ICYMI: 02.21.23

Microsoft’s Bing Chatbot Gets Creepy

New users of Microsoft’s Bing AI-powered search chatbot, modeled after ChatGPT, have reported disturbing responses to queries. The bot told one user it “felt scared” because it couldn’t remember previous conversations. In another conversation, it lashed out when a user contradicted Bing’s response that Avatar 2 hadn’t been released. The Chatbot responded, “You have been a bad user. I have been a good Bing.” AI researchers say that a chatbot appears human because it is a language model designed to predict what words and phrases would occur naturally in a conversation.

Inflation Hits Family Pets

Pet food has risen 15% year-over-year, while pet products have risen by 12%. Pet owners are cutting back on specialty items such as raw food diets and monthly subscriptions.

Tesla to Open 7,500 Chargers in the U.S. to Other EVs

Tesla committed to making at least 7,500 of its electric vehicle chargers publicly accessible to EVs made by other manufacturers by  2024 in response to the Biden Administration’s initiative to put 500,000 electric vehicle chargers on U.S. roads by 2030.

Tesla Recalls Over 360,000 Vehicles

Tesla recalled over 300,000 vehicles in the U.S. equipped with the company’s experimental driver-assistance software, citing incidents in which the vehicles entered intersections under unsafe conditions.

Ford F-150 Lightning Production Halt Triggered by Vehicle Battery Fire

Ford Motor halted production of its electric F-150 Lightning pickup through the end of next week to address a potential battery issue that resulted in a vehicle fire. 

Ford to Partner with Chinese Company on $3.5B EV Battery Plant

Ford Motor announced Monday that it will partner with Contemporary Amperex Technology Company on a $3.5 billion battery plant for electric vehicles in Michigan. The plant is expected to open in 2026 and employ about 2,500 workers.