Useful AI

News

Friday, 30 October · updated 11 min ago

AI News

Hard terms in each story, explained in plain English.

Security

Law Firms Face Rising AI-Fueled Cyberattacks, Report Says

A new report says law firms are facing a growing number of cyberattacks, and that AI is helping fuel them. Law firms hold sensitive client information, so the warning matters to anyone whose case files sit with a firm. It is a reminder that security matters as much as speed in legal work.

Quick glossaryABA Journal, Cyberattack, AI-fueled
ABA Journal
A publication of the American Bar Association, a large group of lawyers in the United States.
Cyberattack
An attempt by hackers to break into computer systems, steal information, or cause damage to them.
AI-fueled
Made stronger or more powerful by artificial intelligence tools, which can learn patterns and generate content.
ABA Journal
Burning Potato score: 82%
Security

Binance Hit by $6.3 Billion Hack, Report Warns of Risky Era

A New York Times report says the $6.3 billion hack on Binance is just the start of a risky new era. Large thefts like this can put users' money at risk, so anyone using crypto platforms should pay close attention to security news and take care with their accounts.

Quick glossaryBinance, crypto
Binance
A major cryptocurrency exchange, a website where people buy and sell digital currencies such as Bitcoin, based outside India.
crypto
Short for cryptocurrency, a digital form of money that is stored and traded online rather than as physical cash.
The New York Times
Burning Potato score: 86%
Privacy

Your AI Chats Can Be Made Public, a Warning Says

A Computerworld article reports that there are several ways AI chat conversations can be made public, so users should not assume their chats stay private. People who share personal details with AI tools may want to check their privacy settings and think carefully before typing sensitive information into a chatbot.

Quick glossaryComputerworld, chatbot, privacy settings
Computerworld
A long-running US technology news website that covers business computing, software, and IT news for professionals.
chatbot
A computer program you can type or talk to, which replies in a conversational way, like a helpful digital assistant.
privacy settings
Options inside an app or account that let you control who can see your information and what gets saved or shared.
computerworld.com
Burning Potato score: 81%
Security

Cyber Criminals Target Smaller NBFCs Using AI Toolkits

Cyber criminals are reportedly targeting smaller NBFCs, or non-banking financial companies, using specialised AI toolkits. The warning comes in today's ETtech Top 5 briefing for India, which also highlights Pine Labs' sharp jump in Q2 profit. Lenders and their customers should be alert to scams and data theft.

Quick glossaryNBFCs, Pine Labs, AI toolkits
NBFCs
Non-banking financial companies are lenders that offer loans and credit without being regular banks.
Pine Labs
Pine Labs is an Indian company that provides payment machines and payment services for shops and businesses.
AI toolkits
Ready-made sets of AI software tools that help people carry out tasks like writing messages or finding targets quickly.
Economic Times Tech
Burning Potato score: 80%
Security

Open AI Model Turned Firefox Fixes Into Working Attacks

Research group Epoch AI reports that GLM 5.3, a widely available AI model, turned public Firefox security fixes into working attacks. It compromised six Firefox releases in under 48 hours, at roughly $1,000 per release, with no human input and without tripping safeguards. The finding suggests users may be exposed before updates reach them.

Quick glossaryEpoch AI, open-weight model, exploit chains, API fees
Epoch AI
A US-based research group that studies and tracks trends in artificial intelligence.
open-weight model
An AI model whose trained settings are published so anyone can download and run it.
exploit chains
Linked steps that take advantage of software flaws in order to break into a computer system.
API fees
Charges paid to use an AI company's software gateway that lets other programs send it requests.
The Decoder
Burning Potato score: 80%
Crypto

Binance Estimates $6.3B Hit From Security Breach

Binance, a major crypto exchange, estimates the security breach could have a $6.3 billion impact. It has frozen $3 billion in crypto assets and suspended deposits and withdrawals. The company has pledged to cover customer losses. A preliminary investigation points to a compromised laptop belonging to a DevOps engineer as the possible entry point.

