New York Times Recognizes Open-Source Maintainers With 2024 'Good Tech' Award - Slashdot
Jan 06, 2025 - news.slashdot.org
New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose highlighted significant tech contributions in his annual "Good Tech" awards. Andres Freund, a Microsoft database engineer, was recognized for discovering a major security vulnerability in the Linux operating system while working on the open-source software xz Utils. Roose praised the often-overlooked efforts of open-source software maintainers who prevent potential digital disasters. He also acknowledged NASA engineers for keeping Voyager 1 operational and Bluesky for revitalizing social media feeds.
Roose noted the significant advancements in AI, mentioning Epoch AI for its reliable data on AI trends and growth. He highlighted positive AI applications in healthcare and scientific research, including the Arc Institute's Evo model for genomic sequences, a Harvard and Google collaboration for mapping brain synapses, and Stanford and McMaster universities' SyntheMol for designing new antibiotics.
Key takeaways:
Andres Freund discovered a major security vulnerability in the Linux operating system while maintaining an open-source software package.
Open-source software maintainers play a crucial role in preventing digital disasters by identifying and fixing critical bugs.
Epoch AI provides reliable data on AI trends and predicts AI model growth until 2030.
AI advancements are contributing to significant scientific breakthroughs, including mapping the human brain and designing new antibiotics.
