Alliant Energy has secured several power supply agreements with data centres in Iowa and Wisconsin, as confirmed during a recent post-earnings call. The rise in popularity of AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT has spurred the demand for high-performance data centres, necessitating substantial electricity to process large volumes of data.
The company has been actively working to attract new customers in both states, successfully signing multiple deals with data centres. These agreements highlight Alliant Energy’s strategic efforts to expand its customer base amidst the growing data demands driven by advanced AI technologies.
Despite these new deals, Alliant Energy reported a decline in second-quarter profit, impacted by a settlement agreement related to its Interstate Power and Light unit’s retail electric rate review. This led to a pre-tax non-cash charge of $60 million in the second quarter.
The company’s quarterly adjusted profit for its utilities and corporate services segment fell by 13.8%, equating to 56 cents per share, compared to the previous year. Overall profit for the quarter ended June 30 was $87 million, down from $160 million a year earlier.
According to the New York Times, Meta is negotiating with actors such as Awkwafina, Judi Dench and influencers to use their voices for its MetaAI digital assistant. The social media giant is also in talks with comedian Keegan-Michael Key and other celebrities, with Hollywood’s top talent agencies involved in the negotiations.
On Wednesday, Meta announced its commitment to significant spending on AI infrastructure. Like many tech companies, Meta has invested billions in its data centres to leverage the generative AI boom.
While it’s unclear which celebrities might finalise deals, reports suggest Meta could pay millions in fees to secure their voices. Meta did not comment on these discussions.
AI-generated music faces strong opposition from musicians and major record labels over concerns about copyright infringement. Grammy-nominated artist Tift Merritt and other prominent musicians have criticised AI music platforms like Udio for producing imitations of their work without permission. Merritt argues that these AI-generated songs are not transformative but amount to theft, harming creativity and human artists.
Major record labels, including Sony, Universal, and Warner Music, have taken legal action against AI companies like Udio and Suno. These lawsuits claim that the companies have used copyrighted recordings to train their systems without proper authorisation, thus creating unfair competition by flooding the market with cheap imitations. The labels argue that such practices drain revenue from real artists and violate copyright laws.
The AI companies defend their technology, asserting that their systems do not infringe on copyrights and that their practices fall under ‘fair use.’ They liken the backlash to past industry fears over new technologies like synthesisers and drum machines. However, the record labels maintain that AI systems misuse copyrighted material to mimic famous artists without appropriate licenses, including Mariah Carey and Bruce Springsteen.
Why does this matter?
These legal battles echo other high-profile copyright cases involving generative AI, such as those against chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The outcome of these cases could set significant precedents for using AI in creative industries, with courts needing to address whether AI’s use of copyrighted material constitutes fair use or infringement.
After facing criticism for its portrayal of AI, Google has withdrawn its controversial ad from the Olympics. The ad featured a father using Google’s Gemini AI chatbot to help his daughter write a fan letter to Olympic athlete Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, which many viewers felt undermined the child’s creativity by replacing it with AI-generated text.
Initially, Google defended the ad, asserting that it demonstrated how Gemini could provide a helpful starting point for writing. However, following widespread feedback, the company decided to pull the ad from its rotation. That move highlights ongoing concerns about AI potentially displacing creative jobs, similar to the backlash faced by Apple earlier this year for a similar ad.
The ad’s removal marks a notable misstep for Google, which aims to position Gemini as a key competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and integrate AI across its products. The incident also underscores broader fears about AI’s impact on creative professions.
Startup Character.AI has entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Google, allowing the tech giant to use its large language model technology. As part of the deal, Character.AI co-founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, former Google employees, will rejoin Google, specifically its DeepMind research team.
Character.AI will receive additional funding from Google, though the exact amount has not been disclosed. Dominic Perella, the startup’s general counsel, will serve as interim CEO. The agreement follows similar moves by Microsoft and Amazon, who have also acquired AI talent from startups to strengthen their AI capabilities.
The deal comes amid regulatory scrutiny in the US and Europe over how major tech companies consolidate AI resources. Character.AI previously raised $193 million in venture capital and discussed securing more funding from Google.
Design flaws could delay the launch of Nvidia’s upcoming AI chips by three months or more, according to tech publication The Information. That delay could impact major customers like Meta Platforms, Google, and Microsoft, which have collectively ordered tens of billions of dollars worth of chips.
