Alphabet is cautioning employees about how they use chatbots, including its own Bard, at the same time as it markets the program around the world, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The Google parent has advised employees not to enter its confidential materials into AI chatbots, the people said and the company confirmed, citing long-standing policy on safeguarding information.

The chatbots, among them Bard and ChatGPT, are human-sounding programs that use so-called generative artificial intelligence to hold conversations with users and answer myriad prompts. Human reviewers may read the chats, and researchers found that similar AI could reproduce the data it absorbed during training, creating a leak risk.

Alphabet also alerted its engineers to avoid direct use of computer code that chatbots can generate, some of the people said. 

Asked for comment, the company said Bard can make undesired code suggestions, but it helps programmers nonetheless. Google also said it aimed to be transparent about the limitations of its technology.

The concerns show how Google wishes to avoid business harm from software it launched in competition with ChatGPT. At stake in Google’s race against ChatGPT’s backers OpenAI and Microsoft  are billions of dollars of investment and still untold advertising and cloud revenue from new AI programs.

Google’s caution also reflects what’s becoming a security standard for corporations, namely to warn personnel about using publicly-available chat programs.

A growing number of businesses around the world have set up guardrails on AI chatbots, among them Samsung, Amazon.com and Deutsche Bank, the companies told Reuters. Apple, which did not return requests for comment, reportedly has as well. 

Some 43 percent of professionals were using ChatGPT or other AI tools as of January, often without telling their bosses, according to a survey of nearly 12,000 respondents including from top US-based companies, done by the networking site Fishbowl.

By February, Google told staff testing Bard before its launch not to give it internal information, Insider reported. Now Google is rolling out Bard to more than 180 countries and in 40 languages as a springboard for creativity, and its warnings extend to its code suggestions.

Google told Reuters it has had detailed conversations with Ireland’s Data Protection Commission and is addressing regulators’ questions, after a Politico report Tuesday that the company was postponing Bard’s EU launch this week pending more information about the chatbot’s impact on privacy. 

Worries about sensitive information

Such technology can draft emails, documents, even software itself, promising to vastly speed up tasks. Included in this content, however, can be misinformation, sensitive data or even copyrighted passages from a Harry Potter novel.

A Google privacy notice updated on June 1 also states: “Don’t include confidential or sensitive information in your Bard conversations.”

Some companies have developed software to address such concerns. For instance, Cloudflare, which defends websites against cyberattacks and offers other cloud services, is marketing a capability for businesses to tag and restrict some data from flowing externally.

Google and Microsoft also are offering conversational tools to business customers that will come with a higher price tag but refrain from absorbing data into public AI models. The default setting in Bard and ChatGPT is to save users’ conversation history, which users can opt to delete. 

It “makes sense” that companies would not want their staff to use public chatbots for work, said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s consumer chief marketing officer.

“Companies are taking a duly conservative standpoint,” said Mehdi, explaining how Microsoft’s free Bing chatbot compares with its enterprise software. “There, our policies are much more strict.”

Microsoft declined to comment on whether it has a blanket ban on staff entering confidential information into public AI programs, including its own, though a different executive there told Reuters he personally restricted his use.

Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, said that typing confidential matters into chatbots was like “turning a bunch of PhD students loose in all of your private records.”

© Thomson Reuters 2023

OnePlus 13 has been rumoured to launch in October, and a company executive seemingly confirmed on Wednesday that the handset will indeed arrive later this month. This will be the China launch of the smartphone, and a global debut is expected sometime later this year. Alongside confirming the launch timeline, the executive claimed that the OnePlus 13 will receive a “big leap” in performance. Rumours have claimed that the phone could be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset.

OnePlus 13 Launch Timeline Confirmed

In a Weibo post, OnePlus China President Louis Lee revealed that the OnePlus 13 smartphone will be launched this month. So, the smartphone will be the first to run on ColorOS 15. This is not surprising given that OnePlus phones come with Oppo’s Android-based skin instead of the slightly modified Oxygen OS, which was added outside of China.

