Dungeons & Dragons show Critical Role has cancelled this week's livestream due to the wildfires currently raging across Los Angeles.As reported by Polygon, the LA-based Critical Role cancelled its January 9, 2025 livestream though said it intends to be back next week."As the evolving fires in Los Angeles are directly impacting our cast and crew, we're taking a break from streaming this week with the intention of returning to Exandria next Thursday, January 16," it announced on X/Twitter.Critical Role senior vice president of marketing Rachel Romero told Polygon "some of our family, friends, colleagues, co-workers have lost their houses, businesses, and other places that feel like home to them."We are absolutely heartbroken to see so much destruction and loss in our own backyard and encourage everyone to take a moment and think through how they can best support, whether that is through a monetary donation, food or supplies donations here locally, or just sharing resources within your own network, whether it be online or offline."Critical Role's own non-profit, the Critical Role Foundation, has donated $30,000 to the California Community Foundations Wildlife Recovery Fund. The crisis began January 7 and five wildfires are currently raging in the great Los Angeles area.Production on some of Hollywood's biggest shows, including Fallout Season 2, has come to a screeching halt. Filming permits across fire-stricken areas have been withdrawn, which means the re-start of production for Fallout Season 2 has been postponed. NBCUnviersal said productions Hacks, Loot, Ted, Suits: LA, and Happy's Place were suspendended as well.Elsewhere, CBS halted production on NCIS, NCIS: Origins, and After Midnight, while Disney paused Doctor Odyssey, Grey's Anatomy, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Warner Bros. studio in Burbank was closed, affecting Abbot Elementary among other shows.Image credit: Anna Webber/Getty Images for Prime Video.Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Ubisoft has seemingly leaked the first expansion for Japan-set Assassin's Creed Shadows following its announcement of another delay.As reported by Insider Gaming, the game's Steam page was momentarily updated to include information on a 10-hour piece of downloadable content called Claws of Awaji, which will add a whole new map to the open-world game."Pre-purchase now to get a bonus mission and the upcoming Claws of Awaji expansion," the Steam page read. "Travel to a new region, get over 10 hours of additional content, and unlock a new weapon type, new skills, gear, and abilities."Travel to a new region, get over 10 hours of additional content, and unlock a new weapon type, new skills, gear, and abilities.The phrasing is a little confusing, as it makes it sound as though Claws of Awaji will only be available to those who pre-purchase the game, similar to the previously announced "bonus mission" Thrown to the Dogs. This would be unusual, however, as major expansions such as this are usually reserved for Season Passes.That being said, Ubisoft is ditching the Season Pass model for Assassin's Creed Shadows following major practice shake-ups in the wake of Star Wars Outlaws underperforming. Alongside scrapping the Season Pass, which would typically let players access two larger expansions for an additional $30 or so, Ubisoft is cancelling plans to charge players more to play on launch day. It is therefore assumed DLC expansions such as Claws of Awaji will be made free for all players.Though details are restricted to the brief paragraph published to Steam, the name Claws of Awaji does shed some light on what players will find in the DLC. Ubisoft quietly revealed Assassin's Creed Shadows' world map in the Collector's Edition trailer, which showed nine detailed regions plus one small island left blank.Assassin's Creed Shadows' world map, per the Collector's Edition trailer. Image credit: Ubisoft.This island is the Awaji the Claws of Awaji title presumably references, meaning this currently blank area of the map should one day be filled in through DLC. Awaji Island is perhaps most famous for its prominence in the Japanese religion of Shinto, where it is said to be the first island created in the world through the legend of Izanagi and Izanami.As Assassin's Creed has delved further and further into mythology and not just history with recent releases, especially in the role-playing game series which Shadows belongs to, fans will perhaps get to delve into Japanese legends with the addition of the Claws of Awaji.It will be longer than expected before this is possible, of course, as Ubisoft has delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows once again, this time to March 20. It was first pushed to February 14 from its November 12 release date.A lot rests on the shoulders of Assassin's Creed Shadows as not only the long-awaited Japan-set entry and the first full Assassin's Creed since 2020, but a struggling Ubisoft needs it to perform well following recent flops and investor frustration.It's not enjoyed a particularly positive promotional period so far, however, with the development team having to apologize on separate occasions for inaccuracies in Assassin's Creed Shadows' depictions of Japan and using a historical recreation group's flag without permission.Yet another controversy came as collectible figure maker PureArts removed an Assassin's Creed Shadows statue from sale over its "insensitive" design, and combined with the two delays, fans are growing increasingly impatient as a result.Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Five-time WWE world champion Seth Rollins has confirmed he is not in upcoming MCU movie Captain America: Brave New World, saying his role was cut following extensive rewrites of the script and subsequent reshoots.Fans thought they had spotted Rollins' Captain America cameo in a trailer for the movie released last year, although Rollins denied it at the time. Now, it has emerged that the wrestler was set to appear in the film before his role was cut.Speaking in a video interview with YouTuber Chris Van Vliet, Rollins confirmed the news. I wish it the best, but I am not a part of that film, he said.Does my NDA still apply if Im not on the film anymore? he continued. Truth be told, any answer I gave you would only be my opinion on it. The script went through a lot of rewrites and reshoots and so what I was there to do... Essentially my role got either repurposed or completely erased.I did do a bit of an audition to possibly pop into another role I believe, or the repurposing of my role. Im not exactly sure on what it was.But they ended up going in a different direction with it. My understanding is there was just a lot of rewrites and a lot of reshoots. They know theyve got a finished product that hopefully theyre happy with, and hopefully its successful. But it will be sans Seth Rollins.Seth Rollins is not in Captain America 4. Photo by Michael Tran / AFP.Chris Van Vliet then asked about the trailer and those unmistakable eyes. Rollins brushed the question off with a coy response, insisting: "You could just see his eyeballs."I am not in the movie, he added. I will say unequivocally I am not in the film. I do not want anybody to go to the film thinking, oh Im here to see Seth Rollins. There might be two people who would do that, but I dont want those two people to waste their time. I dont want to misinform anybody. I dont want to lead anybody astray. I am not in the film. It should be a good one. Marvel does a great job.Then, when Chris Van Vliet suggested Rollins will end up in something else at some point, the WWE star responded: If Im not, I dont care. I dont love acting. I love wrestling.In May, reports indicated Captain America: Brave New World was undergoing reshoots to help introduce Breaking Bad, Star Wars, and The Boys actor Giancarlo Espositos new villainous character into the fold. Esposito plays Sidewinder, leader of the Serpent Society, in the film.Captain America: Brave New World comes out February 14, 2025.Image credit: Marvel Studios. Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Apple likes to celebrate the Chinese New Year with a specially-commissioned Shot on iPhone video, and an unofficial copy of this years short film has been posted ahead of the official reveal expected later today. The lunar new year begins on January 29.The 12-minute short musical film entitled I Want to Listen to You is directed by Michael Gracey, who previously directed the Hollywood musical film The Greatest Showman Since 2018, Apple has used the occasion both to welcome in the lunar year, and to showcase the cinematic prowess of the current iPhone. What appears to be a low-res bootlegged copy of years video has been shared on Bilibili.Passionate Geekz explains the story.Through a musical full of retro aesthetics, it explores the current emotional issues that ordinary young people are aware of []Different from the traditional culture and family narratives of previous years, Want to Listen to Songs with You takes us back to the 1990s. The protagonist Xiaowei was asked this clich question by his family during the New Years Eve dinner:When are you going to get a girlfriend? Grandma is still waiting to have her grandson.How can this matter be so simple? You are all thinking about me from your perspective.Back then, your dad used a music cassette tape to chase your mom.Perhaps because of the association with tapes, when Xiaowei went back to his room to rest after dinner, he also discovered the old tapes on the bookshelf. Among them, the tape with the words Little Rose for Me also took Xiaowei back to 1994.You can read the rest of it at the site.The film showcases a number of the iPhone 16 Pro cameras capabilities, including low-light shooting and 4K 120fps slo-mo footage. Well embed the official version once it goes live.Screengrab: AppleAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

The greatest attraction for me about Vision Pro is being able to have huge virtual monitors for both work and entertainment, but the downside is the discomfort of wearing one for an extended time. The Brelyon Ultra Reality Extend is a funky new monitor tech that aims to solve this problem.You dont have to wear anything just sit in front of a monitor, which can project a virtual display as wide as 122 inches from a much smaller physical display Virtual monitorsWhile you can get a huge virtual monitor experience from an affordable glasses product costing just a few hundred dollars, it falls short in a number of ways. Most notably, the virtual monitors arent fixed in space, and have an annoying tendency to wander around in your field of view, requiring constant re-centering.Additionally, you cant easily see your keyboard and trackpad, especially if you need corrective lenses.Vision Pro delivers a really high-quality virtual