Duolingo is now going to be "AI-first," the company has announced aka it will drop employees in favor of using AI. In a publicly shared email, CEO Luis von Ahn outlined how Duolingo will "gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle." This follows the company's January 2024 decision to cut 10 percent of its contractors, in part because AI could do their tasks.
In the email, von Ahn points to Duolingo's "need to create a massive amount of content, and doing that manually doesnt scale. One of the best decisions we made recently was replacing a slow, manual content creation process with one powered by AI. Without AI, it would take us decades to scale our content to more learners. We owe it to our learners to get them this content ASAP."
The CEO claims that Duolingo still "cares deeply about its employees" but that it needs to remove bottlenecks to best utilize them. To that end, it will be looking for experience using AI both in hiring and when doing performance reviews.
In the email, von Ahn admits that AI is far from perfect wow, who knew? But, he states that Duolingo should move with urgency, rather than wait and take "occasional small hits" quality-wise. We'll have to wait and see what these AI-powered prompts will look like as a result. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/duolingo-will-replace-contract-workers-with-ai-123058178.html?src=rss
The US House of Representatives has passed the Take It Down Act, a bipartisan bill that criminalizes the "publication of non-consensual, sexually exploitative images," including AI-generated deepfakes that depict "identifiable, real people." It would also compel platforms, such as social networks, to remove those images within 48 hours of being notified. The bill enjoyed overwhelming support in Congress and was cleared for approval by President Trump with a vote of 409 to 2. It passed Senate unanimously in February, and Trump, who previously talked about it while addressing Congress, is expected to sign the bill into law.
Nearly every state in the country has its own laws revolving around revenge porn, and there are 20 states that already have laws that cover deepfakes. Take It Down's authors, who include Senator Ted Cruz, explained that those laws "vary in classification of crime and penalty and have uneven criminal prosecution." Victims are also still having a tough time getting their images removed under those laws. However, it's that takedown provision in the bill that has raised concerns among critics.
According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the provision could potentially apply to any image that's perceived as sexual or intimate even if it's not revenge porn. It has much broader definitions of what a "non-consensual, sexually exploitative image" is compared to its narrower definitions in other parts of the bill, the organization said. In addition, the EFF argued that the bill lacks safeguards against bad-faith takedown requests. Since online platforms typically use automated systems to remove content, and 48 hours are likely not enough time to verify each request's legitimacy, they'll most likely just depublish most reported images without checking them first.
One of the Republican representatives who voted against the bill said it was "ripe for abuse, with unintended consequences." But Cruz previously said after introducing Take It Down that it will "protect and empower all victims" of revenge porn by "creating a level playing field at the federal level and putting the responsibility on websites to have in place procedures to remove these images."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/us-congress-passes-take-it-down-revenge-porn-bill-that-also-covers-ai-deepfakes-120047880.html?src=rss
Google I/O is usually where the company reveals whats happening with its smartphone OS for the next 12 months, but this year, Android is getting its own thing. A week ahead of I/O, Google will deep dive into the future of Android in a special edition of The Android Show.
The company said people have been asking for more ways to learn about how the Android experience is changing. (Who are these people?)
Google says it has so many new things to share regarding Android, hence this edition of The Android Show a long-running YouTube series mainly for devs. The presentation will feature Android Ecosystem president Sameer Samat, but Google added that Android will still feature at I/O, where the company says itll reveal even more special announcements and surprises.
The Android Show: I/O Edition will air on May 13 at 1PM ET.
Mat Smith
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Nothing sub-brand CMF announced another cheap but stylish smartphone
The battery on the Phone Pro 2 lasts two full days on a charge.
CMF
Nothing says its CMF Phone Pro 2 is the lightest, slimmest smartphone its ever designed. Its 7.8mm thin and 6.5 ounces, which may make it the lightest phone Nothing has ever made, but the iPhone 16, for instance, is just 6 ounces.
Theres a 6.77-inch FHD+ AMOLED display and a four-camera setup, complete with a 50MP main camera. That includes a telephoto lens, an ultra-wide and a front-facing selfie camera, but CMF is offering a modular twist, with the ability to attach fisheye and macro lenses.