Lee also highlighted that the upcoming flagship smartphone will also mark a significant upgrade in performance. He said, “With the latest Snapdragon flagship chip, OnePlus13 has made a “big leap” in both performance release and overall fluency, reaching a height never seen before in Android.”

This improvement is likely coming on the back of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, which is also expected to be released this month. The new chipset is expected to feature the new generation of the company’s dedicated neural processing unit (NPU), which could offer faster performance for both artificial intelligence (AI)-related workflows and otherwise.

While India is not likely to see the ColorOS 15 on the OnePlus 13, Lee highlighted that the operating system will feature a new Tidal Engine and Aurora Engine, which is said to offer faster performance and smoother animation.

OnePlus 13 Rumoured Specifications

Based on previous reports, the OnePlus 13 is expected to feature a 6.82-inch 2K 10-bit LTPO BOE X2 micro quad curved OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The second generation of the BOE oriental screen is said to outperform the existing BOE X1 display seen on the OnePlus 12.

Another report claimed that the smartphone could sport an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor fitted within the display circuitry. It could also support super eye protection and soft edge four-level depth. It is also said to feature a super ceramic glass back panel.

Xbox Game Pass is adding 12 new titles to its December catalogue, including two day-one releases. The standout here has to be the Remnant franchise — both From the Ashes and its newly launched sequel Remnant II, celebrated for its souls-like shooter experience that pits players against tough-as-nails fantastical monsters, across procedurally-generated levels. Its challenges can also be tackled in co-op, so it’s best advised that you check out the sequel because it will have a larger active player base. Another major addition this month is Far Cry 6, setting you against the vibrant tropical island of Yara to topple its ruthless dictator Antón Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito), who is hellbent on using the Viviro, an unstable form of cancer treatment, to restore his land to former glory. It arrives December 14 on Xbox Game Pass.

The December lineup feels too good to be true, but makes sense given the Christmas season, as a means for Xbox to get more people to subscribe to Game Pass. Rise of the Tomb Raider is another major entry, putting you in the shoes of lone adventurer Lara Croft, who is thrust into a sprawling mystery surrounding The Order of Trinity looking to acquire ancient artefacts that would grant them the power to change the fate of humanity. Taking players to the Lost City of Kitezh in Siberia, this is the second story in a three-part reboot trilogy from Crystal Dynamics, borrowing a range of mechanics from Naughty Dogs Uncharted games in terms of ammo pick-up and a robust close-quarters combat system. Rise of the Tomb Raider will be out December 5 across PC, console, and the cloud.

Let your creativity run wild as you construct a mining town punctuated by cutesy little roads and settlements, with enough power water, and resources to ensure your steampunk civilians are well-equipped to excavate long-lost space technology — the kind that might help save the barren, dying planet. SteamWorld Build is a day-one launch on Xbox Game Pass and is now available to download for free on PC and console. Experience the life of a village blacksmith in While the Iron’s Hot, a pixelated RPG set on the enigmatic island of Ellian, which drew countless craftsmen together in order to perfect their craft. Explore every tunnel, forge new machinery to get past puzzles, and interact with its colourful cast to unveil the mystery surrounding a recent disaster. The game is now available on cloud, console, and PC.

Or you could engage in some co-op zombie-killing action in World War Z: Aftermath, as thousands of undead hordes leap across rooftops to deliver high-tension challenges, as you stock up on ammunition and makeshift weapons to blast skulls, all the while being granted the responsibility of escorting civilians to safety. While it is based on the Brad Pitt-led Paramount Pictures film, the game was well-received at launch and promises to be a jolly good time when it comes to Game Pass on December 5. After all that gory beatdown, one might need to relax a little. So why not turn into an annoying farm animal, and wreak havoc on a sandbox town in Goat Simulator 3, as you headbutt, lick, and triple-jump your way through?

