To give AI-focused women academics and others their well-deserved and overdue time in the spotlight, TechCrunch has been publishing a series of interviewsfocusing on remarkable women whove contributed to the AI revolution.Raji Arasu, the CTO of Autodesk, said that shes been using AI for multiple decades to solve software-related challenges. When traditional software development approaches whether deterministic, procedural, or other conventional methods have struggled to address complex problems, Ive always turned to AI as a solution, particularly for handling unstructured data, Arasu told TechCrunch in an interview. Arasu has had a long career in tech. In 1993, she joined Oracle as an engineering technical lead. A few years later, she was hired as a senior manager at eBay, where she worked her way up to the role of VP of technology. After tenures at StubHub and Intuit, Arasu accepted an offer at Audodesk, where shes remained for the past four years. Many of these opportunities were made possible by a strong professional support network, Arasu said. Shes tried to help others succeed in turn by becoming vocal about supporting women in tech and driving DEI initiatives, particularly for boards of directors.Early in my career, I was fortunate to have a diverse set of mentors who played a crucial role in shaping my confidence, boldly voicing my perspectives and opinions, advocating for myself, and ensuring I had a seat at the table, Arasu said. Ensuring that women, people of color, and individuals with diverse backgrounds are part of strategic decision-making is vital.In her various jobs throughout the years, Arasu said that shes had a front-row seat to exciting developments in the AI space. For example, at Autodesk, shes overseen the companys R&D org, which has explored AI applications in areas like construction automation, 3D modeling, and engineering design.Advances in computing power, generative AI, and the domain-specific fine-tuning of large models have shattered the boundaries of research labs and brought these technologies into the real world, she said. Im captivated by the speed at which this AI revolution is poised to transform industries across the board.While exciting, AI comes with risks, Arasu acknowledged. AI systems often reflect the biases and assumptions of their creators, she said, and there are significant concerns around data privacy, transparency, and data practices that need to be addressed. Arasu is a proponent of close collaboration between industry and government to create well-informed AI policies that begin to address these risks. But she cautioned that strong policy can only emerge from multidisciplinary and diverse collaborative groups.Unlike past revolutions, there is now a clear recognition that inclusive participation especially by women is essential for achieving fairer, more innovative outcomes in AI and other emerging technologies, Arasu said. As AI reshapes industries like healthcare, education, and finance, womens involvement ensures the technology reflects a broader range of human experiences.Independent of regulation, when it comes to building AI responsibly, Arasu believes companies must ensure that their systems are clear about how they function, so that users can trust or at least not mistrust decisions they make.This starts, she said, with understanding customers concerns about their data, putting practices in place to protect proprietary and personal information, and maintaining compliance with global policies.Ethical design should guide the development process, Arasu said, incorporating diverse perspectives and creating governance frameworks to reduce bias and manage risks. Continuous monitoring and accountability are essential, ensuring that AI systems work as intended, and addressing issues promptly. Finally, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration centered around the customer helps ensure AI serves the common good, navigating risks and maximizing its benefits for society.

