May 22, 2024
OpenAI Faces PR Storm Amid New Partnerships and Legal Challenges
After initial positive coverage over its latest release, OpenAI is experiencing newfound PR problems. The company pulled a new AI voice for ChatGPT that closely resembled Scarlett Johansson’s. The actor has pursued legal action, claiming CEO Sam Altman ignored her decision after being approached for the product. The AI company also faces a new copyright lawsuit from authors who allege unauthorized use of their works for AI training. The company’s safety teams have recently disbanded after a number of high-profile departures.
Despite these difficulties, OpenAI is moving forward with new partnerships and initiatives. OpenAI and Reddit have announced a partnership to integrate Reddit’s content into products through real-time data collection via its API. More details are emerging over OpenAI’s recent partnership with Arizona State University—the higher ed institution will integrate AI tech across teaching, research, and administration. CEO Sam Altman recently addressed concerns over its latest chatbot, claiming its “safe enough for use.”
Google Expands AI as New Legislation Threatens Ad Revenue
Tech giant Google is attempting to harness AI as it faces new challenges. Google is rolling out AI-generated overviews in its search results, leveraging its Gemini AI model for summaries and answers to user queries. This represents a dramatic shift in search, and concerns are mounting that direct answers over traditional links threaten to reduce referral traffic and undermine the Internet’s ecosystem of human-generated content. Google is partnering with rival Microsoft on a new cybersecurity initiative, aiming to integrate AI for threat detection in business and government response systems.
Efforts to expand journalism are running up against for-profit interests. Google is threatening to halt funding for the Google News Initiative in the U.S. if a new California bill taxing Big Tech for digital ad transactions passes. Marketing software maker HubSpot is hoping Google follows through on its intentions to purchase the company as it faces new competition from AI tools and services.
Meta Moves Forward on AI While Addressing Content Moderation
Not to be outdone by its tech rivals, Meta is moving forward on AI development while it addresses concerns on safety and privacy. The Facebook parent company is participating in a $1 billion funding deal to support Scale AI, a startup specializing in data labeling and curation for artificial intelligence applications. Meta recently joined tech peers at a global summit, pledging to safely develop AI and address the growing threat of deepfakes.
As the political season ramps up, Meta is doing more to address controversies across its social media products. Meta’s Oversight Board has accepted its first case involving Threads, which centers on a post that threatened the safety of Japan’s prime minister—the case will determine how political content is recommended on platforms. Meta is under scrutiny for approving political ads in India that incited violence, highlighting significant flaws in its content moderation system. The company also recently deleted the Facebook account of the suspected shooter of the Slovak prime minister.
Sequence Summaries: OpenAI Obstacles, Google Growth, and Meta Moves
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