December 1 (now available)

Remnant: From the Ashes — PC, cloud, and console

Remnant II — PC, cloud, and Xbox Series S/X

Spirit of the North — PC, cloud, and console

SteamWorld Build — PC, cloud, and console

December 5

Clone Drone in the Danger Zone — PC, cloud, and console

Rise of the Tomb Raider — PC, cloud, and console

While the Iron’s Hot — PC, cloud, and console

World War Z: Aftermath — PC, cloud, and console

December 7

Goat Simulator 3 — PC, cloud, and Xbox Series S/X

December 8

Against the Storm — PC

December 12

Tin Hearts — PC, cloud, and console

December 14

Far Cry 6 — PC, cloud, and console

Additionally, Microsoft has confirmed some titles to be leaving the service. On December 15, you can say goodbye to Chained Echoes, Opus Magnum, Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator, and Rubber Bandits.

And as usual, before they disappear from the service, you can choose to buy them at a 20 percent discount.

The supernatural horror The Watchers, starring Dakota Fanning, is set to stream on JioCinema, offering viewers a spine-chilling tale of survival in the dark woods of western Ireland. Directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan and based on A.M. Shine’s 2021 novel, the film centres around an artist, Mina, who gets stranded in an unknown forest and faces mysterious, nightmarish creatures. Here’s all you need to know about when and where you can catch this thriller online.

When and Where to Watch The Watchers

The Watchers will be available to stream in India on JioCinema from November 14, 2024. Initially released in theatres in June 2024, the film had a limited run on Prime Video as a rental, but this will be its first full digital release, accessible to a wider audience looking for intense, supernatural horror.

Official Trailer and Plot of The Watchers

The trailer of The Watchers sets an intense tone, showing Mina, played by Dakota Fanning, navigating a forest that feels alive with sinister forces. Mina, a young artist, finds herself in an uncharted forest with three strangers. With nightfall, creatures known as the Watchers emerge, watching over the group as they scramble to find safety in bunkers scattered across the woodland. The story’s chilling premise deepens as Mina and her companions face both their fears and a dark mystery about the forest’s inhabitants and their motivations.

Cast and Crew of The Watchers

The film stars Dakota Fanning as Mina, alongside Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré and Oliver Finnegan in key roles. Ishana Night Shyamalan, daughter of M. Night Shyamalan, makes her directorial debut with The Watchers. The film’s production involved a notable team, with M. Night Shyamalan as producer alongside Nimitt Mankad and Ashwin Rajan. Abel Korzeniowski’s haunting score and Eli Arenson’s atmospheric cinematography further contribute to the eerie visuals and storytelling.

Reception of The Watchers

The Watchers achieved a global box office total of $33 million, with critics’ reviews mixed between praise for Fanning’s performance and critiques of its pacing. In North America, it garnered $19.1 million, while overseas earnings reached $13.9 million. Despite varied critical responses, the film has become anticipated on streaming platforms, particularly among horror fans drawn to survival thrillers with a supernatural edge.

We’re not even halfway through 2023 and it has already proven to be one of the best years for gaming. The much-awaited title The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom finally dropped, taking us to new heights in the sprawling Sky Islands as we toyed around with resources and crafted immaculate contraptions. Hogwarts Legacy was another noteworthy title, selling over 12 million copies within two weeks of its launch, and dropping us in an ancient iteration of the magic-laden castle to learn about witchcraft and wizardry. The remake engine hasn’t stopped either, delivering a gnarly upgrade for Dead Space, a slightly mutated Resident Evil 4, and there’s the sequel to the Final Fantasy VII Remake eyeing an early 2024 launch.

June is synonymous with gaming news and the cancellation of E3 had a negligible effect on the rest of the announcements that were made this month. Publishers shifted to an online or digital format to present their showcases, with the biggest presentations coming from Playstation and Xbox. From team blue, we got a 10 minutes of gameplay footage from Spider-Man 2, boasting new villains — the symbiote Venom and Kraven the Hunter. However, developer Insomniac Games stopped short of dropping a release date. It did step up during the Summer Game Fest though, revealing an October 20 launch date, with pre-orders set to go live tomorrow, June 16. Starfield from Xbox and Bethesda was possibly the biggest highlight of them all, dropping a 45-minute-long presentation that touched upon exploration, character creation, skills, and a lot more.

