Today in Tech

OpenAI has fired its opening salvo in the burgeoning AI-generated video space with the announcement of its Sora tool that can generate short video clips based on text prompts. Guest co-host Paul Desmond joins the show to discuss what this could mean for video-related jobs and how misinformation could result from this. Also: law enforcement cracks down on a ransomware gang and how the television has gone from the centerpiece of a home to “just another display.”

With more AI models and platforms and updates coming on a regular basis, we’re starting to wonder whether businesses and consumers will start suffering from “AI overload”, which could slow or disrupt adoption of the technology. Guest co-host Jack Gold joins the crew to discuss this and other technology news of recent weeks, including whether it’s time to put the brakes on the self-driving car industry.

The ‘spatial computing’ Apple Vision Pro has been out for a few weeks now, and reviews have been mixed about whether this is the future of computing or just a really expensive gadget. Keith chats with Macworld’s Mike Simon and Jason Cross, and Computerworld contributing writer Michael deAgonia about their impressions of the device and whether business users will find value in the device.

In our latest technology news roundup, we discuss how scammers were able to grab $25 million from a Hong Kong company’s finance employee by using deepfaked AI video; the rise of dumb people using Apple Vision Pro devices in not-so-smart ways, and whether a mega-sports streaming service will mean the death of the cable TV industry.

While generative AI dominated the headlines last year, there are some other amazing macro-trends in the world of technology that will have a big impact this year. Keith chats with Mike Bechtel, chief futurist and managing director at Deloitte Consulting, about the big trends for the year, as identified in the company’s Top Tech Trends report.

Whether companies are at the beginning or in the middle of their generative AI projects, getting the correct large language model (LLM) as a basis for the project is a key decision. Keith chats with Peter Pezaris, chief strategy officer at New Relic, about some of the decisions that companies need to make when exploring LLMs.

The first big primary in the 2024 election season also sees an AI-generated President Biden doing robocalls to voters, signaling the beginning of a long season of AI deepfakers. We also talk about the energy costs of running large AI projects, Netflix moving to livestreaming of WWE program Raw, and whether Disney has invented something that will get us closer to the Star Trek Holodeck. Analyst Jack Gold joins as co-host for the episode.

In our latest technology news roundup, we discuss Chicago-area electric vehicle owners who struggled with starting their cars in the frigid cold; new AI can mimic handwriting (although is that skill really needed anymore; and why people are continuing to unsubscribe from streaming services (except for NFL playoff games). Technology analyst Jack Gold joins the crew as guest co-host for the next several weeks.

For many companies, this year will mean moving their generative AI pilot projects into more customer-facing tools, while they still experiment with new tools and models. Keith chats with Sandeep Sacheti, executive vice president of Wolters Kluwer, about the lessons they learned in 2023 from genAI experiments, and why companies need to balance experiments between creative uses and more accurate tools.

With many companies and organizations going through IPv4 to IPv6 migration, they may be left with a large block of IPv4 addresses that can still provide value to other groups. Lee Howard, senior vice president of IPv4.Global, chats with Keith about the rise of address trading markets, why companies may not even realize that they have this value, whether the IPv6 migration will ever be completed, and why IP addressing is a lot like the good Star Trek movies. Strap in for a networking geek fest!

With job market statistics showing a decline in the number of jobs available, is it still a good time to look for a new job in the tech space? Keith chats with Computerworld’s Lucas Mearian about the optimism in the IT/tech job space, what kind of key skills people will need as they look for a new position, and hot job areas in tech.

What makes a company great for IT professionals? The pay? The benefits? The career growth opportunities? Keith chats with Beck Stackpole and Valerie Potter about Computerworld’s Best Places to Work in IT 2024, now in its 30th year of publication. What benefits, insights and programs are making companies more appealing?

Getting a job in 2023 or 2024 is more difficult than 10, 20 or 30 years ago. New resume-scanning technologies and the use of artificial intelligence, while beneficial for employers, can eliminate many job seekers from getting their foot in the door. Keith chats with Chui Senanyake, an expert in human resources and CEO of The Job Helpers, about how job candidates can navigate the job seeking market as well as how to find the perfect job in 2024.

