it, according to Embodieds Terms of Service. Otherwise, Embodied said it securely erases user data in accordance with our privacy policy and applicable law, which includes deleting personally identifiable information from Embodied systems.Another smart gadget bites the dustCurrently, theres some hope that Moxies can be resurrected. Things look grim for Moxie owners, but weve seen failed smart device companies, like Insteon, be resurrected before. It's also possible that someone will release of an open-source version of the product, like the one made for Spotify Car Thing, which Spotify officially bricked today.But the short-lived, expensive nature of Moxie is exactly why some groups, like right-to-repair activists, are pushing the FTC to more strongly regulate smart devices, particularly when it comes to disclosure and commitments around software support. With smart gadget makers trying to determine how to navigate challenging economic landscapes, the owners of various types of smart devicesfrom AeroGarden indoor gardening systems to Snoo bassinetshave had to deal with the consequences, including broken devices and paywalled features. Last month, the FTC noted that smart device manufacturers that dont commit to software support may be breaking the law.For Moxie owners, disappointment doesnt just come from wasted money and e-waste creation but also from the pain of giving a child a tech companion to grow with and then have it suddenly taken away.Scharon HardingSenior Product ReviewerScharon HardingSenior Product Reviewer Scharon is Ars Technicas Senior Product Reviewer writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer technology, including laptops, mechanical keyboards, and monitors. Shes based in Brooklyn. 25 Comments

Hi, we're the replacements AI company trolls San Francisco with billboards saying stop hiring humans Company boasts "AI workers" that never complain about work-life balance. Benj Edwards Dec 10, 2024 3:43 pm | 123 An advertisement for the AI company Artisan is posted on 2nd Street on December 05, 2024 in San Francisco. Credit: Justin Sullivan via Getty Images An advertisement for the AI company Artisan is posted on 2nd Street on December 05, 2024 in San Francisco. Credit: Justin Sullivan via Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreSince the dawn of the generative AI era a few years ago, the march of technologytoward what tech companies hope will replace human intellectual laborhas continuously sparked angst about the future role humans will play in the job market. Will we all be replaced by machines?A Y-Combinator-backed company called Artisan, which sells customer service and sales workflow software, recently launched a provocative billboard campaign in San Francisco playing on that angst, reports Gizmodo. It features the slogan "Stop Hiring Humans." The company markets its software products as "AI Employees" or "Artisans."The company's billboards feature messages that might inspire nightmares among workers, like "Artisans won't complain about work-life balance" and "The era of AI employees is here." And they're on display to the same human workforce the ads suggest replacing.Preying on AI angstThe reaction to the ads online has been largely negative. Last week, a Bluesky user named SpacePrez posted one of the billboards on the social media site simply with the comment, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH." It currently has over 2,000 likes.On Reddit, a thread featuring the ads filled with pessimistic commentary on life in San Francisco, including comments like, "Its close to full Cyberpunk dystopia over here when we have self driving Waymos driving through neighborhoods with tent cities where apartments cost $4k a month."Artisan CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack defended the campaign's messaging in an interview with SFGate. "They are somewhat dystopian, but so is AI," he told the outlet in a text message. "The way the world works is changing." In another message he wrote, "We wanted something that would draw eyesyou don't draw eyes with boring messaging."So what does Artisan actually do? Its main product is an AI "sales agent" called Ava that supposedly automates the work of finding and messaging potential customers. The company claims it works with "no human input" and costs 96% less than hiring a human for the same role. Although, given the current state of AI technology, it's prudent to be skeptical of these claims.Artisan also has plans to expand its AI tools beyond sales into areas like marketing, recruitment, finance, and design. Its sales agent appears to be its only existing product so far.Meanwhile, the billboards remain visible throughout San Francisco, quietly fueling existential dread in a city that has already seen a great deal of tension since the pandemic. Some of the billboards feature additional messages, like "Hire Artisans, not humans," and one that plays on angst over remote work: "Artisan's Zoom cameras will never 'not be working' today."Benj EdwardsSenior AI ReporterBenj EdwardsSenior AI Reporter Benj Edwards is Ars Technica's Senior AI Reporter and founder of the site's dedicated AI beat in 2022. He's also a tech historian with almost two decades of experience. In his free time, he writes and records music, collects vintage computers, and enjoys nature. He lives in Raleigh, NC. 123 Comments