On this week’s episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, host Pranav Hegde has a chat with industry insider and Orbital veteran Rishi Alwani and games news and features writer Rahul Chettiyar — that’s me — to discuss how 2023 and beyond looks for gaming.

2023 games showcases: The biggest news

We kick off the discussion by asking the guests what their key takeaways were from the recently held showcases. One might argue that the PlayStation Showcase was quite “mediocre,” as it lacked the blockbuster punch the publisher is usually known for delivering. Spider-Man 2 and Final Fantasy XVI were the only PS5 exclusives announced at the event. On the other hand, others might think Sony’s showcase was “pretty good,” despite showing a myriad of live-service games. The shown titles did appear to be quite polished — funny, considering you’d normally expect Microsoft to be pushing games-as-a-service titles. Xbox started the year on a sour note, with Redfall receiving dinged reviews, but we were impressed to see they weren’t willing to bow down, showing huge single-player entries such as Starfield and Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty expansion.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Expansion Release Date Set for September 26

The discussion then pivots to the Ubisoft Forward Live event, with The Division: Resurgence being the most notable entry as an upcoming free-to-play mobile game. Rishi has been playing an early build of the game and says that it’s “really good!” We’re also interested in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, as Ubisoft is expected to take a back-to-the-roots approach with its latest instalment. Over the years, players have gotten tired of the open-world RPG approach and so, this new entry focuses on a tighter story set in 9th-century Baghdad and the return of crafty assassinations. XDefiant, the franchise crossover 6v6 shooter is also something we’re looking forward to.

Thoughts on Diablo IV

We had a fun time plundering through dungeons in Diablo IV, and we agree on similar issues with the game, starting with the exorbitant pricing, which starts at $69.99 (about Rs. 5,753), alongside the microtransactions marking individual skins with a $25 (about Rs. 2,055) price tag. For now, the in-game shop is implemented in a way that players would never get pinged or coaxed into buying them. However, we’re worried that this could change as Season 1 rolls out. A recent interview with Diablo 4 general manager Rod Fergusson gives us a clue that this might happen —he claimed that the in-game shop is touted to have an “intelligence system,” which would recommend items based on what class you’re playing. The system is currently in a testing phase and it’s unclear how it would impact the game as its expansions and other live-service content start rolling out.

Diablo IV Review: A Devilishly Fun Loot-Fest Set Across the Fires of Hell

On how the Microsoft-Activision deal could impact gamers

If Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision-Blizzard goes through, it would adversely affect the consumers, according to Alwani. Xbox is looking to expand content for its Game Pass subscription service, reducing options for gamers who are already suffering from subscription fatigue. It also looks bad from a game preservationist perspective, with gamers being unable to access games on their own term as they could be relegated to digital media that they don’t have ownership over. We do note that it could result in cheaper access to games, but its long-term effects are dicey.

Games to look forward to and personal highlights

Alwani had a couple of answers for this, starting with his personal preference which is Dragon’s Dogma 2, after which he doubled down on The Division: Resurgence, adding that it’s good for the mobile gaming industry — which India undoubtedly is part of. From a professional POV, he was proud of getting his Indo-futuristic battle-royale game Indus some global exposure by launching trailers across London.

I picked a game that wasn’t mentioned in any of the recent showcases — Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, from the creators of the award-winning Elden Ring and Dark Souls games. AC6 would be my foray into the mech-crunching franchise and I’m excited to take the slow route and read item descriptions to better understand the larger lore, which is quite reminiscent of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic Dune. I am worried about the PC port though, as in how its complex controls would translate to a keyboard and mouse setup.

You can listen to all of that in detail and more in our episode by hitting the play button on the Spotify player embedded above.

