hatemail tech newsletter, 2023-03-27

This week’s issue of hatemail must begin with our deepest appreciation of Kelly Lum (also known as aloria). Kelly passed away this last week, leaving the cybersecurity community and New York City hacker scene in fond memory of her humor, her leadership, and undeniable style. She was 41. [Techcrunch] [DarkReading]

The news clip of @aloria's crossover hacker typing was perfect.

— Steve Weis (@sweis) 6:49 PM ∙ Mar 21, 2023

Effective Altruism Is Pushing a Dangerous Brand of ‘AI Safety’

This philosophy—supported by tech figures like Sam Bankman-Fried—fuels the AI research agenda, creating a harmful system in the name of saving humanity. [Wired]

Chatbots, deepfakes, and voice clones: AI deception for sale

You may have heard of simulation theory, the notion that nothing is real and we’re all part of a giant computer program. [FTC]

The secret history of Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and OpenAI | Semafor

In 2018, Musk wanted to take charge of OpenAI to beat Google but others opposed the move, putting Altman at the helm. [Semaphor]

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Twitter Says Parts of Its Source Code Were Leaked Online

The leak adds to the challenges facing the Elon Musk-owned company, which is trying to unmask the person responsible and any other people who downloaded the code. [New York Times]

Free data-center heat is allegedly saving a struggling public pool $24K a year

A public pool in the UK is expected to save £20,000 and cut carbon emissions by 25.8 tons annually by warming a 25 m and children's pool with waste heat from a data center from startup Deep Green. [ArsTechnica]

A Cult That Worships Superintelligent AI Is Looking For Big Tech Donors

Amidst the hype over ChatGPT, artists are forming religious movements to worship our future machine overlords—and change them for the better. [Vice]

2022 Zero-Day Exploitation Continues at an Elevated Pace

In this post Mandiant shares insights from their analysis of 2022 zero-day exploitation. [Manditant]

Meta Manager Was Hacked With Spyware and Wiretapped in Greece

Artemis Seaford, a dual U.S.-Greek national, was targeted with a cyberespionage tool while also under a wiretap by the Greek spy agency in a case that shows the spread of illicit snooping in Europe. [New York Times]

Google Suspends Chinese E-Commerce App Pinduoduo Over Malware

Google says it has suspended the app for the Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo after malware was found in versions of the app. [Krebs on Security]

Export Control is Not a Magic Bullet for Cyber Mercenaries

The U.S. and the EU need to do more to limit the damage to their intelligence and law enforcement capabilities caused by cyber mercenaries. [Lawfare]

The Cold War With China Is Changing Everything

Both sides are spending lots of money on technological elites. [New York Times]

The FBI raided a notable journalist's home. Rolling Stone didn't tell readers why

The FBI had raided the home of a renowned journalist at the top of his game months earlier, and he had disappeared from public view. [NPR]

OnlyFans model known for her long tongue sues ex $6.3B for alleged revenge porn

Mikayla Saravia is suing Nicholas Hunter for $6.3 billion for allegedly taking control of her social media accounts and sharing explicit content without her consent. [NY Post]

Rep. Jim Jordan Issues Sweeping Information Requests to Universities Researching Disinformation

In the letters, Jordan asserted that the schools may have contributed to the Biden administration’s “censorship regime by advising on so-called misinformation.” [ProPublica]

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