🛡️ X Faces Legal Heat Over EU Data Use

Also: California Leads AI Education Future

Welcome, AI enthusiasts

Elon Musk's social media platform is facing scrutiny over accusations of using data from EU users to train AI without their consent, leading to several privacy complaints. In a pioneering effort, California has teamed up with NVIDIA to train students and educators in generative AI, aiming to prepare the future workforce. Meanwhile, Apple's newest AI feature has encountered a prompt injection vulnerability, a well-known AI exploit that enables manipulation of its responses. Let’s dive in! :exp

In today’s insights:

  • X Faces Legal Heat Over EU Data Use

  • California Leads AI Education Future

  • Apple Intelligence is vulnerable to classic AI exploit

Read time: 4 minutes

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Evolving AI: Elon Musk's social media platform is under fire for allegedly using EU users' data to train AI without their consent, sparking multiple privacy complaints.

Key Points:

  • X allegedly processed EU user data for AI without consent.

  • Nine complaints filed across various EU countries.

  • Irish DPC has already initiated legal action.

Details:

X is facing nine privacy complaints after it was revealed that the platform used the data of European Union users to train its AI, Grok, without obtaining explicit consent. The complaints, backed by privacy rights group ‘Noyb’, accuse X of violating the GDPR by processing data from approximately 60 million EU users under the guise of “legitimate interest” without user knowledge. The Irish Data Protection Commission, leading the investigation, has already sought an injunction against X but critics argue this action isn’t enough.

Why It Matters:

Noyb has criticized "X" for failing to notify users about the use of their data for this purpose, noting that many users only became aware of the change through a viral post on July 26th. Last week, the Data Protection Commission in Ireland, which represents the European Union, announced that "X" had agreed to halt the processing of users' personal data for its AI technology. With the European Union’s strong laws around privacy, X could be in serious trouble.

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NVIDIA & CALIFORNIA
👩🏽‍🎓 California Leads AI Education Future

Source: Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images

Evolving AI: California partners with NVIDIA in a groundbreaking initiative to train students and educators in generative AI, aiming to shape the future workforce.

Key Points:

  • California's AI initiative partners with NVIDIA to train educators and students.

  • Partnership already cosigned by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (photo).

  • The program offers certification and resources through NVIDIA's Deep Learning Institute.

  • The initiative also seeks to bridge the digital divide in AI education.

Details:

California's new initiative with NVIDIA focuses on equipping educators with AI skills through the Deep Learning Institute University Ambassador Program. This program provides teaching kits, workshops, and cloud-based NVIDIA GPU workstations. The initiative targets both full-time students and working professionals, aiming to prepare them for AI-driven careers. Additionally, efforts are underway to ensure equitable access to AI education, with special projects at universities like San José State and collaborations with organizations like California Black Media.

Why It Matters:

The initiative is part of an effort to expand resources so students, educators and workers – particularly in community colleges – can learn new skills in generative AI and advance their careers, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said. The partnership aims to add new curriculum and certifications, hardware and software, and AI labs and workshops.

Source: Apple

Evolving AI: Apple’s latest AI feature in MacOS 15.1 Beta 1, Apple Intelligence, faces a prompt injection vulnerability. This classic AI exploit allows manipulation of its intended responses.

Key Points:

  • Developer Evan Zhou successfully bypassed Apple Intelligence’s system using prompt injection.

  • The exploit leveraged information about system prompts shared online.

  • Zhou’s code, which he shared publicly, allowed AI manipulation beyond its intended function.

Details:

Evan Zhou's experiment revealed a significant vulnerability in Apple Intelligence—a feature in MacOS 15.1 Beta 1. By exploiting prompt injection, Zhou bypassed the AI's original system prompt using specific commands discovered in a Reddit-shared file. This file contained critical details about system prompts and tokens. Zhou successfully altered Apple Intelligence's behavior, demonstrating the exploit's potential. Although Apple Intelligence is more secure than some AI systems, the successful manipulation showcases ongoing risks.

Why It Matters:

As AI systems become integral to tech platforms, ensuring their robustness against such exploits is crucial. Zhou’s discovery highlights that even advanced systems like Apple Intelligence aren't immune to vulnerabilities. Continued vigilance and innovation in AI security are necessary to protect users and maintain trust.

💡 Tip of the Day

In this interview, Scott Aaronson, a leading expert in quantum computing, talks about AI safety, quantum mechanics, and what sets human experiences apart. AI has advanced rapidly in recent years. But how should we interpret this progress?

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