Digital | Japan Pulse Feb 11, 2023
Minami Minegishi: AKB48’s tear-stained pioneer
by Patrick St. Michel
One J-pop idol’s shocking show of penance in 2013 foreshadowed the price of fame on the internet.
World Feb 8, 2023
The people onscreen are fake. The disinformation is real.
by Adam Satariano and Paul Mozur
Videos distributed by pro-China bot accounts are the first known instance of "deepfake” video technology being used as part of a state-aligned information campaign.
Business Feb 8, 2023
Microsoft's Bing search engine and Edge browser to use AI in challenge to Google
by Jeffrey Dastin
The tech giant expects every percentage point of search market share gained to bring in another $2 billion in advertising revenue.
Business / Tech | ANALYSIS Feb 4, 2023
From Meta to Microsoft, AI's big moment is here
by Jeffrey Dastin
Chief executives across the sector have packed earnings calls with mentions of the tech, which until recently existed more in the background than as a solid contributor to the bottom line.
National / Crime & Legal Jan 26, 2023
In the July 2022 shooting of Abe, police quoted suspect Tetsuya Yamagami as telling them he used information found online to make gunpowder and firearms.
Business Jan 25, 2023
U.S. sues Google to break up ad unit in heated antitrust fight
Google said in blog post that the lawsuit "attempts to pick winners and losers in the highly competitive advertising technology sector."
Business / Corporate Jan 24, 2023
U.S. Justice Department poised to sue Google over digital ad market dominance
The lawsuit will mark the Justice Department’s second monopoly case against the company, which is the No. 1 player in the $278.6 billion U.S. digital-ad market.
World / Crime & Legal Jan 8, 2023
Seattle schools sue Big Tech over youth mental health crisis
by Peter Blumberg
The suit appears to be the first of its kind in the U.S. brought by a school district, following similar claims filed last year by scores of families.
Asia Pacific Dec 29, 2022
Rising online crackdowns across Asia target citizens and Big Tech
by Sen Nguyen and Rina Chandran
During the COVID-19 lockdowns in Vietnam last year, blogger Bui Van Thuan took to Facebook to criticize a government's response. Days later, he was arrested.
Digital | 2022 in Review Dec 29, 2022
Kizuna AI's departure marked a new era for virtual stars in 2022
by Patrick St. Michel
Fans were shocked when the pioneering digital character stepped down in February, but virtual YouTubers are still proving to be one of Japan's strongest pop culture exports.
Business / Tech Dec 23, 2022
‘There’s less noise’: How investors are dealing with the fintech slowdown
by Aisha S Gani
Funding globally for financial technology firms smashed several records last year, but that boom didn't last into 2022.
Commentary / World Dec 9, 2022
ChatGPT could soon be the better way to Google
by Parmy Olson
Answers from the AI-powered chatbot are often more useful than those from the world’s biggest search engine. Alphabet should be worried.