Arguments about what is and isnt open source are often resolved by deferring to the Open Source Initiative (OSI): If a piece of software is available under a license rubber stamped as open source by the OSIs formal definition, then that software is open source.But waters muddy when you get into the nuts and bolts of legal definitions versus the spirit of what open source really means. Indeed, there is significant nuance in the open source versus proprietary software debate: Has an open source company hamstrung its project by sliding core features behind a commercial paywall? How much transparency is there around the projects development? And how much direct input does the community really have in a given project?To many, open source is not just about the legal ability to use and modify code; the culture, transparency, and governance around it is paramount.Everyone knows about the Google-flavored version of Android that ships on smartphones and tablets, replete with an array of apps and services. The underlying Android Open Source Project (AOSP), released under a permissive Apache 2.0-license, is available for anyone to access, fork, and modify for their own hardware projects.Android, by just about any definition, is about as open source as it gets. And Google has used this fact in its defense against anti-competition criticism, noting that Amazon has reappropriated Android for its own lineup of Fire-branded devices. But all this ignores separate anti-fragmentation agreements Google signed with hardware makers that restrict them from using forked versions of Android. And unlike something like Kubernetes that sits under an independent foundation with a diverse range of corporate and community contributors, Android sits under the direct control of Google without a great deal of transparency over roadmap or community input.Android, in a license sense, is perhaps the most well-documented, perfectly open thing that there is, Luis Villa, co-founder and general counsel at Tidelift, said in a panel discussion at the State of Open Con25 in London this week. All the licenses are exactly as you want them but good luck getting a patch into that, and good luck figuring out when the next release even is.This gets to the crux of the debate: Open source can be something of an illusion. A lack of real independence can mean a lack of agency for those who would like to properly get involved in a project. It can also raise questions about a projects long-term viability, evidenced by the countless open source companies that have switched licenses to protect their commercial interests.If you think about the practical accessibility of open source, it goes beyond the license, right? Peter Zaitsev, founder of open source database services company Percona, said in the panel discussion. Governance is very important, because if its a single corporation, they can change a license like that.These sentiments were echoed in a separate talk by Dotan Horovits, open source evangelist at the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), where he mused about open source turning to the dark side. He noted that in most cases, issues arise when a single-vendor project decides to make changes based on its own business needs among other pressures. Which begs the question, is vendor-owned open source an oxymoron? Horovits said. Ive been asking this question for a good few years, and in 2025 this question is more relevant than ever.The AI factorThese debates wont be going anywhere anytime soon, as open source has emerged as a major focal point in the AI realm.Chinas DeepSeek arrived with a bang off the back of open source hype, and while the models MIT licenses are very much recognized as open source, there remains black holes around training data among other components. Which is why researchers at Hugging Face are trying to create an even more open version of DeepSeeks reasoning model.Meta, meanwhile, has long tooted its open source horn with regards to its Llama-branded large language models (LLMs), even though Llama isnt open source by most estimations the models, while perhaps more open than others, have commercial restrictions.I have my quibbles and concerns about the open source AI definition, but its really clear that what Llama is doing isnt open source, Villa said. Emily Omier, a consultant for open source businesses and host of the Business of Open Source podcast, added that such attempts to corrupt the meaning behind open source is testament to its inherent power.It goes to show how strong the brand of open source is the fact that people are trying to corrupt it, means that people care, Omier said during the panel discussion.Much of this may be for regulatory reasons, however. The EU AI Acthas a special carve-out for free and open source AI systems (aside from those deemed to pose an unacceptable risk). And Villa says this goes some way toward explaining why a company might want to rewrite the rulebook on what open source actually means.There are plenty of actors right now who, because of the brand equity [of open source] and the regulatory implications, want to change the definition, and thats terrible, Villa said.Clear parametersWhile there are clear arguments for applying additional criteria that incorporates the spirit of what open source is intended to be all about, having clear parameters as defined by a license keeps things simple and less subject to nuanced subjectivity.How much community engagement would be necessary for something to be truly open source? On a practical and legal level, keeping the definition limited to the license makes sense.Stefano Maffulli, executive director at the OSI, said that while some organizations and foundations do lean into ideas around open design, community, and development, these are all fundamentally philosophical concepts.The point of having definitions is to have criteria that can be scored, and focusing on licensing is how that is accomplished, Maffulli said in a statement issued to TechCrunch. The global community and industry have come to rely on the Open Source Definition and now the Open Source AI Definition as objective measures that they can rely on.

