December, 2022 - Softonic English

YouTube releases top trending lists as a stand-in for Rewind

Earlier this week, YouTube Music sent out a Music Recap of 2022. This individualized recap shared your top tracks, artists and summary of your musical journey for the year. This is very similar to Spotify Wrapped. Now, YouTube is also releasing the top trending lists to make up for the Rewind feature that’s no longer available.

The lists released by YouTube include Top Trending Videos of 2022, US Top Songs, US Top Creators, Breakout Creators, and Global Top Ads.

First, let’s look at YouTube’s US Top Trending list. This list considers in-country videos uploaded in 2021. This list excludes Shorts, music videos, trailers and children’s videos. There can also be only one video per creator to ensure fairness. The list of Top US Trending Videos from YouTube is:

Technoblade: so long, nerds
Guardian News: Watch the uncensored moment Will Smith smacks Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars, drops F-bomb
Dream: hi, I’m Dream.
NFL: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar & 50 Cent FULL Pepsi SB LVI Halftime Show
MrBeast: I Built Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory!
Mark Rober: Pranks Destroy Scam Callers- GlitterBomb Payback
Jaiden Animations: Being Not Straight
Kane Pixels: The Backrooms (Found Footage)
The Try Guys: what happened.
First We Feast: Millie Bobby Brown Needs a Milkshake

Next, let’s take a look at the list of US Top Creators. These results were based on the number of in-country subscribers gained in 2022. This list excludes artists, brands, media companies and children’s content. It also features only one channel per creator. Here is the list of the Top US Creators from YouTube:

MrBeast (114M subs)
NichLmao (18.7 subs)
Airrack (10.7M subs)
Ryan Trahan (11.1M subs)
Isaiah Photo (8M subs)
Brent Rivera (22.3M subs)
Dan Rhodes (18.8M subs)
Luke Davidson (9.31M subs)
CoryxKenshin (15M subs)
Ian Boggs (8.07M subs)

The Breakout Creators list considers in-country subscribers gained in 2022 for channels showing at least a 200% year-on-year growth. This means creators need to have tripled their subscribers within a single year to be considered. The Top US Breakout Creators, according to YouTube, are:

NichLmao (18.7 subs)
Airrack (10.7M subs)
Jooj Natu ENG (6.03M subs)
Shangerdanger (4.03M subs)
David The Baker (2.47M subs)
Kat (5.2M subs)
Dayta (4.39M subs)
Devin Caherly Shorts (3.61M subs)
MDMotivator (4.17M subs)
Charles Brockman III (TheOnly CB3) (2.41M subs)

The US Top Songs list contains songs that debuted or saw significant year-on-year growth in 2022. Candidates for this list included official music videos, lyric videos and user-generated content that uses the full song. Only two songs per artist or album can be considered for the list. The Top US Songs from YouTube include:

Encanto Cast – We Don’t Talk About Bruno
Kodak Black – Super Gremlin
Jessica Darrow – Surface Pressure
Bad Bunny – Tití me preguntó
Future – WAIT FOR U ft. Drake, Tems
Bad Bunny, Chencho Corleone – Me Porto Bonito
Karol G, Becky G – Mamiii
Imagine Dragons x JID – Enemy
Karol G – PROVENZA
Lil Baby – Right On (Official Video)

Finally, the last list that YouTube released is the Global Top Ads. This list is carefully calculated with an algorithm that considers organic and paid views, watch time and audience retention. Only one ad per brand is considered to give a broader view of the leaderboard. The Tob Global Ads for 2022, according to YouTube, were:

These lists have replaced Google’s Rewind, which was discontinued in 2020. The results show an exciting mix of creators and content spread across different niches and markets. It gives us a glance back at the year and what’s been happening within entertainment.

Adobe will now sell AI-generated artwork through Adobe Stock

Adobe is now the latest stock image vendor to hop on the AI-generated artwork bandwagon. The software company announced on Monday that it now lets artists submit AI-generated artworks to sell. This is just one more facet of Adobe’s goal to fully embrace the AI-based image synthesis movement while the rest of the stock image world grapples with the morals and ethics of licensing and selling computer-generated content.