monitor experience, also allowing you to pin them to specific positions within your physical environment. The drawback, however, is that the unit starts to feel both hot and heavy after an hour or so of usage.Brelyon Ultra Reality Extend immersive monitorThis new monitor tech, on show at CES, aims to deliver a huge immersive monitor experience without the need to wear anything at all you just look at/through a physical monitor in front of you. The device not only gives a virtual display much larger than its physical size, but can also create a limited degree of 3D effect, with different layers of image.Engadgets Sam Rutherford got a chance to try it, and was impressed.This allows the monitor to defy its dimensions, because even though its much chunkier than a typical display, the view inside is absolutely monstrous. From a 30-inch frame, the Ultra Reality Extend provides a virtual display thats equivalent to a curved 122-inch screen. Meanwhile, its 4K/60Hz resolution uses 1-bit of monocular to deliver spatial content that looks closer to 8K with elements of the scene capable of looking closer or further away depending on the situation.When I watched a game clip fromSpiderman, the trees and light poles whipping past in my face felt so real I started to flinch subconsciously. Then in other scenes, Brelyons monitor was able to separate different layers of the content to make snow in the foreground look blurry as it whipped across the screen while characters in the distance remained tack sharp. Its rather uncanny because the effect is visceral in a way that games and movies on flat screens just cant match.Its currently clunky and even more expensiveWhat the monitor doesnt offer is portability. The device is huge, with the physical screen measuring 30 inches diagonally, and a depth very much resembling an old-school CRT monitor.It also costs about twice as much as Vision Pro, with a target price in the $5000 to $8000 range, depending on how many a company buys.At that kind of price, one of the most likely applications is flight simulators. In that field, an $5-8k price tag for something with a 3D effect and an immersive feel looks positively cheap.But its another possible directionThis is not something Id even remotely consider buying, and definitely doesnt meet my personal Vision Pro use-case of being able to travel light while still having huge monitors when working away from home.But what does make it interesting is that it represents another potential direction for this type of technology. This first-generation unit might be viewed much like a LISA a massive, non-portable device with a crazy price-tag. But we later got the PowerBook and iBook, and today have the MacBook Air.Quite how quickly this immersive monitor tech will develop remains to be seen, but Im certainly happy to see another approach to the problem underway. Check out the video below.Image: BrelyonAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Cybersecurity reporting is a critical yet often overlooked opportunity for service providers managing cybersecurity for their clients, and specifically for virtual Chief Information Security Officers (vCISOs). While reporting is seen as a requirement for tracking cybersecurity progress, it often becomes bogged down with technical jargon, complex data, and disconnected spreadsheets that fail to resonate with decision-makers. The result? Clients who struggle to understand the value of your work and remain uncertain about their security posture.But what if reporting could be transformed into a strategic tool for aligning cybersecurity with business goals? What if your reports empowered clients, built trust, and showcased cybersecurity as a driver of business success?That's exactly the focus of Cynomi's new guide"Taking the Pain Out of Cybersecurity Reporting: The Guide to Mastering vCISO Reports." This resource helps vCISOs reimagine reporting as an opportunity to create value, improve client engagement, and highlight the measurable impact of cybersecurity initiatives. By following the strategies in this guide, vCISOs can streamline the reporting process, save time, and elevate cybersecurity's role as a business enabler.This guide was co-autherd with Jesse Miller, co-author of the First 100 Days playbook, and founder of PowerPSA Consulting and the PowerGRYD. Jesse is a long-time CISO/vCISO and infosec strategist who has made it his mission to help service providers crack the code for premium vCISO profits. Why reporting matters more than ever?According to Miller, "Cybersecurity reporting is about creating a shared vision with your clients, where they see cybersecurity as a driver of growth, efficiency, and long-term success."Cybersecurity reporting serves four key purposes:Communicating risk Reports help clients understand the evolving threat landscape and how specific risks affect their organization.Facilitating decision-making By presenting clear, actionable insights, reports empower executives to prioritize cybersecurity investments effectively.Demonstrating value Reports connect the dots between cybersecurity initiatives and measurable business outcomes, from risk reduction to improved compliance.Building trust Regular, transparent reporting fosters confidence in your vCISO services and strengthens long-term client relationships.As Miller explains, "The purpose of reporting is to have a business strategy discussion that happens to be about security."At