The political crisis surrounding Google AI chatbot and image generator Gemini, which refused to depict white people and changed the race of certain white historical figures, reflects a bigger dilemma facing consumer AI companies. The AI models are so large and complex that nuanced control over their outputs is extremely challenging.
Google’s AI problems expose deeper industry dilemma
Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s assets are now valued at $690 million less than they were before
According to an investor update from HSF’s board, Shot Tower estimates the fair value of HSF’s portfolio (as of March 1, 2024) at between USD $1.80 billion and $2.06 billion (or between $1.74 billion and $2.00 billion after contingent catalog bonuses are deducted). According to the HSF board, the midpoint of Shot Tower’s valuation of HSF is $1.93 billion, which represents a reduction in value of 26.3% vs. that $2.62 billion valuation from Citrin Cooperman (as of September 30).
Spotify Launches $9.99 Audiobook Subscription Tier
Spotify has added a new audiobook subscription tier, dubbed the Audiobooks Access Tier, offering a slightly less expensive but more limited option for users interested in streaming audiobooks on the platform. The new plan knocks down Premium prices by a dollar, to $9.99, and offers the same 15 hours of listening, but without ad-free music streaming options.
OpenAI’s Sora isn’t even here yet, and it’s already rattling Hollywood
After a year of rapid evolution following the public debut of ChatGPT, it began to seem as if AI had lost its ability to shock. Then came the Sora demo. In a February 16 unveiling, OpenAI’s text-to-video model instantly produced vivid, photorealistic scenes from complicated prompts, stunning viewers around the world—especially in Hollywood.
Source: OpenAI’s Sora isn’t even here yet, and it’s already rattling Hollywood.
Over 38% of music on TikTok is ‘modified’,: Pex
According to a new study from Pex, which monitors and analyzes copyrighted content on digital services, TikTok has the most modified audio of all major UGC platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Pex estimates that comfortably more than a third (38.03%) of all songs found on TikTok were speed or pitch-modified in 2023. Not only that, but Pex estimates that the share of tracks on TikTok that are modified is increasing – up from 24.55% in 2022 to 38.03% in 2023.
beatBread Provides $10M in Capital to Indie Labels
beatBread, an AI-based funding platform for artists and independent labels, has announced the signing of a series of funding deals to empower label growth and expansion in 2024. The company has provided over $10 million in capital to a wide range of independent labels, including Too Lost Records, Lynx, Smith Music, and Delta Records in the United States, as well as M.A.D. Solutions, which serves Nigerian and West African artists, and Peral Group, which works with artists in the UK.
Morph Studio lets you make films using Stability AI–generated clips
Morph Studio, which has its own text-to-video model, just introduced an AI filmmaking platform. The eponymous tool takes the form of a storyboard, where users can create and edit shots by entering text prompts for different scenes and combine them into a cohesive narrative. Undergirding the creation process is Morph’s partnership with Stability AI, though eventually, Morph plans to introduce an array of generative video models for users to choose from.
Source: Morph Studio lets you make films using Stability AI–generated clips | TechCrunch
OpenAI claims New York Times ‘hacked’ ChatGPT to build copyright lawsuit
OpenAI said in a filing in Manhattan federal court on Monday that the Times caused the technology to reproduce its material through “deceptive prompts that blatantly violate OpenAI’s terms of use.” “The allegations in the Times’s complaint do not meet its famously rigorous journalistic standards,” OpenAI said. “The truth, which will come out in the course of this case, is that the Times paid someone to hack OpenAI’s products.”
Source: OpenAI claims New York Times ‘hacked’ ChatGPT to build copyright lawsuit
$542M Apple EU Fine Set for March 5th Announcement: Report
The Apple EU fine, stemming from an antitrust complaint submitted by Spotify, will reportedly be announced on March 5th. Besides the fine, the Commission will reportedly order Apple to axe the allegedly unlawful practices at hand, which it appears will be addressed by the Digital Markets Act (DMA) next month in any event. Tech mainstays including Apple have until the 7th to comply with that law, though the specifics associated with this compliance are eliciting pushback from Spotify.
Source: $542M Apple EU Fine Set for March 5th Announcement: Report
Google is reportedly paying publishers to use its AI to write stories
Google has been quietly striking deals with some publishers to use new generative AI tools to publish stories, according to a report in Adweek. The deals are apparently part of the Google News Initiative (GNI), a six-year-old program that funds media literacy projects, fact-checking tools, and other resources for newsrooms. But the move into generative AI publishing tools would be a new, and likely controversial, step for the company.
Source: Google is reportedly paying publishers thousands of dollars to use its AI to write stories