Mind you, it’s not the wild west over at Adobe Stock, though. The company has put numerous measures in place to ensure that the content users submit does not violate any copyright laws. Every artist has to declare that they have the right to use the image, and users must submit any AI-generated content as an illustration. This applies even if the content in question is a photorealistic creation.

You can now buy AI-generated artwork from Adobe Stock

Furthermore, there are new guidelines pertaining to generative AI to which each artwork must adhere. In these guidelines, it is stipulated that should an artwork bare a realistic resemblance to any person, living or deceased, the artist must include a model release along with the submission. Should a generative AI artwork contain or reference the intellectual property of another person, the submission must include a property release stating that the artist has the permission required to use such IP. These releases clarify who owns the rights to the subject matter of the artwork, but not who owns the AI generated artwork itself.

While there’s certainly a market for content generated by artificial intelligence, we haven’t yet fully discussed the implications of letting such a market exist. How will this sale of AI-generated stock images impact the people who dedicate mass amounts of energy, skill, and passion to taking the perfect image or creating compelling digital art for commercial purposes? Is AI likely to steal artists jobs?

No matter what the implications of this technology and its uses are, the industry shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, there is likely to be an even heavier reliance on AI-generated art in the future. Only time will tell whether the coming AI revolution will be a threat or a tool on humanity’s story.

What announcements are we expecting at The Game Awards?

We’re almost at that time of year again when The Game Awards goes live. It’s an annual event that Geoff Keighley hosts, presenting the best titles for the year in several categories. The best part is that we also see some game announcements and reveals, usually as premiere trailers.

Geoff indicated that there will be about 30 to 40 game announcements this year, despite The Game Awards planning to be shorter this time around. While that’s a massive number of announcements, we have some confirmed reveals already. I’ll chat about them first before heading into some rumors.

Remember, The Game Awards takes place on December 8, 2022, at about 1.30 am BCN time (19:30 Eastern Time).

Confirmed game reveals for The Game Awards

Let me begin with a few games we already know will be announced at The Game Awards. We’ve already seen mentions of these games on Twitter and from the publishers, so it’s a done deal that we’ll see premiere trailers for these.

Final Fantasy 16

One of the biggest announcements at The Game Awards will probably be an official release date for Final Fantasy 16. The game’s producer, Naoki ‘Yoshi-P’ Yoshida, indicated that he will be there in person for a live presentation. You should also bear in mind that Geoff Keighley mentioned that we’ll see more gameplay trailers than teasers at the show, so we’ll possibly see some gameplay elements.

announcements are we expecting at The Game Awards

Star Wars: Jedi Survivor

We’ve been waiting for this Jedi: Fallen Order sequel for quite a long time. Thanks to the popularity of its predecessor, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor will shed more light on the gameplay aspects. Electronic Arts confirmed that it will be part of The Game Awards with more than a simple short trailer.

Respawn Entertainment is at the helm of developing Star Wars: Jedi Survivor. It will remain a single-player game set five years after Fallen Order. Cal Kestis and his crew return once again as the main team in the story, while the narrative will have a strong part in the game.

Baldurs Gate 3

Technically, we already had a premiere game reveal for Baldurs Gate 3 before The Game Awards even showed. Geoff Keighley went as far as to indicate the game will be revealed at the event with the trailer on Twitter. Hopefully, it means we’ll have more gameplay and release date details. It also means that the game will finally leave early access after so many years.

Baldur’s Gate 3 – Thursday – #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/ziecW2G2ub
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) December 5, 2022

Rumored The Game Awards reveals

Now that you have a general idea of the confirmed announcements, here are some speculations for a few games we expect to see reveals for at The Game Awards. If we’re wrong, don’t shoot us. However, all indications are that we’ll see some sort of news about them at the event.

Next Hideo Kojima game

Ever since Death Stranding launched in 2019, Hideo Kojima spared no expense to mention or post about the sequel. We know there’s going to be one, we just don’t know when. Many fans have mentioned that Kojima and Geoff are BFFS, so there’s a good chance that there may be a reveal about Death Standing 2.

