News/Creator Economy
Grok AI chatbot is now available to all X users
Key development: X has removed the Premium subscription requirement for accessing Grok, allowing non-paying users to interact with the AI chatbot up to 10 times every two hours. The change was first noticed by users on Friday, representing a major shift in X's AI accessibility strategy Grok, developed by xAI, was previously exclusive to Premium subscribers since its launch last year The chatbot was initially marketed as a "humorous AI assistant," distinguishing it from more conventional AI chatbots Recent feature additions: xAI has been actively expanding Grok's capabilities to compete with other AI platforms in the market. In August, the...
read Dec 5, 2024YouTube launches AI tools to detect voice and face deepfakes
The rise of AI-generated deepfake content has prompted YouTube to develop new detection tools aimed at protecting creators from unauthorized voice and facial impersonations. Key developments: YouTube announced two separate deepfake detection tools that will help creators identify and remove AI-generated content that mimics their likeness without permission. The first tool focuses on detecting AI-generated singing voices and will be integrated into YouTube's existing Content ID system A second tool will help public figures track and flag AI-generated videos featuring unauthorized use of their faces Neither tool has a confirmed release date yet Implementation and limitations: The detection system appears...
read Dec 4, 2024Social media, AI and the neuroscience behind Trump’s win
The increasing sophistication of AI technology and social media algorithms is reshaping American political campaigns and voter behavior in unprecedented ways. The technology advantage: Recent political developments highlight how artificial intelligence and social media platforms are being leveraged to influence voter emotions and decision-making processes. AI technology now enables the creation of highly convincing fake images, videos, and voice recordings that can be used to spread misinformation Social media algorithms have become increasingly adept at targeting specific voter demographics with emotionally charged content These platforms are increasingly supplanting traditional news sources as primary information channels for many voters Neurological insights:...
read Dec 3, 2024Creator agencies are embracing AI, but marketers still remain cautious
The creator economy is experiencing a significant shift as influencer marketing agencies increasingly integrate AI tools into their services, though brands and marketers remain cautious about the technology's real value and application. Current landscape: Leading creator agencies are leveraging AI technologies to manage large-scale influencer campaigns and improve operational efficiency. Stagwell's Leaders maintains an AI-powered database of 300 million creators GroupM's Goat agency employs an AI search tool called "Ibex" for creator matching Agencies like Billion Dollar Boy integrate third-party AI tools for creator discovery, campaign tracking, and asset management Market demands: The push toward AI adoption is primarily driven...
read Dec 2, 2024Social media is rife with AI-generated content, and it’s not just LinkedIn
The rise of AI-generated content on professional networking and social media platforms is fundamentally changing how users interact with and consume online content, particularly on LinkedIn where more than half of longer posts may be AI-created. Key findings: Recent analysis by AI detection startup Originality AI reveals a significant shift in LinkedIn content creation patterns. A study of 8,800 public LinkedIn posts found that 54% of longer English-language posts are likely AI-generated AI-generated content on LinkedIn increased by 189% in early 2023, coinciding with ChatGPT's release LinkedIn's Premium users now have access to an in-app AI tool for content rewording...
read Dec 1, 2024BlueSky expands moderation team 4x amid AI-powered disinformation
Social media platform BlueSky is expanding its moderation efforts and user base, marking a significant shift in the competitive landscape among Twitter-alternative platforms. Key developments: BlueSky is strategically positioning itself as a more regulated alternative to X (formerly Twitter) by significantly expanding its content moderation capabilities. The platform is quadrupling its moderation team from 25 to 100 contract workers to manage its growing user base BlueSky has reached a milestone of 22 million total users, attracting particular interest from scientists and science writers The European Union of Journalists plans to cease publishing content on X starting January 20, 2025, citing...
read Nov 27, 2024Musk’s xAI wants to develop AI-powered video games
The announcement of Elon Musk's plans to enter the video game industry through his artificial intelligence company xAI marks another expansion of his business empire into entertainment and technology sectors. Key announcement and context: Elon Musk revealed plans for xAI to launch a video game development studio, positioning it as an initiative to transform modern gaming. The announcement came via Twitter/X, where Musk declared his intention to "make games great again" This move represents xAI's first major venture into entertainment content creation The initiative appears to be driven by Musk's criticism of current gaming industry trends rather than specific technological...
read Nov 27, 2024What we know about the artists who leaked OpenAI’s Sora model
The tension between AI companies and artists has reached a new flashpoint as OpenAI faces backlash from testers of its Sora video generation platform. The incident unfolds: A group of artists calling themselves PR Puppets briefly shared public access to OpenAI's Sora video generation platform, leading to an immediate suspension of the testing program. The group posted a "Generate with Sora" access point on Hugging Face, allowing public access to OpenAI's actual Sora API Social media users quickly confirmed the authenticity of the access through the videos.openai.com domain OpenAI revoked access within hours, though many users managed to generate and...
read Nov 27, 2024Bluesky blocks AI training on user posts, but can it stop others’ attempts?
