NEWS
TikTok Banned for US Military Personnel as Questions Continue to Swirl Around the App
One of the biggest social media news stories of the holiday break was the announcement that the US military has banned all of its personnel from using the Chinese-owned app TikTok on government-issued devices. The US Navy instituted a similar ban earlier in December.
As per Military.com:
“The guidance directs all Defense Department employees to “be wary of applications you download, monitor your phones for unusual and unsolicited texts etc., and delete them immediately and uninstall TikTok to circumvent any exposure of personal information.”
The concern stems from TikTok’s exposure to the Chinese Government through parent company ByteDance – under China’s cybersecurity laws, all Chinese-owned companies must furnish Chinese government requests for user data on demand. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Chinese government will request such, and TikTok has repeatedly noted that it doesn’t store American user data in China, limiting any potential exposure. But the lack of transparency around the Chinese regime, and its processes, continues to raise concerns, and may, eventually, force TikTok to drastically change its ownership profile, or risk losing out in certain markets.
The concerns from the US military make sense. Miltary and Navy crews are undertaking various covert operations at any given time, and data gleaned from TikTok usage could inadvertently expose the locations of such, leading to conflict. If the US military were, for example, monitoring Chinese activity in the South China Sea, a specific point of tension in recent times, that could be problematic – if the Chinese government did, in fact, request and/or access such data from ByteDance.
But should the same concerns relate to regular users of the app?
Clearly, there’s some level of issue with the potential of Chinese government interference – but really, what data does TikTok actually have? What could be gleaned about your own personal usage if such access were to be granted?
The problem here is more relative to scale than it is to case-by-case scenarios. You, personally, might not be concerned about sharing your details in the app – you may not consider it a big deal if a company or organization had access to your name, phone number, email address, etc. But with a large enough sample set, the data extracted by TikTok could reveal a lot – and Facebook’s recent data privacy issues highlight how, exactly, such can be misused.
For example, let’s say you have an active TikTok profile, and TikTok is recording what you watch, what you upload, along with your personal bio information, location data, etc. In itself, this may be harmless, but through your app usage, you’re creating a data profile which can be matched up with other users, and eventually, with enough correlating data points, trends begin to emerge.
Back in 2015, The University of Cambridge and Stanford University examined the Facebook profiles of more than 86,000 users, and then matched their on-platform data against their psychological profiles, which those users had submitted through a ‘personality test’ app. Their key finding? Your Facebook activity data alone could indicate your psychological make-up more accurately than your friends, your family – better even than your partner, given enough info.
The researchers were able to do this by matching up large data sets – one person watching videos from, say, Coca Cola, Nike, and liking content about dogs all might mean nothing, but over a large scale, those three trends could be highly indicative of anxiety or depression – or more liberal political leanings.
When you have a data set of millions – and worth noting, TikTok reportedly serves 26.5 million active US users, and has been downloaded 1.5 billion times worldwide – these trends become more indicative. It’s possible that, through such analysis, your TikTok usage could indeed reveal more about your personal leanings than you realize. What if, then, a political activist group wanted to use such insight to influence your opinion? What if the Chinese government, with access to such a database, wanted to influence western opinion among younger demographic groups about, say, the Hong Kong protests, or indeed, communism more broadly?
Your personal data, in itself, may not be a major concern, but potentially, there could be significant issue with such, if, as many suspect, the Chinese government could request, and get access to such insights, whenever it wanted.
But again, TikTok has repeatedly noted that this is not the case. An investigation last year found that TikTok had switched its data storage policies, and that no information from US users was, reportedly, stored in China, as of February 2019.
As per ByteDance:
“TikTok does not operate in China and that the government of the PRC has no access to TikTok users data. In the United States, TikTok is operated by our US entity.”
The distinction here is that ‘TikTok’, which was once known as Musical.ly, is actually not available in China, but an alternate, Chinese version of the same app, called ‘Douyin‘, is. The two apps are not the same, TikTok says, and TikTok’s information is held separately.
So, nothing to worry about, right? TikTok data is not available to Chinese authorities, the databases are separate. We should be all good. Right?
The US military decision to ban access to the app shows that this is not yet the case, and while TikTok has again moved to reassure users with its first transparency report – which shows that no takedown requests have been received from China – while the company remains Chinese-owned, concerns will remain. And there’s probably not a lot that TikTok can do about it.
ByteDance has even floated the idea of moving its base of operations out of China completely in order to appease concerns, but even if it did, there’s no guarantee that such issues would go away. The isolationist and secretive nature of the Chinese government, and its links to any company operating within its borders, will always lead to a level of scrutiny. TikTok may be fine, there may be no real need for concern, we may all be able to watch and interact with fun, short video clips without issue. But the specter of data manipulation looms.
And in the wake of the 2016 US Presidential Election, and ahead of the upcoming US poll, that doesn’t look set to ease any time soon.
NEWS
OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models
OpenAI has today announced the release of fine-tuning capabilities for its flagship GPT-4 large language model, marking a significant milestone in the AI landscape. This new functionality empowers developers to create tailored versions of GPT-4 to suit specialized use cases, enhancing the model’s utility across various industries.