If not, then we’ll probably see an announcement about the other game Kojima has been going on about. We don’t know much about Overdose, but there have been some leaks already. After Konami made several Silent Hill game announcements, we’re sure Kojima will want to step up to the plate. If you know the history of the P.T. Demo and Silent Hills cancellation, you’ll understand why this is important.

Elden Ring DLC

While we know that Elden Ring is in for the running of the Game of the Year award against God of War Ragnarok, we also expect more to appear at the show. Mostly, I feel we’ll see a reveal of a brand-new DLC for the epic dark fantasy game. If so, fans worldwide will be really excited to see what new story and content there will be.

Ok, so Elden Ring only released a few months ago, but there’s no reason we can’t see an announcement, at least for the DLC. If it does appear, we could probably expect a launch late in 2023 or early 2024. Here’s hoping, anyway.

Diablo IV

We’ve already had some speculations as to the official release date of Diablo IV. While the publishers indicated April 2023, I still think The Game Awards will see a surprise change towards the end of the year. It’s been in development and testing for so long, I don’t really want to wait much longer for it.

Diablo III was such an exciting title to play, and I still enjoy the seasons that are ongoing. My only fear is that the seasons will come to an end with the release of Diablo IV, leaving many gamers pining until they can get their hands on the sequel. At least we can play Diablo Immortal so long.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

In September earlier this year. Ubisoft confirmed that Assasin’s Creed Mirage is in development. Some leaks appeared online of footage from the game, forcing Ubisoft to acknowledge its existence. I have a strong suspicion we’ll see some more gameplay elements at The Game Awards.

At one point, we thought Assassin’s Creed was losing its mojo. Then, it made such an amazing comeback with AC: Origins that we just dove back into the franchise. I’m personally looking forward to seeing what Ubisoft does with Mirage.

Will you be watching The Game Awards?

There you have it, some confirmed and suspected games to be revealed at The Game Awards. While there are plenty more to come, at least we have a feeling of what to expect. The question is, how many of you will be up late watching the show, or will you wait for the highlights to appear on YouTube and Twitch?

The metaverse existed long before it received that illustrious name

By now, the metaverse is not a novel idea. It’s a concept with which most tech-savvy people are already familiar. But what if we told you that the metaverse has existed in some form since long before Meta’s foray into virtual reality and the ‘future of human interaction?’ What if we told you that you’ve likely had experiences within a metaverse without even putting on a set of VR goggles?

The article below will explore the meaning of the term metaverse, as well as the earlier forms within which the metaverse concept has existed.

What is the metaverse?

If you Google the term, you’ll get some trite and hopelessly vague explanations such as ‘the metaverse is a vision of what many in the computer industry believe is the next iteration of the internet.’ Okay, thank you for that, but it means nothing. Over and above the statement’s vagueness, it is in reference to purely Meta’s definition of the term.

In truth, a metaverse is a very simple concept to explain. A metaverse is a virtual space within which users can experience various aspects of life together. This basically amounts to an online game with more than one player that offers its users varied experiences that they might otherwise not have access to. Given that most games follow this fantasy principle, most online games technically fall under the metaverse definition.

The games that predate the Metaverse

For clarification, when we use the term Metaverse, we refer to Meta’s metaverse. When we instead use metaverse in lowercase, we refer to the concept of a metaverse in general.

Roblox

Roblox is not the oldest game that toys with a metaverse concept, but it is most likely the game that shipped the idea to the widest audience. Roblox doesn’t have one main game mode, as most games do. Instead, it has what the platform refers to as experiences. Each experience is created by users to achieve a particular atmosphere. Roblox hosts quite easily any experience you could think of. Within the space of a few minutes you could go from building a house in a nice suburb to running from terrifying stuffed toys in a horror experience.

The experiences that shaped the metaverse

Roblox is notable for another reason, though; its social aspect. Every Roblox experience has a social element. Some experiences emphasize the social aspect by making it the entire reason the experience exists. This would be something like a vibe room or a roleplay event where people interact with one another more prominently. However, there are other experiences where the social aspect isn’t really a focal point. With something like an obstacle course players are predominantly focused on progressing with the game and less on communicating with other players. Nevertheless, the social aspect remains one of Roblox’s greatest strengths.

