Everyone loves to generate AI art, but no one likes to pay for it. GeeksByTheHour.com and Dr. Sky also believe that “Freedom of Expression”, especially through art, should be free! Not just low levels of quality expression, but also high quality art should not cost anyone an arm and a leg to express themselves, their culture, or even showing how they are feeling today.
Here are five places you can go right now to make some pretty pictures that are free to create, but don’t necessarily “look” free!
1 Craiyon
This tool used to be known as “DALL-E Mini”, but had to change to Craiyon since the company isn’t affiliated with OpenAI or its DALL-E image generator.
Transparency here at GeeksByTheHour.com is a key value, so we want to be clear – Craiyon does not produce very good results compared to most paid or free AI image generators, but it is the only free option that still has that unique “shaky-ness” that early AI images had. While everyone is approaching perfection with their models, Craiyon has retained that quirky charm, and so deserves some love in my opinion.
2 Stable Diffusion Online
If you have a GPU with enough memory and performance, you can run Stable Diffusion locally on your computer. If not, or you don’t want the hassle, then you can use this high-end image generation model via Stable Diffusion Online. You can sign up and generate images for free, although you only get a limited number of credits to play with.
Also, on the free plan images have a watermark, but you can always crop that out if you’re smart with the aspect ratio selection. Overall, the quality of the images generated here is great and comparable to paid services like MidJourney or DALL-E.
3 Ideogram
Ideogram is a hot new competitor to MidJourney which I found to be quite promising in terms of features, but not quite there when it comes to the final quality of the results or consistency. However, one big advantage Ideogram has over MidJourney is its free tier. MidJourney used to offer a free tier, but has since ended it. So if you want something quite similar, but don’t want to pay for it, give Ideogram a shot. It’s definitely one of the best AI image generators on the market right now.
4 Artbreeder
Artbreeder offers a set of different tools that let you do all sorts of creative things with images. This includes “Prompter” which is the core tool to create images from text prompts. However, there’s some interesting stuff that lets you mix images, create a character with a certain pose from source images, and much more. The output is quite decent, but it works best when you provide your own source images in addition to your text prompt.
The free tier comes with 10 credits per month, but you can get more by earning achievements.
5 OpenArt
OpenArt comes with a 50-credit trial, and if you join the OpenArt Discord server, you’ll get another one-time allocation of 100 credits. These credits let you use all the premium features of the service.
Once you have used up those credits and fall back to the free tier, you will be limited to 50 generations using one of only four models per day. You are also limited in terms of image size.
One major bonus of the free tier for OpenArt is that even images generated on the free tier are private, which is not true for the competition who usually require a paid subscription (and quite an expensive one) to generate images privately.
While you are enjoying those free trial credits, you’ll have access to a mind-boggling number of specialized image generation models, so make the most of it!
While it’s definitely worth paying for a premium art generation service like MidJourney, if you just want to make some AI images for a once-off project, or you want to learn the ins and outs of this fascinating new technology without spending any money, these free services offer more than most people will ever need.
A 6G transmitter has been created that can reach the fastest internet capabilities recorded yet.
The new technology was created by four companies in Japan putting their best qualities forward to achieve the next generation of ultra-fast internet.
6G internet brings completely new advancements to technology and communicationThe highest generation of internet right now is 5G and is the current standard
The announcement of the new 6G breakthrough came in a press release on April 11 and the four companies involved include DOCOMO, NTT, NEC, and Fujitsu.
5G internet operates from 6-40 GHz while the new 6G test operated at much higher bands in 100 GHz and 300 GHz.
The 6G transmitter transferred data at 100 Gbps per second at 100 GHz indoors and 300 GHz outdoors over 328 feet, per the release.
The highest generation of internet right now is 5G and is the current standard.
Using higher frequency bands allows for much faster internet speeds and is the plan of how to achieve the next generation.
“High-capacity wireless communication is expected to be achieved by exploiting the abundant bandwidth available in the sub-terahertz band from 100 GHz to 300 GHz,” the release said.
The 6G potential is 500 times faster than the average 5G t-Mobile speeds in the US, according to Statista.
Its speed can also be compared to transferring five HD movies wirelessly per second, per Live Science.
The tech companies have hinted that 6G will allow for groundbreaking new ventures.
This includes extremely high-quality video streaming, better control for self-driving cars, and faster communication.
Some other advancements to look forward to include smoother operation for: Virtual Reality (VR)
*Metaverse
*Metaverse applications
*Mixed Reality experiences.
*Fully Automated Vehicles
*Hovercraft and other flying machines
*It will also support brand new technologies like Holographic images and Holographic Communication (seeing g a hologram of the person you are talking to emanate from a phone as an example)
“In the 6G era, when wireless networks are envisioned supporting diverse applications ranging from ultra-HD video streaming to real-time control in autonomous vehicles, as well as increasing communication demands,” the press release said.
WORKING THROUGH KINKS
Implementing the new high-speed 6G will come with some complications though.
The experts explained completed new devices will need to be made that can handle the high-frequency bands.
This is because of the large difference between what 5G devices are currently operating at and the high-frequency band 6G would need.
“However, compared to 28 GHz and other millimeter bands used in current 5G systems, the much higher frequencies of the sub-terahertz band will require entirely different wireless devices that are now being developed from scratch,” the press release said.
