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New York Governor Kathy Hochul thinks AI should be ‘less evil’

Today, I’m talking with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and I’ll just warn you — this episode moves really fast. It’s an election year, after all, with a shocking amount of tech policy at stake, and Governor Hochul has taken strong positions on almost every major tech issue there is. For example, Meta just reached a settlement with dozens of states, including New York, which will restrict how teens use platforms like Instagram in very specific ways. Governor Hochul is a strong supporter of those restrictions and more, as you’ll hear. But those come with a cost — widespread age verification means adults will also have to show ID to use the internet, which will essentially make it impossible to be anonymous online.  Verge subscribers, don’t forget you get exclusive access to ad-free  Decoder  wherever you get your podcasts. Head here . Not a subscriber? You can sign up here . So I asked about that, and if these new restrictions amount...
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Instagram cracks down on AI accounts pretending to be human

“AI creator” accounts like Aitana Lopez will get a new “AI-generated profile” label. | Image: Aitana Lopez Instagram is finally taking steps to address the rise of fake AI-influencer accounts that have gotten harder to spot . It's also renaming the "AI creator" label to "AI-generated profile" to make it clear when a profile features an AI-generated person that's not a real human being. "We've heard that people don't like seeing a profile that seems human, only to find out later that the person featured is AI-generated," said Instagram in a blog post . "They want to know when a profile features an AI-generated person." To that end, Instagram will be hunting down accounts that don't self-label their AI-generated profiles, and penalize them by limi … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/5tREUV9

Texas Governor Abbott blocks funding for more Flock cameras

As backlash grows over Flock's AI surveillance cameras, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has frozen state spending on them. The move came just ahead of the publication of a Texas Tribune investigation that revealed the state spent over $30 million on Flock cameras. That money was primarily raised by tacking a $1 fee onto insurance policies, allegedly to help fight catalytic converter theft. Flock cameras have increasingly drawn ire from across the political spectrum as they've become the subject of privacy concerns. There have been multiple incidents of officers being placed on leave or criminally charged for misusing Flock systems, including at … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/1iDw9MW

Chess.com launched a poker site and is planning even more classic games

Chess.com has done one thing, and one thing very well, for almost 20 years, but now it's going beyond its domain name. The biggest name in online chess quietly launched its first companion site in beta back in May: Gambit , a free online poker website where players can learn the game without risking any real money. Now Gambit's ready to really get the ball rolling with its first livestreamed event and collaborations with content creators, and Chess.com is planning to branch out into even more games from here. Chess.com's chief growth officer, Albert Cheng, told The Verge the company chose poker for its first companion site because, like ches … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/Ghk145X

Two new small, powerful Macs

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 142, your guide to the best and Verge -iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, how is it almost September already, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage .) This week, I've been remembering Dolly Parton , Tim Curry , and Peter Cullen , absorbing everything in Rockstar's big GTA VI preview , wondering if Apple will announce a foldable iPhone at its September event , getting sucked into Summoning Salt's latest speedrunning documentary about competitive Tetris , listening to Weird Al's new Tiny Desk concert ("The Saga Begins!"), and getting a Reuben from my favorite lo … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/fagP9ij

Distraction-free writing gadget BYOK is adding custom extensions

BYOK is a no-frills, single-purpose gadget that 90 percent of people will find absolutely frivolous. But for those who spend a significant chunk of their lives putting words to virtual paper, there is an obvious allure. Personally, I think it's at its best when you just stick to the bare minimum, focusing on pure text drafting. Certain users, though, need more. They want BYOK to take notes, they want to use it for writing screenplays, or maybe they want to organize a sprawling novel. Balancing the wants and needs of these more demanding users has been a challenge that BYOK founder Nick Sjolinder has been trying to figure out how to tackle. … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/70qXFc3

Welcome to Night Vale cocreator Joseph Fink learned storytelling from Grim Fandango 

10 out of 10 beard. | Photo: Ben Mekler Joseph Fink is the cocreator and cowriter of Welcome to Night Vale , arguably the most important fiction podcast ever. He's also the creator of the noir podcast Unlicensed and Alice Isn't Dead , which takes some of the conspiratorial cosmic horror of Night Vale and turns it into fodder for a more serious series about relationships, trauma, and the open road. There's also a sequel series out now called Don't Tell Alice that takes the story down an even darker path in which protagonist Keisha is the one with a secret. Joseph is also an accomplished author. In addition to co-writing the three Welcome to Night Vale novels, he's also penned the Al … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/W62D1sO