The 256GB model costs just $279 and pre-orders are open now, shipping on May 6. However, the phone is only available for those in the companys beta program. I have the phone right here, but theres not much to report on until the frivolous accessories land alongside it.
Continue reading.
Researchers secretly experimented on Reddit users with AI-generated comments
They used bot accounts in r/changemyview.
A group of researchers covertly ran a months-long unauthorized experiment in one of Reddits most popular communities, using AI-generated comments to test the persuasiveness of large language models (LLMs). The experiment, which was revealed over the weekend by moderators of r/changemyview, is described by Reddit mods as psychological manipulation of unsuspecting users.
The researchers used LLMs to generate comments on r/changemyview, a subreddit where Reddit users share (often controversial or provocative) opinions and invite debate from other users. The community has 3.8 million members.
According to Reddit moderators, the AI took on numerous identities in comments during the experiment, including a sexual assault survivor, a trauma counselor specializing in abuse and a Black man opposed to Black Lives Matter. Many of the original comments have since been deleted.
Reddit appears to be considering some kind of legal action. Chief legal officer Ben Lee wrote that the researchers actions were deeply wrong on both a moral and legal level and a violation of Reddits site-wide rules.
Continue reading.
Russian regulators are trying to seize assets from the developers of World of Tanks
Russia took issue with Wargamings support of Ukraine.
Top executives from Wargaming and Lesta Games, the joint developers of World of Tanks, could have their stakes in their respective companies seized by the Russian government, according to reports from Russian news organizations RIA and RBC.
The execs are reportedly being accused of extremist activities by Russias prosecutor general (the countrys equivalent of the US attorney general) because of Wargamings support of Ukraine, RIA reports.
Development of World of Tanks was split in 2022 when Wargaming left its offices in Russia and Belarus. Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine that same year. In response, Wargaming ran a campaign in World of Tanks to raise money for medical aid in Ukraine in 2023.
Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111532476.html?src=rss
Wholesome Direct, an annual showcase of cute and cozy games, is returning on Saturday, June 7 at 12PM ET / 9AM PT. This year's event will show off "a vibrant lineup of artistic, uplifting, and emotionally resonant games from developers of all sizes from around the world," according to Wholesome Games' announcement post.
Last year's Wholesome Direct covered over 30 games, including updates to already released titles and the reveal of entirely new games. The definition of "wholesome" is generally as broad as event organizer Wholesome Games needs it to be, but Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge from the 2024 Direct is a good example of the kind of game this showcase likes to feature. It's a cute concept (a management game about running a wildlife refuge), has a beautifully illustrated art style and features relaxed, but deep gameplay. Many of the projects that fill out the average Wholesome Direct lineup fit a similar description.
Wholesome Games hasn't yet announced which developers will be featured during the Wholesome Direct, but the odds are good that its own Wholesome Games Present publishing label will have some games in the mix. Is This Seat Taken?, a puzzle game about figuring out seating arrangements, doesn't have a release date yet and would be a natural fit for the show.
Wholesome Direct 2025 will stream on YouTube and Twitch on June 7 at 12PM ET / 9AM PT. The showcase falls right in the middle of Summer Game Fest, a group of loosely-affiliated game showcases that start airing on June 6, 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/wholesome-direct-2025-will-premiere-on-june-7-214501921.html?src=rss
Top executives from Wargaming and Lesta Games, the joint developers of World of Tanks, could have their stakes in their respective companies seized by the Russian government, according to reports from Russian news organizations RIA and RBC.
Malik Khatazhaev, the head of Lesta Games, and Viktor Kisly, the head of Wargaming, are reportedly being accused of extremist activities by Russia's Prosecutor General (the country's equivalent of the US Attorney General) because of Wargaming's support of Ukraine, RIA reports. The Prosecutor General is looking to seize all of the executives' shares in their respective companies.
