#103 - The Real Time Revolution
Imagine your glasses whispering the name of every stranger you pass, or having a real-time conversation with your browser to get your daily dose of news while you're on your way to work, or that article you're working on coming to life, eager to chat about its contents. It's closer than you think. It's been about a week since OpenAI announced its real-time voice API , and Meta unveiled its latest Ray-Ban AR glasses with real-time visual analysis . Since then, developers and hackers have been pushing the boundaries of what's possible.
These early experiments point to something more substantial: a shift away from clicks and linear delivery, and with it, a business model depending on that approach. However, this shift won't happen overnight. Real-time audio output tokens are priced at $200 per 1 million tokens , roughly translating to $0.15 per minute of conversation for businesses - at scale, this could quickly burn a hole in any startup's budget, let alone consumers'.
A more fundamental reason why this probably needs some more consideration is the real and clear privacy issues. Two Harvard students already demonstrated that by modifying Meta's glasses, they could identify strangers in real-time. And Evan Ratcliff's magnificent, comic but unsettling "Shell Game" podcast shows how easy it is to fool people with cloned voices in real-time phone conversations.
One thing is clear: real-time AI is here - and so are its real-life challenges.
AI
The internet is getting flooded with AI-made stuff. Try searching for "baby peacock" on Google - you'll see tons of images that AI created. While this specific search might be uncommon, it highlights a growing challenge in distinguishing AI-created content from human-made work. To address this issue, Adobe has launched a free web app that helps creators protect their content and ensure proper attribution.
A recent study reveals that people tend to distrust content labeled as "AI-generated", even when it's accurate and vetted, leading to decreased sharing of such material.
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NEWS
OpenAI has secured another content partnership. This time with Hearst , one of the largest newspaper and magazine holding groups in the US. Meanwhile OpenAI's head of media partnerships has stated the company isn't planning to share ad revenue from SearchGPT with publishers.
Related: Researcher Felix Simon argues for more clarity on AI companies' deals with news publishers.
领英推荐
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VIDEO/AUDIO
ITV has introduced a generative AI-powered ad production service aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises. The idea is to democratize the access to high-quality video advertising.
The Economist did a write-up on YouTube's self-taught filmmakers and how they are challenging the traditional television industry & streaming giants like Netflix and Disney.
The French data institute INA, which receives data from 184 TV and radio channels, has analyzed 700,000 hours of content with AI. The new data visualisations are worth exploring!
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SHORT
READ
Bain & Co released its Technology Report 2024 , offering insights into the latest tech industry trends with the main focus on AI - what else.
A new Media Viability Manifesto provides a common framework for action for global media development.
404media - the best independent voice in critical AI-coverage - reports on the rise of AI in job applications and hiring processes , with both applying to thousands of jobs at the same time.
And my find of this week! How to uncover data journalism stories that are hidden in complexity: three examples of using AI to find stories in messy data.
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