its core, reporting isn't only about showcasing what you've doneit's about framing the client as the hero of their own cybersecurity journey. Your job as a vCISO is to provide the roadmap, measure progress, and guide them toward informed decisions that protect their business.The biggest reporting mistake: Focusing too much on technical detailsOne of the most common pitfalls in cybersecurity reporting is overwhelming clients with technical jargon and raw data. Many vCISOs assume that clients want deep-dive technical analysis, but this approach misses the mark.As Miller puts it, "Most decision-makers aren't cybersecurity experts. They don't care about firewalls or patch logsthey care about business outcomes."Executives think in terms of:How secure is my business?What risks are we facing?How does this affect operations, reputation, or the bottom line?For example, instead of saying: "Firewall logs identified 50,000 external threats, which were blocked based on configured rules."Frame it as: "We successfully prevented 50,000 external attacks this month, demonstrating the strength of your current security posture. We're closely monitoring these threats to identify trends and anticipate future risks."By translating technical findings into clear business impacts, you engage decision-makers on their terms. Your reports become tools for strategic conversations, not just a list of activities.Elements of an effective vCISO reportTo make reports valuable and actionable, focus on these key components:Know your audience: Tailor your reports to different stakeholders. Executives need high-level summaries tied to business goals, while IT teams might need more granular technical details.Translate technical data into business insights: Connect cybersecurity metrics to real-world outcomes. Use clear language to explain how your initiatives:Reduce risks (e.g., fewer vulnerabilities, faster incident response times).Improve compliance (e.g., meeting regulatory requirements).Protect business continuity (e.g., minimizing downtime from ransomware attacks).Measure success with tangible metrics: Track progress over time by using measurable metrics, such as:Reduced incident response times.Fewer successful phishing attacks.Improved compliance scores.As Miller states, "Metrics are how you connect cybersecurity actions to business impactit's how you tell the story of value." These metrics tell a compelling story of improvement, demonstrating a return on investment for the client's security efforts.Structure your report strategically: Organize your reports so they're easy to read and relevant to the client's needs. A clear structure includes:Executive Summary: A high-level overview of key findings and recommendations.Risk Assessment: Prioritized risks and vulnerabilities with clear explanations of their business impact.Recommendations: Actionable steps to address risks and improve security posture.Strategic Roadmap: A forward-looking plan outlining next steps and long-term initiatives.Use visuals to enhance understanding: Charts, graphs, and tables help simplify complex data and highlight trends. Visual aids make reports more engaging and easier to digest for non-technical audiences.For example, you can use visuals to show a client their threats and vulnerabilities, and their risk mitigation plan.Sample Report: Vulnerability and Scan FindingsSample Report: Risk Mitigation PlanStreamlining reporting with technologyManual reporting processesjuggling spreadsheets, extracting charts, and compiling disconnected dataare time-consuming and error-prone.As Miller points out, "vCISOs need tools that eliminate the manual grind so they can focus on delivering insights, not crunching numbers."vCISO Platforms like Cynomi automate data collection, create visually compelling reports, and align findings with business outcomes. By leveraging the right tools, vCISOs can:Save time and reduce manual effort.Deliver consistent, professional reports.Focus on strategic insights that drive client success.The dual protection of effective reportingA well-crafted report doesn't just benefit the clientit also protects the vCISO or MSP. By documenting risks, actions taken, and decisions made, you create a record of due diligence. This can be invaluable in the event of:Regulatory audits or compliance reviews.Cyber incidents where accountability is questioned.Client disputes about what actions were taken or recommended.Effective reporting provides transparency, accountability, and peace of mind for both parties.Your next steps as a vCISOUltimately, cybersecurity reporting is about creating a shared vision for success. By aligning your reports with business goals, translating technical findings into actionable insights, and leveraging automation, you position yourself as a trusted advisor and strategic partner.In Miller's words, "Reporting reframes cybersecurity as a business enabler, not a cost center. It's about showing how security drives growth, efficiency, and success."The guide"Taking the Pain Out of Cybersecurity Reporting"walks you through how to transform raw data into compelling narratives, demonstrate measurable value, and shape the future of your client's cybersecurity strategy.With the right approach, you empower your clients to become the heroes of their cybersecurity journey, while showcasing your expertise as the architect of their success.Found this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.