Published February 8, 2025 10:00am EST close 'CyberGuy': This years most devastating data breaches Kurt Knutsson: Data breaches in 2024 exposed info of millions, stressing the need for better cybersecurity. The healthcare industry has recently been a major target for hackers. You might remember the 2024 Ascension attack, which led to significant disruptions.The Change Healthcare breach was also on a massive scale. UnitedHealth initiallyclaimed that 100 million Americans were affected, but laterraised that number to 190 million.There have been countless other incidents, and now you can add another to the list. Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC), a Connecticut-based federally qualified health center, has disclosed a data breach following a criminal cyberattack on its systems.The attack has affected over a million people in the U.S. A healthcare professional working on her laptop. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)What You Need to KnowCommunity Health Center, Inc. (CHC)detected a data breach on Jan. 2 after identifying unusual activity within its computer systems. An investigation confirmed that a skilled hacker had accessed and extracted data but did not delete or lock any information. If CHC's claims are accurate, this is a positive outcome, as hackers often deploy ransomware, a type of attack in which they lock systems and demand payment before restoring access.In aregulatory filing with the Maine Attorney Generals Office, CHC said that 1,060,936 people were affected by the data breach. The type of information compromised varies depending on an individuals relationship with CHC. Patient data that may have been accessed includes names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, diagnoses, treatment details, test results, Social Security numbers and health insurance information.WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?For individuals who are not regular CHC patients but received COVID-19 services at a CHC clinic, the breached data may include names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, addresses, gender, race, ethnicity and insurance details if provided. Additional information, such as test dates, results and vaccine details, including type, dose and administration date, may also have been affected. In rare cases, Social Security numbers were also included in the breach.The organization did not disclose how the hackers gained access to the data or whether proper cybersecurity measures were in place at the time of the breach. While CHC has assured that its systems are no longer at risk, the same cannot be said for its patients, who may now be targets of various cyberattacks. A healthcare worker looking at information on his phone. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)CHC's responseCHC said the hackers access was terminated within hours, and daily operations were not disrupted. To strengthen cybersecurity, CHC claims it has implemented advanced monitoring software and reinforced system protections. The organization said there is no evidence at this time that the compromised data has been misused.The health center is offering free identity theft protection services for all patients and COVID-19 service recipients whose Social Security numbers were involved in the breach. The organization is also encouraging individuals whose Social Security numbers were not affected to take additional steps to protect their information.GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE Illustration of a hacker at work. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)6 ways to protect yourself from Change Healthcare data breach1. Remove your personal information from the internet:The breach has exposed sensitive personal data, making it essential to reduce your online footprint. While no service can guarantee complete data removal, a reputable data removal service can significantly limit your exposure. These services systematically monitor and erase your personal information from numerous websites and data brokers.Check out my top picks for data removal services here.2. Be wary of mailbox communications:With addresses among the compromised data, scammers may exploit this breach to send fraudulent letters. Be aware of mail claimingmissed deliveries, account suspensions or security alerts. Always verify the authenticity of such communications before responding or taking action.3. Be cautious of phishing attempts and use strong antivirus software: Scammers may use your compromised email or phone number to target you withphishing attacks. Be wary of messages asking for personal information or containing suspicious links. To protect yourself, ensure strong antivirus software is installed on all your devices.Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.4. Monitor your accounts: Given the scope of this breach, regular monitoring of your bank accounts, credit card statements and other financial accounts is critical. Look for unauthorized transactions or suspicious activity, and report any issues immediately to your bank or credit card provider.5. Recognize and report a Social Security scam:If your Social Security number is exposed, you could become a target for related scams. Official communication regarding Social Security issues usually comes via mail, not phone calls or emails. Learn more about spotting and reporting scams by visiting the Social Security Administrationsscam information page.6. Invest in identity theft protection: Data breaches happen every day, and most never make the headlines, but with an identity theft protection service, youll be notified if and when you are affected. An identity theft protection service can monitor personal information like your Social Security number (SSN), phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. It can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals.One of the best parts of using an identity theft protection service is that it might include identity theft insurance ofup to $1 million to cover losses and legal fees and a white glove fraud resolution team where aU.S.-based case manager helps you recover any losses.See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.Kurts key takeawayThe CHC breach may not be as large as the UnitedHealth attack, but with over a million individuals affected, its still a serious incident. Cybercriminals can exploit stolen data in various ways, from identity theft to targeted phishing scams. While CHC has taken steps to secure its systems, those impacted should remain vigilant. Be wary of unexpected emails, calls or messages requesting personal information, and consider monitoring financial and medical accounts for any suspicious activity.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPDo you think these companies are doing enough to protect your data, and is the government doing enough to catch those behind cyberattacks? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/ContactFor more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading toCyberguy.com/NewsletterFollow Kurt on his social channels for the latest tech tips and tricks:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

