Meta launches X-like Community Notes

Good morning, tech enthusiasts. In the coming days, Meta is set to launch a major overhaul of its content moderation strategy by introducing Community Notes, a crowdsourced feature inspired by X's model.

This move marks a dramatic shift from Meta's previous reliance on third-party fact-checkers across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads — but many are asking, is this the best way to combat misinformation?

In today’s tech rundown:

• Meta launches crowdsourced fact-checking

• Niantic sells Pokémon GO division for $3.5B

• Sesame open-sources its humanlike voice assistant

• World-first success for titanium heart

• Quick hits on other major news

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

META

✏️ Meta launches crowdsourced fact-checking

The Rundown: Meta is set to begin testing its new Community Notes next week across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, replacing the previous third-party content moderation approach with a crowdsourced model for combatting misinformation.

The details:

• Meta first announced its plans to replace fact-checkers with a version of X’s Community Notes in January, saying it would be “less prone to bias.” 

• The new system will allow users to write and rate notes providing context or identifying misleading information in posts, using X’s open-source algorithm.

• The feature will be limited to 500 characters per note and require consensus from contributors with diverse perspectives before publication.

•  Some 200,000 people in the U.S. have already signed up to become contributors, with Meta planning to test the system before making notes public.

Why it matters: Meta says that Community Notes will enhance transparency and accountability on its platforms, with decisions based on a diverse group of users rather than an outsourced team of fact-checking professionals. However, critics worry that crowdsourcing could easily lead to false information running rampant on its platforms.

NIANTIC

🐸 Niantic sells Pokémon GO division for $3.5B

The Rundown: In a major shake-up of the mobile gaming industry, Saudi Arabia-backed mobile gaming giant Scopely just agreed to acquire Pokémon GO maker Niantic's gaming division for a whopping $3.5 billion.

The details:

• The deal will see Scopely take control of its popular augmented reality games, including Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now. 

• It also includes Niantic's social companion apps Campfire and Wayfarer, along with the entire game development team of over 2,300 employees.

• Niantic, based in California, will contribute an additional $350 million in cash, bringing the total value for Niantic equity holders to approximately $3.85 billion.

• Niantic's games have over 30 million monthly active users, with annual revenue exceeding $1 billion in 2024.

Why it matters: Niantic has released a few new games in recent years but hasn’t been able to match the epic success of Pokémon GO. Niantic says the sale will allow it to refocus on advancing its AI-powered geospatial and AR tech through a new standalone entity called Niantic Spatial, led by the company’s CEO and founder, John Hanke.  

SESAME

🗣️ Sesame open-sources its humanlike voice assistant

The Rundown: Sesame, an AI startup founded by Oculus co-creator Brendan Iribe, just released the base AI model powering its remarkably humanlike voice assistant, Maya, which mimics how humans naturally speak and can detect emotions.

The details:

• The model, now available under an Apache 2.0 license via GitHub and Hugging Face, combines Meta's Llama language model with an audio decoder.

• It uses Residual Vector Quantization (RVQ), a multi-stage audio compression technique, to convert audio signals into compact digital tokens, or codes.  

• Maya can engage in natural conversations with human-like emphasis and micro-pauses and can remember past interactions and detect emotions.

• While Maya is English-only, Sesame aims to expand the AI’s capabilities to support over 20 languages in the coming months.

Why it matters: Sesame’s open-source model is a step toward democratizing access to advanced voice AI tech, potentially accelerating innovation in the field. But critics warn that its lack of built-in safeguards and reliance on an “honor system” raises concerns about voice cloning, deepfakes, and the spread of misinformation.

BIVACOR

❤️ World-first success for titanium heart

The Rundown: In a groundbreaking medical achievement, an Australian man in his 40s lived for 100 days with an artificial titanium heart while he awaited a donor transplant, the longest period to date for anyone with the new technology.

The details:

• The patient received the Australian-designed BiVACOR heart, which promises to become the world’s first permanent artificial heart replacement.

• The patient was the first person to leave the hospital with the device, which kept him alive for 105 days until a heart donor became available in early March.

• The BiVACOR uses advanced magnetic levitation technology and has only one moving part, potentially reducing complications and improving durability.

• Existing heart replacements substitute the left side of the heart, but this tech replaces both sides, which could help patients with whole-heart failure.

Why it matters: The BiVACOR started early human testing last year, using the device as a stopgap to keep patients alive until donor hearts can be found. The goal is that, once it has proven itself, it can get regulatory approval to serve as a permanent heart replacement and perhaps eliminate the need for live-organ transplants altogether.

QUICK HITS

📰 Everything else in tech today

Amazon, Google, and Meta said that they support efforts to at least triple nuclear energy worldwide by 2050, joining a pledge signed by more than 20 governments.

Sonos, best known for its speakers, has reportedly halted its plans to launch a video streaming device this year.

Facebook is rolling out the ability for content creators to earn money for views on public stories, with the new option available globally via its monetization program.

SpaceX is expected to finally launch the Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station today to rescue stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore. 

Oracle Corp., led by Larry Ellison, has emerged as the leading contender to help manage TikTok in the U.S., according to sources cited by The Information.

Food delivery startup Wonder is acquiring media company Tastemade for $90M in its mission to create a mealtime “super app” for takeout, delivery, and meal kits.

Apple is reportedly planning to bring live translation to Airpods, letting users translate conversations in real time similar to Google’s Pixel Buds.

Spotify just announced the launch of its new publishing program that allows independent authors to submit short-form stories they’d like to turn into audiobooks.

SoftBank has reportedly confirmed that it is paying $676 million to convert a Sharp factory in Japan used to build LCD panels into an AI data center.

COMMUNITY

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Rowan, Jennifer, and Joey—The Rundown’s editorial team