News/Content Creation
Open-source AI converts books to audio for free, though with narration challenges
Take a book. Leave a book. Or make a book! The emergence of artificial intelligence text-to-speech technology has enabled new tools for creating audiobooks, with open source solutions now becoming available to the public. Autiobooks represents a significant development in this space, offering free audiobook creation capabilities to users with technical knowledge. Key Features and Setup: Autiobooks leverages the Kokoro AI text-to-speech model to transform epub files into audiobooks through a home computer setup. The installation process requires command line experience, presenting a barrier for non-technical users Once configured, the tool provides a straightforward graphical interface for converting ebooks The...
read Feb 18, 2025YouTube adds AI video generation to Shorts, expanding creator tools
Take an AI-enabled shot with YouTube's newest Shorts tool. Artificial Intelligence video generation has entered a new phase at YouTube with the integration of Google DeepMind's Veo 2 model into its Shorts platform. The expansion of YouTube's Dream Screen feature and introduction of AI-generated video clips marks a significant shift in how creators can produce content on the platform. Key developments: YouTube has integrated Google DeepMind's Veo 2 video generation model into its Shorts platform, enhancing the platform's AI-powered creative capabilities. The update expands Dream Screen, YouTube's existing AI background generator Users can now create standalone AI-generated video clips from...
read Feb 13, 2025Telegram launches AI sticker search, new video features
A significant update to Telegram, one of the world's most widely-used messaging apps, introduces AI-powered sticker search and enhanced video playback features in February 2025. This release marks a notable shift in how users can interact with the platform's vast sticker library and video content. Key Features: The latest Telegram update focuses on improving user experience through artificial intelligence and enhanced video functionality. AI-powered sticker search now supports natural language queries in 29 languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic, and Hindi Users can search using complex descriptive phrases like "thinking monkey" or "space dog" to find relevant stickers The AI model...
read Feb 12, 2025US Copyright Office publishes new report on impact of AI on copyright economics
The U.S. Copyright Office has released a new publication examining the economic intersection of artificial intelligence and copyright policy, drawing from months of expert discussions and research. The study, produced by a group of economic scholars, aims to establish a framework for understanding how AI development impacts traditional copyright economic structures. Project Overview: The publication titled "Identifying the Economic Implications of Artificial Intelligence for Copyright Policy: Context and Direction for Economic Research" represents a collaborative effort to analyze the complex relationship between AI and copyright economics. The project involved several months of substantive discussions, consultation with technical experts, and research...
read Feb 12, 2025Adobe unveils Firefly Video, its first AI video generation tool
The AI video generation market continues its onward march as major tech companies compete to offer tools for creating and editing video content. Adobe has entered this space with a new AI video generation tool specifically designed to integrate with its professional video editing software. Product Launch Overview: Adobe's new Firefly Video Model generates AI-powered video clips that integrate directly with Adobe Premiere Pro, targeting professional video editors and studios. The service creates five-second clips at 1080p resolution, focused on high-quality output rather than longer duration Users can generate 20 clips monthly for $9.99 or 70 clips for $29.99 A...
read Feb 11, 2025ByteDance unveils OmniHuman-1 AI video generator
TikTok parent company ByteDance has unveiled two groundbreaking AI video generation models - OmniHuman-1 and Goku - marking a significant advancement in AI-powered video creation technology. These models represent ByteDance's first major entry into the AI video generation space, leveraging the company's vast video dataset from TikTok. Key Technology Capabilities: OmniHuman-1 demonstrates sophisticated video generation abilities by creating high-quality video content from a single image input combined with audio. The model excels at producing photorealistic videos with precise lip-syncing and minimal visual artifacts It can generate both realistic human figures and animated content, including cartoons, objects, and animals in various...
read Feb 11, 2025How Napkin’s agency of AI agents is changing the way professionals design graphics
Napkin AI is a specialized graphic design platform that leverages multiple AI agents to transform text inputs into customized graphics within seconds. The company's approach differs from both traditional design tools and pure AI image generators by using a system of specialized AI agents to replicate the functions of a complete design agency. Core Technology and Functionality: Napkin AI's platform operates through a sophisticated system of four specialized AI sub-agents working in concert to deliver comprehensive design solutions. The platform's text agent suggests and refines copy for designs, while the layout agent determines optimal visual arrangements An icon/illustration agent sources...
read Feb 11, 2025Chinese AI model Goku challenges OpenAI dominance with natural-looking image, video creation
Artificial intelligence model development has entered a new phase of global competition with ByteDance's release of Goku, an open-source AI system for generating images and videos. This development comes at a challenging time for OpenAI, which faces both competition from Elon Musk and emerging Chinese AI capabilities. Technical breakthrough: Goku represents a significant advancement in AI image and video generation through its use of rectified flow transformers, which create more natural-looking digital content with fewer distortions. The model processes text prompts to produce high-quality visuals, similar to a digital artist that continuously refines its output Rectified flow transformers improve information...