Avakin Life

Avakin Life is a life simulator-style game with a massive online multiplayer aspect. The game sees users becoming alternate versions of themselves, and encourages players to communicate, share virtual experiences, and forge virtual bonds with one another. This game is open-ended and functions on a fairly open world setup. This essentially means that you can take on whatever kind of personality you’d like and do almost anything.

The only thing that separates Avakin Life from being a true interpretation of an early metaverse is the lack of in-game currency that retains some measure of value other than purchasing items that your character uses during the game. However, Avakin Life is still a decent place to make friends online and find people with similar interests to you, as long as those interest revolve around playing Avakin Life.

Minecraft

Minecraft is one of the most compelling examples of a game that functions as a metaverse of sorts. The first thing that qualifies Minecraft as a metaverse is the presence of a currency. This currency, albeit only useful in the Marketplace, can be used to buy specific gear for your character to set them apart from others in the game. You also have complete free-reign in terms of how to play the game, and you can determine the experiences that your character has.
Minecraft also has a social aspect in that you can communicate with other players on your server or within your realm.

While there are aspects that push Minecraft very close to the edge of being a metaverse itself, such as the fact that there is only really one world to explore, the game certainly makes a powerful argument for itself. Although, Minecraft does have two other dimensions that you could visit should you become bored with the overworld, which meets another of the criteria for qualifying as a metaverse.

The metaverse is ancient

As you can see, the metaverse is by no means a new concept. There are many games, and have been many more, that meet the criteria in one way or another. While there is nothing quite as metaverse as Meta’s Metaverse, there are numerous platforms where you can experience something similar.

How Can I Use Office For Free Without Downloading it?

Microsoft Office suite’s latest iteration, Microsoft 365, features similar apps you are used to in your personal life, work, or school. However, the costs could become frustrating over time to access the apps when buying a Microsoft subscription which could discourage some from using Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and any other Microsoft programs. But were you aware that there are free ways to access Microsoft 365?

Microsoft Office 365 – Free for Teachers and Students

Did you know that if you are a teacher or student with an assigned school email address, you are most probably eligible for Office 365 access for free via Microsoft? You will have access to Microsoft Teams, OneNote, PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and any extra classroom tools.

If you browse over to Microsoft’s website, you only have to enter the school email address to get started for free with Office 365. In most cases, access is granted instantly, but there is a possibility that some institutions need to be verified.

Microsoft Office Free for The Rest of Us

Like most apps, anyone can get a free one-month trial, but that requires you to complete a payment option with your credit card details, and if you slip up and forget to cancel, you end up being charged a one-year subscription of $100. Not the position most of us want to find ourselves in these days!

However, I have good news for those that don’t require all the Microsoft 365 tools. You can still access Skype, Calendar, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word apps free online.

And here’s how to get them:

You can go to Office.com
For the free version, click sign up under the “sign up” button.

Create a Microsoft account for free, or log in to your one. If you have Xbox Live, Skype, or Windows, you should already have a Microsoft account.
Decide what app you want to use, and you can save your work in your OneDrive.

What’s The Catch?

I know – you are probably wondering, “what’s the catch here?” I mean, why do you have to pay in the first place if you can access these office apps for free, right? Well, there are some limits to the functionality of the free app, such as you can only use it with an internet connection, and it is only available on the web browser.

The free apps provide fewer features than the complete Microsoft 365 suite versions. But don’t get discouraged. The free version has many benefits, such as collaborating in real-time and sharing work links. The free version is perfect if you require the basics of office apps!

What can we expect from Windows 12?

Shortly after Windows 11 was released, rumors started circulating that it was to be the final version of the software. Now, obviously, this is a little short-sighted, but it speaks to the belief that consumers had that Microsoft had finally got it right, that it had finally washed out the poor taste that Windows 8 left in users’ mouths.

