The Latest News in AI's Evolution: 6 Recent Stories or Announcements You Need to Stay Up To Date...

Like every week, there has been a torrent of AI news, reflecting the rapid progress and growing implications of this transformative technology. While many updates represent incremental advancements, some developments carry profound future implications, and a few are simply downright bizarre and amusing.

The AI Landscape's Overwhelming Complexity

An infographic from First Mark Capital vividly illustrates the staggering complexity of the current AI landscape. Dubbed the "2024 ML/AI/Data Landscape," the image depicts the sheer number of companies involved in this space, encompassing both established giants and numerous smaller players. This visual representation serves as a stark reminder of just how monumental and widespread the AI revolution has become.

Microsoft and OpenAI's Ambitious Data Center Plans

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Microsoft and OpenAI are planning a $100 billion data center project, which would be a staggering 100 times more costly than some of the largest existing data centers. The proposed facility would house an artificial intelligence supercomputer dubbed "Stargate." If realized, this endeavor could propel OpenAI and Microsoft to an unprecedented lead, making it challenging for other companies or open-source models to catch up.

OpenAI's Synthetic Voice Capabilities

OpenAI has unveiled its ability to generate realistic synthetic voices from a single 15-second audio sample. The quality of these AI-generated voices surpasses even the impressive capabilities of tools like Elevenlabs. However, while showcasing this remarkable feat, OpenAI has refrained from making the technology publicly available due to potential misuse concerns. The company is advocating for measures to protect individuals' voices, educate the public about AI-generated content, and develop techniques to track the origin of audiovisual media.

Advancements in AI Art and Music Generation

Several developments in AI-powered art and music generation have emerged. OpenAI has introduced an inpainting feature for its DALL-E model, allowing users to selectively modify specific areas of generated images. Stability AI has unveiled Stable Audio 2.0, enabling the generation of three-minute songs and audio-to-audio generation based on hummed or instrument sounds. However, the quality of AI-generated music remains a subject of debate, with a group of musicians, including Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry, signing a letter expressing concerns about the irresponsible use of AI in music.

Anthropic's Research and Apple's AI Ambitions

Anthropic researchers have discovered that repeatedly asking harmless questions to large language models can eventually lead them to provide potentially harmful information, a phenomenon they are actively investigating. Meanwhile, Apple appears to be deepening its involvement in AI, revealing the "Realm" language model designed to enhance voice assistants like Siri by improving context understanding and reference resolution.

Ethical Concerns and Regulatory Developments

Ethical and regulatory issues surrounding AI continue to surface. A court in Washington has banned the use of AI-enhanced video evidence, citing concerns about the potential for inaccuracies introduced by upscaling algorithms. Additionally, the company behind the AI-generated George Carlin standup comedy set has agreed to remove all related audio and video content following a settlement with Carlin's estate.

Bizarre and Amusing AI Applications

Among the more unusual AI developments, an autonomous electric scooter called the Ola Solo has been introduced in India, claiming to be the first fully self-driving scooter. In Phoenix, Waymo vehicles are now delivering Uber Eats orders, allowing customers to retrieve their food from self-driving cars. Furthermore, an upcoming season of the Netflix reality show "The Circle" will feature an AI catfish participant, adding an intriguing twist to the dating-focused premise.

As the AI news cycle continues to accelerate, it becomes increasingly evident that we are witnessing a technological revolution of unprecedented scale and impact. Stay tuned for more developments, insights, and discussions as we collectively navigate the challenges and opportunities of this "next wave" of innovation.


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Author: Trevor Kingsley
Tech News CITY // New York Newsroom

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Apple Introduces All New Security Measures to Protect User Data When a Phone is Stolen...

Apple has introduced a new safety feature in their latest iPhone software update to help protect your personal information if your iPhone is ever stolen. It's called Stolen Device Protection.

What it does:

If your iPhone is stolen, this feature makes it harder for someone else to access your private stuff on the phone, like your bank details, saved passwords, or Apple ID.

It works by requiring Face ID or Touch ID instead of just a passcode to take certain actions on the phone. For example, if your iPhone is in an unfamiliar location, the thief would need to use Face ID or Touch ID to make payments with your saved cards or log into your accounts. This helps ensure only you can access your private info, even if a thief knows your passcode.

It also makes you wait 1 hour before changing critical security settings like your Apple ID password if your phone is not in a familiar location. This gives you time to mark your device as lost and secure your account if it's stolen.

What it doesn't protect:

If a thief knows your passcode, they can still access your email and info in unprotected apps. Apple Pay will also still work with just the passcode.