read Feb 10, 2025Canada’s Shopify waves AI “magic” wand to attract merchants
Shopify is experiencing significant merchant growth as small businesses adopt its integrated e-commerce platform that combines traditional online store functionality with new artificial intelligence features. The platform's "Shopify Magic" AI suite is democratizing advanced automation tools previously only accessible to large retailers, leading to increased adoption among small and medium-sized businesses. Platform adoption and growth: Shopify's merchant base expanded by 20% in Q3 2024, with hundreds of North American businesses migrating to the platform. The company's revenue is projected to increase 27.3% in Q4 2024, marking its fastest growth in six quarters Subscription plans range from $39 monthly for basic...
read Feb 7, 2025Pinterest reports strong revenue growth on success of AI ad tools
Pinterest's fourth quarter earnings and first quarter forecast exceeded market expectations, driven by successful AI-powered advertising tools and record user growth. Key performance metrics: Pinterest delivered strong fourth quarter results and an optimistic first quarter outlook, demonstrating momentum in both user growth and revenue generation. Global monthly active users reached an all-time high of 553 million, surpassing analyst estimates of 545.8 million and representing an 11% year-over-year increase Fourth quarter revenue grew 18% to $1.15 billion, beating market expectations of $1.14 billion First quarter revenue is projected between $837 million and $852 million, above consensus estimates of $832.8 million AI-driven...
read Feb 5, 2025Marvel rebukes AI concerns in Fantastic Four poster
Marvel's recent release of promotional posters for "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" sparked controversy over suspected AI usage, leading to an official denial from the studio. The controversy explained: Social media users identified several irregularities in the promotional posters released alongside the film's teaser trailer. Fans spotted anatomical errors, including characters with four fingers Multiple instances of the same woman's face appeared across different posters The inconsistencies prompted immediate speculation about AI-generated artwork Official response: Marvel Studios took a firm stance against the AI speculation through an official statement to IndieWire. A studio spokesperson explicitly denied any AI involvement in...
read Feb 5, 2025Mediapro, Google partner to create AI tools for Spanish media and news professionals
Spanish broadcaster Mediapro and Google Cloud have expanded their partnership to develop generative AI solutions specifically for the media and entertainment industry. Partnership Overview: Mediapro and Google Cloud unveiled their enhanced collaboration at ISE 2025 in Barcelona, focusing on developing AI-powered creative tools and platforms. The partnership builds on their initial collaboration from 2023, which involved several proof-of-concept projects A new creativity lab will be established to develop specialized platforms for image and video generation The initiative brings together professionals from Mediapro's AI Center of Innovation and Google Cloud experts Key Development Plans: The collaboration's first major project will be...
read Feb 5, 2025Marvel denies rumors it used AI to create ‘Fantastic Four’ poster
Key developments: Marvel's release of promotional posters for "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" has sparked debate over the potential use of artificial intelligence in their creation. The film features an all-star cast including Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch Marvel representatives have explicitly denied using AI to create the controversial poster The film is scheduled for theatrical release on July 25, 2025 Broader context: This controversy emerges amid growing concerns about AI's role in film production and marketing. A recent...
read Feb 4, 2025ByteDance’s new ‘OmniHuman’ AI tools turns single user photos into full-body videos
ByteDance researchers have created OmniHuman, an AI system that can generate realistic full-body videos of people speaking, gesturing, and moving naturally from a single photograph, marking a significant advancement in AI-generated media. Key innovation: The OmniHuman system represents a breakthrough in AI video generation by producing complete body animations that synchronize with speech and natural movements, moving beyond the limitations of previous systems that could only animate faces or upper bodies. The system utilizes an "omni-conditions" training approach that combines text, audio, and body movement inputs Researchers trained the AI on more than 18,700 hours of human video data The...
read Feb 4, 2025Microsoft Paint receives an AI-powered makeover
Microsoft has integrated generative AI capabilities into its popular Paint program through its Cocreator feature, allowing users to combine traditional drawing with AI-generated images based on text descriptions. Key Innovation; Microsoft Paint's Cocreator represents a significant shift in how users can interact with familiar software tools by combining manual drawing with AI image generation. The feature enables users to sketch ideas and have AI transform them into detailed images based on text prompts Cocreator is integrated directly into Paint's existing interface, making advanced AI capabilities accessible through a familiar tool The system allows for iterative refinement, letting users adjust and...
read Feb 3, 2025Smart AI-powered content creation just got cheaper with Katteb’s latest offering
Katteb AI Content Generator offers a comprehensive AI-powered writing solution that includes fact-checking, multilingual support, and SEO optimization features for content creators. Product Overview: Katteb AI serves as a versatile content generation platform that supports over 30 content types across more than 110 languages. The platform operates on a lifetime subscription model, available for a one-time payment of $79.99 (reduced from $195) Users can generate various content types including articles, product reviews, and social media posts The system includes GPT-4 integration for advanced language processing capabilities Key Features: Katteb distinguishes itself through its emphasis on accuracy and content verification tools....