In March, Nvidia introduced its Blackwell chip series as the successor to the Grace Hopper Superchip, designed for generative AI applications. Despite the reported setback, a Nvidia spokesperson stated that demand for the Hopper chip remains strong, with broad sampling of the Blackwell chips already underway and production expected to ramp up in the year’s second half.
Microsoft declined to comment further, while Meta and Google have not responded. According to sources cited by The Information, Nvidia reportedly informed Microsoft and another major cloud service provider of the delay earlier this week.
Beachgoers in the UK can now access the SeaCheck app for real-time updates on sea conditions at Boscombe Beach in Dorset. Created by the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, the app delivers details on sea temperature, wind speed, and wave height. Utilising AI, it provides the latest data to help users make informed choices about swimming, paddling, or surfing.
Currently in a pilot phase until September, the app’s effectiveness will be assessed for a potential wider release. Additionally, AI will soon be able to detect harmful bacteria levels using information from buoys near Bournemouth and Boscombe piers.
Millie Earl, leader of the BCP Council, highlighted the app’s innovation, noting its use of AI and real-time data to give the public valuable insights into sea conditions and water quality.
Why does this matter?
The innovation exemplifies how technology can be leveraged to improve public services and safety. It allows individuals to make informed decisions about activities like swimming, paddling, or surfing, potentially reducing risks associated with adverse weather or water conditions. The app’s future capability to detect harmful bacteria levels can further protect public health.
Taco Bell is expanding AI voice technology in its drive-thrus to hundreds of US locations by the end of this year, according to parent company Yum! Brands. Customers at these locations may soon interact with a computer instead of a human when placing their orders, a move aimed at freeing up employees for other tasks and improving sales.
The expansion follows Taco Bell’s successful testing of AI at 100 locations across 13 states, which reportedly led to greater order accuracy, happier employees, and shorter wait times. This contrasts McDonald’s, which recently abandoned similar AI technology after customer complaints about incorrect orders.
‘Yum! Brands’ chief innovation officer, Lawrence Kim, expressed confidence in their approach, which involved two years of testing and improvements. Kim assured that AI would not replace human jobs but enhance the work experience by allowing employees to focus on priority tasks. He also highlighted the technology’s potential for broader applications across other Yum! Brands chains, including Pizza Hut, KFC, and The Habit Burger Grill.
Google is rolling out new AI-driven features for Chrome’s desktop version, powered by its Gemini technology. These updates include the introduction of Google Lens for desktop, accessible from the address bar and menu, allowing users to select parts of a web page or objects in images to ask questions and receive search results. The feature aims to enhance the user experience by enabling more interactive and visual searches.
Another addition is the Tab Compare feature, which is designed to simplify online shopping. It provides an AI-generated summary of similar items from different tabs, presenting product specifications, features, prices, and ratings in one consolidated view. This tool will help users make more informed purchasing decisions by comparing items across multiple pages.
Google also improves search functionality by integrating natural language queries for browsing history. Users can search their history using everyday language, making it easier to find previously visited pages. For example, users can ask, ‘What was that ice cream shop I looked at last week?’ and get relevant results based on the URL, title, and content of the pages.
These updates reflect Google’s ongoing efforts to integrate AI into its services, following previous enhancements such as a writing assistant, tab organiser, and theme creator introduced earlier this year. By leveraging AI, Google aims to provide users with a more intuitive and efficient browsing experience.
An Israeli start-up, Run, is under scrutiny as the US Justice Department investigates its acquisition by Nvidia on antitrust grounds. The $700 million deal, announced in April, raises concerns over Nvidia’s growing dominance in the AI chip market. Run’s technology, which optimises graphics processing units (GPUs), has become highly valuable amid soaring demand for these chips.
Nvidia, which has seen profits surge due to its AI-adapted chips, is now under investigation for potentially anti-competitive practices. Regulators fear that the company’s control over high-end AI chips and related software could stifle competition and innovation in the AI industry. Nvidia spokesperson Mylene Mangalindan defended the company, emphasising its commitment to competition and innovation.
Why does this matter?
The Justice Department’s investigation is part of a broader regulatory effort to address potential monopolistic behaviours in the AI sector. To ensure fair competition, the DoJ and the Federal Trade Commission are examining the business practices of leading AI companies, including Nvidia and Microsoft.
The investigation into Nvidia’s acquisition strategy and business practices reflects broader concerns about market concentration in the tech industry. As regulators continue to scrutinise AI investments and mergers, the outcome of these investigations could significantly impact the future landscape of the AI market.