US President Donald Trump holds an executive order he just signed during the inaugural parade inside ... [+] Capital One Arena, in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesIn the last three weeks alone, since President Trump took office, there have been significant changes in the healthcare landscape across America and the world. Trumps agenda in putting America First aims to save billions of dollars, but this could be at the expense of some of the most vulnerable populations in the world. Here is how some of his policies may exacerbate health disparities.Potential Medicaid CutsMedicaid, the U.S.s largest health insurance program, covers more than 70 million people. Although Trump has promised to love and cherish Medicaid, he has also stated that it will only be more effective and better.The future of Medicaid remains uncertain as congressional Republicans are exploring changes to the program in order to enact Trumps domestic agenda of costs savings. In fact, trillions of dollars could be cut for Medicaid by capping the amount of spending per enrollee as well as implementing Medicaid work requirements. This policy would add administrative hurdles which would make it difficult for individuals to stay enrolled in Medicaid.The end result could be millions of Americans being dropped from Medicaid, as well as the loss of important non-required health benefits such as vision and dental benefits.Medicaid provides insurance for poor Americans. This means children, those with disabilities, pregnant females and low-income individuals would receive less access to primary care, cancer care, mental health care and even access to important medications. Medicaid cuts will hurt Americas most vulnerable population, predominantly those that cant afford healthcare to begin with. This, of course, will have devastating consequences for public health and may cause many Americans to get sick and even die.MORE FOR YOURobert F. Kennedys Nomination As Secretary Of Health And Human ServicesTrumps pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services, the top public health position in the federal government, could also impact health disparities.Kennedy is a known vaccine skeptic, and has repeatedly made claims that vaccines cause autism. As I have explained previously in Forbes, this type of rhetoric will undoubtedly lead to increased vaccine hesitancy, decreasing vaccination rates of important diseases and thereby threatening herd immunity. When diseases previously eradicated reappear such as what is already occurring with Measles, vulnerable and marginalized populations are affected most.This is because those that live in rural parts of the country may end up getting these serious diseases because they lack access to medical care and vaccines that would otherwise protect them. Those that live below the poverty line may get hospitalized and even die because they cannot afford vaccines or have the means to get to a medical clinic. Furthermore, minorities such as Black Americans and Hispanic Americans will also suffer, as they disproportionately have lower vaccination rates compared to White Americans. Words matter, and underserved populations are at risk of getting sick and hospitalized the more vaccine hesitancy there is in America.Foreign Aid CutsPresident Trump has proposed withdrawing from the World Health Organization through an executive order and has called for shutting down the United States Agency for International Development. These changes alone would prevent billions of dollars from reaching low-income countries in the effort of preventing infectious diseases like HIV, TB and malaria.Although Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, has allowed for core life-saving medicine and medical services to be delivered throughout the world, it remains unclear what type of services are included and what this actually means. As examples, HIV clinics in South Africa have been closed, and Malaria aid to several countries in Africa remains threatened.Vaccination programs in several African countries has now halted due to the aid shutdown. Although the U.S. State Department for Emergency Humanitarian Assistance issued a waiver that would get malaria medicines to millions of people that urgently need them, for every day that aid is not given, over 1,000 people will die of malaria. Importantly, these are all preventable deaths, largely in poor children that lack health resources to treat their medical conditions.PEPFAR Impact On Global HealthPresident Trumps initial 90-day freeze on foreign aid also included the Presidents Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, a program that has provided life-saving HIV/AIDS care to low-income countries throughout the world. However, on February 1st, the Trump administration provided a limited waiver for PEPFAR, allowing anti-retroviral therapy, HIV testing and counseling; among other services.The programs future and legacy may still remain in jeopardy because of what the waiver does not include. The limited waiver does not include cervical cancer screening, pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV for those that are not pregnant women as well as services for orphans and vulnerable children. This will undoubtedly result in poor health outcomes for many poor and underserved children, exacerbating HIV diagnoses in many poor countries throughout Africa and the world. Remember, PEPFAR has saved more than 26 million lives since its inception back in 2003.Trump has staunchly advocated for his America First policy and hopes to save trillions of dollars in the process. It may be at the cost of millions of lives in both America and the world, resulting in the perpetuation of health disparities and inequities that already exist.

