Technology

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is being sued by two people who said they were blocked from her popular Twitter account.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Is Sued Over Blocking Twitter Followers

2:00pm July 12, 2019

by Sasha Ingber

A former New York state assemblyman and a social media personality filed lawsuits on the same day an appeals court found President Trump violated the First Amendment by blocking critics on Twitter.

Apps like Find My Friends took several years to gain popularity. Many people were wary of sharing their location when it launched in 2011.

National

Once Considered Creepy, Location Apps Now Seen As Critical For Safety, Logistics

10:58am July 12, 2019

by Abigail Clukey

Some say location sharing is crucial in emergency situations. But it's also changing the way people interact in relationships.

Arts

Nir Eyal: How Easy Is It To "Unhook" Ourselves From Our Devices?

9:46am July 12, 2019

by NPR/TED Staff

Behavioral designer Nir Eyal argues tech overuse is the responsibility of the user, not the tech companies. He says we can choose to unplug from our apps and devices if we want to.

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Arts

Doug Roble: What Happens When Visual Effects Aren't Limited To Just Movies?

9:46am July 12, 2019

by NPR/TED Staff

Visual effects researcher Doug Roble is developing technology that creates hyper-realistic digital versions of humans. He explores the implications of this technology — both for good and bad.

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Will Your Job Still Exist In 2030?

7:33pm July 11, 2019

by Alina Selyukh

New research finds automation widening the gap between urban and rural areas and dramatically affecting people who didn't go to college or didn't finish high school.

President Trump speaks during a "Presidential Social Media Summit" in the East Room of the White House on Thursday.

Politics & Government

Trump To Invite Social Media Companies To 'Big Meeting' To Discuss Censorship

5:30pm July 11, 2019

by Jasmine Garsd

The White House hosted conservative activists and bloggers for a social media summit but did not invite Facebook and Twitter. Thursday, the president announced another gathering.

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Trump Welcomes Conservative, Far-Right Social Media Personalities To The White House

5:28pm July 11, 2019

by Hannah Allam

The president is hosting social media bloggers whom the White House claims face discrimination online because of their conservative views. But some of the invitees are far-right conspiracy theorists.

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National

Big Tech Companies Are Struggling With How To Best Police Their Platforms

5:28pm July 11, 2019

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Joan Donovan, director of the Shorenstein Center's Technology and Social Change Research Project, about how tech platforms are approaching far-right social media posts.

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Amazon said it will invest $700 million to train 100,000 employees for higher-skilled jobs by 2025. Training programs will be offered to workers throughout all levels of the company.

Education

From The Warehouse To IT: Amazon Offering 100,000 Workers Tech Training

4:59pm July 11, 2019

by Amy Scott

Amazon plans to invest $700 million to train a third of its U.S. workforce for higher-skilled jobs. The company acknowledged that workers could use their new skills to seek jobs outside Amazon.

During one experiment, the poker bot Pluribus played against five professional players. It won.

Science

Bet On The Bot: AI Beats The Professionals At 6-Player Texas Hold 'Em

4:28pm July 11, 2019

by Merrit Kennedy

Six-player Texas Hold 'em has been too tough for a machine to master — until now. A bot named Pluribus crushed some of the world's best poker players using brash and unorthodox strategies.