Happy Sunday!

Welcome to “AI Weekly Insights #30”! We've got an exciting lineup with a triple scoop of AI news and insights. This week, we're diving into the buzz from the Microsoft Build Conference, a legal and ethical standoff between OpenAI and Scarlett Johansson, and a deep dive into an alleged fraud from Rabbit Inc.

Let’s get into the insights

The Insights

For the Week of 05/19/24 - 05/25/24 (P.S. Click the story’s title for more information 😊):

Microsoft Build Conference Announcements

• What’s New: During Microsoft’s annual Build developer conference, the company unveiled a new lineup of Windows machines alongside many generative AI-powered features.

• Top 10 Highlights: 

  • Copilot+ PCs: AI-first Windows hardware with dedicated NPUs (Neural Processing Units). These PCs have powerful Copilot features like Recall and Cocreator in Paint.

  • Recall: A new Windows 11 feature that "remembers" apps and content accessed on your PC, using natural language search to find anything while keeping data private.

  • Team Copilot and Copilot Extensions: Team Copilot integrates with Microsoft Teams to help manage meetings and perform tasks. Extensions enhance GitHub Copilot by allowing developers to integrate third-party apps.

  • Phi-3: Microsoft announced its family of Small Language Models last month but introduced a new model, Phi-3-vision, that brings together language and vision capabilities. Phi is efficient enough to run locally on a mobile device.

  • Windows Copilot Runtime: A collection of models that allow generative AI-powered apps to run without needing an internet connection. The APIs will be available to developers in June.

  • Khan Academy Partnership: The company is partnering with Khan Academy to provide teachers with free access to AI-powered tools. The partnership will also explore AI enhancements for math tutoring.

  • Live Translation and Image Editing: Features like Super Resolution for high-quality video game upscaling, Cocreator for generating and editing images with AI, and Live Captions that provide translations in 35+ languages.

  • Surface Pro and Surface Laptop: New hardware from the company showcases its first Copilot+ PCs. They are redesigned with better battery life, Wi-Fi 7, and faster performance.

  • Volumetric Apps: 3D interactive apps on Meta Quest headsets. This allows users to manipulate digital objects in 3D space. Developers can sign up for the preview to access the new volumetric API.

  • Copilot agents: Businesses will be able to build AI-powered Copilots to perform tasks automatically, like monitoring emails and automating data entry, making Copilot proactive in handling routine tasks.

• Why It Matters: As with the Google I/O conference, these announcements highlight a commitment to making AI a huge part of everyday computing, and its promise to enhance productivity and creativity. With Windows dominating the desktop and laptop market, Microsoft is in a unique position to integrate AI into our daily work and general device usage.

OpenAI vs Scarlett Johansson: A Legal and Ethical Quandary

• What's New: A conflict between OpenAI and Scarlett Johansson has emerged, centered around a voice in ChatGPT that Johansson claims sound very similar to her character from the 2013 film "Her".

• Timeline of Events:

  • Sky Voice Debut (September 2023): The “Sky” voice, alongside four other voices, launched for GPT-4 Plus users. It gained attention for its more human-like qualities, with some users drawing comparisons to Johansson’s voice.

  • Sam Altman's Tweet (May 13, 2024): OpenAI CEO Sam Altman randomly tweets “her,” fueling speculation about the connection to Johansson’s voice.

  • GPT-4o Launch (May 13, 2024): With the debut of GPT-4o, the voice mode became more widely recognized as it was used extensively in demos about the new model.

  • Johansson's Public Statement: Scarlett Johansson publicly expressed shock and anger, stating she had declined an offer to license her voice for ChatGPT. She felt betrayed by the release of a voice similar to hers without her consent.

  • OpenAI's Explanation and Pausing Sky Voice (May 19, 2024): OpenAI responded by pausing the use of the Sky voice, denying any intentional mimicry of Johansson’s voice. They emphasized that all voice actors were chosen well before any discussions with the actress.

• Why It Matters: This incident raises significant ethical and legal questions about the use of synthetic voices. If Johansson pursues legal action, it could set a precedent for how AI companies use voices that resemble those of real people. This controversy underscores the broader ethical issue of consent and the potential misuse of AI-generated content. As deep fake technology advances, safeguarding individuals’ voices and likenesses becomes increasingly critical to prevent unauthorized use and maintain trust in AI technologies.

Rabbit R1 Exposed: A Dive into Alleged Fraud

• What's New: YouTube investigator Coffeezilla, known for his rigorous investigations into scams and fraudulent activities, has recently exposed Rabbit Inc., the company behind the AI gadget Rabbit R1, as allegedly being built on deceptive practices.

• The Allegations:

  • Cyber Manufature and GAMA: The investigation revealed that Rabbit Inc., previously known as Cyber Manufacture Co., has a controversial history tied to a failed NFT project named GAMA, which raised $6 million with ambitious goals but left investors without refunds.

  • Lack of Transparency: Rabbit's transition from Cyber Manufacture Co. and the launch of the Rabbit R1 have been clouded by a lack of transparency. The $6 million raised for GAMA appears to have been absorbed into Rabbit's operations without clear accountability to investors.

  • Rabbit r1 Overhype: The Rabbit r1 has been criticized for not living up to its hype, with numerous tech reviews highlighting its shortcomings. CoffeeZilla parallels the overpromised and underdelivered GAMA project and the current marketing of the Rabbit r1.

• Why It Matters: Rabbit has promised a lot with the Rabbit r1, but it has failed to deliver on many fronts. This situation underscores the critical need for transparency and ethics in the AI space. There will need to be a critical eye on new products and services using AI while the technology develops. The full details of the investigation can be viewed on Coffeezilla's YouTube channel.

Your enthusiasm and curiosity drive our exploration through AI's rapidly evolving landscape. I look forward to your insights, questions, and assistance in spreading our discoveries with the AI community.

Until next Sunday, keep exploring and stay engaged!

Warm regards,

- Kharee