#90 - Total Recall

Microsoft had their AI-announcement party this week and revealed that they are integrating AI copilots into every layer of their technology stack with the promise of 'total recall'. I'm probably not the only one who spontaneously thought of the '90s sci-fi film of the same name. The fact that the film is about false memories was clearly not an obstacle for Microsoft to call their new feature 'Recall' and make it part of a new line-up of Copilot+ PCs with AI built in. This ambitious/scary (pick your flavour) step towards a more personal and intelligent computing future has raised more than a few eyebrows —and an investigation in the UK. Microsoft's vision of seamlessly integrating AI into Windows, from the system to the silicon to the hardware, aims to revolutionize our interaction with devices. But as we move towards an AI-driven future, concerns about privacy, security, and relying on machines for our memories and decisions grow.

NEWS?

While Microsoft took the stage to showcase its latest AI developments, publishers and media outlets are still grappling with last week's announcements from OpenAI and Google. Particularly, Google's ambitious plans to revolutionize search with AI overviews have left many in the publishing world feeling like this could be the final nail in the coffin for traditional search-based traffic.

Related:

• Media analyst Baekdal wonders out loud how concerned publishers should be. Read his view.
• So far the AI overviews are far from reliable (recommending adding glue to a pizza for example ).
• With search traffic dwindling, publishers are looking at other avenues like Apple’s news app, for readers and revenue. Link
• Publishers are also doubling down on subscriptions as their core revenue model. Read more.
• News Corp just signed a major deal with OpenAI, potentially worth over $250M in five years. More details here & here for a full list of all deals so far.
• Meta is rolling out AI-generated news summaries, even as it steps back from traditional news integration. Link

Other updates:

• The New York Times tested how easily chatbots can be manipulated to spread misinformation. Link
• The Indian elections are showcasing the rise of deepfakes and voice clones. Link
• Aftonbladet has launched an election chatbot around the EU elections. Try it here.
• Gannett is adding AI-generated summaries to the top of its articles. Link

AI

It's been a whirlwind of AI-updates as GPT-4o and Google's Gemini unveiled new multi-modal capabilities, spotlighting voice and personality. The backlash was swift. After legal pushback from Scarlett Johansson, OpenAI pulled a ChatGPT voice named "Sky," resembling her voice from the movie Her.

Related:

• Tom Tunguz on chatting with "Her". Link
• The Scarlett Johansson debacle is a microcosm of AI’s raw deal: It’s happening, and you can’t stop it. Link
• A different actress was hired to provide the voice for ChatGPT’s “Sky. Link

Companies are splurging on AI, with IT teams at big enterprises spending twice as much this year. However, the payoff is uncertain. Meanwhile the combined market value of Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft has reached nearly $3 trillion, 150 times their projected AI revenue for 2024. Media analyst Scott Galloway sees these as signs of an AI bubble.

Related:

• How news coverage, often uncritical, helps build up the AI hype. Link

Short:

• How AI will reinvent marketing. Read here how.
• OpenAI disbanded its superalignment team after both of its leaders resigned. Background
• Dan Taylor Watt updates his AI predictions. Link
• Interactive knowledge cards are coming to Perplexity. Try them here.

VIDEO

TikTok is testing 60-minute videos , eyeing YouTube's success on TV screens. This move suggests TikTok is aiming for TV-style content, and the test is a step in that direction.

Related: At its Brandcast event , YouTube highlighted its massive scale, with viewers watching over 1 billion hours on TV screens daily. It's main message to advertisers: YouTube bigger than traditional TV , with billions of viewers and superior audience targeting.

Short:

• Movies and movie channels are driving viewing on FAST services. Link ?
• ORF launches a new streaming service ORF ON. Link
• Microsoft Edge will translate and dub YouTube videos as you’re watching them. Link
• Alphabet & Meta offer millions to partner with Hollywood on AI. Link

AUDIO

A week of podcast data shows Spotify’s dominance in the world. The US and the UK are Apple Podcasts countries; but the data suggests that, everywhere else, Spotify is the market leader.

Eleven Lab launches an embeddable audio player that automatically narrates your blog or news site. Link

The Washington Post expands accessibility to AI-read newsletters, enhancing user experience through audio. Link

And worth checking: a proposed industry guide for using AI in audio. Link

SHORT

• Apple now lets you control an iPhone or iPad with your eyes.
• Google launches a framework for mitigating future risks posed by advanced AI models.
• TikTok turns to generative AI to boost its ads business.
• Amazon is considering $20 monthly subscription for GenAI enhanced Alexa.
• Snapchat focuses on AI with $1.5 billion yearly investment.
• Meta is working on a paid versio? of its AI assistant.

IDEAS

Every AI feature imaginable is being made by startups and bigger companies alike. And every day we witness new versions of AI models being announced that swallow these features and displaced them all.

It sometimes feels as if AI can only happen to us, but we do have the ability to respond to it. Global workers, influencers, and activists fight back by using and repurposing the very algorithms that control our lives.

A framework for weaving healthy communities.

READ

A new report shows that the number of people that live in countries where they are not free to express opinions and beliefs or freely access information has surged in the last year.

Public broadcasters facing tumult in Europe. Link ?

A bit on the heavy tech side but worth a read. Mapping the mind of a large language model.

That's it for now. Wayfinder is made to travel so feel free to share it with friends & colleagues.

I'll be in Copenhagen next week for WAN-IFRA's World News Media Congress 2024. Let's connect!