Development of World of Tanks was split in 2022 when Wargaming left its offices in Russia and Belarus, and transferred development of the Russian version of the game to Lesta Games. Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine that same year. In response, Wargaming ran a campaign in World of Tanks raising money for medical aid in Ukraine in 2023. The Russian government has decided to interpret that pro-Ukrainian fundraising as anti-Russian extremist activity. Why Lesta Games is being accused of the same thing isn't entirely clear, but it is the company that's technically still under the Prosecutor General's jurisdiction.
Neither Lesta Games nor Wargaming have released an official statement, but Lesta Games did comment in a company Telegram channel, RBC reports. "The company works in full compliance with the legislation of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, so we have no grounds for any concerns or concealment of information," Lesta Games writes. "We have not violated anything and we have nothing to fear."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/russian-regulators-are-trying-to-seize-assets-from-the-developers-of-world-of-tanks-202157310.html?src=rss
A group of researchers covertly ran a months-long "unauthorized" experiment in one of Reddits most popular communities using AI-generated comments to test the persuasiveness of large language models. The experiment, which was revealed over the weekend by moderators of r/changemyview, is described by Reddit mods as psychological manipulation of unsuspecting users.
The CMV Mod Team needs to inform the CMV community about an unauthorized experiment conducted by researchers from the University of Zurich on CMV users, the subreddits moderators wrote in a lengthy post notifying Redditors about the research. This experiment deployed AI-generated comments to study how AI could be used to change views.
The researchers used LLMs to create comments in response to posts on r/changemyview, a subreddit where Reddit users post (often controversial or provocative) opinions and request debate from other users. The community has 3.8 million members and often ends up on the front page of Reddit. According to the subreddits moderators, the AI took on numerous different identities in comments during the course of the experiment, including a sexual assault survivor, a trauma counselor specializing in abuse, and a Black man opposed to Black Lives Matter. Many of the original comments have since been deleted, but some can still be viewed in an archive created by 404 Media.
In a draft of their paper, the unnamed researchers describe how they not only used AI to generate responses, but attempted to personalize its replies based on information gleaned from the original posters prior Reddit history. In addition to the posts content, LLMs were provided with personal attributes of the OP (gender, age, ethnicity, location, and political orientation), as inferred from their posting history using another LLM, they write.
The r/chnagemyview moderators note that the researchers violated multiple subreddit rules, including a policy requiring the disclosure when AI is used to generate comment and a rule prohibiting bots. They say they filed an official complaint with the University of Zurich and have requested the researchers withhold publication of their paper.
The researchers didnt respond to an email from Engadget. In posts on Reddit and in a draft of their paper, though, they say their research was approved by a university ethics committee and that their work could help online communities like Reddit protect users from more malicious uses of AI.
We acknowledge the moderators position that this study was an unwelcome intrusion in your community, and we understand that some of you may feel uncomfortable that this experiment was conducted without prior consent, the researchers wrote in a comment responding to the r/changemyview mods. We believe the potential benefits of this research substantially outweigh its risks. Our controlled, low-risk study provided valuable insight into the real-world persuasive capabilities of LLMscapabilities that are already easily accessible to anyone and that malicious actors could already exploit at scale for far more dangerous reasons (e.g., manipulating elections or inciting hateful speech).
The mods for r/changemyview dispute that the research was necessary or novel, noting that OpenAI researchers have conducted experiments using data from r/changemyview without experimenting on non-consenting human subjects. Reddit didnt respond to a request for comment, though the accounts that posted the AI-generated comments have been suspended.
People do not come here to discuss their views with AI or to be experimented upon, the moderators wrote. People who visit our sub deserve a space free from this type of intrusion.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/researchers-secretly-experimented-on-reddit-users-with-ai-generated-comments-194328026.html?src=rss
The extraction-shooter genre is getting a little more crowded and a lot more stylish with the announcement of Mycopunk, a four-player, first-person romp from indie studio Pigeons at Play and publisher Devolver Digital. Mycopunk is coming to Steam in early access this year.