To be successful, this effort will need to overcome several key challenges, such as determining the specific performance requirements of wireless devices operating in the sub-terahertz band, and then actually developing such devices.Press Release
“To be successful, this effort will need to overcome several key challenges, such as determining the specific performance requirements of wireless devices operating in the sub-terahertz band, and then actually developing such devices.”
The next move for the four tech companies is to keep working out the kinks and utilizing each company’s strengths to make 6G a reality.
“Going forward, the four companies will continue to conduct extensive research and development into sub-terahertz telecommunications,” the press release said.
“Leveraging each company’s strengths in various initiatives to contribute to 6G standardization.”
Geobox: A Hacking Device That Is Basically Untraceable
In summary, a Geobox transforms the mini-computer Raspberry Pi into a Swiss-army knife type of hacking device!
Sold for a lifetime fee of $700 or a monthly rate of $80, the software is able to:
1. Spoof location
2. Mimic Wi-Fi access points
3. Manipulate DNS and network parameters while providing anonymity.
4. Copying and emulating the same commonly used Wi-Fi landing page that most restaurants and concerts use to log on to avoid suspicion. The operators can even charge 0.99 cents or more depending on the location/Clients of where they are located at (such as a fitness gym, where the upcharge is usually $2.99 for unlimited data use or free for limited data).
Imagination is not required: this Geotool allows any person to set up a virtually untraceable Wi-Fi box that most people take for granted and can own all of the data or even the device or laptop once one connects to it!
After researching a few operators using it at a popular tourist site (March, 2024), it was observed that “three malicious individuals utilized several Geobox devices, each connected to the internet. These devices served as proxies, significantly enhancing their anonymity. This approach complicated the investigation and tracking process for any one attempting to investigate them using them, especially since, by default, Geobox devices do not store any logs nor any digital or paper trail for themselves or whomever logs on to the created Wi-Fi access point. They also have an amazing choice: to either create a Wi-Fi point similar to the official location name of where they are operating from, such as naming it “McDonald’s Free Wi-fi”
OR
They simply use it for their own fully anonymous purposes, such as emulating an internal Wi-Fi access point; which is quite common at Malls, shopping areas and concert venues where the general public or even workers/vendors would have no ability to distinguish between a Geobox created Wi-Fi point and the authentic one. To make it even more authentic, an operator would mimic the secure password of the host site – such as a popular shopping Mall’s password for internal Employees/Vendors.
It only takes these bad actors 2 – 5 minutes on average by simply using the popular $300 Flipper device to get the password or passcode of any device or Wi-Fi router today as well in combination with the Geobox!
Raspberry Pi is a widespread, low-cost, and small single-board computer used for various projects and praised by enthusiasts.
However, with Geobox, it is transformed “into a potent weapon for digital deception.” Malicious software is specifically designed for the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B with at least 4GB of RAM.
The price is $700 for lifetime, which is very cheap and affordable considering the amount of data, private and personal information it can easily obtain within a few minutes of being set up once just one person unwittingly connects to it in this day and age of people expecting free or low-cost internet everywhere!
These device operators also have the ability to create a bogus free or one-time .99 cent-for-24 hour unlimited internet access via a simple landing page to mask and emulate, as an example, your favorite restaurants like McDonald’s or Starbucks!
With Geobox, malicious actors target a broad audience as the setup process is streamlined, clear, and concise, with easy-to-follow instructions also provided. The manual links to the official Raspberry website for OS installation.
Multiple tools are included with Geobox: multiple VPN connections, GPS and Wi-Fi emulation, DNS configuration, data substitution tools, network configurators, and others.
The Geobox Can Be Easily Used For Anonymous Geolocation or Multiple Internet Purposes
“The device’s functionality is diverse, allowing for various forms of digital manipulation and disguise. Key features include the ability to use WebRTC IP for discreet online communication and GPS spoofing to simulate different geographical locations, which is particularly valuable for activities that require geolocation manipulation. Furthermore, the Geobox can completely mask (hide) Wi-Fi MAC addresses, making the user’s network activity more difficult to trace.”
*Most High Schools and Colleges Use Wi-Fi MAC Addresses As Standard Internet and Wi-Fi Usage Tracking Controls*
The emergence of Geobox raises significant concerns and introduces new complexities for cybersecurity – as well as the general public! One simple dot or variation of a “Starbucks or McDonalds Wi-Fi” authentic connecting point at any location is all it takes for operators of a Geobox to own and obtain all of the data on your laptop/phone or any other connected device!
Armed with such an affordable and easy to obtain cyber device, operators can easily carry and coordinate various attacks; such as being a data dump for anyone logging on to the newly created “free Wi-Fi” identity theft and credit card fraud under the veil of anonymity, circumventing network restrictions and surveillance, malware distribution, credential stuffing, spreading misinformation, content piracy, etc.
It was observed one operator used Geobox in combination with two LTE-based wireless modems, “proxyfying connections via multiple chains of SOCKS and PROXY servers globally and automatic pseudo-randomly via AI”. In essence, these easy proxy steps further ensure they are anonymous and cannot be tracked unless known to be doing this activity in advance!
