TNB Tech Minute: Flock Details New Search Guardrails Amid Congressional Scrutiny

0:00Why can't we get AI to production? Our competitors are already, how do we keep data secure? AWS AI cuts through the noise. With ready-to-use agents and the broadest set of AI tools, stop overthinking, start building. AWS AI is how. Here's your afternoon TNB Tech Minute for Wednesday, September 23rd. I'm Julie Chang for The Wall Street Journal. Surveillance tech company Flock Safety told the U.S. Senate it has tightened requirements for police officers and other users to search its database of license plates amid concerns about misuse. In a letter, Flock's chief legal officer outlined new measures, including standardized search categories modeled after the FBI.

0:43Previously, users could fill in a text box with their reason for a search. The Atlanta-based company's cameras scan approximately 20 billion plates a month. National backlash has brewed over concerns the cameras violate privacy and can be misused. In response, earlier this year, the company rolled out a new system that flags unusual use and reduced its default data retention for new clients from 30 days to 7 days. We exclusively report that two Anthropik leaders have personally invested in Pilgrim, a startup backed by Peter Thiel that builds hardware to detect airborne viruses. The head of Anthropics Frontier Red Team and a technical staff member joined a$25 million seed round that values Pilgrim at$150 million, alongside a Coinbase co-founder and other tech leaders.

1:33Pilgrim's device, called Argus, combines air sampling and genomic sequencing to identify biothreats like Ebola or anthrax. The startup has partnered with the CDC to build an automated U.S. biosurveillance system and has begun initial deployments. The investment comes amid growing concerns of AI-driven biological risks. And Chinese automaker Geely has unveiled a new EV technology that it says will recharge a battery from low to nearly full in under five minutes. Geely says its latest charging technology uses AI to deliver faster charging while reducing heat and improving battery life. Gili co-developed an AI model with Chinese AI startup Stepfun, which it says can predict battery temperatures up to 30 seconds in advance and adjust charging power accordingly.

2:23Gili added that it tested the new tech in two car models, with one charging from 10 % to 70 % in 4 minutes and 30 seconds, and the other going from 10 % to 97 % in 8 minutes and 40 seconds. And that's your T &B Tech Minutes. Check back in the morning for another Quick Tech Update.