Fine-tuning has long been a desired feature for developers who require more control over AI behavior, and with this update, OpenAI delivers on that demand. The ability to fine-tune GPT-4 allows businesses and developers to refine the model’s responses to better align with specific requirements, whether for customer service, content generation, technical support, or other unique applications.
Why Fine-Tuning Matters
GPT-4 is a very flexible model that can handle many different tasks. However, some businesses and developers need more specialized AI that matches their specific language, style, and needs. Fine-tuning helps with this by letting them adjust GPT-4 using custom data. For example, companies can train a fine-tuned model to keep a consistent brand tone or focus on industry-specific language.
Fine-tuning also offers improvements in areas like response accuracy and context comprehension. For use cases where nuanced understanding or specialized knowledge is crucial, this can be a game-changer. Models can be taught to better grasp intricate details, improving their effectiveness in sectors such as legal analysis, medical advice, or technical writing.
Key Features of GPT-4 Fine-Tuning
The fine-tuning process leverages OpenAI’s established tools, but now it is optimized for GPT-4’s advanced architecture. Notable features include:
- Enhanced Customization: Developers can precisely influence the model’s behavior and knowledge base.
- Consistency in Output: Fine-tuned models can be made to maintain consistent formatting, tone, or responses, essential for professional applications.
- Higher Efficiency: Compared to training models from scratch, fine-tuning GPT-4 allows organizations to deploy sophisticated AI with reduced time and computational cost.
Additionally, OpenAI has emphasized ease of use with this feature. The fine-tuning workflow is designed to be accessible even to teams with limited AI experience, reducing barriers to customization. For more advanced users, OpenAI provides granular control options to achieve highly specialized outputs.
Implications for the Future
The launch of fine-tuning capabilities for GPT-4 signals a broader shift toward more user-centric AI development. As businesses increasingly adopt AI, the demand for models that can cater to specific business needs, without compromising on performance, will continue to grow. OpenAI’s move positions GPT-4 as a flexible and adaptable tool that can be refined to deliver optimal value in any given scenario.
By offering fine-tuning, OpenAI not only enhances GPT-4’s appeal but also reinforces the model’s role as a leading AI solution across diverse sectors. From startups seeking to automate niche tasks to large enterprises looking to scale intelligent systems, GPT-4’s fine-tuning capability provides a powerful resource for driving innovation.
OpenAI announced that fine-tuning GPT-4o will cost $25 for every million tokens used during training. After the model is set up, it will cost $3.75 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens. To help developers get started, OpenAI is offering 1 million free training tokens per day for GPT-4o and 2 million free tokens per day for GPT-4o mini until September 23. This makes it easier for developers to try out the fine-tuning service.
As AI continues to evolve, OpenAI’s focus on customization and adaptability with GPT-4 represents a critical step in making advanced AI accessible, scalable, and more aligned with real-world applications. This new capability is expected to accelerate the adoption of AI across industries, creating a new wave of AI-driven solutions tailored to specific challenges and opportunities.
This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update
Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:
1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update
Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.
2. Changes to Google Search Interface
Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.
3. New Features and Tests
- Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
- Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
- Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.
4. Search Rankings and Quality
- Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
- Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.
5. Advice for Content Creators
- Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
- Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.
6. New Search Features in Google Chrome
Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.
7. New Tests and Features in Google Search
- Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
- Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.
8. Bing’s New Feature
Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.
9. Local Search Ranking Factors
Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.
10. Google Ads Updates
- Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
- Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
- tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
- WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.
These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.
Facebook Faces Yet Another Outage: Platform Encounters Technical Issues Again
Uppdated: It seems that today’s issues with Facebook haven’t affected as many users as the last time. A smaller group of people appears to be impacted this time around, which is a relief compared to the larger incident before. Nevertheless, it’s still frustrating for those affected, and hopefully, the issues will be resolved soon by the Facebook team.
Facebook had another problem today (March 20, 2024). According to Downdetector, a website that shows when other websites are not working, many people had trouble using Facebook.
This isn’t the first time Facebook has had issues. Just a little while ago, there was another problem that stopped people from using the site. Today, when people tried to use Facebook, it didn’t work like it should. People couldn’t see their friends’ posts, and sometimes the website wouldn’t even load.
Downdetector, which watches out for problems on websites, showed that lots of people were having trouble with Facebook. People from all over the world said they couldn’t use the site, and they were not happy about it.
When websites like Facebook have problems, it affects a lot of people. It’s not just about not being able to see posts or chat with friends. It can also impact businesses that use Facebook to reach customers.
Since Facebook owns Messenger and Instagram, the problems with Facebook also meant that people had trouble using these apps. It made the situation even more frustrating for many users, who rely on these apps to stay connected with others.
During this recent problem, one thing is obvious: the internet is always changing, and even big websites like Facebook can have problems. While people wait for Facebook to fix the issue, it shows us how easily things online can go wrong. It’s a good reminder that we should have backup plans for staying connected online, just in case something like this happens again.