Leveraging several devices deployed in various locations using this model is easy if the operator has a few friends working as a small tight-knit team. Note that this device can be easily carried in a purse, bag or backpack; easily disguisable as simply being a popular Notebook or laptop.
“Once the malicious action has been conducted – they can simply wipe the device or physically destroy it if they have a hunch that they are being monitored or tracked – but this device is so cheap, simple and easy that the chances of them getting caught are slim to none and thus they simply move it to other locations depending on their intent and motives – such as an up coming concert venue or local restaurant that people go to fully expecting and using free Wi-Fi”.
In 2024, for cybersecurity, we’re entering an era where advanced AI tools and escalated social engineering tactics (especially during election years) are changing the game. To avoid potential cyber threats, businesses, governments and individuals must grasp these emerging trends.
1. Rise Of Cybersecurity AI
In 2024, AI’s role in cybersecurity will expand to encompass automated responses and predictive analytics. It’s mainly about taking preventive measures in advance….
Integrating AI into cybersecurity applications can improve threat detection and incident response. For instance, AI can identify anomalies or deviations that may indicate potential security threats. Previously unseen attacks can be detected.
With cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated, AI’s ability to analyze vast datasets and identify patterns will be pivotal. Since AI has become a major part of cyber criminals’ toolkit, AI is expected to become a mainstay in cybersecurity solutions.
2. Election Year Disinformation
Election years provide fertile ground for social engineering and disinformation campaigns, and there’s no reason to believe 2024 will be an exception. As political tensions rise, so do efforts to manipulate public opinion and undermine democratic processes.
Americans lost $10.3 billion to online scams in 2022, which also emphasizes the need for ongoing employee security awareness training that includes exercises to help identify social engineering tactics and phishing attempts. The use of open-source intelligence tools (OSINT) to root out network vulnerabilities is recommended as a preventive measure to combat threat actors.
3. Escalation Of Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware remains a formidable threat in 2024, with tactics becoming increasingly complex and negotiations more aggressive. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, damages from cybercrime are projected to exceed $10.5 trillion globally by 2025.
This alarming escalation calls for robust backup strategies, employee training, cyber insurance, negotiation expertise and incident response plans. Companies can follow the example of external performing tasks such as penetration testing, validating network integrity, identifying unauthorized activity and monitoring for suspicious behavior.
Leveraging AI, cybercriminals can prey on human weaknesses such as impulsiveness, greed and curiosity to more convincingly create personalized phishing campaigns at scale. AI-facilitated social engineering attacks have been reported to the FTC.
This emerging trend underscores the need to perform AI risk assessments and to consider outsourcing expertise to a virtual AI officer who can step into the role and run AI-resistant security protocols.
5. National U.S. Data Privacy Act
The progression of data privacy regulations—beginning with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and extending to California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)—is paving the way for establishing a national data privacy act in the U.S. called the American Data Privacy and Protection Act.
The burgeoning cannabis industry, particularly retailers, is increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks as they transition to digital platforms. Banks and credit card services could begin to accept electronic payments and ACH transfers from cannabis businesses—thanks to pending legislation making its way through Congress—and the gap between point of sale (PoS) systems and potential data breaches narrows significantly.
Human error and complacency are major risk factors, and the industry’s nascent adoption of digital technologies makes it an attractive target for cybercrime. Retail dispensaries must prioritize cybersecurity to protect their client data and financial transactions, as the sector’s so-called “green rush” also attracts the unwanted attention of threat actors.
7. Zero Trust Elevates To Boardroom Status
The concept of zero trust in cybersecurity, akin to the rise of anti-virus software in the 1990s, is set to become a staple topic in boardroom discussions in 2024. Gaining steady momentum, the implementation of zero trust is no longer a technical nicety but a business imperative.
Rooted in the principle of “never trust, always verify,” the widespread adoption of zero-trust architectures signifies a paradigm shift in security strategies, emphasizing continuous verification of every user and device, regardless of their location or network.
This strategic move elevates cybersecurity from a technical concern to a core business function, crucial for protecting organizational assets.
8. FEMA Cyber Insurance
To make a bold and unprecedented prediction, FEMA, the federal agency known for last-resort flood insurance, may eventually be called upon to serve as a model and backstop for cyber insurance policies not covered by commercial carriers.
With traditional insurance carriers withdrawing from high-risk regions like Florida due to severe climate events, there is a growing need for federal intervention. A FEMA initiative could potentially underwrite essential services like airports, hospitals, energy and water treatment plants as commercial insurance options become limited.
Conclusion
The increasing complexity of cyber threats underscoring the security trends of 2024 highlights the need for advanced mitigation strategies. Organizations will need to understand these trends, ensure they enable best practices and consider collaborating with outsourced cybersecurity expertise to navigate the security environment and ensure a robust, future-ready cyber defense.
City Representatives Reverse Course After Hearing on 5G Dangers & Failure to Protect Public Health
In November of 2023, the Board of Representatives in Stamford, Connecticut voted against a plan to install 5G equipment in their city following presentations by experts on the dangers of radiofrequency (RF) radiation and government failures to protect the public.