Destiny 2BungieYesterday, Destiny 2 launched its latest dungeon, Sundered Doctrine, which now has a contest mode and a race for the first completion among the community. At over four hours, that was longer than some raid races as dungeons get longer and more puzzling in time, especially in contest mode.The dungeon was very creative, blending lore and gameplay in ways that we have not seen before. In general, I think through all the complaints and doom, that its important to stop and recognize that after 10+ years now, Destiny 2 is still doing a lot of things right, and building lots of cool things, even if its having trouble motivating players to stay engaged with it all. So, time for some positivity.Raids and dungeons Thematically and mechanically Destiny has been able to keep things fresh in this area and produces some of the only pinnacle FPS content in the entire industry at this level. Other looter shooters have tried to match it, and not many are close.Destiny 2BungieExpansions Sure, theres the occasional miss (Lightfall, most recently), but generally speaking Destiny 2 has done excellent work on these, including The Final Shape being arguably the best expansion theyve released after ten full years of the series existing, and somehow they crafted a fitting ending for that saga in a way that seemed almost impossible.MORE FOR YOUStory Twists While the story of Destiny is hit or miss, especially the past two episodes, Destiny 2 can still surprise us with massive story turns like what we just saw in Heresy, genuine surprises when you arent expecting them and hopefully they can do more of this kind of thing in the future.Activities The Coil, Tomb of Elders, effectively three new strikes in one Episodes, and now its new roguelike Nether mode in Heresy. These are genuinely some of the best seasonal activities weve gotten, and seasonal content has only grown in volume and quality in time. We used to have things that were little more than a single public event has the entire content for the season. The problem, of course, is the motivation to play these activities, and if Destiny is struggling with one aspect overall, its this. But they are still making a lot of content compared to everyone else in this live genre. Few compare to it.Destiny 2BungieMeta This is a combination of new weapons, new exotics, new subclasses, new aspects, new artifacts and new balance patches, which genuinely makes each season or episode or expansion feel different in terms of buildcrafting or whatever meta is happening at the moment. Im pulling out weapons I havent touched in years (Queenbreaker?) or chasing after new guns with (admittedly power crept) perks that can indeed make your builds more fun and interesting. I really enjoy finding new fun builds every season at this point.Cosmetics If there is one area that has seen non-stop improvement for this entire decade its the cosmetics team, producing incredible armor, ornament and shader sets, along with ships, sparrows, emotes and all the rest. Now, even the licensing department is going hard landing things like a Star Wars collaboration. The problem here, of course, is prices, but the design team themselves has continued to go crazy for years now.Destiny 2BungieDestiny 2 has major problems. Player motivation is chief among them. Pricing is another. Storytelling and content release cadence. Individual nitpicks within activities or with looting or major bugs that take far too long to fix. But theyre doing a lot right, and they are doing a lot, both compared to other games in the industry, and taking into account the fact that Bungie has been cut in half in terms of headcount the last few years and the remaining devs constantly operate under the threat of more layoffs. Theyre doing great overall, and sometimes its okay to take a pause from complaining to recognize that.Follow me , and .Pick up my sci-fi novels the and

The big picture: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured an extraordinary cosmic event that astronomers are calling the "Bullseye." The massive galaxy LEDA 1313424 has been observed with an unprecedented nine star-filled rings, the result of a dramatic collision with a smaller blue dwarf galaxy. The discovery was made by Imad Pasha, a doctoral student at Yale University, who stumbled upon the unique galaxy while examining a ground-based imaging survey. "This was a serendipitous discovery," Pasha explained. "When I saw a galaxy with several clear rings, I was immediately drawn to it. I had to stop to investigate it."Subsequent observations using both the Hubble Space Telescope and the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii confirmed the presence of nine rings, far surpassing the previous record of two or three rings observed in other galaxies.The rings are believed to have formed 50 million years ago when a blue dwarf galaxy plunged through the center of LEDA 1313424 like an arrow. This cosmic collision created