Now though, we have confirmation that Windows 12 is on its way and is expected to release around the end of 2024. However, we haven’t really received any information about features or what the interface is going to look like yet. Luckily, there’s a fan-made Windows 12 concept that could probably shed light on what the OS could look like.

The first major feature that the concept showcases is the reworked Widgets interface. This is basically a wet dream for anyone wishing that Microsoft would give us a Widgets interface we don’t abjectly hate. Widgets are not a new feature in OS interfaces, and this concept is far more dynamic with more features we actually need and no spammy news that no one asked for. Below you can see the stunning layout of all the most essential Widgets as well as a peak at the floating taskbar.

Another incredible sight to behold is the reworked dock with all your most used controls. In this concept, the control panel is expanded from a separate floating portion of the taskbar. Microsoft could seriously learn a thing or two from this concept. It perfectly uses the available space without leading to a crowded cramped home screen. The designer has managed to achieve this without altering the Windows design language any more than it likely will change in the next version. There’s a clear connection here between Windows 11 as it is and this concept. It’s an incredible feat.

Windows OS concepts are common if you know where to look, but the creator of this particular exploration has gone to so much effort to combine novel functionality with a familiar aesthetic. Hopefully, the people who are creating the end-user Windows 12 experience are paying attention to concepts like this, if only for inspiration. We’re obviously not going to get a carbon copy of this exploration as the final software, not by a long shot, most likely. But it’s certainly fun to dream about.

In any event, while Windows may not be the most adaptable or customizable OS out there, such systems do exist. With effort, someone could recreate this fictional Windows 12 for a system like Linux. Until then, all we can do is hope that when Windows 12 releases, it’s functional, intuitive, and familiar.

Twitter heads into deep water with political moderation

Yes, it’s Elon at the helm again. We all know how much he’s been preaching that Twitter should contain free speech, unadulterated and transparent in all its beauty. As we head to the U.S. Presidential Elections, things are going to become trickier for Musk.

He’s going to have to decide how much free speech he’s willing to accept or if there’s a definite line. Let’s look at the latest mess that Elon Musk has gotten Twitter into.

The Twitter Files

One of the latest cases involves someone hacking into Hunter Bidon’s laptop and distributing evidence of an inappropriate conversation between him and his father, President Joe Biden, regarding a meeting with a business client. Now, I’m sure many of you might find that discussion interesting, but I’m more fascinated by how it impacts Twitter and Elon’s moderation control.

Tweeter Matt Taibbi was eager to share many screenshots on Twitter for everyone that was interested. Even Musk when as far as to hype many of his tweets. It has since become known as TheTwitter Files, which I assume is a wordplay on The X Files. The images contained evidence of messages and emails that would have been removed in the former Twitter regime.

And why were they removed in the past? Well, the company behind Twitter had a policy against sharing hacked information, never mind inciting violence or showing bias in presidential elections. At the moment, there isn’t any clarity on whether or not any of these so-called files actually belong to Hunter Bidon. That doesn’t stop anyone from insinuating it, though.

While the New York Post originally posted the news, they withdrew it following government pressure to remove it. What happened on Twitter? There seems to be some moderation of the content, something that Jack Dorsey, CEO of the platform, had a massive issue with. After all, if Musk was going to practice free speech, why was he turning the tables on this matter?

Reinstating suspended accounts

Based on a poll that Musk took a few weeks ago, he decided to reinstate Donald Trump on Twitter. Other accounts that were suspended before were also reinstated following Elon’s resolve to have free speech back on the table. Even Kanye West, now known as Ye, had his account briefly back in his possession. Yet, Musk suspended him again. So much for free speech.

The thing is that we need to take a closer look at why Musk is moderating and still blocking some accounts. He doesn’t want anyone on the platform inciting violence. The latest act of Ye was to place a swastika symbol within the Star of David, which Elon decided to message the artist about. Ye then followed up with a response that asked him who made him the judge.

Which is a really good question.

Is Elon a judge, jury, and executioner on Twitter?

Look, we all know that Elon Musk now owns Twitter, so he can pretty much do whatever he wants with it. Yet, it’s one thing to preach about transparency and freedom of speech, and another to perform acts against your own preaching. What we want to know is, how much moderation power does he actually have when it comes to politics?