Jan 10, 2025Ravie LakshmananArtificial Intelligence / CybercrimeCybersecurity researchers have shed light on a nascent artificial intelligence (AI) assisted ransomware family called FunkSec that sprang forth in late 2024, and has claimed more than 85 victims to date."The group uses double extortion tactics, combining data theft with encryption to pressure victims into paying ransoms," Check Point Research said in a new report shared with The Hacker News. "Notably, FunkSec demanded unusually low ransoms, sometimes as little as $10,000, and sold stolen data to third parties at reduced prices."FunkSec launched its data leak site (DLS) in December 2024 to "centralize" their ransomware operations, highlighting breach announcements, a custom tool to conduct distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and a bespoke ransomware as part of a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) model.A majority of the victims are located in the U.S., India, Italy, Brazil, Israel, Spain, and Mongolia. Check Point's analysis of the group's activity has revealed that it may be the likely work of novice actors who are seeking to attract notoriety by recycling the leaked information from previous hacktivist-related leaks.It has been determined that some members of the RaaS group engaged in hacktivist activities, underscoring a continued blurring of boundaries between hacktivism and cybercrime, just as nation-state actors and organized cybercriminals are increasingly exhibiting an "unsettling convergence of tactics, techniques, and even objectives."They also claim to target India and the U.S., aligning themselves with the "Free Palestine" movement and attempting to associate with now-defunct hacktivist entities like Ghost Algeria and Cyb3r Fl00d. Some of the prominent actors associated with FunkSec are listed below -A suspected Algeria-based actor named Scorpion (aka DesertStorm) who has promoted the group on underground forums such as Breached ForumEl_farado, who emerged as a main figure advertising FunkSec after DesertStorm's ban from Breached ForumXTN, a likely associate who is involved in an as-yet-unknown "data-sorting" serviceBlako, who has been tagged by DesertStorm along with El_faradoBjorka, a known Indonesian hacktivist whose alias has been used to claim leaks attributed to FunkSec on DarkForums, either pointing to a loose affiliation or their attempts to impersonate FunkSecThe possibility that the group may also be dabbling in hacktivist activity is evidenced by the presence of DDoS attack tools, as well as those related to remote desktop management (JQRAXY_HVNC) and password generation (funkgenerate)."The development of the group's tools, including the encryptor, was likely AI-assisted, which may have contributed to their rapid iteration despite the author's apparent lack of technical expertise," Check Point pointed out.The latest version of the ransomware, named FunkSec V1.5, is written in Rust, with the artifact uploaded to the VirusTotal platform from Algeria. An examination of older versions of the malware suggests that the threat actor is from Algeria as well owing to references such as FunkLocker and Ghost Algeria.The ransomware binary is configured to recursively iterate over all directories and encrypt the targeted files, but not before elevating privileges and taking steps to disable security controls, delete shadow copy backups, and terminate a hard-coded list of processes and services."2024 was a very successful year for ransomware groups, while in parallel, the global conflicts also fueled the activity of different hacktivist group," Sergey Shykevich, threat intelligence group manager at Check Point Research, said in a statement."FunkSec, a new group that emerged lately as the most active ransomware group in December, blurs the lines between hacktivism and cybercrime. Driven by both political agendas and financial incentives, FunkSec leverages AI and repurposes old data leaks to establish a new ransomware brand, though real success of their activities remains highly questionable."The development comes as Forescout detailed a Hunters International attack that likely leveraged Oracle WebLogic Server as an initial entry point to drop a China Chopper web shell, which was then used to perform a series of post-exploitation activities that ultimately led to the deployment of the ransomware."After gaining access, the attackers conducted reconnaissance and lateral movement to map the network and escalate privileges," Forescout said. "The attackers used a variety of common administrative and red teaming tools for lateral movement."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

President-elect Trump has been vocal about plans to repeal the AI executive order signed by President Biden. A second Trump administration could mean a lot of change for oversight in the AI space, but what exactly that change will look like remains uncertain.I think the question is then what incoming President Trump puts in its place, says Doug Calidas, senior vice president of government affairs for Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI), a nonprofit focused on policy advocacy for emerging technologies. The second question is the extent to which the actions the Biden administration and the federal agencies have already taken pursuant to the Biden executive order. What happens to those?InformationWeek spoke to Calidas and three other leaders tuned into the AI sector to cast an eye to the future and consider what a hands-off approach to regulation could mean for the companies in this booming technology space.A Move to Deregulation?Experts anticipate a more relaxed approach to AI regulation from the Trump administration.Obviously, one of Trumps biggest supporters is Elon Musk, who owns an AI company. And so that coupled with the statement