The battle between social media platforms and AI data scrapers continues to escalate as Bluesky grapples with protecting user content from unauthorized AI training datasets. Recent incident sparks privacy concerns: A significant breach occurred when a Hugging Face employee scraped and published one million Bluesky posts to the AI repository, highlighting the vulnerability of public social media data. The dataset gained significant attention on the platform, trending throughout the day before being removed The employee has since apologized for the unauthorized data collection and removed the scraped content The incident exemplifies the ease with which public API data can be...
read Nov 26, 2024New analysis suggests over 50% of long LinkedIn posts may be AI-generated
The rise of AI-generated content on LinkedIn marks a significant shift in how professionals engage with social media, as AI tools become increasingly integrated into business communications. Current state of AI on LinkedIn: LinkedIn has fully embraced AI-generated content, with over 54% of longer English-language posts now likely created using artificial intelligence tools, according to analysis by Originality AI. The platform offers LinkedIn Premium subscribers access to in-house AI writing tools for posts, profiles, and direct messages A significant surge in AI-generated content occurred in early 2023 following ChatGPT's release, showing a 189% increase LinkedIn maintains it has systems in...
read Nov 26, 2024Developers say Stack Overflow isn’t keeping up with needs of the AI era — here’s why
The Stack Overflow community's strict moderation practices and declining user engagement are creating friction at a time when the platform should be focusing on areas where it maintains advantages over AI assistance. The core challenge: Stack Overflow's traffic is declining not just due to competition from AI, but because of fundamental issues with its community moderation approach and user experience. While large language models (LLMs) struggle with new framework releases, recent updates, and niche programming topics, Stack Overflow is failing to capitalize on these advantages The platform's rigid moderation policies and hostile community interactions are driving away both new and...
read Nov 24, 2024Meta’s Threads gets AI summaries and trending topics in latest update
The social media platform Threads is rolling out significant updates to compete more effectively in the microblogging space, particularly as users continue to seek alternatives to X (formerly Twitter). Major feature expansion; Meta is enhancing Threads with several new capabilities aimed at improving user experience and content discovery. The platform is extending its Trending Topics feature, increasing the number of trending items from 5 to 15 for US users New AI-powered summaries will provide users with quick overviews of trending discussions Enhanced search functionality now enables users to filter posts by date ranges and specific accounts Technical implementation and accessibility;...
read Nov 22, 2024YouTube’s new feature creates AI-generated backgrounds for your videos
The rapid evolution of AI-powered video creation tools continues with YouTube's latest Dream Screen update, which enables creators to generate dynamic video backgrounds for YouTube Shorts using simple text prompts. Key innovation: YouTube has expanded its Dream Screen AI tool beyond static images to include video background generation, powered by Google DeepMind's Veo model. The new feature allows creators to generate high-definition 1080p video backgrounds directly within the Shorts camera interface Users can specify their desired background through text prompts and select from different animation styles Multiple background options are generated for creators to choose from before filming their content...
read Nov 21, 2024Video: Someone made a deranged version of Coke’s derided AI holiday ad
The use of artificial intelligence in holiday advertising has sparked controversy and creative responses, particularly regarding Coca-Cola's recent AI-generated holiday campaign. Initial backlash: Coca-Cola's decision to employ three AI studios for its holiday advertisement campaign has drawn criticism for its uninspired approach and apparent displacement of human artists. The original advertisement has been characterized as predictable and lacking creative depth, exhibiting the typical shortcomings of AI-generated content Alex Hirsch, creator of "Gravity Falls," publicly criticized the company with a sardonic tweet about Coca-Cola's signature red color being derived from "the blood of out-of-work artists" The move follows a broader trend...
read Nov 20, 2024Facebook Messenger adds AI backgrounds and Siri control to chats
The popular messaging platform Messenger is rolling out significant updates to enhance its calling and messaging capabilities, bringing it more in line with Apple's FaceTime service while adding unique features of its own. Key Features Update: Meta has introduced several new capabilities to Messenger, focusing on voicemail functionality and AI-powered features. Users can now leave video and audio voicemails for unanswered calls, similar to FaceTime's video message feature The platform has implemented voice isolation and background noise suppression technology to improve call quality Custom answering machine messages remain unavailable, a feature that's also missing from FaceTime Siri Integration: Meta has...
read Nov 20, 2024‘AI pimping’ and the rise of deepfake dating scams
The rapid proliferation of AI-generated influencer accounts on Instagram represents a growing challenge at the intersection of artificial intelligence, social media, and content creation, raising concerns about authenticity and revenue impacts on legitimate creators. Current state of affairs: Instagram faces an unprecedented surge in AI-generated influencer accounts that appropriate content from real creators while using artificially generated faces to monetize stolen material. Over 1,000 AI-generated accounts have been identified engaging in this practice Content thieves are specifically targeting videos from legitimate models and adult content creators The accounts employ sophisticated AI tools to create hybrid personas that blend features from...
