Techme101.com

Remember Gameshark? If you were around at the time of the OG PlayStation the name will ring a bell. At that time in videogame history, we were all tapping in Gameshark codes into games to cheat our way to the end of Tomb Raider and other such games of the day. And then, nothing. And then AI Shark, the – “ “decade in the making” relaunch of the hit products from the 90s and early 2000s that were called GameShark. [AI Shark has] updated the product and brought it into the age of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and supercomputers.” so says the website.
CEO Todd Hays was one of the guys who launched Gameshark back in the 90s and now heading up AI Shark, he is looking to repeat the success story for a whole new generation of gamers. But will they be as receptive to a good old cheat as they once were?

The AI Shark’s website says its controller (marketing blurb approaching, back off, back off), “It’s built with sensors that detect your grip, pressure, and button timing, making real-time adjustments to button sensitivity and response. This ensures that whether you’re executing a delicate stealth move or a rapid combo attack, the controller is always in perfect sync with your intentions.
“The controller’s AI adapts to your play style, learning from your habits and preferences. It can suggest button remaps and sensitivity adjustments, making it easier for players of all skill levels to perform complex moves effortlessly. For new players, it’s like having an intuitive guide, while for veterans, it’s a tool that constantly evolves and fine-tunes itself to match their expertise. This controller isn’t just an input device; it’s a gateway to a more intuitive and enjoyable gaming experience.”
Alongside the controller is a device simply called AI Shark, which processes real-time video and provides analysis and feedback on your performance while its AI algorithms offer strategic insights and tactical advice.
Is this sort of thing going to constitute cheating in multi-player games? Back in the day when games were predominantly single-player, using a Gameshark just meant you were cheating for your own gain, now, if these devices work and work well in multi-player, there could be a gaming uproar. We will have to wait and see, but as AI has permeated every other walk of life in the videogames niche, it was sooner rather than later before it was going to help you cheat at games.
Sometimes, I just want to play Robocod on the Amiga again.
The post AI game controller reads your mind, working out what you want to do before you know yourself appeared first on ReadWrite.

The Rabbit R1 launched to much excitement at CES24 with a pre-order that sold out its first two 10,000-unit batches in just a day. Priced at just $199, the palm-sized device was offering a lot for just a small investment. However, scalpers have sensed an opportunity, and just hours after the pre-order sold out, R1s started appearing on eBay for as much as $750.

The second batch of 10,000 rabbit r1 devices is sold out! Pre-orders for the third batch are available now at https://t.co/R3sOtVVQTx
Expected delivery date is May – June 2024. pic.twitter.com/PHLOFdyauX
— rabbit inc. (@rabbit_hmi) January 12, 2024

Prices for an aftermarket R1 vary, but the cheapest available on eBay will still set you back $300. The two most expensive offerings, $750 and $500, are listed by the same user who is testing the water. One listing had 10 bids already, pushing the price to an eyewatering $690.
The company’s founder and CEO Jesse Lyu took to X to discourage people from scalping the devices online.

hell no. don’t do this. pic.twitter.com/xMpmGEJrMR
— Jesse Lyu (@jessechenglyu) January 12, 2024

What is the Rabbit R1?
The Rabbit R1 is a handheld device powered by Rabbit’s new artificial intelligence model, the Large Action Model (LAM). This allows the device to learn how to use a variety of apps, from Uber to Amazon.  Humans have trained the LAM on how to operate the apps and can build on this knowledge and understanding, applying these techniques to other apps.
A key feature of the R1 is that users can ‘teach’ it how to perform tasks. One of the demos Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu gave at CES24 had him scanning a fridge. “This is what I got in the fridge, can you make me a nice dish that’s low in calories?” he asked the device. After a brief pause, the R1 suggested a green garden omelet and provided a recipe.
In essence, it’s a smart device which doesn’t need apps.
The device is small and relatively inexpensive (if you avoid the scalpers on eBay), promising to do a lot for its users. The first batch is due to ship in March so we won’t be waiting too long to see if it can live up to the hype.
Featured image: Rabbit
The post Rabbit R1: Hyped AI gadget is on eBay at triple the preorder price appeared first on ReadWrite.