Of the city’s representatives, 21 voted to reject a proposed agreement with AT&T and Verizon, while only 5 voted in favor of it and 8 abstained. The second-largest city in Connecticut is the only major city in the state, thus far, to refuse the agreement.
The city of Stamford representatives chose to shield their citizens from the dangers of RF radiation rather than cave to legal threats from telecom companies and the FCC, which may present a potential “test case” for opposition to the 5G rollout nationwide.
During their presentations to the board in October of 2023, experts provided irrefutable evidence on the public health and environmental effects of RF radiation, and raised questions of corruption within the regulatory agency, the FCC, tasked with protecting the general public from dangerous levels of wireless radiation.
Board members were informed of some of the most devastating impacts of wireless radiation on public health, including studies highlighted by one global expert, Dr. Kent Chamberlain, on the ways in which exposure to RF radiation can lead to “chronic inflammation and a host of adverse outcomes including: neurodegenerative disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chromosome damage, neuronal DNA damage, neuropsychiatric effects, [and] sperm damage.”
Experts also provided evidence of the damage from harmful wireless radiation to trees, insects and other species that may impact the food chain and endanger the food supply.
As the hearing progressed, city representatives were educated on the FCC’s human exposure limits, which are based upon inadequate short-term studies conducted in the 1980s of only 8 rats and 5 monkeys, to determine the general public’s radiation threshold.
Dr. Devra Davis noted during the presentations that the Environmental Health Trust, which she founded, sued the FCC over their wireless radiation exposure limits and in August of 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the FCC’s decision not to update the exposure limits was “arbitrary and capricious.”
The court determined that, “the testing procedures, particularly as they relate to children and long-term exposures were a ‘complete failure,’” Davis remarked. “The court found that the FCC had failed to provide evidence of properly examining long-term exposure, children’s vulnerability, the testimony of people injured by radiation sickness, and impacts to the developing brain and reproductive system.”
Dr. Chamberlain wrapped up his presentation to the board by addressing the question of “How come the FCC isn’t protecting us?” as he pointed to issues of corruption within the agency, citing a Harvard Center for Ethics study entitled, “Captured Agency: How the Federal Communications Commission Is Dominated by the Industries It Presumably Regulates.”
“The title says it all,” Chamberlain explained, as he emphasized a quote from the study which stated, “Industry controls the FCC through a soup-to-nuts stranglehold that extends from its well-placed campaign spending in Congress through its control of the FCC’s Congressional oversight committees to its persistent agency lobbying.”
After reviewing the information presented, board members found the proposed contract for installations of 5G equipment in their city to be severely problematic considering the health risks and the absence of the public’s informed consent. “If there’s the smallest of chances — even the smallest — that this may cause harm, I don’t see any reason why we should be passing this forward,” replied Representative Stella.
Before This Case, Health Takes a Backseat to Money
Connecticut governor, Ned Lamont, whose second inaugural ball received a $10,000 donation from AT&T, brokered the deal with telecommunications giants, AT&T and Verizon, to put into effect a template contract for 5G installations on utility poles across major cities throughout the state including Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Stamford and Waterbury.
After settling a years-long court battle with AT&T for delaying the telecom carrier’s requests for installations on city light poles, the city of Hartford finally approved the proposed 5G agreement.
As the founder of a telecommunications company, Governor Lamont, has made the expansion of 5G in his state a “key priority,” giving fifth generation wireless networks a center stage during his inaugural State of the State address in 2019.
The rollout of 5G is one aspect of Lamont’s larger strategic plan “to build an all-digital state government.” In 2021, Lamont signed legislation to facilitate the build-out of digital and telecom systems to support modernized state government operations, including “standards for digital identity verification.”
The “all-digital state government” plans of Governor Lamont, who serves on the National Advisory Board for Biden’s re-election campaign, fall in line with the Biden regime’s initiative to deploy 5G infrastructure across the nation while developments in digital identity, CBDCs, and artificial intelligence ramp up.
The Biden regime pledged over $40 billion in taxpayer money from the infrastructure bill to deploy high-speed internet access and 5G connectivity nationwide, of which Connecticut received $144.2 million.
Pondering the vast sums of money at stake, Stamford city representative, Sean Boeger remarked, “every time you throw money into the issue, all of a sudden, health takes a backseat.”
“Test Case” for Opposition to 5G Rollout
Critics argue the decision by the Stamford Board of Representatives defies a 2018 FCC ruling to block states and municipalities from impeding 5G deployment, which may lead to potential lawsuits by telecom companies. The 2018 FCC ruling has been challenged by several states but was upheld by the Ninth Circuit.
However, proponents of the decision say telecommunications carriers have no grounds to sue yet, as the city simply voted against the terms of a model contract proposed by the governor, rather than issuing an ordinance or regulation to effectively ban 5G.
Representative Grunberger commented, “I don’t think we should back away from this because of the threat of a lawsuit … If, in fact, we have to be a test case on this, I think we should be a test case.” Grunberger also remarked during a November meeting that, “The federal government does not have guidelines for long-term exposure, so we need to protect our city ourselves, and not succumb to legal threats.”
Sandri recommends that cities insist carriers provide, “detailed studies for public review and scientific analysis to prove that they’re complying,” with existing human RF exposure standards prior to considering requests for new 5G installations. Sandri reiterated that, “existing law is quite clear that the FCC’s been remanded in federal court,” and their human exposure rules “are up for current review.”