read Feb 2, 2025Google’s Notebook LM: How it came to be and why it’s so powerful
Technology pioneer Adam Bignell reveals how Notebook LM evolved from a simple note-taking tool into an advanced AI platform capable of transforming documents into interactive, conversational experiences. The evolution of Notebook LM: What began as a straightforward note-taking application has transformed into a sophisticated platform that can convert text into AI-generated podcasts with interactive virtual hosts. Bignell, a former musician turned computer scientist, was inspired by Jorge Luis Borges' "Library of Babel" and his passion for language The project started with creating prototypes focused on enabling conversations with book content Collaboration with Stephen Johnson and Raiza Martin helped shape the...
read Feb 2, 2025One UI 7 now lets you use Galaxy AI writing tools without Samsung’s buggy keyboard
Samsung has updated its Galaxy AI Writing Assist feature in One UI 7 to work with third-party keyboards, no longer requiring users to use Samsung's default keyboard app. Key Update: One UI 7 introduces keyboard-agnostic functionality for Galaxy AI writing tools, making them accessible across different keyboard applications through a simple highlight and tap interface. Users can now access Galaxy AI writing features by highlighting text or long-pressing in empty text fields, regardless of which keyboard app they're using The Galaxy AI logo appears alongside other text editing options when text is highlighted in social or chat apps Writing tools...
read Feb 1, 2025How to train an AI image model on images of yourself
A new guide details how anyone can create personalized AI-generated images by training a model on their own photos, with the entire process taking under an hour and costing approximately $3. The fundamentals of AI image training; Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) technology allows for efficient customization of the Flux base model to recognize and generate images of specific individuals. The process requires associating a unique trigger word with 10-15 diverse personal photos Training costs average $2.50 per model, with subsequent image generations costing about $0.03 each The Replicate platform provides the necessary GPU computing power through a rental service model Technical...
read Feb 1, 2025New government report tackles ‘copyrightability’ of AI-made works
Core findings: The U.S. Copyright Office has released the second part of a three-part report examining artificial intelligence and copyright law, focusing specifically on whether AI-generated works can be protected by copyright. The report draws on over 10,000 public comments from authors, libraries, publishers and other stakeholders Approximately half of the comments specifically addressed the copyrightability of AI outputs The vast majority of respondents agreed that existing copyright law is sufficient and that works created entirely by AI should not be eligible for copyright protection Key legal principles: The Copyright Office concluded that current copyright law provides an adequate framework...
read Feb 1, 2025How this YouTuber is poisoning the web scrapers stealing her content
YouTube creator F4mi has developed an innovative method to prevent AI-powered content scrapers from stealing and repurposing her video transcripts by embedding invisible, confounding text in subtitle files. Key innovation: F4mi leverages the Advanced SubStation Alpha (.ass) subtitle format to hide garbage data that disrupts AI summarization tools while remaining invisible to human viewers. The .ass format supports advanced features like custom positioning, fonts, colors, and text formatting Hidden text includes modified public domain works and AI-generated scripts containing fabricated information When AI summarizers process these transcripts, the invisible junk text overwhelms the actual content Technical implementation: The anti-scraping system...
read Feb 1, 2025Synthesia and Theory Ventures on the future of AI in B2B SaaS
The intersection of AI and B2B SaaS is evolving rapidly, with significant developments in enterprise video technology and AI-driven business solutions, as revealed at SaaStr's AI Day 2025. Key developments in enterprise video: Synthesia has emerged as the leading AI video platform for enterprises, achieving a $2.1B valuation by transforming corporate video production. The platform simplifies video creation to make it as straightforward as creating a PowerPoint presentation Enterprises use the platform for training materials, product marketing, and customer support videos A consolidated workflow system combines recording, editing, collaboration, and distribution capabilities Product evolution and innovation: Synthesia's upcoming AI video...
read Jan 31, 2025How to create stunning AI images for free with Microsoft Image Creator
Microsoft's Image Creator has emerged as a powerful and accessible AI image generation tool, combining DALL-E 3's advanced technology with a user-friendly interface to transform text descriptions into custom visuals. This free service, available through bing.com/create or Microsoft Copilot, requires only a Microsoft account to access its comprehensive suite of features, including support for over 100 languages, built-in editing capabilities, and 15 daily "boosts" for expedited image generation. Key Features and Access: Microsoft Image Creator is freely available through bing.com/create or Microsoft Copilot, requiring only a Microsoft account to get started. Users receive 15 daily "boosts" for faster image generation...
read Jan 31, 2025US Copyright Office suggests the great AI copyright debate was actually settled in 1965
The US Copyright Office has issued new guidance maintaining that existing copyright laws are sufficient to handle AI-assisted works, while reaffirming that purely AI-generated content cannot be copyrighted. Key Framework: The Copyright Office bases its current AI copyright guidance on principles established in 1965 when officials first addressed computer-assisted creative works. Officials assert that questions about AI and copyright can be resolved using existing laws without new legislation The guidance stems from over 10,000 public comments and extensive analysis of AI-assisted creative works The fundamental position remains that works entirely generated by AI cannot receive copyright protection due to "insufficient...
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