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Greetings! Your latest quick tech update is here 🤖
What’s happening:
🚨 OpenAI’s Sora video generator leaks amid artist protest
🔒 Microsoft debunks claims of AI training with Office data
🔍 Google’s antitrust argument falters in federal court
📚 Writers slam startup’s plan to publish 8,000 AI-generated books
🚗 Rivian gets $6.6B federal loan for Georgia EV factory
📱 Huawei launches its Android-free mobile OS
+ 📊 Daily poll and results
+ 📈 Trending tools and resources
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Hand-picked news:
What: OpenAI’s unreleased Sora video generator was leaked by a protest group on Hugging Face. Users briefly accessed the tool, generating 10-second videos, before OpenAI revoked access. The group, "Sora PR Puppets," accused OpenAI of exploiting unpaid artist labor while prioritizing PR over collaboration.
Why: The protest highlights dissatisfaction among Sora’s early testers, who claim OpenAI limits creative freedom and keeps tight control over content approval. The group demands better artist compensation and transparency, accusing OpenAI of leveraging them as unpaid marketers.
Impact: The leak underscores challenges in balancing innovation with ethical collaboration. While OpenAI faces technical hurdles with Sora, competitors like Runway and Stability AI are advancing partnerships with Hollywood studios, further heating the race in generative video AI.
What: Microsoft has clarified that customer data from its Microsoft 365 apps, including Word and Excel, is not used to train AI models. This response follows widespread reports misinterpreting the company’s privacy settings, which sparked concerns about data usage.
Why: The confusion stemmed from a default setting enabling "optional connected experiences" in Office and ambiguous documentation that mentioned analyzing user content but didn’t explicitly exclude AI training. Similar misunderstandings earlier hit Adobe, highlighting growing anxiety over data use for AI.
Impact: The incident underscores rising user vigilance about data privacy as companies like Meta and Google opt users into AI training by default. Microsoft’s clarification may reassure users, but it also signals the need for clearer language in privacy policies to prevent misinterpretations.
What: U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema rejected Google’s reliance on a 2018 Supreme Court ruling involving American Express as a defense in the Justice Department’s antitrust case. The government alleges Google illegally monopolized three advertising tech markets.
Why: The judge emphasized differences between the ad tech and credit card markets, undermining Google’s claim that its tools, like credit cards, facilitate transactions between two groups. The DOJ argued Google's practices harm competition in multiple distinct markets, citing internal documents as evidence.
Impact: The ruling signals a challenging path ahead for Google, with potential findings of liability for monopolistic practices in ad servers and tying arrangements. A decision is expected by year-end, and the case may set a precedent for addressing Big Tech’s market power.
What: Spines, a startup aiming to use AI to publish up to 8,000 books in 2024, is facing criticism from writers and publishers. Charging authors $1,200–$5,000, the company promises AI-assisted editing, design, and distribution while claiming to retain none of the royalties.
Why: Critics, including prominent authors and industry groups, argue the model prioritizes speed and profit over creativity, craft, and quality. Concerns include potential copyright violations, lack of originality, and misleading claims of being more than a vanity publisher.
Impact: The controversy highlights ethical and quality concerns around AI in publishing. It raises questions about exploitation of aspiring authors, the devaluation of craftsmanship in literature, and broader implications for copyright in the age of generative AI.
What: The Biden administration has granted Rivian Automotive a $6.6 billion loan to revive its stalled Georgia electric vehicle (EV) factory project. The plant will focus on producing Rivian's smaller R2 and R3 models, with plans to begin production in 2028.
Why: The loan, under the Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, aligns with the U.S. goal to make half of all car sales zero-emission by 2030. The plant will create 7,500 jobs and produce up to 400,000 vehicles annually, solidifying Georgia's role in the EV industry.
Impact: With Trump poised to take office soon and pledging to end federal EV support, the loan's future is uncertain. However, state and local investments, along with bipartisan support, position the project as a major step toward affordable, U.S.-made EVs.
What: Huawei has introduced HarmonyOS Next with the Mate 70 and Mate X6 smartphones, claiming it is completely free of Android open-source code. This milestone reflects the company’s goal to eliminate reliance on US tech in both hardware and software.
Why: The move aligns with Huawei’s strategy to counter US trade restrictions, which have blocked access to key technologies. The Mate 70 also highlights Huawei's push for self-sufficiency, featuring a fully Chinese-made 7nm chip, though it lags behind competitors like Apple in chip advancements.
Impact: Huawei's in-house OS and chip developments demonstrate its resilience but face hurdles, including questions about chip sourcing and user experience refinement. This shift could reshape Huawei’s global position and challenge Android’s dominance in markets where Huawei remains influential.
Today’s Poll:
OpenAI’s Sora Leak: Protest or Breach of Trust? |
Vote and find out about the result tomorrow.
Yesterday’s Poll Result:
Anti-Aging Research: Ethical or Problematic?
A) Ethical – It addresses age-related diseases - 42%
B) Problematic – It risks deepening global inequality - 58% 👑
Readers opinion:
“The research is not the problem. The inequalities already exist in the distribution of all resources with the rich exploiting the poor. The inequalities exist because of greed, selfishness, and lack of compassion sadly found in so many. Those attitudes in contrast to our shared humanity will bring the downfall of people and our possible extinction. ”
Submit your opinions in our daily poll for the chance to be featured.
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