June 14, 2023

June 13, 2023

June 15, 2023

  • Avatars

    Synthesia secures $90M for AI that generates custom avatars

    TechCrunch, 06/14/23. AI-driven avatars that create personalized experiences are gaining popularity as a result of the pandemic’s normalized virtual meetups. Synthesia is a startup that uses AI to create synthetic videos for advertising and instruction. Despite concerns that its technology could be used for deepfakes, the company has raised $90 million in a Series C round and has more than 50,000 customers. The funds will be used to make its avatars more expressive and its platform more collaborative. Synthesia’s mission is to make creating videos easy for everyone. READ THE ARTICLE

  • Jobs

    Artificial intelligence early adopters in the workplace are profiting

    CNBC, 06/14/23. According to a CNBC|SurveyMonkey Workforce Survey, workers who rely on AI for their jobs report greater satisfaction than their peers. They tend to receive recent salary increases that outpaced inflation, consider themselves well paid, and have opportunities to advance their careers. Workers who use AI for their jobs also report higher morale at their company. The Workforce Happiness Index showed a difference of seven points between early AI adopters and those who do not use AI. Workers who incorporate AI into their daily jobs tend to be younger and less likely to be white, and are more concentrated in certain industries. READ THE ARTICLE

  • Google

    Google Infuses More AI Features Into Search, Shopping, Maps And YouTube

    Adexchanger, 06/14/23. Google has announced six AI-related updates, including enhancements to search generative experience, the addition of artificial intelligence-powered video campaigns for YouTube, and a new virtual clothing try-on feature. The updates are not directly related to advertising, but advertising will likely become a significant part of these new experiences, similar to Google’s investment in Performance Max. Advertisers will soon be able to run video view campaigns across multiple YouTube inventory types, and demand generation will allow advertisers to use their best-performing videos and images from across YouTube, Shorts, Discover, and Gmail. READ THE ARTICLE

  • Military

    What war elephants can teach us about the future of AI in combat

    C4isrnet, 06/14/23. The use of artificial intelligence in combat presents an ethical dilemma for the Pentagon. The traditional options of full human supervision or unsupervised AI systems are inadequate. The solution lies in the emergence of a new role: that of the AI operator. By establishing a synergistic relationship between military personnel and AI, we can maintain ethical principles while benefiting from the agility and response time of automated systems. This partnership would balance human oversight with the advantages of automated systems and enhance both collective strengths with cooperation. The potential for this collaborative method extends beyond the battlefield, hinting at additional applications where ethical considerations and adaptability are essential. READ THE ARTICLE

  • Models

    Mechanical Turk workers are using AI to automate being human

    TechCrunch, 06/14/23. Researchers at EPFL in Switzerland have found that almost half of Mechanical Turk users (known as “turkers”) are using AI to complete tasks intended for humans. The service, which allows users to divide larger tasks into smaller subtasks, typically pays workers a small amount per task. However, with increased use of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, turkers have been able to automate their work, leading to potential issues around the accuracy of data generated. The study serves as a warning to platforms, researchers, and workers to ensure that human data remain human. READ THE ARTICLE

  • Management

    Wanted: Business Leaders Who Can Bend Artificial Intelligence In New Directions

    Forbes, 06/14/23. A recent Gartner survey found that 80% of executives believe automation can be applied to any business decision. While AI may change job roles and career trajectories, it will not replace human decision-making. AI will have a significant impact on repeatable and predictable white-collar tasks. However, tasks with higher stakes and risks will still require skilled professionals. Demand will keep rising for jobs involving building and maintaining AI solutions, as well as advisory roles and roles in management and strategy categories. There are many advantages to using AI, but careful decisions, ethicality, ownership, and accountability are needed. READ THE ARTICLE