that Trump is interested in pulling back the AI executive order suggest that we're heading into a space of deregulation, says Betsy Cooper, founding director at Aspen Tech Policy Hub, a policy incubator focused on tech policy entrepreneurs.Related:Billionaire Musk, along with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, is set to lead Trumps Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is expected to lead the charge on significantly cutting back on regulation. While conflict-of-interest questions swirl around his appointment, it seems likely that Musks voice will be heard in this administration.He famously came out in support of California SB 1047, which would require testing and reporting for the cutting-edge systems and impose liability for truly catastrophic events, and I think he's going to push for that at the federal level, says Calidas. That's not to take away from his view that he wants to cut regulations generally.While we can look to Trump and Musks comments to get an idea of what this administrations approach to AI regulation could be, but there are mixed messages to decipher.Andrew Ferguson, Trumps selection to lead the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), raises questions. He aims to regulate big tech, while remaining hands-off when it comes to AI, Reuters reports.Of course, big tech is AI tech these days. So, Google, Amazon all these companies are working on AI as a key element of their business, Cooper points out. So, I think now we're seeing mixed messages. On the one hand, moving towards deregulation of AI but if you're regulating big tech then it's not entirely clear which way this is going to go.Related:More Innovation?Innovation and the ability to compete in the AI space are two big factors in the argument for less regulation. But repealing the AI executive order alone is unlikely to be a major catalyst for innovation.The idea that by even if some of those requirements were to go away you would unleash innovation, I don't think really makes any sense at all. There's really very little regulation to be cut in the AI space, says Calidas.If the Trump administration does take that hands-off approach, opting not to introduce AI regulation, companies may move faster when it comes to developing and releasing products.Ultimately, mid-market to large enterprises, their innovation is being chilled if they feel like there's maybe undefined regulatory risk or a very large regulatory burden that's looming, says Casey Bleeker, CEO and cofounder of SurePath AI, a GenAI security firm.Does more innovation mean more power to compete with other countries, like China?Related:Bleeker argues regulation is not the biggest influence. If the actual political objective was to be competitive with China nothing's more important than having access to silicon and GPU resources for that. It's probably not the regulatory framework, he says.Giving the US a lead in the global AI market could also be a question of research and resources. Most research institutions do not have the resources of large, commercial entities, which can use those resources to attract more talent.[If] we're trying to increase our competitiveness and velocity and innovation putting funding behind research institutions and education institutions and open-source projects, that's actually another way to advocate or accelerate, says Bleeker.Safety Concerns?Safety has been one of the biggest reasons that supporters of AI regulation cite. If the Trump administration chooses not to address AI safety at a federal level, what could we expect?You may see companies making decisions to release products more quickly if AI safety is deprioritized, says Cooper.That doesnt necessarily mean AI companies can ignore safety completely. Existing consumer protections address some issues, such as discrimination.You're not allowed to use discriminatory aspects when you make consumer impacting decisions. That doesn't change if it's a manual process or if it's AI or if you've intentionally done it or by accident, says Bleeker. [There] are all still civil liabilities and criminal liabilities that are in the existing frameworks.Beyond regulatory compliance, companies developing, selling, and using AI tools have their reputations at stake. If their products or use of AI harms customers, they stand to lose business.In some cases, reputation may not be as big of a concern. A lot of smaller developers who don't have a reputation to protect probably won't care as much and will release models that may well be based on biased data and have outcomes that are undesirable, says Calidas.It is unclear what the new administration could mean for the AI Safety Institute, a part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), but Cooper considers it a key player to watch. Hopefully that institute will continue to be able to do important work on AI safety and continue business as usual, she says.The potential for biased data, discriminatory outcomes, and consumer privacy violations are chief among the potential current harms of AI models. But there is also much discussion of speculative harm relating to artificial general intelligence (AGI). Will any regulation be put in place to address those concerns in the near future?The answer to that question is unclear, but there is an argument to be made that these potential harms should be addressed at a policy level.People have different views about how likely they are ... but they're certainly well within the mainstream of things that we should be thinking about and crafting policy to consider, Calidas argues.State and International Regulations?Even if the Trump administration opts for less regulation, companies will still have to contend with state and international regulations. Several states have already passed legislation addressing