AI News

Title: Google Gemini 1.5 Pro and Flash: Analyzing the Hype Around Long Context Capabilities

On Tuesday, Reddit announced an important update to its Robots Exclusion Protocol (robots.txt file), a critical component that informs automated web bots about their permissions to crawl the site. Traditionally, this file has guided search engines in accessing content to help users find information. However, the growing influence of AI has prompted concerns about websites being scraped without proper attribution, and the information being used to train AI models.

In this week’s AI update, the U.S. Supreme Court made a significant decision by abolishing “Chevron deference,” a ruling that has shaped federal agencies’ authority for the past 40 years by requiring courts to rely on agencies’ interpretations of congressional laws.

The video editing app Captions, supported by prominent investors like a16z, Kleiner Perkins, and Sequoia Capital, has introduced an innovative feature that enhances unedited videos by adding custom graphics, zooms, music, sound effects, transitions, and motion backgrounds. However, there are specific requirements for this AI editing functionality—it must be a vertical video featuring a single person speaking.

DeepMind, Google’s AI research lab, is developing groundbreaking technology designed to generate soundtracks for videos. In a recent blog post, DeepMind introduces V2A, which stands for "video-to-audio," and positions it as a crucial component of the AI-generated media landscape. While various organizations, including DeepMind, have created video-generating AI models, these systems often fall short in producing synchronized sound effects to accompany the visuals.

In 2024, it's becoming increasingly common for media organizations, authors, and artists to take legal action against generative AI companies for using their work to train models without obtaining permission. This ongoing issue is compounded by the lack of a clear framework for determining copyright violations in the context of AI training.

As Humane navigates the challenging landscape of AI hardware, two key employees have departed to establish their own startup, Infactory. This development mirrors Humane’s own inception, involving founders Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, both of whom previously held significant positions at Apple before launching their venture.

The airline industry is on track to achieve record revenue this year, reaching an impressive $996 billion, thanks to a surge in travel demand. However, profit margins remain extremely tight. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), total expenses for airlines are anticipated to hit $936 billion, which translates to earnings of around $6.14 per passenger — approximately the cost of a latte in New York City.

Running a small business requires maximizing efficiency with limited resources. While AI agents hold promise, creating customized agents for specific workflows can be daunting, even with the advent of low-code and no-code tools. Enter Enso, which recently emerged from stealth mode by securing a $6 million seed funding round on Tuesday. Enso aims to equip small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with a diverse array of pre-built AI agents designed to streamline repetitive tasks.

Electricity Demand Surge Driven by AI

Companies in sectors like financial services and insurance heavily rely on data — particularly its ability to forecast customer and business behaviors, a task increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence (AI). Enter Finbourne, a startup from London’s financial hub, which has developed a platform designed to assist financial firms in organizing and utilizing their data for AI and other analytical models. The company has secured £55 million ($70 million) in funding, which will be directed toward expanding its operations beyond London's Square Mile.

Whistleblowers have accused OpenAI of imposing illegal restrictions on employee communications with government regulators, as revealed in a letter obtained by The Washington Post.

The U.K. has officially established its “world-leading” regulations for self-driving cars, following the royal assent of the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act—marking the crucial final step for any legislation to become law. The government anticipates that fully autonomous vehicles could soon be navigating U.K. roads, potentially as early as within two years.

Instagram has launched a new generative AI tool called Backdrop for Stories, allowing users to enhance backgrounds creatively. Users can add prompts for whimsical backgrounds, but Stories will display "AI·Backdrop by Instagram." Currently, it's available only in the U.S.

The White House is advancing responsible AI development with a Blueprint AI Bill of Rights, a risk management framework, and $140 million for AI research, including a new National AI R&D Strategic Plan. The Department of Education's report highlights AI's potential benefits in education, promoting improved learning and teaching interactions.