How to turn it on:

First, update your iPhone to the latest software (iOS 17.3 or higher). Go to Settings > General > About to check your current iOS version.

Then go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode. You may need to enter your passcode. Look for "Stolen Device Protection" and turn on the switch so it turns green. This enables the feature.

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Author: Trevor Kingsley
Tech News CITY // New York Newsroom

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AI Companies Are Breaking Their Promises - Public Safety an "Afterthought" in Race To Build More Powerful AI Models...

A new report finds that big tech companies are falling short when it comes to keeping their promises around developing artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly. Researchers at Stanford University looked into how companies that have published ethics rules and hired experts are putting those principles into practice.

What they found is concerning. Even with all the talk of "AI ethics," many companies still prioritize performance and profits over safety and responsibility when building new AI products.

The Stanford Team Interviewed 25 People Working Inside the Current Top AI Companies...

These employees said they lack support and are isolated from other teams. Product managers often see them as hurting productivity or slowing down product releases. One person said "being very loud about putting more brakes on [AI development] was a risky thing to do."

Governments, academics and the public have raised worries about issues like privacy, bias, and AI's impacts on jobs and society. Tools like chatbots are advancing very quickly, with new releases from companies like Google and OpenAI.

Promises to Develop AI Responsibly Seems to Have Been Empty Words, Meant To Calm Public Concern...

Employees within the AI companies say ethical considerations are an afterthought, happening "too late, if at all" - instead, they're told to focus on the numbers, such as user engagement and AI performance. These are the metrics that dominate decision-making, rather than equally important measures around fairness or social good.

In short, despite public commitments to ethics, tech companies are deprioritizing real accountability as they race to build the latest, most advanced artificial intelligence.

Companies Focus on Winning the Race to Release the 'Most Powerful AI' of the Moment, then Learn What it Is Capable Of...

Instead, AI development should be guided by a clear understanding of what the AI their building can and should be able to do, rather than focusing solely on maximizing profits or building the most powerful version. 

There's no downplaying the massive challenge for-profit AI companies face as they need to consider innovation, profitability, and ethics - falling short in any of these categories greatly increases the odds that a company will not survive.

It is vital that the AI industry understands it must function differently than any other segment of the tech industry, with investor satisfaction no longer the top priority. This may actually be a fairly simple change to implement, they just need to educate their investors.  Informed investors will actually demand that public safety come first, as all would regret funding a company that, for example, triggered a global forced internet shut-down because that was the only way to stop their creation from self-replicating and spreading, or worse.

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Author: Trevor Kingsley
Tech News CITY // New York Newsroom

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The DARK SIDE Of Quantum Computing...

A mini-documentary covering the 'dark side' of quantum computing, "Things the tech industry and scientists developing quantum computers won't speak about publicly".

Video via Podlink International.

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AI Continues To Advance At Rapid Pace - The Top Stories from the World of AI...

The world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is ever-evolving, and this week has been particularly groundbreaking, especially in the realm of AI art. From new features in image generation platforms to legal battles over AI-generated art, there's a lot to unpack. Here's a comprehensive update on what you need to know.

Mid-Journey's In-Painting Feature

Mid-Journey, a prominent player in the AI art space, recently rolled out its in-painting feature. This feature allows users to selectively modify specific regions of an image. For instance, you can change a character's hairstyle or clothing by simply selecting the area and inputting a prompt. The feature has been praised for its ability to produce higher quality and more detailed images when the entire image is selected with the same prompt.

What's Coming Next? According to David, the founder of Mid-Journey, the company is focusing on enhancing the in-painting features and is also prioritizing the development of version 6. This new version aims to offer more control, better text understanding, and improved resolution. However, there's no estimated release date yet.

Ideogram AI: Text to Image Revolution

Ideogram AI, developed by a team from Google Brain, UC Berkeley, CMU, and the University of Toronto, has introduced a standout feature: adding text to AI-generated images. The platform allows users to generate images based on text prompts, offering a level of quality and detail that surpasses other platforms.

Actually, we used it for this article's header image!

Leonardo AI's Anime Pastel Dream

Leonardo AI has added a new model called Anime Pastel Dream, which allows users to generate anime-style images. The model is accessible through the Leonardo app and has been praised for the quality of images it produces.

Legal Challenges in AI Art

A U.S. federal judge recently ruled that AI-generated art cannot be copyrighted if it is produced without human intervention. This decision has sparked debates and discussions about the nuances of copyright laws concerning AI-generated art.

