AI Weekly Insights #35

Legal Battles, Voice Delays, AI Collaborations, and Chatbot Therapists

Author

Kharee Smith
June 28, 2024

Happy Sunday,

Get ready for "AI Weekly Insights #35". This week we’re covering legal battles brewing for AI music companies, OpenAI’s delayed Advanced Voice Mode, AI partnerships, and even a robot therapist (sort of).

Let’s get into the insights!

The Insights

For the Week of 06/23/24 - 06/29/24 (P.S. Click the story’s title for more information 😊):

  • What’s New: Udio and Suno, AI startups known for creating impressively realistic songs from prompts, are getting sued by major record labels for copyright infringement.

  • Sudo & Udio: The lawsuits, led by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), claim these companies used unauthorized music to train their AI models, potentially costing them a whopping $150,000 per infringing work.

  • Why It Matters: It is a common notion that a large amount of high-quality data is needed to train Generative AI models. OpenAI has been cagey about training for ChatGPT, resulting in legal troubles of their own. This case could set a precedent for how AI companies can use copyrighted material, potentially reshaping the landscape of AI development. A ruling against Udio and Suno may require AI companies to find new, legally sound ways to train their models.

  • What's New: OpenAI has had a few stories this week as they announced a partnership with TIME to access their content and released a desktop app for ChatGPT. They also shared an update on its new Advanced Voice Mode.

  • Advanced Voice Mode: The advanced voice mode for ChatGPT was demoed back in May. The company showed off more natural-sounding voice conversations along with ChatGPT's ability to respond to continuous video.

  • macOS Application: The desktop application for ChatGPT allows Mac users to access the popular tool easily and share files that may be relevant to a conversation.

  • TIME Partnership: By leveraging this partnership, ChatGPT will be able to properly cite Time for news and use the site’s content to develop new products.

  • Why It Matters: When the advanced Voice Mode was shown off, OpenAI mentioned it would be available “in the coming weeks“ which has come and gone. They mentioned the main reason for holding the update back was safety concerns and a plan to start release in July. The partnership with TIME compliments the other news organizations that they have brokered deals with recently, like News Corp and The Atlantic.

  • What's New: Google is rolling out its Gemini AI side panel into Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Slides to assist users with content generation and question-answering.

  • Gemini Side Panel: The side panel offers different features depending on the context of the current application. Gemini can help draft emails in Gmail or create tables in Sheets for example. Users will need to have a paid Gemini account to access these new features.

  • Why It Matters: Google showed off some of these features during their annual I/O Developer Conference last month. Generally, it is part of a push to make Gemini available in more of the company’s products. Users will need to become more acquainted with Generative AI as companies continue to push them as a part of our daily lives and work. I have come to find Gemini useful in applications like Drive, Docs, and Gmail the most.

  • What's New: A new AI-powered app called Sonia is offering affordable "therapy sessions" with a chatbot, aiming to bridge the gap in mental healthcare access.

  • Sonia AI: Sonia uses generative AI and techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy to engage users in text-based conversations and provide personalized insights and exercises. The app is available as a $20/month subscription.

  • Why It Matters: While the potential of AI in mental health is intriguing, replacing human therapists with chatbots raises concerns about privacy, accuracy, and the critical human connection in therapy. The effectiveness of AI in addressing serious mental health conditions is still under scrutiny, and the potential for harmful advice cannot be overlooked. It's crucial to weigh the convenience and accessibility of AI therapists against the potential risks and limitations.

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