US primary elections begin next week, and state legislatures are scrambling to enact laws that will prevent, or at least limit, the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-generated deepfakes, reports the New York Times.
After a shock result in the Slovakian election late last year, possibly a result of an AI-generated fake recording of a candidate buying votes, lawmakers elsewhere in the world are taking steps to prevent this from happening in their countries. The USA, the UK, India, and various EU countries all have elections this year, so getting a handle on the issue of AI is critical.
At present, only five states have enacted legislation on AI and deepfakes: Texas, Minnesota, Washington, California, and Michigan. However, 12 other states have introduced bills, with more sure to follow. Where legislation is in place, there has been strong bipartisan support.
There has also been some effort to introduce bills at a federal level, including a bipartisan collaboration between Democrat Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Republican Josh Hawley of Missouri. The president of Public Citizen (a consumer advocacy group) Robert Weissman said to NYT “It’s one thing to rebut a lie or a mischaracterization, but to rebut a convincing video or recording of you saying something, what do you do? That’s why we’re seeing this breadth of interest.”
What do the laws against AI do?
The landscape of legislating ads, particularly political ones, is fraught, due to concerns about the First Amendment. Legislators do not want to invite challenges with harsh, prescriptive laws.
As a result, instead of completely banning fake or misleading AI ads, legislators are focusing on enforcing disclosure. Any generated or manipulated ad will require legible text or audio that states that they have been created by AI.
Many of these laws will apply only to ads that are released in the 90 days before an election.
In Kentucky, even first-time violators will be subject to felony charges with up to five years in prison, which differs from most states which prefer fines. Republican State Representative John Hodgson said that a fine of several hundred or thousand dollars would not be sufficient to deter people.
Featured image: Andrew Patrick/Pexels
The post US state legislators race to enact AI laws before 2024 primaries appeared first on ReadWrite.

The communication platform Discord reportedly plans to lay off 170 staff.
This amounts to 17% of its workforce. CEO Jason Citron said in an internal memo obtained by The Verge that this move is designed to  “sharpen our focus and improve the way we work together to bring more agility to our organization.”
Like many tech companies popular with younger people, Discord saw its popularity soar during the pandemic. “We grew quickly and expanded our workforce even faster, increasing by 5x since 2020,” said Citron in the memo. He goes on to say that this caused them to become less efficient and means they need to sharpen their focus.
The platform, which is popular with gamers especially, is currently funded by venture capital and has yet to become profitable. It aims to bridge that gap this year. It had raised around $1 billion and still has over $700 million on hand, so does not appear to be in serious trouble yet.
There are rumors amongst the Discord layoffs that it is considering going public, but there is no sign of this happening any time soon. It turned down a $12 billion offer of acquisition by Microsoft in 2021.
Tech industry layoffs
Despite only being halfway through January, the Discord layoffs are not the only ones to be announced in 2024. The tech industry has been hit by several major rounds of job cuts already this year. Google laid off hundreds of staff this week, games platform Unity cut 25% of its workforce in a ‘restructure’, and Amazon-owned Twitch laid off 35% of its staff also this week. That is just a selection of the affected jobs. Many of the companies cite being unable to reach the highs they hit during the pandemic as a reason for this. They hired staff to keep up with a demand which is no longer there.
With Duolingo explicitly parting ways with contractors to focus on artificial intelligence (AI) generated translations, it has never been a more precarious time to work in technology. Small pockets of the gaming industry have had some success by unionizing, such as the group at Zenimax which negotiated the terms of AI use. This could be a continuing trend across an industry where workers have notoriously little power.
Featured image credit: Discord
The post Discord lays off 17% of staff, joins growing list of tech job cuts in 2024 appeared first on ReadWrite.

While news of Civilization 7 was announced by Firaxis back in February last year the wait has been eased by the excellent Old World – which in many ways a lot of players believe is actually better than Civ 6.
If the Civ tier list goes something like Civ 4 is greater than Civ and both are better than Civ 6, you could probably insert Old World between Civ 4 and Civ 5, and with its modern graphics and UI it is going to appeal to a lot more players.
Old world was released around 18 months ago and took the things that make historical civilization builders fun and doubled down on them. Unique things such as aging leaders brought a new dynamic to the affair and the arrival of its latest DLC – Wonders and Dynasties – is going to make fans forget about the Civ 7 wait even more.
Devs Mohawk Games tells us, “Wonders and Dynasties introduces 30 brand new ways of starting your game with the addition of new Dynastic leaders – each empire has received new leaders and starting conditions. Play as the dictator Sulla to leverage your unique dictator trait, as Khufu to construct endless wonders with the help of his wonder cost reduction, or as Nebuchadnezzar to quickly control large amounts of territory and forge a massive empire in the early game.
Meanwhile, eight new wonders of the ancient world will add new and unique modifiers to your empire. Generate free specialists with the Jerwan Aqueduct, become the trade capital of the world with the Al Khazneh, or spawn an endless army of swordsmen with the Colosseum”.
Historical games seem to be in vogue right now, yesterday we covered the release of War Hospital, a gritty resource-management game based in a WW1 field hospital.
The Wonder and Dynasties DLC for Old World is available on Steam, Epic Game Store, and GOG and costs $19.99 / £17.99, although there is a launch discount of 10% if you buy it before the 18th of January.
 
The post Historical powerhouse Old World gets massive new DLC appeared first on ReadWrite.