With years of hype around it, the world of robotics is facing a lot more disillusionment in 2023, especially compared to the hype around generative artificial intelligence. Keith chats with Eugene Demaitre, editorial director at WTWH Media’s robotics publications, about the good, bad and ugly news around robotics, automation and autonomous vehicles in 2023.

While Epic Games was able to gain victory in its lawsuit against Google for app store antitrust policies, they continue to reframe the market with partnerships that could potentially exploit users with higher microtransactions. Meanwhile, a game developer pulls a bait-and-switch with its high-profile game before announcing it’s going out of business. Our Today in Tech team covers these stories and others (including the likelihood of them attending a Kiss avatar concert) in this technology news roundup episode.

A new survey from Appdome says 40% of respondents have either fallen victim or know someone who has been victimized from a mobile fraud or mobile device attack. Raising awareness about security of mobile apps can have a big impact on a brand’s reputation, and the spotlight is shining on developers who build mobile apps, not the device makers or network carriers. Keith talks with Chris Roeckl, chief product officer at Appdome, about the survey.

With artificial intelligence technology that can clone people’s voices, companies are wondering whether voice biometrics that can better authenticate a customer’s voice will be able to stop bad actors from gaining access to financial data. Keith chats with Dimitris Vassos, CEO and founder of Omilia, about how cybercriminals are using voice cloning tools to infiltrate customer call centers and other systems.

Billionaire Elon Musk goes after Disney’s Bob Iger, claiming blackmail for advertisers moving away from Twitter/X, right in the middle of the ‘launch’ of the Cybertruck. Discussing the week’s technology news with Keith is guest co-host Jeremy Duvall, CEO of 7Factor Software. Also discussed: Instagram’s algorithm issues are troubling for showing content to child predators, and Spotify gets praise for its annual Wrapped song-listening package.

In a year where generative artificial intelligence grabbed a lot of the top technology news headlines, Apple made some impressive gains with its hardware announcements, including the long-awaited Vision Pro. Computerworld’s Ken Mingis and Macworld’s Michael Simon join Keith in this episode to go over what worked, what didn’t and what we can expect from Apple in 2024.

Cyberattacks continue to threaten healthcare systems around the world, putting patients at risk and further eroding trust in healthcare providers. Can anything be done to reduce the risk, or will going to the doctor or hospital be a roll of the dice when it comes to personal and private data, as well as health equipment? Keith chats with Wes Wright, the chief healthcare officer at Ordr.net, about the ongoing threat of ransomware for healthcare systems.

YouTube announces policies that aim to crack down on AI-generated content, while at the same time offering musicians the ability to create AI versions of their voices. Guest co-host Jeremy Duvall joins the crew to talk about this news and other topics, including OpenAI putting ChatGPT-Plus subscriptions on hold, and why more Americans are getting their news from TikTok.

One year ago, ChatGPT was released to the world and generative AI tools have disrupted the way we work, play, draw and create. Keith chats with resident AI experts Nicholas Mattei (Tulane University) and Mike Mason (Thoughtworks) about what was good, bad and ugly around ChatGPT and genAI, and what we can expect in 2024.

Microsoft has spent $13.1B investing in generative artificial intelligence, but early indications of Copilot for Windows suggests that it’s nothing more than an updated version of Clippy. Can other versions of Copilot, such as 365 or enterprise users, be more successful? Keith chats with Computerworld’s Preston Gralla about his annoyance with the latest AI tools from Microsoft.

In our latest technology news roundup, Keith and Chris are joined by our new guest co-host Jeremy Duvall to discuss OpenAI’s new GPT store, the sarcastic ‘Grok’ AI from Elon Musk and other AI-driven news of the week. Also, we discuss the decline of the tablet, and why a Legend of Zelda live-action movie makes sense.

A new survey from Deloitte suggests that consumers love having connected digital devices, but that they are looking for balance between the digital and physical worlds in a post-pandemic landscape. Consumers are also facing ‘digital fatigue’ when it comes to securing and managing their devices. Keith chats with Jana Arbanas from Deloitte about the survey and how consumers feel about their devices at home and at work.