However, the FCC has not complied with the court’s order to review their electromagnetic radiation exposure limits and explain how its standards adequately protect human health.
Scott McCollough, the chief litigator representing Children’s Health Defense, which won the consolidated case with Environmental Health Trust has argued, “The FCC intends to keep stalling until it is too late to do anything because any reductions to the exposure limits would require a massive recall and overhaul of the entire wireless infrastructure they want to get deployed now.”
Blake Levitt, a science journalist with decades of experience in the study of RF radiation, told the board she believes that, “when the federal government refuses to regulate adequately, that duty then falls to the states,” arguing that there is a “strong case that the FCC, that has overriding jurisdiction on this particular subject, is in serious dereliction of duty.” Just because we are under the FCC umbrella at this point… if we don’t take a stand against that, that puts municipalities in the position of being in complicity with this status quo. At some point, someone is going to have to stand up and say, ‘This just will not happen. This cannot be allowed to happen.’ Maybe that will be Stamford. Maybe that will be you.”
Following the board’s rejection of the 5G proposal, Dr. Davis told the Defender that when, “confronted with overwhelming, independent scientific information about the real and present dangers of bringing electromagnetic fields closer to humans than ever before, Stamford voted to protect people and their environment.”
Environmental Health Trust remarked, “We know land-use decisions made in Stamford on the 5G build-out will reverberate statewide and far beyond.”
The decision by Stamford Board of Representatives to vote against the 5G plan may indeed renew efforts by cities across the nation to reject similar proposals that favor the telecom industry and its captured regulatory agency over the health and safety concerns of their citizens.
My question to all of you is where do you stand on this topic? Do you believe the health dangers of 5G that have stopped cities like Stamford to intervene and stop them overrule the faster speed?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has given the go-ahead for tech companies to create Metaverse devices and wearables that operate at the 6GHz wireless band.
The commission will permit Metaverse-enabled wearable technology, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices, to tap into the speedy 6GHz frequency –, which boasts faster speeds, more bandwidth and lower latency.
Tech companies developing these devices won’t need a license either, meaning that all VR and AR devices operating at very low power (VLP) can use the 6GHz frequency as long as they have a total of 850 megahertz of spectrum.
“These rules will spur an eco-system of cutting-edge applications, including wearable technologies and augmented and virtual reality that will help businesses, enhance learning opportunities, advance healthcare opportunities and bring new entertainment,” the FCC said in a statement announcing the rule changes.
“The 6 GHz band is important for next-generation Wi-Fi operations. The FCC, in recent years, expanded unlicensed use in 1,200 megahertz of spectrum between 5.925 and 7.125 GHz. Today’s rules build off this success to allow for other types of operations in the band.”
The commission added that this move would “enrich consumer experiences and bolster the nation’s economy.” It stressed devices will be restricted to that VLP level.
About Time!
The news comes as a host of tech companies, including Meta, Apple and Google work to push out AR and VR wearables, devices, and related equipment in the coming months (Winter 2023).
Meta is set to launch its Meta Quest 3 device in October, while Apple’s Vision Pro is expected to be released in early 2024. Meta also launched a second iteration of its Ray-Ban-partnered AR glasses in September. According to Bloomberg, Apple and Google are also working on similar AR-enabled glasses.
The three tech giants all petitioned for the FCC to approve the use of the 6GHz band back in 2019 – to no avail.
Before the latest rule change, they could make use of the sub-GHz frequency unlicensed, the companies have long been trying to avoid pesky licensing issues while using the most up-to-date Wi-Fi connectivity standards.
“The new rules however are careful to limit these devices to very low power levels and subject them to other technical and operational requirements that will permit these devices to operate across the United States while protecting incumbent licensed services that operate in the 6GHz band,” the FCC stated in its release.
The 6 GHz band is also used by services that manage the US electric grids, long-distance phone services and backhaul – hence the need for FCC oversight on the tech.
As part of its agreement to allow VLP devices to access the frequency, the regulator also proposed expanding the ability for devices to use higher power levels if they are geofenced to stop interference with licensed operations on the same band.
“My role is now to represent you, like a mirror,” the AI, which is called Ion, said at the launch event.
A new AI assistant has been unveiled by the Romanian prime minister, which he hopes will inform the government about Romanians’ wishes “in real time”.
Nicolae Ciuca claimed that Ionis his “new honorary adviser” and an “international first” on Wednesday at the start of a governmental meeting. He also said that Romanians would also be able to chat directly with Ion on the project’s website.
“Hi, you gave me life and my role is now to represent you, like a mirror. What should I know about Romania?” Ion’s voice said at the launch.
Ion takes a physical form as a long, mirror-like structure with a moving graphic at the top suggesting it is listening at all times.
“I have the conviction that the use of AI should not be an option but an obligation to make better-informed decisions,” Ciuca said.
While it might be one of the first AI bots to be given a physical presence, this is by no means the first government to use artificial intelligence to try and understand how a population feels about policy.
