Newsletter
Highlights:
EU Ministers have signed off on the Artificial Intelligence Act
Microsoft’s new “AI-powered” computers raise security alarms
An ongoing lawsuit between actress Scarlet Johansson and OpenAI
Business
Nvidia Earnings: Stock Rallies As AI Giant Reports 600% Profit Explosion, 10-For-1 Stock Split (Forbes)
Nvidia had their most profitable and highest sales quarter ever, reporting $6.12 earnings per share and $26 billion of sales for the three-month period ending April 30th. Unsurprisingly, the major driving factor in Nvidia’s success has been their AI division. Nvidia designs a majority of the semiconductor chips that power generative AI technology.
Why Microsoft’s New AI Feature Has Prompted Major Privacy Concerns (Times)
Microsoft unveiled a new series of products called Copilot+ PCs, merging laptops and artificial intelligence. One of the core features is called “Recall” and allows the device to take snapshots of the screen every few seconds. The snapshots are then encrypted and stored locally, allowing users to search their computer history for things they’ve seen before. Despite Microsoft’s insistence that these features are “optional” and customizable, it has triggered an immediate concern about data and user privacy.
Amazon plans to give Alexa an AI overhaul — and a monthly subscription price (CNBC)
Amazon is upgrading its decade-old voice assistant with generative artificial intelligence, and to offset the cost they are going to charge a monthly subscription fee. According to a source, the subscription will not be included in Amazon Prime. The new version of Alexa is supposed to be more “conversational” and better compete with the new AI-powered chatbots from Google and OpenAI.
Government
EU signs off on artificial intelligence law (DW)
EU Ministers have signed off on the Artificial Intelligence Act, a landmark law that sets out rules for “high-risk” sectors like law enforcement and employment. The law requires artificial intelligence systems to obtain certification before they can be put on the EU market. The law must now be signed by the presidents of the EU legislature and then published in the EU’s statute book. 20 days after that, the ban on prohibited systems will take effect. 2 years after publication, the entire Act will take effect.
FCC is considering AI rules for political ads (CNN)
The Federal Communications Commission is in the early stages of implementing new legislation to require political ads on TV and radio to disclose if they use artificial intelligence. However, the FCC does not regulate internet-based media such as streaming sites and social media. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a news release, “As artificial intelligence tools become more accessible, the Commission wants to make sure consumers are fully informed when the technology is used.”
Science
NASA, IBM Research to Release New AI Model for Weather, Climate (NASA)
NASA and IBM Research have developed a new artifical intelligence model known as the Privthi-weather-climate foundational model, compatible with a variety of weather and climate applications. According to Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, “The NASA foundation model will help us produce a tool that people can use: weather, seasonal and climate projections to help inform decisions on how to prepare, respond and mitigate.”
AI finds hidden galactic evolution clues in over 100 galaxies. Here's how (Space)
Tracking the millions of galaxies in the universe is a tedious and time-consuming job. Astronomers find themselves with too much data to sift through and the limitations of the human eye. Researchers recently found a way to overcome this by setting a neural network to work on finding carbon in distant galaxies. The network discovered more than a hundred new galaxies with neutral carbon absorbers, identifying patterns that would be too subtle for a human eye to spot.
Entertainment
OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show (WashingtonPost)
In a recent lawsuit between actress Scarlet Johansson and OpenAI, Johansson accuses OpenAI of copying her voice after she refused a request by CEO Sam Altman to license it. Although some hear a resemblance between “Sky”, the name of the AI voice, and Johansson, documents indicate that the voice actress for Sky was hired months before the offer from Altman. Although, some people think this begs the question, why reach out at all if you’ve already hired a voice actress?