A new survey suggests that app usage at companies is growing like weeds, with business leaders ignoring IT recommendations; or the ease of use for buying software causes the apps to multiply. Keith Shaw chats with Prasad Ramakrishnan, CIO of Freshworks, about how companies need to better align IT initiatives with business leaderships to help stop the sprawl; and whether generative AI tools can help.

Even though widespread deployment isn’t expected until 2030, many wireless industry officials are already discussing 6G wireless and what it could mean for carriers, businesses and consumers. Keith chats with analyst Jack Gold about what obstacles and challenges are ahead for carriers as they look to create better networks through artificial intelligence and provide cutting-edge applications for consumers.

The high-profile hack of MGM Resorts International is shining a light on the latest tactics being used by organized hackers to exploit large companies. What lessons can consumers and other businesses learn from these attacks? Keith chats with Ben Smith, Field CTO of security firm NetWitness, about the fallout from these attacks and how companies can shore up their own security.

In our latest technology news roundup, we chat about how technology often gets hyped to the extreme, and it takes some common sense to bring us back to reality. Keith and Chris discuss this concept around autonomous vehicles, electric cars, cryptocurrency and more. In addition, Meta sees record revenues due to an advertising rebound, while at the same time they get slapped with government lawsuits that say their technology is addicting to kids and teens.

Recent unemployment data in the technology jobs market indicates a growing number of unemployed tech workers. Is generative AI the cause of some companies holding back on entry-level IT positions? Keith discusses the latest data with Computerworld’s Lucas Mearian to see whether this is a small blip or the beginning of a new trend in tech job hiring.

OpenAI integrates current search engine data with ChatGPT to make answers more “new”; Amazon expands its use of robotics and artificial intelligence to make deliveries even faster; and we see the return of the ‘Glasshole’ as Meta Quest headsets begin being used in public situations, irking lots of normal people. Keith and Chris catch up on the latest technology news in this episode.

Beyond using generative AI tools for writing code, software developers are finding immediate benefits to improving communication and efficiency on projects big and small. Keith chats with Cory Hymel, vice president of product and research at Gigster, about how software developers are thriving with new genAI tools.

We are now witnessing the new realities of how news is being delivered (and whether it’s true or misinformation) through social media platforms in the wake of the Hamas attack in Israel and the ensuing war. Europe calls for big platforms such as Meta and X to take down illegal content, and X faces fallout for changes that erode trust in the platform. Keith and Chris discuss the latest developments, along with news about TikTok, AI voice cloning, and whether we’re basically living in a virtual simulation somewhere.

Training employees to spot phishing attempts and raise security awareness is a multi-billion-dollar business, but does it really work? Recent high-profile cyberattacks have shown that it is still relatively easy for attackers to get employees to provide access to computer systems and networks. Keith chats with Kelly Reeves, a cybersecurity expert and researcher, about how companies can improve their security awareness training.

Most tech organizations have a disaster recovery plan in place for traditional events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards, etc. But what happens when the event itself is unexpected (and immediate)? Keith talks with Tamecka McKay, CIO for the city of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., about how her team responded during a historic rainfall that dropped 25-plus inches of rain in a five-hour period, flooding many buildings and taking out power, email and other tech systems.

As businesses look to improve their sustainability footprints, the power-hungry data center takes front-and-center stage. Keith chats with Sara Martin, an associate principal at architecture firm HED, about what companies should consider in making a greener data center around areas such as building materials, location, and new designs.

As new generative AI tools come out almost weekly, we are on the cusp of having a generation of humans that will grow up with artificial intelligence, similar to how millennials and ‘GenZ’ kids grew up with mobile phones and social media. What steps will businesses and schools need to take to train Generation AI? Keith talks with Gaurav Rao, executive vice president and general manager for machine learning and AI at AtScale, about the structural changes we’ll see.

