17# Weekly Linux and Tech Update

  • Firefox is implementing more data collection to power certain browser features, such as Firefox Suggest. The data collected is anonymized and not linked to Firefox accounts or specific search terms. Users can disable this feature.
  • The maintainer of the KeePassXC package in Debian testing removed browser integration from the default package, causing issues for users. The decision has been criticized as being entitled and not taking user needs into account.
  • Google’s annual developer conference, Google IO, focused on AI features. Google’s AI can now deduce personal information from photos, documents, and emails, which can be used for targeted ads.
  • NetBSD has banned contributions that use AI-generated code. AI-generated code is presumed to be tainted and must not be committed without approval.
  • Slack is now scraping consumer data to develop new AI models. All message contents and files can be used to train their AI model. Users can opt-out by contacting the Slack customer experience team via email.
  • The OpenAI team focused on preventing the long-term risks of AI has disbanded. Team members disagreed with the company’s core priorities and lack of focus on security, monitoring, safety, and societal impact.
  • Reddit has struck a deal with OpenAI to let them use their real-time API to train their AI model. The CEO of OpenAI is a Reddit shareholder.
  • The Linux kernel 6.9 has been released, with better performance for Intel Core Ultra CPUs, AMD CPU performance improvements, and the implementation of AMD pstate preferred core.
  • France has banned TikTok in New Caledonia due to violent clashes and protests. The ban is reminiscent of totalitarian regimes and infringes on free speech.
  • The new anti-sync driver for Wine and Proton promises performance improvements for gaming on Linux. However, it has been marked as broken and will not be included in the kernel 6.10.
  • Wine 9.9 was released, improving support for running 32-bit Windows apps on 64-bit systems and making ARM support smoother.

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