(Pitchbook) In contrast to last year’s subdued atmosphere, attendees at the Slush conference this week in Helsinki were markedly more upbeat as the startup ecosystem has gotten used to the new normal. Around 13,000 people gathered for the two-day global tech conference, including some 3,000 investors and 5,000 startup operators and founders. This year’s theme of…

(Verge) As money starts to roll out for the US’s landmark clean energy and climate bill, a big chunk of the benefits will now be officially set aside for disadvantaged communities. Programs totaling $118 billion in federal funding through the Inflation Reduction Act will now have to ensure that at least 40 percent of the benefits they…

(Reuters) The United States, Britain and more than a dozen other countries on Sunday unveiled what a senior U.S. official described as the first detailed international agreement on how to keep artificial intelligence safe from rogue actors, pushing for companies to create AI systems that are “secure by design.” In a 20-page document unveiled Sunday,…

(Bloomberg) ESG fund managers who turned to big tech as a low-carbon, high-return bet are growing increasingly anxious over the sector’s experimentation with artificial intelligence. Exposure to AI now represents a “short-term risk to investors,” said Marcel Stotzel, a London-based portfolio manager at Fidelity International. Stotzel said he’s “worried we’ll get an AI blowback,” which he…

(Reuters) U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officials have told lobbyists and corporate executives in recent days that the agency’s long-anticipated climate rules may scale back some of the most demanding greenhouse gas emissions disclosure requirements that it had proposed. At issue are so-called Scope 3 emissions that account for greenhouse gases released in the…

(Verge) Meta has reportedly broken up its Responsible AI (RAI) team as it puts more of its resources into generative artificial intelligence. The Information broke the news today, citing an internal post it had seen. According to the report, most RAI members will move to the company’s generative AI product team, while others will work on Meta’s AI…

(CNBC) Lauren Wagner knows a lot about disinformation. Heading into the 2020 U.S. presidential election, she worked at Facebook, focusing on information integrity and overseeing products designed to make sure content was moderated and fact-checked. She can’t believe what’s she’s seeing now. Since war erupted last month between Israel and Hamas, the constant deluge of misinformation…

(Reuters) UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH.N) uses an artificial intelligence algorithm that systematically denies elderly patients’ claims for extended care such as nursing facility stays, according to a proposed class action lawsuit filed on Tuesday. Family members of two now-deceased UnitedHealth beneficiaries sued the insurer in federal court in Minnesota, saying they were forced to pay out of pocket for…

(Fortune) At some point in our lives, many of us will need professional help to take care of ourselves or someone we love. Helen Adeosun wants to make sure that when that day comes, there will be a competent, compassionate caregiver ready to knock on your door. Helen is the founder of CareAcademy, a rapidly growing online training…

(WSJ) Meta on Wednesday announced that it will require advertisers to disclose when they run political ads with media that has been digitally altered by artificial intelligence or other software ahead of the U.S. presidential election in 2024. The Facebook parent company said the new policy will go into effect at the start of the…