Amazon has announced the appointment of AI pioneer Andrew Ng to its board of directors, highlighting the company's intensified focus on artificial intelligence amidst a competitive tech landscape. Ng, a prominent figure in AI and managing director at AI Fund, will take the seat vacated by former MTV CEO Judy McGrath. This move underlines Amazon's commitment to leading in generative AI technologies, which CEO Andy Jassy identifies as a potential major pillar for the company, comparing its impact to that of the internet and cloud computing.

Amazon adds AI heavyweight Andrew Ng to board of directors as Jassy says it may be biggest tech breakthrough ‘perhaps since the internet’ Fortune

Palo Alto Networks issued a critical alert on Friday for a command-injection vulnerability in its PAN-OS software, affecting firewall and VPN products, with a CVSS severity score of 10/10, allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute remote code with root privileges. Updates are expected by Sunday, April 14. The vulnerability, designated CVE-2024-3400, affects certain configurations and is currently being exploited, as detected by Volexity, which observed the attacks aiming to take control of the equipment and penetrate victims' networks. Palo Alto Networks is actively working on a fix and has recommended temporary mitigations, emphasizing the importance of customer security and urging users to apply these measures promptly.

Palo Alto Networks to fix exploited GlobalProtect zero-day The Register

In the article, Brendan Keeler delves into the complex and contentious situation surrounding Epic Systems and Particle Health's dispute in healthcare data interoperability, explicating the tension between these entities within the broader context of health information exchanges (HIEs) such as Care Everywhere, Carequality, and Commonwell. Detailing his background with Epic's Care Everywhere and his endeavors in healthcare interoperability, Keeler aims to provide an impartial overview, navigating the intricacies of the issue, including the vital roles of data exchange networks, the principles of data reciprocity and purpose of use, and the emerging concerns over data access and sharing practices. Through an exploration of recent developments, key concepts, and the potential implications for the healthcare industry, Keeler underscores the dispute's significance in highlighting the urgent need for clear, sustainable paths for data exchange to serve various stakeholders while prioritizing patient privacy and care.

Epic v. Particle healthapiguy.substack.com

Research from the University of Pennsylvania reveals that 96% of surveyed hospitals' websites transmit user data to third parties, including Google, Meta, and various data brokers, without consistently transparent privacy policies. This study highlights the widespread use of tracking technologies across hospital websites, often sharing sensitive visitor information with a vast array of companies. Despite the potential for legal repercussions and privacy concerns, the main driver behind this practice appears to be the ubiquity of tracking in the broader web ecosystem, spurred by a substantial online advertising economy. The researchers suggest that hospitals could leverage their resources, including collaboration with academic departments, to innovate and create a less intrusive web experience. Meanwhile, individuals are encouraged to use browser-based tools like Ghostery and Privacy Badger to protect their data from third-party tracking.

Hospital websites share visitors' data with Google, Meta The Register