This Week in Google (Audio) - Episode 790: Internet Archive Hack, WordPress Drama

Release Date: October 17, 2024

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, Paris Martineau

1. Introduction

Leo Laporte welcomes listeners to This Week in Google, introducing co-hosts Paris Martineau and Jeff Jarvis. They set the stage for a lively discussion covering the latest in Big Tech, AI advancements, and emerging technologies.

2. YouTube's New Video Authentication

Timestamp: [04:35]

The hosts delve into YouTube's new feature aimed at combating AI-generated deepfake videos. Leo explains:

"It's a new label called 'Captured with a Camera.' This is how far we've come with AI that." ([04:35])

Jeff Jarvis expresses skepticism about the effectiveness of current authentication methods, highlighting the ease of bypassing them:

"Honestly, it really could be. Nowadays it's so easy to fake stuff like that." ([05:55])

Paris Martineau adds that without widespread adoption of authentication standards like C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity), these measures may fall short:

"It's a standard, but where's the list of products that support it? Nowhere." ([08:25])

3. Wimbledon Replacing Line Judges with AI

Timestamp: [11:10]

The discussion shifts to Wimbledon’s decision to eliminate human line judges in favor of AI technology. Leo highlights:

"Technology will be used to give the out and fault calls at the championships from next year on." ([11:10])

Jeff Jarvis debates the move, considering tradition versus technological advancement:

"I think it's going to stay the same way. The French have strong labor protections." ([12:29])

Paris notes Wimbledon's uniqueness in adopting AI first among Grand Slam tournaments:

"They're the last one. Everybody else does it. So it's next." ([11:53])

4. Streaming the Podcast Across Multiple Platforms

Timestamp: [16:09]

Leo announces the podcast's expansion to eight different streaming platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn, Facebook, X.com, TikTok, Discord, and others. He emphasizes the importance of live interaction:

"You won't want to miss a minute. ... You can screw up live. And that's even more fun." ([16:09])

Paris Martineau shares her enthusiasm for the live streaming, although they encounter minor technical hiccups regarding audience counts.

5. WordPress Drama: Open Source and Trademark Issues

Timestamp: [30:02]

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the escalating conflict between Matt Mullenweg, creator of WordPress, and WP Engine, a major WordPress hosting provider. Key points include:

• Matt’s Criticism of WP Engine: Matt accuses WP Engine of being a "cancer to WordPress" for not contributing adequately to the open-source project and misusing the WordPress trademark.

  "Matt was a little bit mad about WP Engine not contributing back to WordPress." ([30:02])

• Legal Battles: WP Engine sent cease and desist letters over trademark misuse, leading to Matt retaliating with his own legal actions.

  "Matt offers a buyout to employees of Automattic who didn't agree with him. 159 employees took it." ([37:04])

• Community Impact: The dispute has caused significant unrest in the open-source community, with sites unable to update plugins and facing security vulnerabilities.

  "This harms open source communities. Matt offers stock options to employees who stay." ([34:57])

Jeff Jarvis discusses the broader implications for open-source projects when major contributors fail to give back, drawing parallels with Dries Buytaert, creator of Drupal.

6. Internet Archive Hack

Timestamp: [51:40]

The hosts address the recent hack of the Internet Archive, impacting the Wayback Machine:

• Nature of the Attack: The hack appears to involve unauthorized access attempts, causing the Wayback Machine to operate in a read-only mode temporarily.

  "Mark, Twitter said an hour ago, the archives are safe and the Wayback Machine is in read-only mode." ([54:28])

• Consequences: Users cannot access historical documents, affecting services like True Pick's authentication process and researchers relying on the archive.

  "You can't access past uses of trademarks, hindering verification services." ([53:18])

• Community Response: Leo urges listeners to support the Internet Archive financially, emphasizing its critical role in preserving internet history:

  "Everyone already knows your information because of the national public data breach." ([54:28])

7. AI’s Reasoning Capabilities

Timestamp: [71:50]

A detailed discussion unfolds about the limitations of large language models (LLMs) in genuine reasoning, based on recent research:

• Study Findings: Gary Marcus and colleagues found that LLMs like LLaMA38b struggle with logical reasoning tasks, often getting confused by minor changes in problem statements.

  "We found no evidence of formal reasoning in language models. Their behavior is better explained by sophisticated pattern matching." ([66:13])

• Implications: The hosts argue that while AI models excel at pattern recognition, they lack true understanding, making them unreliable for tasks requiring genuine reasoning.

  "AI is not AGI and is not as smart as your pets." ([68:56])

• Practical Examples: Leo demonstrates AI's flawed responses to complex word problems, highlighting the models' fragility.

  "What if you just change the white balance? That shouldn't." ([09:21])

8. Bitwarden Advertisement

Timestamp: [25:40]

A brief advertisement spot for Bitwarden, an open-source password manager, underscores the importance of cybersecurity:

"Bitwarden creates long, strong passwords that you couldn't possibly remember. Bitwarden also supports passkeys, which someday will replace passwords." ([25:40])

9. Conclusion and Picks of the Week

Timestamp: [157:53]

The episode wraps up with the hosts sharing their recommendations:

• Jeff Jarvis: Recommends Defector Media's annual report for insights into running a media business.

  "If you have any interest in how running a media business works, I would really recommend this post." ([158:12])

• Leo Laporte: Praises Paris Martineau's reporting and encourages listeners to subscribe to her work.

  "Paris Martineau writes about youth issues and deserves recognition for her in-depth reporting." ([16:16])

Notable Quotes

• Leo Laporte: "You won't want to miss a minute. It's all coming up next on Twig Podcasts you love from people you trust." ([00:00])

• Jeff Jarvis: "Once again, it's shy... I hate it that I just got ghosted by AI on my phone." ([85:59])

• Paris Martineau: "There's nothing but short sales companies that is now going after Roblox contending that it's a cesspool of sex." ([150:32])

Overall Summary:

In this episode, This Week in Google tackles pressing issues in the tech world, notably the clash between WordPress's Matt Mullenweg and WP Engine over open-source contributions and trademark misuse. The discussion extends to YouTube's efforts to authenticate video content amid rising deepfake concerns and Wimbledon's adoption of AI technology to replace human line judges. The hack of the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine underscores vulnerabilities in digital preservation efforts. Additionally, the hosts critically examine the actual reasoning capabilities of AI models, dispelling myths of imminent artificial general intelligence (AGI). Throughout, they balance technical insights with humor, ensuring an engaging discourse for both regular listeners and newcomers.