Reality has hit the AI hype machine. On Alphabet’s recent earnings call, CEO Sundar Pichai touted widespread adoption of Google Cloud’s generative AI solutions, but with a caveat—and a big one. “We are driving deeper progress on unlocking value, which I’m very bullish will happen. But these things take time.” The TL;DR? There’s a lot of generative AI tire-kicking, and not much adoption for serious applications that generate revenue.
Technology
OpenAI, Home Of ChatGPT, May Lose $5B This Year – Report
The company, whose market value is estimated at $80 billion as of February, is likely to spend as much as $7 billion this year to train and operate its chatbot. That means more money needs to be raised, even as a path to profitability gets murkier, thanks to increasing competition. The OpenAI costs include renting server capacity from Microsoft that’s required to maintain ChatGPT, the report said. That accounts for about $4 billion.
Source: OpenAI, Home Of ChatGPT, May Lose $5B This Year – Report
OpenAI testing prototype search engine with news publishers
The ChatGPT parent company addressed publisher concerns about AI-driven search directly in its post announcing the prototype on Thursday, saying SearchGPT “is designed to help users connect with publishers by prominently citing and linking to them in searches.” The prototype is not yet open to the public, having launched for now “to a small group of users and publishers to get feedback.”
Source: OpenAI testing prototype search engine with news publishers
Video game performers go on strike over artificial intelligence
Major video game makers – like Activision, Warner Bros and Walt Disney – are facing a strike by Hollywood performers over the use of artificial intelligence (AI). It follows a year and half of talks over a new a contract between the companies and a union representing more than 2,500 video game performers.
Source: Video game performers go on strike over artificial intelligence
AI Learning From Its Own Nonsense Might Just Self-Destruct, Experts Warn
AI models can degrade themselves, turning original content into irredeemable gibberish over just a few generations, according to research published today in Nature. The recent study highlights the increasing risk of AI model collapse due to self-training, emphasizing the need for original data sources and careful data filtering.
Source: AI Learning From Its Own Nonsense Might Just Self-Destruct, Experts Warn
Top Hollywood Law Firm Launches Service to Combat Soaring Deepfake Phenomenon
One of Hollywood’s go-to law firms is tackling the scourge. Venable LLP, whose clients include Swift, Peyton Manning and “La La Land” producer Automatik, is launching Takedown, a sophisticated program that proactively identifies and removes illicit and unauthorized deepfake videos and images and pirated content online. The program was created by Venable Blue, the firm’s consulting arm that deals with cybersecurity and privacy issues.
Source: Top Hollywood Law Firm Launches Service to Combat Soaring Celebrity Deepfake Phenomenon
SAG-AFTRA May Call Immediate Strike Over Lack Of AI Protections For Voice Actors
SAG-AFTRA has authorized its chief negotiator to potentially call for an immediate strike because of a controversy surrounding the use and treatment of AI voices in video games. Union leadership has made it clear in recent statements that they regard AI as a significant issue in the voice-acting space, and that a strike is potentially in the cards.
Source: SAG-AFTRA May Call Immediate Strike Over Lack Of AI Protections For Voice Actors
Academic authors ‘shocked’ after publisher sells access to their research to Microsoft AI
Authors have expressed their shock after the news that academic publisher Taylor & Francis, which owns Routledge, had sold access to its authors’ research as part of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) partnership with Microsoft—a deal worth almost £8m ($10m) in its first year. The authors claim they have not been told about the AI deal, were not given the opportunity to opt out and are receiving no extra payment.
Source: Academic authors ‘shocked’ after Taylor & Francis sells access to their research to Microsoft AI
Fine-Tuning AI Video Models Getting Early Interest From Film & TV Studios
Media and entertainment companies are now exploring fine-tuning video generation models to create custom model versions for their own internal use, including potentially on specific productions. Fine-tuning refers to a process of training a pre-trained AI model on a curated dataset to create a smaller new model, which is then capable of producing more specific kinds of outputs.
Source: Fine-Tuning AI Video Models Getting Early Interest From Film & TV Studios
AI regulation in peril: Navigating uncertain times
Less than a year ago, the drive for AI regulation was gaining significant momentum, marked by key milestones such as the AI Safety Summit in the U.K., the Biden Administration’s AI Executive Order, and the EU AI Act. However, a recent judicial decision and potential political shifts are leading to more uncertainty about the future of AI regulation in the U.S.