Is Facebook once again in danger of causing the media to tremble? In any case, that’s what an article that was recently published by BuzzFeed News suggests to us.
This article refers to an end-of-year meeting allegedly organized by Facebook with its employees. And during these, in addition to having mentioned the year 2020, the leaders of the group would also have presented some of the innovations under development.
TLDR, comme « too long; didn’t read »
Among these innovations, there would be an artificial intelligence capable of summarizing a press article. More specifically, BuzzFeed evokes a kind of digital assistant called “TLDR”. In internet slang, tl; dr or too long; didn’t read (“too long, [je n’ai] not read ”), is sometimes used to react to a post that is too long and does not make you want to read.
And the TLDR AI developed by Facebook would be able to summarize an article in bullet form so the user doesn’t have to read it all. This could also provide the information in an audio format, suggesting that Facebook could also use this AI for its Portal connected screens.
At the moment, this is just a rumor. And it is not yet known how Facebook could use this AI. But in any case, the reactions were not long in coming.
In one tweet, for example, Audrey Cooper, editor-in-chief of WNYC, said: “Sometimes I feel like there’s someone at FB HQ whose job it is to try to find new ways to completely destroy any semblance of intelligence in America. “
Facebook is also developing a way to control machines with thought
In 2019, we learned that Facebook has acquired the startup CTRL-Labs. Like other internet giants, Facebook regularly buys smaller companies in order to dispose of their technologies. Nevertheless, the acquisition of CTRL-Labs had particularly attracted the attention of the media, because it specializes in the control of machines by thought.
Andrew Bosworth, Head of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality at Facebook, explained: “You have neurons in your spinal cord that send electrical signals to the muscles in your hand asking them to move in specific ways, such as by clicking a mouse or pressing a button. The bracelet (editor’s note, developed by CTRL-Labs) will decode these signals and translate them into a digital signal that your device can understand, giving you control over your digital life. It records your intention so that you can share a photo with a friend using unnoticeable movement or just intending to do so. “
And obviously, Facebook’s plan to come up with a way to control machines with thought is on track. Indeed, according to the BuzzFeed article, during its recent meeting with employees, the number one social network also spoke about the progress of this new interface. This could be used to type on a virtual keyboard, hold an object in a virtual environment, or control a character in a video game.
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