Quick glossaryBinance, DevOps engineer, crypto assets
Binance
A large cryptocurrency exchange, a website where people buy and sell digital coins such as Bitcoin.
DevOps engineer
A tech worker who manages the systems that build, test, and release software for a company.
crypto assets
Digital money and coins that people own, stored on computer networks rather than in physical form.
YourStory
Burning Potato score: 79%
Scams

AI Helps Scams Overtake Phishing as Fraud Grows

A new report says scams have now overtaken phishing. Criminals are using AI to run these scams on a much larger scale, making it easier to trick people into handing over money or personal details.

Quick glossaryPhishing, Fraud
Phishing
Fake messages or websites that trick people into sharing passwords, bank details or other private information.
Fraud
Dishonest trickery used to steal money or property from someone, often by lying about who they are or what they offer.
securityboulevard.com
Burning Potato score: 77%
Policy

New York Signs Law to Protect Children From AI Chatbots

New York has signed a new law to protect children from AI chatbots, the programs that hold text or voice conversations with users. The law aims to keep young people safer when they use these tools. The headline gives no further details on what the law requires.

Quick glossaryAI chatbots
AI chatbots
Computer programs that hold conversations with people by text or voice, using artificial intelligence to reply.
teleSUR English
Burning Potato score: 77%
Security

Anthropic's AI Model Finds Serious Bug in Linux Software

An AI model from Anthropic has found a bug in the Linux kernel, the core part of the Linux operating system. The flaw can lead to remote root access, which means an outsider could take full control of a machine over a network. It shows AI can now spot serious security holes in widely used software.

Quick glossaryAnthropic, Linux kernel, remote root access
Anthropic
An AI safety company based in San Francisco, best known for its Claude chatbot and AI models.
Linux kernel
The central core of the Linux operating system that controls how a computer's hardware and programs work together.
remote root access
A way for someone far away over a network to gain full, top-level control of a computer without being physically present.
CSO Online
Burning Potato score: 77%
Workplace

Worker Wins Religious Exemption From Mandatory AI Use

David Durman, an administrator at the University of Kentucky, has won a religious exemption that lets him skip using AI at work. The story notes that a person does not need to believe in a god to get such an exemption. It raises questions about how far workers can opt out of AI requirements set by employers.

Quick glossaryUniversity of Kentucky, religious exemption
University of Kentucky
A public university in the US state of Kentucky, known for its teaching and research across many subjects.
religious exemption
Permission to skip a workplace rule because following it would clash with a person's religious beliefs.
TechCrunch AI
Burning Potato score: 76%
Safety

OpenAI Adds Teen Protections and Violence Safeguards in ChatGPT

OpenAI has released a community safety report and says it is tightening ChatGPT's defences against violence. The company plans to step in earlier when risks appear and has promised public safety reporting. New protections for teenage users are also part of the update.

Quick glossaryOpenAI, safeguards, public safety reporting
OpenAI
OpenAI is the San Francisco company best known for ChatGPT, a popular AI chatbot.
safeguards
Protective rules or features built into a product to stop it being misused or causing harm.
public safety reporting
Regular public updates from a company about how it handles harmful use of its products and the risks it has found.
OpenAI News
Burning Potato score: 76%
Scams

Finastra Warns Some AI Scams Cannot Be Detected

Finastra's chief technology officer, Mike Stawchansky, says some AI-driven scams are so convincing that current tools cannot catch them. Readers should be careful with unexpected calls, messages or payment requests, even when they seem genuine, and should check through a trusted channel before sending money.

Quick glossaryFinastra, CTO, AI scams
Finastra
Finastra is a financial software company whose products are used by banks and other financial firms.
CTO
Chief technology officer, the senior executive in charge of a company's technology and software systems.
AI scams
Fraud that uses artificial intelligence to copy voices, writing or videos to trick people into sending money or details.
TheStreet
Burning Potato score: 76%

Load more