Headlines

NVIDIA’s AI team reportedly scraped YouTube, Netflix videos without permission

In the latest example of a troubling pattern in the tech industry, Nvidia appears to have scraped troves of copyrighted content for AI training. The $2.4 trillion company reportedly asked workers to download videos from YouTube, Netflix and other datasets to develop commercial AI projects. The training was reportedly to develop models for products like its Omniverse 3D world generator, self-driving car systems and “digital human” efforts.

Source: NVIDIA’s AI team reportedly scraped YouTube, Netflix videos without permission

OpenAI has a ‘highly accurate’ tool to detect AI content, but no release plans

OpenAI appears to be holding back a new “highly accurate” tool capable of detecting content generated by ChatGPT over concerns that it could be tampered with or cause non-English users to avoid generating text with artificial intelligence models. The company mentioned it was working on various methods to detect content generated specifically by its products in a blog post back in May.

Source: OpenAI has a ‘highly accurate’ tool to detect AI content, but no release plans

CNET to Be Sold to Ziff Davis in Sign of Possible Media Deals to Come

Ziff Davis, a digital media giant that owns other technology-focused brands like Mashable, PCMag and Lifehacker, is buying the company from Red Ventures, Ziff Davis’s chief executive, Vivek Shah, said on Tuesday. Ziff Davis paid more than $100 million for CNET, according to a person familiar with the matter. Red Ventures declined to comment on the deal.

Source: CNET to Be Sold to Ziff Davis in Sign of Possible Media Deals to Come

Suno and Udio admit training AI with unlicensed music

In June, controversial AI music startups Suno and Udio were sued by the major record companies for allegedly training their systems using the majors’ recordings without permission. Now, in responses filed in US federal courts on Thursday (August 1), the two AI companies have pretty much admitted that they used copyrighted recordings from the recording companies that sued them.

Source: As Suno and Udio admit training AI with unlicensed music, record industry says: ‘There’s nothing fair about stealing an artist’s life’s work.’

Chuck Schumer eyes opportunities to pass deepfake and AI bills as 2024 elections near

With the window for legislative action quickly closing this calendar year and control of the chamber up for grabs, the powerful New York Democrat is eyeing must-pass bills as a vehicle to get something done on the fast-moving technology he’s labeled a threat to democracy and national security. Schumer hinted to NBC News that two deepfake election bills could be attached to the must-pass funding bill needed to avert a government shutdown at the end of September.

Source: Chuck Schumer eyes opportunities to pass deepfake and AI bills as 2024 elections near

Faceoff: Auditable AI Versus the AI Blackbox Problem

Companies that can’t see how AI is making each decision are at risk financially, reputationally, and legally. The prevailing atmosphere of ignorance — one formed from illogical fear and the other from a lack of information — is untenable. But breaking the AI black box seems undoable. And yet remarkable progress has been made in making AI auditable — an important step in coaxing AI to reveal its secrets.

Source: Faceoff: Auditable AI Versus the AI Blackbox Problem

Meta courts celebs like Awkwafina to voice AI assistants ahead of Meta Connect

Judi Dench, Keegan-Michael Key, and Awkwafina are among multiple “actors and influencers” whose voices could become part of Meta’s AI offering, Bloomberg reported on Friday. The company is apparently working to wrap up deals quickly so it can develop and show off the new voices at its Meta Connect conference in September.

Source: Meta courts celebs like Awkwafina to voice AI assistants ahead of Meta Connect

What Audible’s new royalty model means for its audiobook battle with Spotify

The new model does distribute royalties according to titles or hours listened, dividing the value of a member’s plan and any additional audiobook credits used “among the titles the member listened to over the course of the month.” Audible’s new royalty model is a response to Spotify’s encroachment into the audiobook space but it is also an early statement to the publishing world about how the company plans to account to publishers and authors.

Source: What Audible’s new royalty model means for its audiobook battle with Spotify

‘Fairly Trained’ debuts tougher standards for ethical AI certification 

Many AI developers use architectures that include more than one model. These models serve different functions in the AI technology the company is building. So far, Fairly Trained has offered developers certification badges based on specific models they use. Now, however, the non-profit will be issuing new badges to certified companies, and those companies “will be required to be transparent with users about which elements of their architecture are and are not certified.”

Source: Music AI platforms can get a ‘Fairly Trained’ certification for meeting ethical standards. Those standards just got tougher.

Artists and major music companies applaud introduction of ‘landmark’ NO FAKES Act in US Senate

The bill was introduced in the US Senate on Wednesday (July 31) by two Democratic senators – Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota – and two Republicans, Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina. The bill has received backing from many prominent members of the music industry, including Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl, who appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee in April in support of the legislation.

Source: Artists and major music companies applaud introduction of ‘landmark’ NO FAKES Act in US Senate

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