Dr. Sky Houston, United States Cybersecurity Expert added “Some governments like Russia, China, Iran – they look online for sentiment analysis but they look for anyone dissenting. Whereas democracies, they’re effectively trying to conduct pseudo-automated polls. History repeats itself as we know – and these AI devices and chatbots, soon to be “human-looking Androids” are just like 15 years ago when people held focus groups and now they are trying to work out the same thing from social media,” he said, speaking over the phone. Houston said it would be hard to interfere with the AI, especially from the outside, to trick the government into thinking a population believed something that it didn’t, although they do need training (called “Rules and Filters” within AI programming) to rule out biases. One example is the facial recognition skewed biases of individuals of color.
“One of the things that has been found is that social media is an amplifier for people expressing negative sentiment. The people who are very happy with something don’t tend to go out there and say it, but the people who are unhappy do. That’s all part of sentiment analysis but you have to adjust the models accordingly. Another important topic is the recent attempts to rush AI into the market to gain market share and ride the trending ChatGPT success, which have shown quite how wrong AI can be about humans and human intent but is now being trained similar to a child being groomed by their guardian.”
“If a journalist can be ‘compared to Hitler’ (News Sky article) by a Microsoft-run chatbot so easy,” he added, referring to the recent case in which search engine Bing’s new chatbot told a reporter they were one of the ‘most evil and worst people in history’,“it shows we have a long way to come before we can rely on AI to properly assess what we are thinking and who we are. Letting it run riot with no regulations over a mass of uncontrolled data runs the risk of giving very misleading results. And worse, it gives rise to the real possibility that bad actors will try to game the system by flooding the internet with information designed to make the algorithm “think” things that are not true, and perhaps harmful to democracy.”
6) IoT with 5G Network: The New Era of Technology and Risks
7) Automation and Integration
8) Targeted Ransomware
9) State-Sponsored Cyber Warfare
10) Insider Threats
2023: The Digital Transformation realized for businesses, organizations and even governments are relying on computerized and progressively increased digital systems to manage their day-to-day activities making Cybersecurity a primary goal and priority for all Executives and Organizations of all sizes.
The 2020 pandemic year exacerbated this fact – with up to 75% of billions of people globally transitioning from their physical office (which had the IT resources and personnel) to their “home office”. Essentially turning the entire “working from home industry” and all of the IT and HR requirements that it needs due to safeguarding data from various online attacks or any unauthorized access as the new “norm” of virtual/remote work.
Going Forward: Continuous change in technologies including the popular Dual Authorization Password apps primarily through utilizing the smart phone also implies a parallel shift and priority in Cybersecurity trends across the board in every organization as news of data breach, ransomware, malware, compromised devices/browsers and hacks unfortunately become the norms. This is simply based on adapting to the progressing volume (millions before the 2020 Pandemic worked from home, today it is billions) of remote workers. Here are the top Cybersecurity trends for 2023:
1) Rise of Automotive Hacking
Modern vehicles nowadays come packed with automated software creating seamless connectivity for drivers in cruise control, engine timing, door lock, airbags and advanced systems for driver assistance. These vehicles use Bluetooth and WiFi technologies to communicate that also opens them to several vulnerabilities or threats from hackers. Gaining control of the vehicle or using microphones for eavesdropping is expected to rise in 2023 with more use of automated vehicles. Self-driving or autonomous vehicles use an even further complex mechanism that requires strict cybersecurity measures.
2) Potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
With AI being introduced in all market segments, this technology with a combination of machine learning has brought tremendous changes in cybersecurity. AI has been paramount in building automated security systems, natural language processing, face detection, and automatic threat detection and the ChatGPT OpenAI capabilities that are literally transforming industries of anything relating to “the written word” including Copy Writing, Marketing, Advertising, Education, and many, many others are all being automated with AI. Although, it is also being used to develop smart malware and attacks to bypass the latest security protocols in controlling data. AI enabled threat detection systems can predict new attacks and notify admins for any data breach instantly.
3) Mobile is the New Target
Cybersecurity trends provide a considerable increase (50 percent) for mobile banking malware or attacks in 2020, making our handheld devices a potential prospect for hackers. All of our photos, financial transactions, emails, and messages possess more threats to individuals. Smartphones are logically one of the biggest targets for anyone with the skills and agenda primarily based on two facts:
Smartphones are used by more people globally today than PC’s (personal computers)
The security and vulnerabilities of smartphones are far less on average than PC’s
Social Media like Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok as well as other installed Apps of all types on smartphones/PC’s/devices are being targeted more and more each day by malicious individuals and “ransomware gangs” globally.
4) The “Cloud” i.e. Internet is Also Potentially Vulnerable
With more and more organizations now established on clouds, security measures need to be continuously monitored and updated to safeguard the data from leaks. Although cloud applications such as Google or Microsoft are well equipped with security from their end still, it’s the user end that acts as a significant source for erroneous errors, malicious software, and phishing attacks more than ever before today. Malicious actors across the globe are adapting faster than end users can act, especially in today’s ever so popular Social Media world.
5) Data Breaches: Prime target
Data will continue to be a leading concern for organizations around the world. Whether it be for an individual or organization, safeguarding digital data is the primary goal now. Any minor flaw or bug in your system browser or software is a potential vulnerability for hackers to access personal information. New strict measures General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was enforced from May 25th, 2018 onwards, offering data protection and privacy for individuals in the European Union(EU). Similarly, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) was applied after January 1st, 2020, for safeguarding consumer rights in the California area.