If you’re new to the Gadgets 360 website, you can easily find the Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital on your favourite platform — be it Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Don’t forget to follow the Gadgets 360 podcast wherever you’re listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.

iQOO 13 is expected to launch as the company’s next flagship smartphone in China next month. Ahead of its anticipated debut, much is known about the purported smartphone from the Vivo sub-brand courtesy of the rumour mill. However, the latest development comes from the company itself. At the Vivo Developer Conference (VDC) 2024, it was officially confirmed that the iQOO 13 will be equipped with the new BOE Q10 display developed with the latest technology, bringing improvements over previous-generation screens.

iQOO 13 Display Details

The new BOE Q10 display of the iQOO 13 will have a 2K resolution. It is said to have been jointly developed by the company in collaboration with the display manufacturer using a new Q10 luminescent material. Vivo says it will offer advantages in terms of brightness, colour, power consumption and lifespan. But exactly how much?

BOE says its Q10 screens have up to 12.5 percent better global brightness than the preceding models. Power consumption is claimed to have dropped by 10 percent, while the colour deviation reduction is listed at over 50 percent. According to the display maker, the BOE Q10 screen will have a 33 percent longer lifespan compared to previous generation displays.

Vivo also confirmed that the new display on the iQOO 13 will come equipped with upgraded super-sensitive touch technology. It will also have eye-protection measures. While the specifics of the screen remain unknown, it has been announced that it will have a 19.8:9 aspect ratio.

iQOO 13 Specifications (Expected)

Previous leaks suggest iQOO 13 will feature a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with 2K resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. It may be powered by the unannounced Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 (dubbed Snapdragon 8 Elite) chipset under the hood, paired with up to 16GB RAM and up to 512GB storage.

For optics, the purported handset could come with a triple rear camera setup comprising a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 50-megapixel 2x telephoto lens. It may also get a 32-megapixel front camera for selfies. The iQOO 13 is reportedly backed by a 6,150mAh battery with 100W fast charging support.

Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer release date is finally upon us, as confirmed by Rockstar Games via a tweet. The first footage from the highly-anticipated crime odyssey sequel will be out on Tuesday, December 5, at 7:30pm IST in India/ 9am ET in the US, with the publisher only posting an image of a sunset and palm tree silhouettes — confirming previous claims that it’s set in a fictionalised version of Miami, which franchise veterans might recognise as a return to Vice City. With that, it is clear that Geoff Keighley won’t be presenting the trailer at The Game Awards 2023, though a teaser or some screenshot drops are always possible.

Not much was known about GTA 6 since a massive data leak from mid-2022, which revealed in-development gameplay of our lead crime couple — allegedly Jason and Lucia — robbing a diner in broad daylight. Yep, this would mark the first female protagonist in the franchise’s controversial history, which has, for the most part, portrayed women as sex objects or nagging moms/wives. It is also worth mentioning that Rockstar hasn’t revealed an official title for the game yet, merely referring to it as the ‘next Grand Theft Auto,’ so it could very well be a spin-off with some outlandish subtitle. The sequel has been a long time coming, with a May earnings call at Rockstar parent Take-Two Interactive hinting that the GTA 6 launch window could be set for the fiscal year 2025 (opens in April 2024 in Rockstar’s case).

Earlier this month, the studio also scrapped the ‘Social Club’ branding from the website, referring to its online multiplayer service as ‘Rockstar Games platform,’ in addition to getting rid of the yellow block in its logo — hinting at some big changes to usher in the new era. At the time of writing, the studio has deleted all previous posts from its Instagram account, maintaining only the aforementioned trailer release date banner. As anticipation for GTA 6 grew, GTA Online served as the decade-long cash cow for Rockstar, delivering near-endless multiplayer content that easily rivalled the average AAA live service game. For now, it’s unclear whether the existing Social Club members will simply be updated to cater to the new entry or if players will be forced to migrate their data to a new account.

As of October, the 2013-released Grand Theft Auto V has sold 190 million copies worldwide, with minor graphical and performance upgrades to adjust to two whole console generations. Just yesterday, Rockstar confirmed that its remastered Grand Theft Auto trilogy will be available to play on Netflix from December 14 onwards — accessible to subscribers of all tiers and playable exclusively on Android, iOS, and the Netflix phone app.

Grand Theft Auto 6 will probably release on the current-gen PS5 and Xbox Series S/X first, before heading to PC — as seen with previous Rockstar entries.