Will we see tweets allowed or removed based on Musk’s whim? Will he favor one party over another, simply because it’s his platform, and he can post what he wants? At the moment, it looks like he’ll have to put on his big-boy pants as the presidential elections appear, as he’s going to have a lot of moderation on his hands.

As we all know, the presidential elections create a hotbed for hate speech and inciting violence. When voting comes around, Elon’s going to have to step up and check millions of tweets across the platform. Or, he can leave it in the hands of the remaining staff in Twitter HQ after firing so many of them. Will we see transparency in how this moderation will work, or will random tweets simply vanish before we can set our eyes on them?

Tumultuous times ahead

One thing is sure: Twitter has some hard times ahead. It’s not clear yet how much power the politicians have over Elon Musk and what he allows and disallows. All we can do is wait and keep monitoring as he makes strange decisions, hopefully without any bias. And with Donald Trump back on the scene, we’re sure to hear all his thoughts and opinions on the elections. Let’s hope that he doesn’t incite too much violence.

5 Exciting features coming to Windows 11

Microsoft has officially released the 2022 update to its Windows 11 operating system to a wider audience. This is the first of many major Windows 11 updates, adding numerous novel features while simultaneously fixing the list of shortcomings that plagued the OS upon its initial release.

However, Microsoft isn’t done with the OS, and as soon as the new update went live to more people, the company added even more improvements and features to the preview builds of Windows 11.

Here are the 5 most exciting new features coming to future updates of Windows 11.

Functional search box

The current iteration of the Windows 11 search box is not as useful as it could be. Essentially, the current search box taunts you by letting you click on it, but before you start typing, it opens another window where you can actually type a search query. It seems in the next update to Windows 11, the company plans to do away with the dummy search box and give us one that actually works.

This is a very minor issue that likely only affects people with varying degrees of OCD, otherwise known as perfectionists. Nonetheless, this change is likely to leave the entire operating system feeling more cohesive and user-friendly, two aspects that many users would say the infant operating system still lacks in some areas.

5 exciting features coming to Windows 11

More refined Widgets

Windows widgets are… a point of contention, in the nicest terms possible. Apart from feeling relatively spammy with all the ‘news’ articles it forces upon you, the interface is also just completely lackluster. The revised widgets interface is now full-screen, which adds a little more immersion to the feature. However, this means that instead of overlaid spam immersion, you’ll have full-screen spam immersion.

However, Microsoft has now allowed independent developers to start making custom widgets that will appear on the Microsoft Store. This will hopefully go a long way toward the widgets interface feeling less spammy and more functional.

Seconds on the clock

This is another nifty feature that many have probably been hoping for. In a time where every second counts, Microsoft may soon add seconds to the clock in the notification banner. If you’re in the preview channels, you’ll already be able to enable and play with this feature, but there isn’t terribly much to say about it at this stage. It’s a seconds counter on your home screen; that’s pretty much it.

Better task manager

The built-in task manager utility is already quite the feature, now that it has a search box to field your search queries. The major updates coming to task manager in the future are mainly a more intuitive layout and a slightly more modern approach to dialog boxes. Be warned, though, you shouldn’t enable any testing features for a utility like task manager. This is a utility that always needs to be running at its peak, and enabling test features may decrease its efficiency.

Animated icons

Part of the reason that Windows 11 sometimes feels so lackluster compared to other operating systems from rival companies is that it’s relatively immobile and, for lack of a better word, dead. This new innovation brings a lot more life into the OS ecosystem through animated icons in the Settings app. This is sure to make the operating system feel even more immersive and, for lack of a better word, alive.

So much more

We’re incredibly excited to see these new updates rolling out in the future, among many others. As soon as that happens, we’ll be here to guide you through them. If you’re still new to Windows 11, we have a whole host of guides and tutorials that you can follow, including our guide for how to fix the Unexpected Store Exception error. No more blue screen of death.