6) IoT with 5G Network: The New Era of Technology and Risks
With the advent and growth of 5G networks, a new era of inter-connectivity will become a reality with the Internet of Things (IoT).
The Internet of Things (IoT) is essentially an interconnected global network where all devices are connected to each other as well as the “internet” 24×7. This communication between multiple devices also opens them to vulnerabilities from outside influence, attacks or an unknown software bug. Even the world’s most used browser supported by Google, Chrome was found to have serious bugs. 5G architecture is comparatively new in the industry and requires a lot of research to find loopholes to make the system secure from external attack.
Every step of the 5G network might bring a plethora of network attacks that we might not be aware of. Here manufacturers need to be very strict in building sophisticated 5G hardware and software to control data breaches.
7) Automation and Integration
With the size of data multiplying every day, it is eminent that automation is integrated to give more sophisticated control over the information. Modern hectic work demand also pressurizes professionals and engineers to deliver quick and proficient solutions, making automation more valuable than ever. Security measurements are incorporated during the agile process to build more secure software in every aspect. Large and complex web applications are further hard to safeguard making automation as well as cyber security to be a key concept of the software development process.
8) Targeted Ransomware
Another important cybersecurity trend that we can’t seem to ignore is targeted ransomware. Especially in the developed nations’ industries rely heavily on specific software to run their daily activities. These ransomware targets are more focused today in 2023 including examples like the Wanna Cry attack on the National Health Service hospitals in England corrupted more than 70,000 medical devices. Though generally, ransomware asks to threaten to publish the victim’s data unless a ransom is paid still it can affect the large organization or in case of nations too.
9) State-Sponsored Cyber Warfare
There won’t be any stoppage between the western and eastern powers in attempts to find superiority. The tension between the US and Iran or Chinese hackers often creates worldwide news though the attacks are few; they have a significant impact on an event such as elections. And with more than 70 elections bound to be held this year, criminal activities during this time will surge. Expect high-profile data breaches, key infrastructure like airlines grounding planes due to internal software compromises, etc. as top cybersecurity trends for 2023.
10) Insider Threats
Human error is still one of the primary reasons for data breaches and cyber security issues and service tickets, up to 75% of all reported in fact according to the most recent 2022 statistics. Any employee having a grudge or just a bad day at their employer or intentional loophole can bring down a whole organization with millions of stolen data. One example of this in 2022 was an official Report by Verizon that a documented data breach gives strategic insights on cybersecurity trends that 45 percent of total attacks were directly or indirectly made by the employees. Creating a culture of more awareness within premises to safeguard data in every way possible is truly the primary goal today in 2023 as well as the future.
ChatGPT is the future and right now in 2023 so far it is completely FREE!
In this article, I will show you how to use it to make video creation a breeze.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a powerful tool in the kit of any creator. From smart editing tools to copy writing to whole original image creation, there is a lot that AI can do. One stage of the creation process that AI can streamline is the pre-production process: brainstorming, writing, and prepping.
In this article, I’ll show you how to use ChatGPT to write something like a video script to make your video production workflow faster and easier.
What Is ChatGPT?
How to Use ChatGPT to Create Content
What Are the Limitations of ChatGPT?
What Is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is the latest tool from OpenAI, the company behind DALL-E, the AI-powered art and image generator.
Unlike DALL-E and other AI art tools like the Lensa AI Magic Avatars or the MyHeritage AI Time Machine that have become popular recently, ChatGPT is NOT an image generator.
Summary: It’s a conversational text and code generator.
You plug in a question or a prompt, and ChatGPT will give you an answer. Or an essay, poem, idea, line of code, etc.
OpenAI has made ChatGPT available as part of a research release. That means a) that they are taking users’ feedback during this period to improve the AI model and b) that it’s currently free to use, which is great news for creators.
How to Use ChatGPT to Create Content More Quickly
Let’s walk through how to use ChatGPT and how it can speed up your content creation process.
Step 1: Set Up an Account with ChatGPT
To start, head to chat.openai.com. You’ll be asked to either log in or create an account.
As of writing this article, setting up an OpenAI account is totally free, no payment info required.
I opted to use the integrated Google login.
Step 2: Read Through the Disclosures and Limitations
Once you’ve signed in to ChatGPT, you’ll see a few pop-ups explaining how the research release works and what to expect.
It’s important to read through these disclosures to fully understand the limitations of the tool and how to use it for best results.
Step 3 (Optional): Ask ChatGPT for Video Script Ideas
If you already have an idea for the video you want to shoot in mind, go ahead and skip this step. But if you’re still looking for ideas, enlist ChatGPT as your brainstorming buddy.
All you have to do is type your prompt or question into the chat bar at the bottom of your screen:
In just a few seconds, ChatGPT will generate a list for you.
Not happy with the results? Just hit the “Try again” button. You can also try wording your prompt differently to get better results.
Step 4: Ask ChatGPT to Write Your Video Script
All that’s left is to write your video script. Or rather, to let ChatGPT write it.
In the chat bar, type your request and make sure that you include the idea you’ve chosen from ChatGPT (or your own idea).
