🚀 SpaceX launches rescue mission to return stranded astronauts

• SpaceX launched its Crew-9 mission to return two stranded astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) while two seats were left empty for the return trip.
• The Falcon 9 rocket launched from a new pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and is set to dock with the ISS, where Crew-9 will conduct approximately 200 scientific experiments.
• The launch was delayed due to issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which caused the extended stay of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on the ISS.

⚖️ Uber beats crash victims’ attempt to try case in court instead of arbitration

• A New Jersey appellate court ruled that a married couple, Georgia and John McGinty, cannot sue Uber for injuries from a 2022 car accident due to a mandatory arbitration provision in Uber's terms of use.
• The couple argued that their minor daughter clicked the most recent terms agreement while using Georgia's Uber account, but the court upheld that the arbitration agreement, which Georgia had previously accepted, is valid and enforceable.
• The lower court had criticized the updated terms for lack of clarity on the waiver of the right to a jury trial, but the appellate court determined that legal precedent does not require specific language to enforce such waivers, and the issue of the daughter's agreement will be decided by an arbitrator.

📉 In fear of more user protests, Reddit announces controversial policy change

• Reddit has implemented a policy requiring moderators to obtain permission from the platform to change subreddits to private or NSFW, following widespread protests last year.
• The policy change was partly a response to moderators utilizing their powers to protest against Reddit’s new API fees, which led to significant site-wide disruptions and user backlash.
• Critics argue that this new policy undermines moderators' authority and accountability, effectively limiting their ability to protest against Reddit's decisions.

🍏 Apple not investing in OpenAI after all, new report says

• Apple has decided not to invest in OpenAI, pulling out of talks before a funding round expected to raise $6.5 billion, which may now involve investments from Microsoft and Nvidia.
• Microsoft currently owns 49% of OpenAI's profits and is expected to increase its investment by $1 billion in the upcoming funding round.
• Despite not investing, Apple is collaborating with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into iOS 18, where it will enhance Siri’s capabilities, without any financial payments exchanged between the two companies.

🛒 Amazon-backed Anthropic in talks to raise money at $40B valuation

• Generative AI startup Anthropic, backed by Amazon and other tech firms, is in discussions to raise new funding.
• The potential new funding could value the company at up to $40 billion.
• The information was reported by The Information.

📰 Gov. Newsom vetoes California's controversial AI bill, SB 1047

• California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 1047, a bill aimed at regulating AI development and making companies liable for safety protocols, following opposition from Silicon Valley and prominent technologists.
• Newsom expressed concerns that the bill applied stringent standards too broadly without considering the risk levels of AI systems, while Nancy Pelosi praised his decision for empowering smaller entities over big tech.
• Although SB 1047 was vetoed, Newsom's office highlighted that he has signed 18 other bills regarding AI regulation in the past month and is consulting experts to establish effective guidelines for AI deployment in the state.

💻 Google unveils AlphaChip AI-assisted chip design technology — chip layout as a game for a computer

• Google has introduced AlphaChip, an AI reinforcement learning method that significantly accelerates chip design layouts, reducing development time from approximately 24 months to just a few hours while optimizing performance and power efficiency.
• AlphaChip has been effectively used in designing Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) and has also been adopted by MediaTek, indicating its efficacy in both companies' chip development processes.
• The success of AlphaChip has spurred new research in AI applications across various stages of chip design, with potential future expansions to encompass the entire chip design lifecycle, leading to faster and more energy-efficient chips.