> # "No way to prevent this" say users of only language where this regularly happens > > In the hours following the release of > CVE-2024-22252 for the project > VMWare ESXi, site reliability workers and > systems administrators scrambled to desperately rebuild and patch all > their systems to fix a vulnerability that allows someone with root > access to a guest domain to execute arbitrary code as the VMX host > process. This is due to the affected components being written in C, the > only programming language where these vulnerabilities regularly happen. > "This was a terrible tragedy, but sometimes these things just happen and > there's nothing anyone can do to stop them," said programmer Lady > Lurline Schuster, echoing statements expressed by hundreds of thousands > of programmers who use the only language where 90% of the world's memory > safety vulnerabilities have occurred in the last 50 years, and whose > projects are 20 times more likely to have security vulnerabilities. > "It's a shame, but what can we do? There really isn't anything we can do > to prevent memory safety vulnerabilities from happening if the > programmer doesn't want to write their code in a robust manner." At > press time, users of the only programming language in the world where > these vulnerabilities regularly happen once or twice per quarter for the > last eight years were referring to themselves and their situation as > "helpless."

> # Apple terminates Epic Games developer account calling it a 'threat' to the iOS ecosystem > > The Apple-Epic saga has taken a new turn today as the Fortnite game > developer, Epic Games, > shared > that Apple has terminated its developer account. This is a reversal from > the earlier approval of Epic's account last > month, > which Epic said would allow it to bring back Fortnite to iOS devices in > the EU by way of the region's new law, the Digital Markets Act (DMA). > But Epic now says Apple's lawyers have sent it a letter saying it's > terminating its Epic Games Sweden AB account --- a move Epic calls a > "serious violation of the DMA" and an indication that Apple has no > intention of "allowing true competition on iOS devices." > > "In terminating Epic's developer account, Apple is taking out one of the > largest potential competitors to the Apple App Store. They are > undermining our ability to be a viable competitor and they are showing > other developers what happens when you try to compete with Apple or are > critical of their unfair practices," writes Epic on its company blog, > where it has also published copies of its correspondence with Apple. > > The game developer alleges that one of the reasons Apple provided to > support its decision was Epic's criticism of Apple's proposed DMA rules, > including this post on > X > (formerly Twitter) by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. Of course, Epic has > been a thorn in Apple's side, having taken it to court over antitrust > concerns and lobbying for regulations in multiple markets to crack down > on Apple's power and influence over the app economy. As a result, Apple > would rather be done with Epic, it seems. According to Epic, Apple > reportedly told the company that it's "a threat to their ecosystem." > > However, Epic said that it has publicly shared its > intentions > and then again assured Apple in writing that it would agree with all the > terms of its developer agreements after requesting one of the DMA > consultations that Apple is offering its App Store developers. (The > request was initially denied). It was after agreeing to abide by its > rules that Apple's lawyers sent a letter terminating its Epic Games > Sweden AB account. > > Epic claims the tech giant is retaliating against it for speaking out, > as a letter penned by Apple exec Phil Schiller indicates. > > "In the past, Epic has entered into agreements with Apple and then > broken them," Schiller reminds the game maker in the letter dated > February 23, 2024. "You also testified that Epic deliberately violated > Apple's rules, to make a point and for financial gain. More recently, > you have described our DMA compliance as 'hot garbage,' a 'horror show,' > and a 'devious new instance of Malicious Compliance.' And you have > complained about what you called 'Junk Fees' and 'Apple taxes." > > Schiller suggests that Epic's "colorful criticism" combined with its > past actions "strongly suggests that Epic Sweden does not intend to > follow the rules." He adds that another intentional breach could > "threaten the integrity of the iOS platform, as well as the security and > privacy of users." > > "...in plain, unqualified terms, please tell us why we should trust Epic > at this time," he concludes. > > It noted, too, that its company has contractual relationships with Apple > going back to 2010 for Epic's Games, Unreal Engine, and other creator > tools and Apple itself has been a public supporter of Epic's Unreal > Engine. > > In response to Epic's news, Apple shared the following statement: > > > Epic's egregious breach of its contractual obligations to Apple led > > courts to determine that Apple has the right to terminate 'any or all > > of Epic Games' wholly owned subsidiaries, affiliates, and/or other > > entities under Epic Games' control at any time and at Apple's sole > > discretion.' In light of Epic's past and ongoing behavior, Apple chose > > to exercise that right. > > The company also told us its right to terminate Epic's account is based > on the September 2021 judgment which resulted from Epic's litigation > against Apple. This judgment stated that "Apple has the contractual > right to terminate its DPLA with any or all of Epic Games' wholly owned > subsidiaries, affiliates, and/or other entities under Epic Games' > control at any time and at Apple's sole discretion." > > Apple noted, too, that Epic Games Sweden entered into the Apple > Developer Progam License Agreement via a click-through agreement, which > had not involved any executive review by Apple at that > time.

imagine buying apple devices lmao, what a profoundly anti-user company.

This is partially a repost of my comment in the news megathread but not really.

OpenAI just announced Sora, a tool for creating video from text, and the results are really fucking good (especially compared to state-of-the-art AI video generation tools), and this has me thinking about job security again.

Generative AI is already displacing workers.

> A study surveying 300 leaders across the entertainment industry reports that three-fourths of respondents indicated that AI tools supported the elimination, reduction or consolidation of jobs at their companies. Over the next three years, it estimates that nearly 204,000 positions will be adversely affected.

> The Concept Art Assn. and the Animation Guild commissioned the report, which was conducted from Nov. 17 to Dec. 22 by consulting firm CVL Economics, amid concerns from members over the impact of AI on their work. Among the issues is that concept artists are increasingly being asked to “clean up” AI-generated works by studios, lowering their billed hours and the pool of available jobs, says Nicole Hendrix, founder of the advocacy group.

> “We’re seeing a lot of role consolidation and reduction,” Hendrix says. “A lot of people are out of work right now.”

> According to the report, nearly 77 percent of respondents use AI image generators enabling, for example, individuals to upload landscape photos to virtual productions screens or speed up rotoscoping in postproduction. They have applications in 3D modeling, storyboarding, animation and concept art, among other things.

Generative AI displacing workers isn't some future hypothetical, it's something that's already happening right now, and as someone working in a field which is vulnerable to automation by AI tools, I'm really worried that OpenAI (or some other company) is going to create a new tool that just completely puts me out of a job.

Is anyone else worried for their job? Is there anything that can be done?