Elon Musk announced that the first human implanted with Neuralink's brain chip can control a computer mouse simply by thinking. Musk expressed optimism, revealing the patient's full recovery with no reported adverse effects. The brain-computer interface (BCI) implant was successfully placed last month, marking progress in the company's human trials. Musk aims for the technology to enhance communication for individuals with disabilities and potentially treat conditions like obesity and autism. Despite recent safety scrutiny, Neuralink continues its research, emphasizing the positive outcome of the initial human trial.

Google extended a 300% salary hike to an employee set to depart for Perplexity AI, revealed CEO Aravind Srinivas on the Big Technology Podcast. The employee, part of Google's 'search team,' had no direct involvement with the AI division. This development follows Google CEO Sundar Pichai's internal memo warning of more job cuts, citing the necessity for "tough choices" to make room for strategic investments. Google has reportedly laid off over a thousand employees since January 10, aiming to cut approximately 12,000 jobs globally, 6% of its workforce.

OpenAI reveals Sora, a new text-to-video software designed to generate one-minute videos from text prompts or still images. Sora is capable of creating scenes with various characters and motions, maintaining visual quality. OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, highlights Sora's language understanding, translating prompts into expressive characters. While acknowledging some challenges, including physics simulation, OpenAI focuses on safety measures, working on content detection tools. Collaborating with experts, the company aims to enhance Sora's resilience against misinformation and bias. Sora represents a practical step forward in AI capabilities, building on the success of ChatGPT in 2022.

In a move to curb digital frauds, the government has blocked 1.4 lakh mobile numbers linked to financial frauds or cyber crimes. Financial Services Secretary Vivek Joshi chaired a meeting addressing cyber security in the financial sector. The Department of Telecom (DoT) introduced an AI-machine learning engine called ASTR to detect mobile connections based on fake documents. Over 500 arrests have been made, 3.08 lakh SIMs blocked, and measures taken to prevent malicious SMSs. The meeting emphasized the need for round-the-clock resources and customer awareness programs to tackle digital payment frauds effectively.

Three researchers have won a $700,000 prize for their pioneering use of artificial intelligence (AI) in decoding a 2,000-year-old scroll damaged in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The scroll, known as the Herculaneum papyri, comprises approximately 800 Greek scrolls carbonized during the 79 CE eruption, burying Pompeii. Unrolling attempts failed, prompting the "Vesuvius Challenge," offering $1 million to spur research. The winning team utilized AI to differentiate ink from papyrus and identify faint Greek lettering through pattern recognition. This breakthrough could shed light on ancient history, with the next phase aiming to unlock 85% of the scroll.

A multinational company in Hong Kong fell prey to a $25.6 million scam orchestrated using deepfake technology. Perpetrators manipulated employees through a deepfake video conference, with all participants, except the victim, digitally created. The victim, a finance department employee, received a phishing message purportedly from the CFO, instructing a secret transaction. Succumbing to convincing deepfake representations during a group call, the victim made 15 transfers totaling $25 million to Hong Kong bank accounts. The elaborate scheme unfolded over a week, with scammers imitating voices and appearances with startling accuracy. Police investigations are ongoing.

With major elections on the horizon, Meta's policy on deep fake content faces scrutiny, as an oversight body calls for urgent updates. Following a decision on a manipulated video of US President Joe Biden, the board highlighted flaws in Meta's current approach, citing concerns about disinformation and electoral integrity. The board deemed Meta's policy "incoherent" and urged a shift towards addressing specific harms, rather than solely focusing on content creation methods. As AI-powered disinformation poses risks to global elections, the board emphasized the need for swift action, urging Meta to reconsider its policy ahead of the 2024 elections.

During a US Senate hearing, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued an apology to families who claimed their children suffered harm from social media, emphasizing that "no-one should go through" such experiences. Senators grilled Zuckerberg, TikTok CEO, and others for nearly four hours on child safety online. The session focused on legislation holding social media companies accountable. TikTok denied sharing data with the Chinese government. Meta announced new safety measures, including restricting messages to minors on Instagram and Messenger. Parents, present at the hearing, rallied for urgent legislation, citing the impact on families from online harms.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center introduces a breakthrough 'heart-on-a-chip' model, utilizing mature heart cells derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells. This miniature, lab-grown heart addresses cardiac risks associated with certain cancer therapies. With a beating rate of 60 beats per minute, resembling the human rhythm, the chip provides an ethical environment to test cancer drugs, minimizing potential heart damage. The innovation, reducing reliance on animal models, marks a significant step in evaluating and preventing cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity.

Elon Musk delighted social media by sharing a video of himself walking with Tesla's AI robot, 'Optimus.' The humanoid robot's video quickly went viral, accumulating over nine million views. Tesla aims to develop Optimus to handle tasks deemed unsafe, repetitive, or dull. Users on social media praised the robot's natural-looking gait and compared it to characters from Hollywood movies. Musk's recent post on X, formerly Twitter, showcased Optimus's capabilities, following the robot's previous videos demonstrating tasks like folding shirts. Additionally, Musk recently announced the first human chip implant from Neuralink, his computer-brain interface company.