This Week in AI: The Fate of Generative AI Hangs in the Balance
Image Credits: Sean Gladwell (opens in a new window) / Getty Images
This week in AI, the music industry took a significant step in its battle against generative AI startups. Two companies, Udio and Suno, were accused of copyright infringement by major music labels, including Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Records.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) filed lawsuits against the startups, claiming that they trained their AI models on copyrighted music without compensating the labels. The lawsuits seek $150,000 in damages per allegedly infringed work.
The music labels argue that the use of their music without permission could lead to a flood of machine-generated content that would compete with and devalue their original works. This marks the latest development in the ongoing debate over the use of copyrighted material in AI training.
The outcome of these lawsuits will have significant implications for the future of generative AI. If the courts rule in favor of the music labels, it could set a precedent for other industries to take similar action. On the other hand, if the startups are found not liable, it could pave the way for more widespread use of generative AI models.
News
Advanced Voice Mode Delayed
OpenAI has delayed the release of its advanced Voice Mode, a feature that would allow for more realistic and conversational interactions with its AI chatbot platform, ChatGPT. However, the company has been busy with other developments, including the acquisition of remote collaboration startup Multi and the release of a macOS client for ChatGPT users.
Stability AI Lands Lifeline
Stability AI, the company behind the open image-generating model Stable Diffusion, has received a significant investment from a group of investors, including Napster founder Sean Parker and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The investment will help the company regain its footing in the competitive AI landscape.
Gemini Comes to Gmail
Google is rolling out a new Gemini-powered AI side panel in Gmail that can help users write emails and summarize threads. The feature is also being integrated into other Google productivity apps, including Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive.
Smashing Good Curator
Goodreads co-founder Otis Chandler has launched Smashing, an AI- and community-powered content recommendation app that aims to connect users with their interests by surfacing hidden gems from the internet. The app offers summaries of news, key excerpts, and interesting pull quotes, automatically identifying topics and threads of interest to individual users.
Apple Says No to Meta's AI
Apple has reportedly shelved plans to integrate Meta's AI models into its iPhones, citing privacy concerns. The move comes after reports of talks between the two companies to collaborate on AI development.
Research Paper of the Week
A recent study highlighted the potential risks of Russian-influenced chatbots, which could be used to spread propaganda and misinformation.
Other News
Opera's Browser Adds AI-Powered Image Generation
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EasyTranslate Thinks Augmenting LLMs with Humans Will Give It an Edge
EasyTranslate is launching a new platform that combines human translation with large language models (LLMs) to provide more accurate and nuanced translations. The company believes that its approach will give it an edge over pure AI translation services.
Apple Finally Adds Support for RCS in Latest iOS 18 Beta
Apple has finally added support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) to its Messages app in the latest iOS 18 beta. The feature will allow users to send more advanced messages, including those with read receipts and typing indicators.
Climate X's Founders Mortgaged Their House to Stay Afloat — Now They've Raised an $18M Series A
U.K. startup Climate X has raised $18M to help financial services providers assess the impact of climate change on their physical assets. The company's founders mortgaged their house to keep the business afloat, but their hard work has paid off with this significant investment.
Backed by Deutsche Telekom and SoftBank, DTCP Raises $450M for Its Growth and Early-Stage Funds
German investment management firm DTCP has raised $450M for its growth and early-stage funds, backed by Deutsche Telekom and SoftBank. The company will use the funds to invest in startups and growth-stage companies in Europe and beyond.
Accel Turns to Rural India in Hunt for Future Unicorns
Accel, India's most successful e-commerce investor, is turning its focus to smaller towns and villages in search of the next big startup success story. The company believes that there are opportunities to be found in rural India, where there is a growing demand for digital services.
Microsoft's Mustafa Suleyman Says He Loves Sam Altman, Believes He's Sincere About AI Safety
Microsoft's AI CEO has expressed his admiration for Sam Altman, the man who used to be his rival. Suleyman believes that Altman is sincere about his concerns over AI safety and is working to address them.
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