Friday, January 23, 2026

Perhaps another storage plan is worth considering?

https://pogowasright.org/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-encrypted-data-exposing-major-privacy-concern/

Microsoft Gave FBI Keys To Unlock Encrypted Data, Exposing Major Privacy Concern

Thomas Brewster reports:

Early last year, the FBI served Microsoft with a search warrant, asking it to provide recovery keys to unlock encrypted data stored on three laptops. Federal investigators in Guam believed the devices held evidence that would help prove individuals handling the island’s Covid unemployment assistance program were part of a plot to steal funds.
The data was protected with BitLocker, software that’s automatically enabled on many modern Windows PCs to safeguard all the data on the computer’s hard drive. BitLocker scrambles the data so that only those with a key can decode it.
It’s possible for users to store those keys on a device they own, but Microsoft also recommends BitLocker users store their keys on its servers for convenience. While that means someone can access their data if they forget their password, or if repeated failed attempts to login lock the device, it also makes them vulnerable to law enforcement subpoenas and warrants.
In the Guam case, it handed over the encryption keys to investigators.

Read more at Forbes.





I may have mentioned this problem a few times…

https://www.zdnet.com/article/ai-is-poisoning-itself-model-collapse-cure/

AI is quietly poisoning itself and pushing models toward collapse - but there's a cure

According to tech analyst Gartner, AI data is rapidly becoming a classic Garbage In/Garbage Out (GIGO) problem for users. That's because organizations' AI systems and large language models (LLMs) are flooded with unverified, AI‑generated content that cannot be trusted. 

You know this better as AI slop. While annoying to you and me, it's deadly to AI because it poisons the LLMs with fake data. The result is what's called in AI circles "Model Collapse." AI company Aquant defined this trend: "In simpler terms, when AI is trained on its own outputs, the results can drift further away from reality." 





Something to keep in mind?

https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/22/google-now-offers-free-sat-practice-exams-powered-by-gemini/

Google now offers free SAT practice exams, powered by Gemini

Prepping for the SAT is nobody’s idea of fun, but Google aims to make it less stressful with AI. The company announced that it’s now focusing its AI education efforts on standardized testing with free SAT practice exams powered by Gemini. 

Students can prompt Gemini by typing “I want to take a practice SAT test,” and the AI will provide them with a free practice exam. Gemini then analyzes the results, highlighting strengths and identifying areas that need further review. It also offers detailed explanations for any incorrect answers. 



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