ProRata.ai has invented tech that it claims enables gen AI platforms to accurately attribute and share revenues on a per-use basis with content owners. ProRata has raised$25 million in a Series A round for its tech, for which it has several pending patents. The company’s early investors include Revolution Ventures, Prime Movers Lab, Mayfield and Technology incubator Idealab Studio.
Universal Music strikes strategic agreement with AI startup ProRata
The MLC partners with Beatdapp for streaming fraud detection services
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) has announced a new collaboration with Beatdapp to “complement and enhance” The MLC’s existing streaming fraud detection capabilities. Beatdapp, a music streaming fraud detection company, announced a USD $17 million funding round in January. Beatdapp has previously said that its technology analyzes massive datasets to identify fraudulent streams, ensuring rightful payouts for artists and rights holders.
Source: The MLC partners with Beatdapp for streaming fraud detection services
Google’s Search Business Violates Antitrust Laws, Court Finds In Major Ruling
In a ruling that could have sweeping impact in the digital ad market, a federal judge sided with the government in a landmark antitrust case over allegations that competitors were sidelined and customers got a lower-quality experience on the internet due to the tech giant’s dominance in search. The court pointed to exclusive deals with other companies, like Apple and Samsung, to have Google as the default search engine on their phones and browsers.
Source: Google’s Search Business Violates Antitrust Laws, Court Finds In Major Ruling
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.
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