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What’s happening in AI right now

AI takes center stage

From music to film to sports, AI is being integrated in ways that promise to revolutionize content creation and consumption while raising important questions about authenticity and creativity.

AI joins the band

The Black Eyed Peas are set to introduce an AI-powered band member named Vida during their 2025 Las Vegas residency. This groundbreaking move, spearheaded by Will.i.am, represents a significant milestone in the integration of AI in live music performances. Vida will be capable of singing and interacting with humans, potentially creating a more immersive concert experience.

This development is part of a broader trend of AI integration in the music industry. Will.i.am has been involved in other AI music projects, including RAiDiO.FYI and Udio, indicating a growing interest in exploring the intersection of technology and music. The success of this initiative could influence other artists to explore similar AI integrations, potentially reshaping the landscape of live performances.

The voice lives on

In the world of film, the recent passing of James Earl Jones and his consent to AI voice replication for Darth Vader has sparked discussions about the use of artificial intelligence in voice acting. This situation raises complex questions about artistic integrity and the balance between technological advancement and human performance.

While some view AI voice replication as a threat to job opportunities, others see it as a potential model for fair compensation and consent. The ability to extend an actor's legacy beyond their lifetime is a powerful prospect, but it also necessitates new frameworks to compensate actors and protect their rights.

Democratizing content creation

Adobe's unveiling of new AI-powered video generation tools as part of its Firefly generative AI features marks another significant step in the evolution of content creation. These tools, which include text-to-video and image-to-video capabilities, have the potential to democratize video creation by allowing users to generate short video clips from written descriptions or still images.

While these advancements offer exciting possibilities for creators, they also raise questions about authenticity and originality in AI-generated content. As these tools become integrated into Adobe's Creative Cloud, Experience Cloud, and Adobe Express applications, their impact on the creative industry could be profound.

Personalized music discovery

In the realm of music streaming, YouTube Music has launched "Ask Music," an AI-powered feature that creates custom radio stations based on conversational prompts. This chat-like interface for generating personalized playlists represents a significant advancement in AI-driven music discovery and could potentially influence the broader music streaming industry.

Currently available to YouTube Premium members in select international markets, Ask Music's success could inspire similar AI-powered features from competing streaming services, further personalizing the music listening experience.

AI in sports journalism

ESPN's recent move to use AI-generated recaps for women's soccer games, with plans to expand to other sports, highlights the growing role of AI in journalism. ESPN claims that AI will augment rather than replace human-generated content. Early examples of AI-generated recaps have shown limitations in capturing nuance and emotional context, underscoring the continued importance of human storytelling, but setting the stage for future integration.

News roundup

The top stories in AI today.

NEW LAUNCHES

The latest features & products in AI innovation.

• Oracle Enhances Fusion Cloud SCM With AI and RFID Features

• SiMa.ai Unveils Powerful Edge AI Chip for Multimodal Processing

• Stampli’s New AI Will Automate Your Businesses’s Purchase Orders

• New AI Framework ChartEye Will Extract Info From Any Chart

• Google’s NotebookLM AI Turns Notes into Engaging Podcasts

ENTERTAINMENT

Content creation, movies, tv, music, gaming & sports

• AI Recreates Darth Vader’s Voice: What It Means for Actors

• Adobe’s New AI Tools Generate Video from Text and Images

• AI Agents Form Complex Society in Groundbreaking Minecraft Experiment

• Chinese Startup MiniMax is a Big Deal for the AI Video Generation Market

• YouTube Has Officially Launched Its AI Radio and It’s Called ‘Ask Music’

• ESPN is Now Using AI to Recap Women’s Soccer

• Black Eyed Peas to Debut AI Band Member in Las Vegas Show

FUTURE OF WORK

Jobs are changing — are you?

• How Enterprises Can Successfully Implement AI Copilots

• The Best Ways For Organizations to Fail When Implementing AI

• AI Computing Era Promises Massive Productivity Gains, Not Job Losses

• Gen Z Shows Surprising Skepticism Toward AI on Smartphones

GADGETS

Computers, phones, wearables & other AI gizmos.

• Meta Rolls Out AI Features for Quest Headsets

• Why Apple’s AI Revolution Will Begin with iPhone 16

• Apple Intelligence Redefines AI Privacy Without Sacrificing Power

• Intel Lunar Lake Processors Are Set To Shake-Up The AI PC Landscape

MODELS

Deployment, research, training, infrastructure

• AI Model Merging Boosts Capabilities, Raises New Challenges

• The Power of Open-Source in AI Adoption

• Arcee AI Launches SuperNova, A 70B AI Model for Enterprise Data Control

• Here’s What We Know About Imminent Release of OpenAI’s ‘Strawberry’

• Reflection 70B Developer Breaks Silence on Fraud Accusations

• AI Model Chai-1 Aims to Transform Drug Discovery with Molecular Predictions

• Facebook Admits to Scraping Australians’ Photos, Posts to Train AI

GOVERNMENT

Press releases, regulation, defense & politics.

• SB 1047: Will California Determine the Course of the Entire AI Industry?

• AI Governance and the Evolving Landscape of Consumer Values

• Nevada Pioneers AI for Unemployment Appeals

• UK Report Uncovers AI Risks and Calls for Global Cooperation

• NYC to Introduce Legislation Requiring List of Approved AI Tools

AI research changing the world

The latest breakthroughs and most pivotal papers — broken down in language anyone can understand.

Pinterest's groundbreaking Pixie AI

In a leap that could redefine personalization across industries, Pixie tackles the herculean task of recommending from over 3 billion items to 200+ million users in real-time, outperforming traditional systems and boosting user engagement. Pixie outperforms content-based recommender systems, achieving up to 50% higher user engagement in A/B tests compared to previous Hadoop-based production systems.

But Pixie's implications stretch far beyond social media. This technology could revolutionize how businesses interact with consumers, from e-commerce giants predicting your next purchase to streaming services curating the perfect content mix. Could such systems inadvertently create echo chambers, reinforcing our existing views and preferences? As businesses rush to adopt similar technologies, we're witnessing the dawn of a new era in customer engagement – one where the line between convenience and privacy grows increasingly blurred.

The AI tool we’re loving right now

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Other tools worth trying

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