WhatsApp is adding 21 new emoji reactions natively

The instant messaging platform, WhatsApp, is actively working on adding more emojis to the ‘Reactions’ feature unveiled in May. The reaction feature has grown immensely popular, spurring WhatsApp developers to add more emojis to the feature. However, what exactly does that mean?

WhatsApp is working on adding 21 new emojis and overhauling eight existing ones, according to a recent report from WABetaInfo. Those using WhatsApp beta on Android may have already noticed new emojis in the reactions feature. However, since these are still in development, they aren’t available for all beta users. As such, if you run WhatsApp Beta and haven’t noticed the new emojis, don’t worry; they’ll be there with the next update.

The overhauled emojis have already been completed and are available to all beta users. Despite being overhauled, there isn’t much visual difference between the original emojis and the eight overhauled ones. In fact, only two show a notable difference – the Pleading Face and the Face Holding Back Tears.

Whatsapp emojis — Various emoji faces flat icons big set for web design. Cartoon yellow emotion circles icons smiling, laughing and crying isolated vector illustrations. Feeling expression and communication concept

WhatsApp revealed in May, after the release of reactions, that they’re working on adding more emojis and skin tones to the feature, and we’re now starting to see those efforts. The reaction feature was released alongside the Communities feature, which has also seen a few updates since its release.

Reactions aren’t an entirely new feature. Some apps like Skype, Telegram, Slack and iMessage have used this feature successfully for a long while. Even Instagram, which is another Meta-owned platform like WhatsApp, has this feature. In this situation, it seems like the instant messaging app is playing catch up. However, with more than two billion global active users, the app hasn’t suffered much by being late to the game in this regard.

These aren’t the only new features and improvements made by the developers. The update to add more emojis to reactions comes after quite a few other features on the platform. Some of these new features include a new WhatsApp Notes feature, the ability to mute group chats in the WhatsApp desktop version and many others.
We look forward to seeing the new emojis once they’re released to the public. For now, they’re in active development and visible to selected WhatsApp beta users.

Is Chat GPT the world’s first (truly) useful chatbot? ?

OpenAI has released a prototype chatbot with an eye-catching new capability, demonstrating many of the stumbling blocks this technology still has to overcome. It adapted GPT-3.5 to create ChatGPT and trained it to provide answers in a conversational mode. The root model tried to predict what text would follow a given string of words, while ChatGPT tries to interact with users more humanly.

ChatGPT does an outstanding job, clearly showing how far chatbots have come in recent years but it still stumbles at times.

Human trainers created the bot. These trainers rated and ranked the answers given by the bot. These responses were then fed back into the bot, so its solutions slowly started to match the trainers’ preferences. This is called reinforcement learning and is a standard way of training AI systems.

Ensuring that a chatbot can reign in its offensive proclivity has restricted its use. OpenAI has given ChatGPT the ability to refuse to answer potentially harmful questions, such as how to make a bomb or speak in a racist or hateful manner. OpenAI sees this as a significant step in providing a safe AI model for everyone, hoping it will not take the same route as Microsoft’s Tay AI chatbot.

Users have already found ways to circumvent these safety features by including this type of information in a poem or asking the bot to create an imaginary scenario for a film. It’s human nature to find a way around a rule, but there are also many examples of how CHatGPT has provided exceptional answers to many queries. Many have fun additions, such as asking ChatGPT to speak as a 1940s gangster or pirate.

Not responding to harmful questions has improved the way the chatbot works, but it has not stopped the bot from making things up and lying through its teeth! ChatGPT is very good at making up entirely fictitious information and sounding exceedingly authoritative while doing so.

Michael Nielsen tweeted how ChatGPT created an entire book, supposedly written by the philosopher Harold Coward, that does not exist. This is a crucial problem with bots today. How do you trust most of their output if they can convincingly lie?

OpenAI's new chatbot is amazing. It hallucinates some very interesting things. For instance, it told me about a (v interesting sounding!) book, which I then asked it about:

Unfortunately, neither Amazon nor G Scholar nor G Books thinks the book is real. Perhaps it should be! pic.twitter.com/QT0kGk4dGs
— Michael Nielsen (@michael_nielsen) December 1, 2022