read Nov 16, 2024Social network Bluesky says it won’t train AI on user posts
Social network Bluesky has taken a firm stance against using user-generated content for AI training, distinguishing itself from competitors in an increasingly AI-focused social media landscape. Key policy announcement: Bluesky has explicitly stated it will not use user content to train generative AI systems, marking a significant departure from other social platforms' approaches. The platform made this declaration just before competitor X implemented new terms of service allowing user content to be used for AI training Bluesky emphasized its commitment to protecting artists and creators who have made the platform their home The company clarified that while it uses AI...
read Nov 14, 2024TikTok integrates Getty Images into AI-generated content
The integration of Getty Images into TikTok's AI advertising platform marks a significant expansion of creative tools available to digital marketers on the popular social media platform. The core development: TikTok has partnered with Getty Images to incorporate licensed visual content into Symphony Creative Studio, its AI-powered advertising generation tool. Advertisers can now access Getty's extensive library of licensed images and videos when creating AI-generated content The platform enables the creation of AI avatars that resemble real people for advertising purposes Symphony Creative Studio can generate video content from product descriptions and implement AI-powered language dubbing Technical capabilities: Symphony Creative...
read Nov 14, 2024Facebook AI bot mistakenly encourages eating toxic mushrooms
The growing prevalence of AI chatbots on social media platforms has led to a concerning incident where Facebook automatically added a potentially dangerous AI assistant to a mushroom foraging group. Critical incident: Meta's automated system introduced an AI chatbot called "FungiFriend" into the Northeast Mushroom Identification and Discussion group, where it proceeded to give dangerous advice about toxic mushrooms. The chatbot, displaying a wizard-like avatar, incorrectly advised users that Sarcosphaera coronaria, a poisonous mushroom containing arsenic, was safe to eat The AI suggested various cooking methods for the toxic fungus, including sautéing in butter and pickling Several deaths have previously...
read Nov 14, 2024AI, voter manipulation and the future of social media
The rise of artificial intelligence and social media platforms is reshaping political campaigns and information dissemination, creating new challenges for electoral integrity and democratic processes. Current landscape: The intersection of AI, social media algorithms, and political campaigning has created unprecedented challenges in managing information flow during elections. Platform owners like X (formerly Twitter) have significant control over information prioritization and user exposure through their algorithms Wealthy individuals and tech leaders can now exert outsized influence on political discourse through platform ownership The combination of algorithmic content curation and platform control has created information environments that may favor certain political perspectives...
read Nov 12, 2024X is testing a free version of Grok that doesn’t require a blue checkmark
Latest developments: X has begun testing a free tier of its Grok AI chatbot, marking a shift from its previous subscription-only model. Select X users have received invitations to try a limited version of Grok without requiring a premium subscription The free tier includes basic chat functionality, image generation, and photo analysis capabilities Initial rollout appears to be region-specific, suggesting a gradual implementation strategy Technical specifications and limitations: The free version of Grok comes with specific usage restrictions that differentiate it from the full subscription service. Users can ask 10 Grok 2 questions and 20 Grok 2 mini questions every...
read Nov 11, 2024Instagram tests AI-generated profile pictures for users
Instagram is testing new AI capabilities that would allow users to generate profile pictures directly within the app, marking another step in Meta's integration of artificial intelligence across its social media platforms. Key development: Meta's Instagram platform is exploring a feature that would let users create AI-generated profile pictures without leaving the app. Reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi discovered a hidden menu option labeled "create An AI profile picture" within Instagram's code The feature would simplify the process for users who want to use AI-generated images as their profile pictures, eliminating the need to use external AI image generators While users...
read Nov 11, 2024X’s AI chatbot Grok is free — here’s what it is and what you can do with it
Recent developments in artificial intelligence have made advanced chatbots more accessible to the general public, with X's Grok AI assistant now available for free to select users in a limited experimental rollout. Key details of the rollout: X (formerly Twitter) is making its Grok AI chatbot freely available to certain users, marking a shift from its previous requirement of an $8 monthly premium subscription. The experimental release provides access to Grok's core features, including image analysis, image generation through FLUX.1, and real-time data processing capabilities Users must have accounts that are at least one week old with a verified phone...
read Nov 8, 2024ByteDance’s AI will turn your photos to movies
AI-powered photo animation breakthrough: ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has unveiled a groundbreaking AI system called X-Portrait 2 that can transform still photographs into convincingly realistic video performances. The system can make photos mimic scenes from famous movies, capturing nuanced expressions and emotional depth that rival real footage. X-Portrait 2 maintains the original person's identity and characteristics while displaying a range of emotions with the same detail as a trained actor. This technology represents a significant leap forward in AI-generated video content, blurring the line between authentic and artificial performances. Technical innovation and data advantage: ByteDance's approach to facial...
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