ripples similar to those formed when a pebble is dropped into a pond.This is an extremely rare event, according to Professor Pieter G. van Dokkum, a co-author of the study, which appeared in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. "We're catching the Bullseye at a very special moment in time. There's a very narrow window after the impact when a galaxy like this would have so many rings."The Bullseye galaxy dwarfs our Milky Way, measuring an impressive 250,000 light-years across nearly two and a half times larger than our home galaxy. The blue dwarf galaxy responsible for creating this cosmic spectacle now lies 130,000 light-years away, connected to the Bullseye by a thin trail of gas. // Related StoriesThe Hubble Space Telescope's exceptional resolution was instrumental in identifying most of the rings, particularly those clustered at the galaxy's center. "This would have been impossible without Hubble," Pasha said.Perhaps most exciting for the scientific community is how the Bullseye galaxy aligns with existing theoretical models. "That theory was developed for the day that someone saw so many rings," van Dokkum explained. "It is immensely gratifying to confirm this long-standing prediction with the Bullseye galaxy."The rings' formation and expansion closely match predictions, with the first rings forming quickly and spreading outward, followed by subsequent rings created as the dwarf galaxy passed through.This discovery opens up new avenues for research into galaxy collisions and their long-term effects. Astronomers will now work to determine which stars existed before and after the collision and how the galaxy may evolve over billions of years.The chance discovery of the Bullseye galaxy also hints at the potential for future findings. Van Dokkum is particularly excited about the prospects offered by NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. "Once NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope begins science operations, interesting objects will pop out much more easily. We will learn how rare these spectacular events really are."

In a nutshell: YouTube achieved record-breaking ad revenue in the fourth quarter of 2024, raking in a staggering $10.4 billion from advertisements alone. This astronomical figure, representing a 13.8 percent increase from the previous year, comes amid mounting user dissatisfaction with the platform's aggressive ad strategy. YouTube's advertising model has long been a source of frustration for its vast user base. The platform's approach to monetization, which often involves interrupting videos with unskippable ads, is seen by many as intrusive and detrimental to the viewing experience.Despite the discontent, the numbers tell a different story. The platform's ability to generate revenue seems unaffected by user grumbling. That is largely due to its vast content library, much of which is unique to the platform, and thus the lack of comparable alternatives. This captive audience provides a steady stream of ad viewers, even if they are reluctant ones.Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai attributed much of the revenue jump to the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Combined spending on YouTube ads by the Democratic and Republican parties was almost double what they spent in the 2020 election, he said. This political advertising bonanza contributed significantly to YouTube's coffers, with over 45 million people watching election-related content on the platform on election day alone.Source: App Economy InsightsYouTube offers an escape from its ad-laden experience through its Premium subscription service, priced at $14 per month or $140 per year. However, many users balk at the cost, viewing it as an expensive solution to a problem of YouTube's own making. // Related StoriesDespite user reluctance, YouTube's subscription revenues bundled under Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices in its earnings statement increased from $10.8 billion in Q4 2023 to $11.6 billion in Q4 2024. According to Anat Ashkenazi, Alphabet's CFO, subscription products are growing primarily due to increased paid subscribers across YouTube TV, YouTube Music Premium, and Google One.Now, YouTube is betting big on AI to turbocharge its advertising strategies. Philipp Schindler, chief business officer at Alphabet, highlighted the potential of AI in marketing, citing a case study where Petco utilized AI-powered campaigns on YouTube. The company achieved a 275 percent higher return on ad spend and a 74 percent higher click-through rate than its social benchmarks, Schindler reported.He also noted that Google AI-powered video campaigns on YouTube deliver a 17 percent higher return on advertising spend than manual campaigns, according to Nielsen analysis.While this may be music to advertisers' ears, for users, it could mean even more precisely targeted and potentially more irritating ad experiences in the future.

