A.I. Tracker 🤖

UK government proposes opt-out scheme for creatives allowing tech firms to use copyrighted material for AI training. Creative professionals can reserve rights or demand license fees. Consultation seeks views on protecting celebrities' likeness from AI replication.

The UK is considering regulations to control copyrighted content used by tech companies for training AI models. This comes after legal disputes and concerns over rights infringement by companies like OpenAI and Google. The government is planning consultations to clarify the use of intellectual property and ensure fair compensation for creators.

Google introduces Whisk, an AI image generation tool based on Imagen 3 model, allowing users to create images using other images as prompts. It offers a fast-paced exploration experience, including editing options and a My Library feature to save creations. Whisk also provides text prompts for more control.

Data centers in the US have tripled carbon emissions since 2018, with AI's growing energy demands exacerbating the issue. AI companies are turning to nuclear energy, but face challenges. Anduril showcases AI-powered military tech for future conflicts. Bluesky deals with impersonators, tech elite donate to Trump, AI-generated movies premiere, Meta challenges OpenAI's nonprofit status, and Silicon Valley's impact on democracy is examined in two books.

Cohere, a prominent AI startup, valued at $5.5 billion, is working with Palantir to deploy AI models for enterprise customers. Details revealed at a Palantir conference, showcasing potential use in Arabic language inference and strict data storage constraints. Palantir, known for defense work, may be using Cohere's AI for commercial clients as well.

Chinese AI models are gaining popularity and surpassing US models. Open-source LLMs like Qwen and DeepSeek-R1 are widely used globally. Despite restrictions, China invests in AI infrastructure independent of Nvidia chips.

Skechers faced backlash for using generative AI in a Vogue ad. The art was criticized for being low quality and not featuring the advertised shoes, leading to a negative consumer response.

Google's new AI tool, Whisk, generates images based on a user's prompt, capturing the essence rather than details. It is good for brainstorming but not for precise edits. The tool uses Gemini language model and Imagen 3 image generator, and is currently only available in the US.

YouTube is allowing creators to opt-in for third-party companies to use their videos to train AI models. The default setting is off, but creators can choose from a list of companies or allow all. This follows reports of big companies scraping YouTube content for AI training.

OpenAI has enhanced ChatGPT's search feature on mobile, now available to all users. It offers traditional search results for locations with images, ratings, hours, and directions. Advanced Voice Mode provides up-to-date information from the web.

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Search for all users, powered by GPT-4o model. Features include summarized web answers, rich content, and faster performance. Publishers raise concerns about potential traffic impact.

Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are getting updates including live AI, live translation in multiple languages, and Shazam integration. These features aim to enhance the user experience and bring the glasses closer to a true augmented reality device. Join Meta's Early Access Program for live AI and translation features.

DeepMind's Veo 2 model can generate up to 2-minute, 4K quality video clips, surpassing its predecessor Sora. Currently available on VideoFX with access expanding soon, Veo 2 offers improved physics understanding, clearer visuals, and enhanced camera controls. Google plans to integrate Veo 2 into various use cases within its ecosystem after gathering user feedback.

Google has launched Whisk, a new AI tool that generates images based on image prompts rather than text. It allows for quick visual exploration, letting users tweak the prompts for better results. Whisk uses Google's Imagen 3 model and is meant for fun rather than perfection.

YouTube creators and rightsholders can now allow third-party companies to use their content to train AI models. Google sees this as a first step in creating new value for creators in the AI era. Feedback will be gathered to explore further collaboration features.

YouTube is giving creators more control over how third parties can use their content to train AI models. Creators can now flag specific companies allowed to use their videos, with a list of 18 companies to choose from. This new feature aims to address concerns about unauthorized use of content for AI training.

Meta's Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses receive upgrades like live AI for continuous conversations, real-time video interaction, language translation, Shazam support, and more. The glasses remain popular and successful in sales across multiple regions.

AI is revolutionizing diabetic retinopathy screening, improving detection accuracy and cost-effectiveness. Companies like Retmarker and Google are developing AI systems to assist healthcare professionals in identifying early stages of the disease, potentially preventing vision loss in patients with diabetes. The technology shows promise in bridging health equity gaps, with hopes of expanding access to eye care for all.

OpenAI is hosting the "12 Days of OpenAI" reveals, showcasing new products like ChatGPT Pro, Sora text-to-video generator, and more. Follow the live streams on their YouTube channel or stay updated on our blog.

Google has announced a preview of Veo 2, a new version of its generative AI video tool. It promises a better understanding of cinematography and human movement. Improvements to Imagen 3 include brighter images and better prompt adherence. Veo 2 will rollout to US Google Labs users, with limits on video length.