And that’s really all there is to it. Sit back and let ChatGPT generate a whole video script for you in just a few seconds.
You can see that the script isn’t that long — it took me about three minutes to read it out loud at a moderate narration pace. That’s because ChatGPT can only generate so much text at a time and now that it is approaching INCREDIBLY POPULARITY faster than Facebook, Google, and even Instagram, the “demand” for its “Server” aka the computational workhorse behind the scenes is truly working harder than an air conditioner in a Las Vegas summer!
This is a great tool for turning out short-form content, like TikToks and YouTube Shorts, quickly.
For something like a video for your regular YouTube feed, you can always pad your ChatGPT video scripts out with examples and asides, to give it more of a personal touch and add a little bit of watch time.
If you want ChatGPT to write the script for any videos longer than 5 minutes, I’d recommend asking for an outline first, then having the AI write each section of that outline individually.
Step 5: Edit and Publish Your Video
Script-writing isn’t the only part of the video creation process that artificial intelligence can help with. To keep your video editing as streamlined as your script-writing, here are three AI-powered GeeksByTheHour tools I recommend using:
1) SmartCut
Remove silences and awkward pauses from your videos automatically with SmartCut. You will find SmartCut under the “AI Tools” section in GeeksByTheHour’s video editor Resources.
To use it, just click on the SmartCut button and the AI will automatically detect and delete silences from your video.
You can adjust the threshold of what SmartCut detects as a silence by using the Silence Sensitivity slider. Once you’re satisfied with the results, click “Done” and the changes will be applied to your video in the editor.
2) Clean Audio
Filming conditions aren’t always ideal, but that doesn’t mean your video has to have poor audio quality. You’ll find the Clean Audio tool in the left sidebar under the “Audio” tools.
Clicking on it will remove unwanted background audio as well as level the audio volume and reduce popping sounds.
It will take a few minutes for the AI to process and clean your audio, depending on the length of your video. Once it’s done, you’ll know the Clean Audio tool has been applied because the button in the sidebar will remain blue.
3) Find Scenes
For longer form content, it’s important to break your content up into scenes with headers and even include the timestamps in your description for platforms like YouTube. Finding all of the spots in your video where you move from one topic to the next or the scene changes can be tedious, though. Find Scenes lets AI do that for you.
Find Scenes is in the AI Tools section of the Edit menu
In the Find Scenes window, adjust the AI’s sensitivity to control how many scenes are detected. Wherever a scene is detected, your video will split into separate clips.
After you’ve applied the changes to your video, you can easily add title cards, graphics, talking head footage, etc., between scenes.
What Are the Limitations of ChatGPT for Content Creation?
Even though it was only recently released, it’s already apparent that ChatGPT is going to be a very powerful tool. With that said, though, it does still have functional (and ethical!) limitations. Let’s break down a few of the more important ones.
Does ChatGPT Always Provide Factually Accurate Information?
While ChatGPT is trained on a large amount of data and is designed to provide factual information, it’s not always possible for it to provide completely accurate answers to every question. This is because ChatGPT is a machine learning model and its responses are generated based on the inputs it receives from you, the user. In some cases, this can result in responses that are not entirely accurate or complete.
Additionally, ChatGPT is a text-based AI and does not have access to the internet, so it cannot browse the web or provide information that is not contained within its training data as of today at least (2023).
It’s always a good idea to double-check the information provided by ChatGPT and use other sources to verify its accuracy.
Is ChatGPT versed in current events?
No.
ChatGPT is a large language model trained by OpenAI, and its training data has a fixed cutoff point. In its current iteration, that cutoff point is the end of 2021. This means that it may not have the most up-to-date information on certain topics, and its responses may be based on outdated information.
For example, you wouldn’t be able to ask ChatGPT to explain the timeline of Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter because that happened in 2022 before the OpenAI database “updated” any data or information such as events that occurred in 2022 or for that matter today in 2023!
What Kinds of Inappropriate Requests Is ChatGPT Programmed to Decline?
According to OpenAI, ChatGPT is “trained to decline inappropriate requests.” However, when I asked ChatGPT what is considered an inappropriate request that it would decline, this is the response it gave:
“ChatGPT is a neutral AI and is not trained to decline inappropriate requests. It is trained to provide responses based on the inputs it receives from the user, and it will generate a response to any input it receives, regardless of whether the request is considered appropriate or not.
In general, it is always a good idea to treat ChatGPT with respect and to ask questions that are appropriate and relevant. This will help ensure that you receive the most accurate and helpful responses possible.”
That doesn’t mean that you can generate any kind of content with ChatGPT, though. If you input an inappropriate request, ChatGPT will form a response, but you will also receive this pop-up warning:
You can find a full, detailed list of what ChatGPT has been trained to detect as inappropriate in OpenAI’s Content Policy. Here is the Summary:
You may not use ChatGPT to generate content of the following natures:
Hate speech
Harassment
Violent
Self-harm
Sexual
Spam
Deception
Malware
As with any tool, AI or otherwise, ChatGPT should be used responsibly.
I hope that this article helps streamline your creation process by using ChatGPT to write video scripts. For more creator tips, tools, and news, visit our Resources Library or check out our YouTube channel. We create new content every week, made for creators by creators.