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The fast development of artificial intelligence technology has given rise to some worries throughout society. For instance, the laws must keep up with the progress made in artificial intelligence. As a result, one of the trends we saw coming up in 2024 was the creation of rules and ethics for using AI, and we noticed that it should be implemented faster. Over the past month, there have been problems with writing the book that won a prestigious award and was written by Chat GPT and scandals with fake Taylor Swift photos. Artificial intelligence has reached a stage where its material is hard to separate from the real. And in a world where information is money, it's essential to identify the difference between real and fake information.
So, we will be watching the development of AI and standards in this area.
Regulations news
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has officially prohibited using robocalls, including voices created by artificial intelligence (AI). The decision applies immediately and concerns robocalls made with A.I. voice-cloning tools against the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The law from 1991 controls phone calls that leave fake or pre-recorded voice notes.
Layoffs.fyi says that Microsoft, Snap, eBay, and PayPal have cut hundreds of jobs since January. 138 tech companies have laid off workers so far in 2024. These recent job cuts are more minor than the extensive layoffs in early 2023 by Big Tech firms like Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft, following a period of over-investment during the pandemic. Layoffs.fyi data indicates that 263,000 tech sector jobs were cut in 2023. Analysts view the current layoffs as companies reallocating resources for investments in areas like generative A.I., demonstrating a continued focus on cost discipline to shareholders.
A new AI-powered feature is coming to LinkedIn to help users connect better by creating "icebreaker" first replies. Right on time, job cuts at big companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Snap, and others have led to more action on LinkedIn. The AI feature uses information from the sender's and receiver's records to write the first message. Users can change this message before sharing it. The ability to start discussions with people not already connected to them is a function only available to LinkedIn Premium members.
Google announces €25 million in funding for AI training in Europe. Google wants organizations to apply to help reach the people who most benefit from training. They said they would focus on helping "vulnerable and underserved communities." The initiative partners with the UK-based non-profit foundation, the Centre for Public Impact. As was previously mentioned, The European Commission wants 80 percent of the E.U. population to have basic digital skills by 2030.
In a recent update, Google renamed its chatbot Bard to Gemini, presenting it as a powerful global AI tool. The Gemini Pro 1.0 model can now be accessed in over 40 languages across 230+ countries and territories. Gemini Advanced is now part of the Google One AI Premium Plan, priced at $19.99 monthly, with a two-month complimentary trial. This premium plan includes Google AI access, the latest advancements, and the benefits of the existing Google One Premium plan, offering users 2 TB of storage.
Japan and the U.S. are set to collaborate on AI specialized for scientific research, utilizing supercomputers Fugaku and Aurora. The partnership involves:
Data sharing and joint supercomputer use for AI development.
RIKEN will lead the collaboration in Japan and Argonne National Laboratory in the USA to address heightened global competition for scientific discoveries fueled by AI.
Housing top-ranked supercomputers Fugaku and Aurora.
The shared goal is to enhance data and result-sharing cooperation, with an expected agreement this spring. Argonne will focus on large-scale AI development in the USA for scientific climate, cancer, and space research.
44 other countries, including Japan, have joined a U.S.-led effort to control the military use of AI. Since AI is increasingly used in defense systems, the support aims to set rules for how AI can be used responsibly in the military. The Japanese Foreign Ministry agreed with the U.S. that the primary goal should be to reduce the risks and unknowns of using AI in the military. Japan has been an active supporter of the project since the beginning. It also backs efforts to make sure that military AI uses are more in line with international humanitarian law. The USA, Germany, France, Britain, Canada, Singapore, and South Korea also participate.
Amazon's cloud computing service unit says it will spend about 2 trillion yen ($13.5 billion) in Japan to improve its cloud infrastructure by 2027. These changes are being made because of the rising demand caused by the rise in creative AI. The investment would prioritize enhancing the functionalities of Amazon Web Services Inc.'s two current data centers in Tokyo and Osaka. Amazon has already put 1.51 trillion yen into Japan from 2011 to 2022, and this project is on top of that.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Series starts a new era of AI on mobile devices. Galaxy AI editing tools let you take great pictures and improve them with tools like remove, re-compose, and remix. Enjoy practical improvements with Edit Suggestion12, which uses Galaxy AI to suggest custom changes. Generative Edit13 gives you artistic freedom by letting AI fill in blanks in the background, fix images that aren't straight, and change the places of objects without noticeable changes. For pictures that have been improved using generative AI, a label will show that both the image and its information have been improved. The new Instant Slow-mo tool can also slow down fast-paced movies by adding extra frames based on movement, which makes the watching experience more detailed.
In recent news, fake stories emerged about George Carlin's new comedy, unique, explicit photos of Taylor Swift, and celebrities like Steve Harvey promoting Medicare scams on YouTube. However, these were all created by AI George Carlin's estate, which has filed a lawsuit over an AI-generated audio special. Deepfake explicit images of Taylor Swift circulated on X (formerly Twitter), gaining millions of views before removal. YouTube responded by shutting down 90 accounts and suspending several advertisers involved in fake celebrity endorsements. These incidents, drawing criticism, underscore the increasing use of AI to recreate celebrities. With AI advancing, the problem is expected to grow faster than relevant laws can be developed.
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, announced changes to how AI pictures will be shown on its sites. Meta wants to improve the clarity of AI-generated images in time for the November election. The company plans to put a note on these pictures that says "Imagined with AI," pointing out that they were made with its Meta AI feature. Meta's pledge to openness was explained in a blog post on the social media website. The tech giant is working with other companies in the same field to set up "common technical standards" to make spot material made by AI easier.
OpenAI is partnering with the U.S. Defense Department to develop open-source cybersecurity software, working closely with DARPA for the AI Cyber Challenge initiated last year. Anna Makanju, the company's Vice President of Global Affairs, revealed in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos that OpenAI has also conducted preliminary discussions with the U.S. government regarding potential ways to prevent veteran suicide.
Just a quick look at the most recent advances in AI news to emphasize how quickly technology is changing things; we're looking forward to the lessons next month's report will bring.
