Technology

Publishers report ‘negligible’ traffic impact of Google AI Overviews

Dotdash Meredith and Ziff Davis tell shareholders that they haven’t seen any significant traffic changes due to Google’s AI Overviews. “Now that the AI Overview experience is in full circulation, we wanted to revisit the analysis we did in Q3 of 2023 relating to the frequency of AI overviews being presented to users,” Ziff Davis CEO Vivek Shah said on the company’s earnings call. “At this point, we don’t see it as a significant change to the search experience.”

Source: Publishers report ‘negligible’ traffic impact of Google AI Overviews

California A.I. Bill Is Amended; Vote Is Expected by End of August

California lawmakers have amended a bill that would create new restrictions for artificial intelligence, paving the way for first-of-their-kind safety rules that could set new standards for how tech companies develop their systems. The bill has sparked fierce debate in the tech industry, with Silicon Valley giants, academics and investors taking sides on whether to regulate a nascent technology that has been hyped for both its benefits and its dangers.

Source: California A.I. Bill Is Amended; Vote Is Expected by End of August

As AI Encroaches on Hollywood, Animators Say This Is An Existential Moment

As the 5,000-strong Animation Guild starts negotiations with studios, outsourcing jobs and AI are the major points of contention.  Jeffrey Katzenberg, the co-founder of DreamWorks and former chairman of Walt Disney Studios, has predicted that generative AI could eradicate 90 percent of animation artist jobs. The word that some negotiators at the union are using to describe this moment is “existential.”

Source: As AI Encroaches on Hollywood, Animators Say This Is An Existential Moment

Nancy Pelosi Slams California AI Bill as ‘Well-Intentioned But Ill Informed’

The bill would require large companies to ‘perform basic safety testing on massively powerful AI models,’ but Pelosi is concerned about stifling innovation in the state. “The view of many of us in Congress is that SB 1047 is well-intentioned but ill informed,” the California Democrat said in a statement, pointing to objections from her fellow Democratic members of Congress, Reps. Zoe Lofgren, Anna Eshoo, and Ro Khanna.

Source: Nancy Pelosi Slams California AI Bill as ‘Well-Intentioned But Ill Informed’

Procreate’s anti-AI pledge attracts praise from digital creatives

Many Procreate users can breathe a sigh of relief now that the popular iPad illustration app has taken a definitive stance against generative AI. “We’re not going to be introducing any generative AI into our products,” Procreate CEO James Cuda said in a video posted to X. “I don’t like what’s happening to the industry, and I don’t like what it’s doing to artists.”

Source: Procreate’s anti-AI pledge attracts praise from digital creatives

Online publishers face a dilemma: Allow AI scraping from Google or lose search visibility

Online publications increasingly face a lose-lose dilemma: allow Google to use their published content to produce inline AI-generated search “answers” or lose visibility in the company’s search engine. The crux of the problem lies in the Googlebot, the crawler that scours and indexes the live web to produce the results you see when you enter search terms.

Source: Online publishers face a dilemma: Allow AI scraping from Google or lose search visibility

Filmmakers say AI will change the art — perhaps beyond recognition

On a panel at SIGGRAPH in Denver, Nikola Todorovic (Wonder Dynamics), Freddy Chavez Olmos (Boxel Studio) and Michael Black (Meshcapade) discussed the potential of generative AI and other systems to change — but not necessarily improve — the way media is created today. Their consensus was that while we can justly question the usefulness of these tools in the immediate future, the rate of innovation is such that we should be prepared for radical change at any time beyond that.

Source: Filmmakers say AI will change the art — perhaps beyond recognition

SAG-AFTRA Strikes Groundbreaking AI Digital Voice Replica Pact With Startup Firm Narrativ

SAG-AFTRA has struck a deal with AI startup Narrativ for audio voice replicas in digital advertising that the union asserts sets “a new standard” for ethical use of the technology and also makes it easy for performers to give consent and get paid. The New York-based Narrativ operates an online marketplace that offers tools to advertisers to create audio spots using AI tools.

Source: SAG-AFTRA Strikes Groundbreaking AI Digital Voice Replica Pact With Startup Firm Narrativ

Synchtank and AudioShake partner to offer AI stems

The collaboration will integrate AudioShake’s tech into Synchtank’s platform, enabling creators to produce stems directly within their workflow. AudioShake uses AI to break down music tracks into individual stems, which can then be used for remixes, sampling, and other purposes. This technology allows for the separation of vocals or dialogue from instruments, particularly in older recordings where the original multitrack files are not accessible.

Source: Synchtank and AudioShake partner to offer AI stems

UMG, Meta Announce ‘Expanded Global Agreement’ for AI, Monetization and More

Meta — home to Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — and Universal Music Group have announced an expanded agreement that addresses compensation and AI. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the announcement says the new agreement “reflects the two companies’ shared commitment to protecting human creators and artistry, including ensuring that artists and songwriters are compensated fairly.”

Source: Universal Music and Meta Announce ‘Expanded Global Agreement’ for AI, Monetization and More

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