Last night, PlayStation Network went down across the globe and its still not back online. The number of complaints about the outage peaked around 7 PM, with more than 14,000 users reporting issues at DownDetector. When the service first went offline, many players assumed it was temporary perhaps overloaded servers on a Friday night but you still cant log on, and the outage has revealed more cracks in Sonys network.Sony posted on X that the company was aware of the outage and suggested players check status.playstation.com for more information. Unfortunately, every single indicator from Account Management to PlayStation Direct is currently offline, and there isnt an estimated resolution time in sight.Recommended VideosWe are aware some users might be currently experiencing issues with PSN.For more details: https://t.co/NJX2xGusZM Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) February 8, 2025Please enable Javascript to view this contentWhats more, players are discovering that its impossible to pair a disc drive to the PlayStation 5 if PlayStation Network is down. That means that even offline games arent playable, and the console is nothing more than an expensive paperweight at the moment.Even physical games are bricked without PSN access if you need to pair a disc drive. This is why real physical media and disc drive access is vital.Welcome to the future nobody owns anything, and all art and entertainment is disposable, temporary, and lost forever. Ryan T. Brown (games industry guy) (@toadsanime.lostincult.co.uk) 2025-02-08T11:01:29.298ZAnd if the drive is already paired, well DRM protections cant be bypassed because the console cant connect to the Internet to verify ownership.The cause of the PlayStation Network outage isnt known. For now, gamers are left in limbo and waiting on word from Sony about an update. Many players fear the cause is another hack similar to the one that took place in 2011 and took down PlayStation Network for an unprecedented 23 days. Following the breach, Sony offered free games as compensation for the down time and inconvenience.This current outage comes at one of the worst possible times a Friday night, when millions of players are ready to spend their evenings tearing down the track or battling an alien infestation. Its one of the longest outages in recent years so far, but with any luck, it will be resolved soon.Editors Recommendations

As one of the best shows of 2024, it was nonetheless surprising that Shgun, was renewed for a second season. The series is based on a book of the same name, and the shows first season exhausted that story. At the 2025 Critics Choice Awards, star Hiroyuki Sanada and showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks spoke with Deadline about the upcoming season, suggesting that viewers may be surprised by how the show unfolds.Were coming out of the writers room now. Were also done with the 10 episodes and we have our finale now. Thats allowing us to start figuring out how were going to shoot this. But were very excited about the plan, Marks said. I think the thing to take away, more than anything, is how, I hope people are going to be surprised with some of the big ideas as soon as the first episode of part two. So, well start there and see where it takes us for future stories. But were really excited about it, especially for [Hiroyuki Sanada].Recommended VideosThe show has been renewed for a second and third season, but theres still no firm release date for either season. It seems like the second season still has to film, which makes it unlikely that well see it before the end of 2025.Please enable Javascript to view this contentSanada won for Best Actor in a Drama Series at the Critics Choice Awards, and suggested that hes excited to his character Toranaga in power in the second season.In Season 1, [Toranaga] didnt become a Shgun yet. So, Id like to see him become the leader of Japan. That is my hope, he said.Editors Recommendations

Vance will oversee negotiations with companies signaling interest while TikTok hopes to avoid a sale.