AI and other bills are up for consideration.When you look at big states like California that can have huge implications, says Cooper.International regulation, such as the EU AI Act, has bearing on large companies that conduct business around the world. But it does not negate the importance of legislation being passed in the US.When the US Congress considers action, it's still a very hotly contested because US law very much matters for US companies even if the EU is doing some different, says Calidas.State-level regulations are likely to tackle a broad range of issues relating to AI, including energy use.I've spent my time talking to legislators from Virginia, from Tennessee, from Louisiana, from Alaska, Colorado, and beyond and what's been really clear to me is that in every conversation about AI, there is also a conversation happening around energy, Aya Saed, director of AI policy and strategy at Scope3, a company focused on supply chain emissions data, tells InformationWeek.AI models require a massive amount of energy to train. The question of energy use and sustainability is a big one in the AI space, particularly when it comes to remaining competitive.There's the framing of energy and sustainability actually as a national security imperative, says Saed.As more states tackle AI issues and pass legislation, complaints of a regulatory patchwork are likely to increase. Whether that leads to a more cohesive regulatory framework on the federal level remains to be seen.The Outlook for AI CompaniesThe first 100 days of the new administration could shed more light on what to expect in the realm of AI regulation or lack thereof.Do they pass any executive orders on this topic? If so, what do they look like? What do the new appointees take on? How especially does the antitrust division of both the FTC and the Department of Justice approach these questions? asks Cooper. Those would be some of the things I'd be watching.Calidas notes that this term will not be Trumps first time taking action relating to AI. The American AI Initiative executive order of 2019 addressed several issues, including research investment, computing and data resources, and technical standards.By and large, that order was preserved by the Biden administration. And we think that that's a starting point for considering what the Trump administration may do, says Calidas.

Job DescriptionWe are actively searching for a highly skilled and experienced Engineering Manager to join our innovative team.**With a minimum of 5 years of proven expertise, you will play a crucial role in shaping our cutting-edge projects.As an integral part of our collaborative work environment, the successful candidate will work closely with the product manager to ensure the delivery of top-tier services. Exceptional communication skills are a prerequisite, and a proactive approach is essential for maintaining smooth project operations and fostering effective collaboration with all stakeholders.If you are ready for a challenging and rewarding opportunity, keep reading :)The open position is for the following team:**Plattform Usability & Growth (PUG)The primary purpose of this team is to enhance our company's product usability, improve customer satisfaction, and drive user engagement. The team will focus on optimizing the user experience across all levels of the platform, aiming to create intuitive and enjoyable interactions. Additionally, the team will implement front-end improvements and conduct split testing to ensure data-driven design decisions.**** Please only apply if you can show experience in above field "Usability & Growth"***Who is Digistore24?We are one of the fastest-growing tech companies in Europe.What drives us? We shape the digital future! Our mission is to empower people with our software and expertise to share their knowledge online, enabling them to fulfill their dream of an own business. As a result, millions of people gain access to information that helps them reach their goals. To keep pace with our growth, we aim to expand our teams sustainably. We emphasize working with experts and strong personalities who share our values regardless of their location. Your new dream jobDrive the separation of the Analytics Code Base and structure from the current Money and Analytics teamCreate a team that is autonomous and deliverers world class value for your customersBe hands-on contributor and a sparring partner to your teamTeam leadership and development: lead and develop a team of software engineers, fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.Project Management: Ensure timely and successful delivery of software development projects, aligning with company objectives and quality standards.Process Improvement: Continuously evaluate and improve engineering processes and practices to enhance team efficiency and product quality.Collaboration and Coordination: Work closely with other departments, especially product management, to ensure alignment of engineering efforts with company goals.Coaching: Mentor and guide the engineering team, setting clear goals and expectations, and facilitating professional growth and development.Resource Management: Allocate resources effectively, including staffing and budgeting, to meet project timelines and objectives.Project Oversight: Oversee all aspects of software development, from planning to execution, ensuring projects are delivered on time and meet quality standards.Process Optimization: Implement and maintain efficient engineering processes, including agile methodologies, to optimize team productivity.Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with product managers, designers, QA, and other stakeholders to ensure cohesive and effective development efforts.Technical Guidance: Provide technical guidance and oversight, ensuring the use of best practices and adherence to technical standards.Performance Evaluation: Conduct regular performance reviews and manage team dynamics to maintain a high-performing engineering team.Recruitment and Training: Play a key role in hiring and onboarding new team members, and in organizing training and development activities.Your benefits at Digistore24You will play a crucial role in shaping our cutting-edge projects in our collaborative work environment while enjoying flexibility in working time and location.Work in our partner's coworking spaces or in your home office, as long as you can guarantee uninterrupted internet accessRegular further educationThe stability of an extremely successful German high-tech company that is funded by its successful product and not by investorsOutcome focused teams and a culture of direct feedbackModern equipment: Thinkpad or MacBookInternational, collaborative team with strong cohesionSpectacular team events in various European countriesAutonomy from day oneWork in your team on a first-name basis, without a dress code, and at eye levelFlexible working hours from Mondays to FridaysRequirementsYour superpowers Mastery on best practices and forward lookingStrategic business thinking: You don't need to know every detail of how to solve a problem, because you understand the business case behind it and you can make pragmatic decisions.Code refactoring expertise: Simplify code and reduce complexityProblem-solving mentality: You take ownership of a task and will do whatever is necessary to finish it. Yes, you understand yourself as a problem solver via code, not a coder.Master of great code quality: You understand code quality outside of frameworks. You are a serial code improver (in small iteration)Extensive technology stack (min. 5 years):Test-driven development with unit and integration test (Jest, Jasmin & cypress) Extensive experience in Elasticsearch Previous experience in PHP with Symfony experience in working with async communication tools (example: messaging queue) Good to have Docker and K8s Proven proficiency with Angular and VueJs Expert in TypescriptSolid architecture knowledgeCommunication skills: You are fluent in both written and spoken English to communicate with our international team.Minimum 5 years of relevant experienceFluent in both written and spoken EnglishThis position is not for you ifyou have less than 5 years of experience in leadership and people managementstrategic thinking and technological vision is not your highest passioneffective communication and collaboration is not in your bloodyou are not willing to participate in industry conferences and networking events to stay abreast of technological advancements and best practices. you need constant help to find you way in someone elses code you hate maintaining a service use in other platform (constraining your refactoring possibilities and forcing you to document changes correctly) you are not a team player you are not proactive and like going the extra mile you are not comfortable learning new technologies and challenging your comfort zone you are not able to take ownership of your taskOur valuesPlease take a REALLY close look at the values. Are you ready to live them?

Overview:As a Senior Full Stack JavaScript Developer with Blockchain Experience, you will play a crucial role in developing cutting-edge blockchain-powered applications and solutions for our clients. You will be responsible for leading the development of both client-side and server-side functionalities, ensuring seamless integration and a delightful user experience across the full stack. Key Responsibilities:Design and implement user interfaces and server-side logic that interact with the backend systems.Collaborate with backend developers to integrate front-end and back-end systems, ensuring smooth data flow and functionality.Optimize web applications for performance and scalability, leveraging your expertise in modern JavaScript frameworks and tools.Write comprehensive tests and documentation for both client-side and server-side code, ensuring maintainability and reliability.Participate in code reviews and provide constructive feedback to team members, contributing to the overall quality and development process.Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies in the blockchain and JavaScript ecosystems, and proactively share your knowledge with the team.Key Requirements: 5 years of professional software development experience2 years of experience in the EVM ecosystem1-2 years of professional Rust experience and solidity experience3-4 years of professional TypeScript experience and Typescript libraries (Reactjs, Nextjs, Nodejs, Express.js)3-4 years of professional experiences about the SQL database (MySQL, PostgreSQL)Familiarity with Rust and Typescript Ethereum libraries (ethers, alloy, foundry, subgraph)Entrepreneurial, self-motivated, and drivenStrong work ethic and team playerBenefits: Competitive salary range of $75,000 to $85,000 USD annually, depending on experience and qualifications.Comprehensive benefits program, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.Flexible and remote work environment, allowing you to maintain a healthy work-life balance.Opportunity to work at the intersection of blockchain and cutting-edge technologies, shaping the future of decentralized applications.Professional development and growth opportunities, including access to industry events and conferences.Be part of a dynamic and innovative team that is passionate about blockchain and its transformative potential.If you meet the qualifications and are excited about the prospect of joining our team, we encourage you to apply. Together, let's push the boundaries of what's possible in the blockchain space and create innovative solutions that will redefine the way businesses operate.