Mycopunk stars four eccentric robots whove been hired by an intergalactic megacorporation to exterminate an invasive, violent fungus thats taken root on a valuable planet. Each robot has a specific class and moveset, but players can use any weapon or loadout with any character and thats a huge benefit, because there are a ton of wacky guns, upgrades and ammo options in this game. For example, there are bouncing shotgun pellets, bullets that hover in place and then dive down when you press the trigger again, and a rocket launcher move that also makes you fly. Customization is a big part of the Mycopunk experience, and there are about 40 upgrades for every weapon, plus unique skill enhancements for each robot. A spatial upgrade system lets you activate abilities by placing their molecular strands on a honeycomb grid, combining effects in powerful and silly ways.
The main loop in Mycopunk involves gathering your team, setting mission modifiers, and then dropping onto a planet to kill hordes of massive, tentacled fungus monsters. With each run, you have to accomplish your corporate-directed goal, collect resources for future upgrades and generally survive the onslaught. Missions are fast-paced and the action shifts throughout, dropping new enemies, minibosses and environmental dangers until your final escape.
The hub world, where you hang out between missions, is surprisingly vast and packed with surreal touches, like a giant TV screen that only shows a sitcom about roaches. All abilities are unlocked in the hub so you can freely test out your character, plus there are vehicles to drive around, a sparring area, a recreation sphere, snack machines, and secret passageways to explore. It also has Roachard, your mission control contact who happens to be a big roach.
Devolver Digital
Visually, Pigeons at Play took inspiration from your coolest friends favorite comic book artist, Moebius, which lends the game a gritty, hand-drawn vibe. Mycopunk looks like a living graphic novel, blending retrofuturism with slick mechanics to create a rich, tactile experience. It specifically reminds me of Rollerdrome, a gorgeous game that I will never stop talking about.
Mycopunk started out as a senior thesis project for the Pigeons at Play crew, but its transformed into something much larger (kind of like a well-fed fungus). Mycopunk is charming and surprisingly deep, with dozens of cute touches that come straight from the developers history of playing co-op shooters together. For instance, to revive a teammate you have to literally find and reconnect two halves of their broken robot body, instead of just pressing X over their corpse in the middle of a hectic battlefield. Each character also has their own dance moves, and one of the available upgrades lets you move a swarm of bullets through the air like a murderous orchestra conductor.
A demo for Mycopunk went live on Steam today and the game is set to enter early access later in 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/mycopunk-is-an-upbeat-love-letter-to-extraction-shooters-192337609.html?src=rss
There are plenty of good reasons to delete your X account, whether it's because of a general desire to not do anything to help Elon Musk, a distaste for the curdled culture of the platform or the allure of greener social pastures like Bluesky or Threads. Whatever your reason, the process of deleting your account is simple, and by design, pretty hands-off. In order to get rid of your X account, you'll first have to deactivate it. Once you go 30 days without logging in, it will be permanently deleted.
How to deactivate your X account
Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget
Deactivating your X account makes your profile page, posts and associated username disappear, though posts you were tagged in before you shutdown in your account will still be viewable. Deactivating also makes it impossible for you to post or view your timeline, unless you reactivate. It's one of the strongest ways to "take a break" from X, but also the only way you can get your account permanently deleted.
If you need any of your data before you deactivate and delete, you'll want to make sure you initiate that process and receive your archive before you deactivate. X says it can't send an archive from an account that's been deactivated.
Open X.
Click on the More section in the sidebar menu.
Click on Settings and Privacy.
In the Your account section of Settings, click on Deactivate your account.
Read through X's warnings and then click on Deactivate.
Enter your account password to confirm you want to deactivate, then click Deactivate.
Now just make sure that you don't log in for 30 days, and your account will be permanently deleted. This won't necessarily delete web search results that mention your X account or your posts, but it will eliminate records of you on X itself.
FAQs
How do you reactivate your account?
If you have a change of heart before your 30 days are up, it is possible to reactivate your account so you can use it again. To reactivate your account, head to X.com or the X app and login with your credentials. You'll be asked if you want to reactive your account. Once you confirm that you do, you'll be logged in and be able to post and view your timeline. X notes that some of your account features like followers and likes may take a while to fully restore.
Is all of your information actually deleted when your X account is deleted?