What started innocently as a way to ‘personalize’ content has now become extremely divisive in cases. Internet algorithms now control what types of news people consume, what content they can (and can’t) see on social media, and what products they might want to buy. With artificial intelligence now powering more algorithms, could this mean even more problems down the road? Keith chats with Michael Wilkowski, a security and communications expert and CTO of Silent Eight, about the problem and whether there’s any home for humanity.

Despite some recent high-profile missteps, many companies are developing augmented and virtual reality technologies, including Meta and Apple (which calls it spatial computing). With new hardware on the way, are we on the verge of a generational switch that changes how we work, relax and communicate in the future? Keith chats with Zac Duff, co-founder of Jigspace and an industry leader in the AR/VR space, about the prospects for kickstarting this technology.

With new technology and attack methods such as AI voice phishing being used by hackers, the old methods of passwords and authentication may soon be going away. On this episode, Keith chats with Julianna Lamb, CTO and co-founder of Stytch, about new authentication methods that can improve security for end users and companies to help protect account information.

Generative artificial intelligence is providing large and small impacts within businesses as they look to use tools to find new employees and keep the ones they have. Employees within companies are also using genAI in new ways, causing additional legal issues for many companies. Keith chats with Jay Sabin, an employment attorney from Brach Eichler, about navigating through many of these new legal and company obstacles.

New announcements and artificial intelligence integrations by Amazon, Microsoft and OpenAI indicate that the enthusiasm for AI is hitting another wave. Keith and Chris talk about the new image creation tools and other text-based generative AI that will soon be infiltrating your day-to-day work tasks and other parts of your life.

Documents related to the FTC vs. Microsoft case were inadvertently leaked this week, showing plans for a new Xbox, a desire to buy Nintendo and exclusive gaming plans, among other items. This also comes on the heels of a report that Microsoft AI researchers leaked 38TB of employee data. Maybe they need a plumber like Mario to fix the leaks. Plus, would you pay for Twitter/X in order to fight the ‘bots?

Keith and Chris discuss the recent cyberattack against MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, which had one company refusing to pay ransom while another one did. Dynamics of how the hackers were able to get into company systems were also disturbing. Also, we discuss the Google vs. DOJ antitrust trial, whether scientists need to meddle with asteroids, and whether people who work at home have insane energy when they venture out into the public.

Recent news and trends indicate continuing problems around generative AI, such as security issues, the ‘dumbening’ of the tech, cost problems; which leads us to wonder whether we are about to hit the proverbial ‘trough of disillusionment.’ Is this the case or are we just at another plateau, with more greatness to come? Keith speaks with Mike Mason from Thoughtworks and Nicholas Mattei from Tulane University about whether we have reached “Peak AI”.

The September launch event for the iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9 featured several small improvements in performance and features, as well as continued commitment to environmental sustainability. Keith chats with Macworld’s Michael Simon and Computerworld’s Ken Mingis about the highlights and lowlights from the event.

New research says that a weakening economy and consumers holding onto their phones for longer period are driving smartphone sales to decline to their lowest volume in a decade. Also, Keith and Chris discuss whether companies should disclose if they use AI to generate content, whether generations have different opinions on subscription loyalty, and whether self-checkouts at supermarkets needs to have rules of etiquette.

With the election cycle heating up for 2024, is there anything we can do to stop political deepfake images, video or audio from influencing voters’ minds? Or is it too late to put this genie back in the bottle? Keith chats with Matthew Write, a professor of computing security at RIT and a member of the DeFake Project, which aims to detect deepfakes and help journalists determine whether something is real or fake.

The old era of a heroic boss leading his team into ‘battle’ are long gone, given the exponential growth of disruption in the workplace. Keith chats with Ron Gutman, an adjunct professor at Stanford University and innovator on leadership issues, about how bosses and other company leaders need to adopt an anti-heroic persona.

The role of copyright law and Big Tech and the rights of content creators seem to be all heading towards legislation, regulations or court cases. Keith and Chris talk about this in context of Google/YouTube and their music deal with publishers; and whether Amazon used AI art in its new Fallout TV show. We also talk about good news for PC shipments, whether screens are causing myopia, and how AI is being used for good for stroke survivors.