Meta’s Boss Mark Zuckerberg apologizes parents at US senate hearing

Here is the top trending news from the world of technology. News that every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.

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Meta’s Boss Mark Zuckerberg apologizes parents at US senate hearing

The senate hearing on online child safety on Thursday saw some dramatic and fiery scenes, after Meta’s boss Mark Zuckerberg gave unconditional apology to parents sitting in the senate audience. Zuckerberg said “I’m sorry for everything you have been through. It is terrible.” Zuckerberg was forced to apologize, after senators accused Meta owned social media platform Instagram of contributing to suicides and depression among young children. Zuckerberg was also questioned about sexually explicit images of children on Instagram. However, Instagram was not the only social media platform to face the tough question. Other prominent social media platforms like TikTok, X, Snapchat and Discord were also grilled for hours for allegedly compromising on online child safety.

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Volkswagen sets up its own AI lab for smarter cars

German auto giant Volkswagen has announced that it has set its own artificial intelligence lab that will help the company in manufacturing more smart and innovative cars. The German carmaker said that this new lab will help in pursuing many notable AI solutions, like optimizing electric vehicle charging, predictive maintenance of cars and linking vehicles with customers’ homes through internet connected devices. Barely few weeks back, Volkswagen had announced that it will be integrating ChatGPT into its voice assistant. AI currently has become the buzz word in the auto industry, with almost all top auto companies like Tesla, Toyota and Honda embracing AI technology to make smarter and efficient cars.

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Google Assistant to get boost with Bard integration

Google Assistant is set to get a new breath of life pretty soon as Google is planning to integrate its AI chatbot Bard into Google Assistant. According to unconfirmed reports, Google Assistant with Bard could be launched as early as March this year. It will reportedly run on new Gemini model that Google launched last year. Bard’s integration is likely to make Google Assistant more smart and efficient. Bard’s ability to understand context and generate text could lead to more natural and informative responses from Google Assistant. Bard can also access and process information from various sources, potentially expanding the knowledge base available to Google Assistant.

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Zoom Meetings Are Coming To Apple’s Vision Pro Headset

Zoom app, the popular video conference meeting app, has announced that it will launch its dedicated app on Apple’s Vision Pro Headset on the same day as it starts shipping to the consumers. However, most likely a zoom meeting on Vision Pro headset won’t be like any other online meeting. That’s because Zoom will be using Vision Pro’s AR tech to enhance its features and also give a new meeting experience. As a result, you’ll see AI-powered avatars that mimic facial expressions and hand movements, providing a more lifelike experience than traditional video calls. It could also create dynamic virtual space, known as Spatial Zoom, where participants can feel like they’re in the same room.

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RBI’s crackdown on fintech giant Paytm send shockwaves  

If you are a customer of Paytm Payment Bank then there is an important news for you. India’s banking regulator Reserve Bank of India has prohibited Paytm Payments Bank from offering all banking services due to regulatory concerns related to its system audit report. This means Paytm Payments Bank cannot open new accounts or onboard new customers. However, existing customers can continue to use their accounts for limited purposes. It is important to know that Paytm’s core businesses like payments and e-commerce won’t be directly impacted by RBI’s crackdown.  The company’s stock price fell significantly on Thursday morning, reflecting investor concerns.