While deactivating your X account and letting it be deleted does remove all of the public-facing parts of your social media presence, X does keep some of your information to "ensure the safety and security of its platform and people using X." The full list of data X collects and how it uses it is available in X's data processing explainer, as far as you should be concerned, though, a deleted account is gone.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/how-to-delete-your-twitter-or-x-account-185813976.html?src=rss
Spain, Portugal and parts of France have experienced a massive power outage. The interruption of service extends to the capital cities Madrid and Lisbon, both of which have been left without electricity and internet. Seville, Barcelona and Valencia have also been impacted.
A grid operator in Portugal has attributed the outage to extreme temperature variations in a statement given to the Independent. Spains Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has offered a slightly different take, stating that there is no conclusive information regarding the cause of the blackout.
The aforementioned grid operator also warned that it could take up to a full week to restore power, though others have suggested things could be up and running within ten hours. Spanish power company Red Electrica has stated that it has already restored power to some northern parts of the Iberian Peninsula.
Due to the outages, airports have been disabled and events like the Madrid Open have been cancelled. Spains major railway operator Renfe has noted that trains are stuck at stations or along their routes due to the lack of electricity.
The exact moment Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe lost power. pic.twitter.com/B0O4oQDHfh The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 28, 2025
How exactly would extreme temperature variations cause such a severe blackout? It has been reported that the grid experienced anomalous oscillations that led to fluctuations in the amount of voltage carried to power lines. This could have forced these power lines out of sync with one another, according to a professor who spoke to The Times.
These oscillations reportedly caused synchronisation failures between the electrical systems, leading to successive disturbances across the interconnected European network, Professor Chenghong Gu said. This is why we are seeing many customers in different parts of the EU grid being cut off.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/theres-a-massive-power-outage-cross-spain-portugal-and-parts-of-france-183025048.html?src=rss
The consequences of President Trumps tariff policies are starting to kick in. Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter just announced something called a "Tariff Manager Tool" that lets creators add new surcharges to funded projects. This should help these creators deal with the unexpected costs of Trumps global trade war.
Heres how it works. Creators will be able to apply per-item surcharges to account for tariff-related cost increases. These charges will appear as a separate line item on the payment page for folks who have funded the project. It only applies to items heading to US-based shipping addresses.
Not everyone will want to, or be able to, pay an additional fee for something they backed months or years ago when the economy was stronger. Backers will be given the option to decline the surcharge, in which case a creator can issue a refund. A blog post does suggest that backers and creators could find "another resolution," beyond a refund, but didnt get into specifics.
"We understand that asking backers to pay an additional feeespecially after a campaign has endedcan be sensitive," Kickstarter said. "Our goal is to provide you with the flexibility and transparency necessary to navigate those conversations with clarity and care."
Many Kickstarter projects rely on parts manufactured in China, Vietnam and other places that are now subject to exorbitant tariffs. This is poised to be exceptionally brutal for American small businesses, but Kickstarter creators face another hurdle. Backers typically fund a project months or years before fulfillment. Its going to be unpleasant to find a new surcharge for something funded back in 2023 or whenever.
Boardgame publisher Stonemaier Games is suing Trump over the tariffs, which if left intact will basically bankrupt their business in a few short months.Let's hope other manufacturers join in. pic.twitter.com/9IOcCfLhz7 Max Cool (@VitoComedy) April 21, 2025
A tabletop game maker called Stonemaier Games is suing President Trump over these tariffs. The small Missouri-based company has joined an upcoming lawsuit that alleges the presidents actions have put the livelihood of its employees in jeopardy. The suit challenges the constitutionality of the tariffs and noted that they will cost the company $1.5 million in additional import fees. Stonemaier is primarily known for the excellent Wingspan, which made our list of the best board games.
Retailers across the country, both large and small, have been warning consumers that prices are about to shoot up in May and that many products could become totally unavailable. This is due to both the tariffs and a recent executive order by Trump that eliminated a loophole that allowed small packages to avoid additional import charges. If youve been eyeing a particular gadget, you should probably get on that sooner rather than later.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/kickstarter-adds-a-tariff-manager-to-let-creators-add-surcharges-to-previously-funded-projects-170851069.html?src=rss