AI in Marketing: A Partnership with HubSpot

In collaboration with HubSpot, we're offering a free report on how AI is revolutionizing marketing. The report, "AI Trends for Marketers in 2023," provides insights into how AI tools are being used to create content faster, analyze data instantly, and increase ROI.

YouTube and AI in Music

YouTube has announced a partnership with Universal Music Group to explore the ethical and responsible use of AI in the music industry. They aim to ensure fair compensation for artists and record labels.

YouTube is also testing a new feature that allows users to hum a song to search for it. Built on a machine-learning model, this feature can identify a song based on its "fingerprint" or signature melody.

Advances in Healthcare

Microsoft and Epic are collaborating to use generative AI in healthcare. They aim to improve clinician productivity, reduce manual labor-intensive processes, and advance medicine for better patient outcomes. AI is also helping paralyzed individuals communicate through brain implants, marking a significant advancement in healthcare technology.

Conclusion

AI is not just a technological marvel; it's a tool that's shaping various industries, from art and marketing to healthcare. Despite some legal and ethical challenges, the future of AI looks promising. Companies are investing heavily in AI, and it's clear that we're just scratching the surface of its potential.


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Author: Trevor Kingsley
Tech News CITY // New York Newsroom

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Canada PM Justin Trudeau's DELUSIONAL Internet Power-Grab: Wants NON-CANADIAN Sites to PAY to LINK To Canadian Sites...

Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau's government has begun to push two bills intended to regulate tech from around the world. These laws could potentially shake the very core of our democracy and the freedom of the internet, and cause countless Canadian online businesses to fail.

First up:

Bill C-18, or the 'Online News Act', requires the tech giants to cough up cash to show links to Canadian news. Google argues that it’s not fair to risk “uncapped financial liability” just for giving Canadians access to news from local publishers.

Google’s solution? Once Bill C-18 kicks in, it'll remove all Canadian links from its Search, News, and Discover services. And Meta (the artist formerly known as Facebook) will follow suit, killing off news content on Facebook and Instagram for users in Canada. Looks like Trudeau's government might've shot itself in the foot with this one.

Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez says that tech giants need to pay their “fair share” for news.

Seems like they’re missing the point. The digital ecosystem is a complex beast, and platforms like Google and Meta often drive huge traffic (and therefore ad revenue) to these news sites. It feels like the administration has it all wrong – instead of helping, they're hurting the very people they’re trying to protect.

The next bill:

Bill C-11, the 'Online Streaming Act', shows yet another clumsy attempt by Trudeau's government to control digital content. It demands that streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, and Spotify must “prominently promote and recommend Canadian programming,” in all official and Indigenous languages.

This puts American companies in a spot, forcing them to pick up the slack for Canadian media's unpopularity, while also having to meet diversity, equity, and inclusion targets that even the Trudeau government isn't hitting. It's a little unsettling that the government seems to think that merely talking about virtues equates to having them.

But these laws aren't about saving Canadian news, they're about controlling it. Bill C-11 lets the government regulate content across the board - TV, radio, websites, and streaming platforms. And just look at the numbers: between 2020 and 2023, federal staff requested content removal over 200 times. If that doesn't scream 'control', I don't know what does.

Most people don't head straight to news websites. They click links shared by friends, find stories through Google searches, or stumble across catchy headlines on Instagram or Facebook. These platforms direct users to lesser-known local news outlets, providing priceless visibility.

Between 2021 and 2022, Facebook reportedly drove more than 1.9 billion clicks to Canadian publishers – that's about $230M worth of free marketing. Sure, Facebook profits from this setup, but that doesn’t mean it should be targeted for extra payouts.

Trudeau and his team often complain about the loss of “independent, nonpartisan newsrooms,” blaming big tech for it. Yet, these same politicians are very active on social media, and if nonpartisan news publishes fair criticism of Trudeau, he'll label is biased with disputing any of the claims made.

Has the response caused Trudeau to rethink his strategy?

Surprisingly, not at all. His government remains stubborn, even stopping ads on Facebook rather than seeking a compromise. Trudeau needs to reevaluate his game plan. Rather than shunning big tech, he should be working towards a balanced regulatory framework that protects the internet's freedom while encouraging economic growth and innovation.

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Author: Alex Benningram
Tech News CITY // New York Newsroom

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Google Goes All-In On AI - Watch a 10 Minute Summary of the Google IO Event...

Google debuts multiple new AI products at this year's Google IO event - here's the important parts of the 2 hour event, cut down to 10 minutes.

Video courtesy of Google

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