DW Weekly #172 – 9 August 2024
Welcome to another issue of the Digital Watch weekly!
Remember that ScarJo vs OpenAI kerfuffle over her voice being used for ChatGPT? Here’s a quick summary: OpenAI used a voice eerily similar to actress Scarlett Johanson’s voice, seemingly inspired by her performance as an AI assistant in the movie Her. The catch is that OpenAI did it without her consent. The company has since removed the voice from ChatGPT. Most recently, Johannson said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman would make a good Marvel villain.
This week, The New York Times reported that Meta is negotiating with actors such as Judi Dench, Awkwafina, comedian Keegan-Michael Key, and other celebrities and influencers to use their voices for its MetaAI digital assistant. Reportedly, Meta could pay millions in fees to secure their voices.
Our voices are one of the very few things that are uniquely ours, and as such, are considered biometric data. We are certainly more accustomed to other data being used for biometric identification – chief among them our fingerprints and faces to unlock our sleeping devices. Voice identification is plagued with problems that make it less accurate than other kinds of biometric identification. For instance, if we contract a cold, it can be enough for the software not to recognise the voice. Still, voice identification is a viable identification method.
The Little Mermaid gave up her voice in a deal with the evil sea witch – she did it for love. Celebrities might sell their voice for money. Readers, would you do it? Would you feel comfortable with your voice saying thoughts that are not yours?
If you’re an AI professional or enthusiast watching the Paris Olympics or an Olympian reading this digest, scroll down to our reading corner or click here to read our take on the transformative impact of AI on the Olympics.
Andrijana and the Digital Watch team
Highlights from the week of 2-9 August 2024
Google controls about 90% of the online search market and 95% of smartphones.
Apple’s lucrative $20 billion annual deal with Google, which sets Google’s search engine as the default on Apple devices, could be under threat after a US judge ruled that Google…
The global computer outage caused by CrowdStrike’s software update led to lawsuits from air travellers.
The first patient, Noland Arbaugh, can now play video games and browse the internet using the implant.
Project Strawberry includes a ‘deep-research’ dataset, expected to revolutionise AI research capabilities.
The growing number of approved algorithms highlights an efficient approval process and China’s striving for leadership in AI regulation.
The revived suit alleges that Altman has altered the narrative to capitalise on the company’s technological advancements, moving away from the altruistic mission it was founded upon.
They argue that TikTok poses a national security threat due to its ties to China, which could exploit user data.
The programme allowed users to earn points for activities such as watching videos and liking content.
New digital bank licenses in the Philippines will require innovative business models and a focus on reaching underserved markets.
Discover how John Calvin’s 16th-century ideas on individualism and societal responsibility journeyed from Geneva to Silicon Valley and shaped today’s tech-driven world!
What exactly is a deepfake and how do you spot one? Find out in the 7th part of our AI shorts series.
Discover how AI is transforming every facet of the Olympics, from organisation, logistics, data collection, and event broadcasting, to the sustainability of the games. Join us for an in-depth exploration of the Olympic AI agenda.
Content governance and disinformation came into the sharp public focus as hate speech spilt over from social media platforms to the streets of UK cities. Marilia Maciel provides just-in-time reflections on what can be done to improve online content governance and reviews key findings from Diplo’s research on online disinformation and content management. Read the blog and register for debates in September.
