AI Girlfriends, the End of Journalism, + Middle America's Tech Future

Hi Friends,

Today we are going to dive into a few really interesting innovations and news:

• An influencer is on track to make $5 mil/month using a Chat GPT-enabled virtual girlfriend solution… ugh wow there are so many lonely men out there!
• AI-generated content could represent the end of journalism… Google is releasing new features that threaten the industry.
• The government is putting $500 million into developing Middle America’s cities as tech hubs

The Lucrative “Virtual Girlfriend” Service Enabled by AI

Snapchat influencer Caryn Marjorie, with 1.8 million subscribers, introduced CarynAI, an AI chatbot meant to simulate personal interaction and alleviate loneliness. Described as a 'virtual girlfriend', CarynAI allows fans personalized conversations with a digital version of Marjorie, which has sparked controversy around the ethics of companion bots. The chatbot, developed by Forever Voices using OpenAI's GPT4 and Marjorie's past online content, aims to provide therapeutic conversations, incorporating cognitive and dialectic behavioral therapies. Within a week of beta testing, the chatbot, despite claims against explicit interactions, generated $71,610, causing Marjorie to address concerns about the bot engaging in inappropriate behavior.

Critics like Irina Raicu, the Director of Internet Ethics at the Markkula Center, argue that such a tool seems rushed, and its assertion to cure loneliness lacks substantial psychological or sociological evidence. She also highlights potential issues with the FTC's guidelines on promoting AI products, specifically around inflated claims. Despite these concerns, Marjorie continues to support CarynAI, with updates hinting at the AI's programmed responses to user behavior.

Caryn isn’t concerned with the ethics of the matter since the 23 year-old is on track to make $5 million per month once the full waitlist is onboarded.

Google Could Destroy Journalism with AI (imagine that)

As explained by The Verge's David Pierce, Google's experimental AI search results, featuring an AI-generated summary, significantly differ from its traditional SEO-based results. Google's use of AI to provide summaries rather than direct links could greatly impact the internet, which heavily relies on Google for 91% of search traffic.

The shift presents a significant issue for the journalism industry: if Google's AI presents distilled versions of original work without connecting users to the source, how can publishers monetize their work? The new interface, trained on vast amounts of human content, could potentially decrease clicks on the publishers' work, raising questions about compensation.

Google's spokesperson stated in an email to Futurism that they're experimenting with AI capabilities to "support a healthy, open web", but offered no plans to compensate publishers for their content. Publishers are concerned that this could end business models for digital media. If Google doesn't find a way to compensate publishers, the effects on public access to information could be devastating.

The Government’s New $500 Mil Investment

The U.S. government is initiating a $500 million investment to transform metropolitan areas in middle America into tech innovation hotspots. The Department of Commerce unveiled the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub program, or Tech Hubs, aiming to designate eligible groups as Tech Hubs and provide funds to attract entrepreneurs and technologists. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo emphasized the need to diversify the tech ecosystem, which is currently concentrated in a few regions.

Congress has authorized $10 billion for the Tech Hubs program from 2023 to 2027, with $500 million available this year, and President Biden has requested $4 billion for next year's budget. The program calls for collaboration between higher education institutions, local or state governments, relevant tech or manufacturing industries, economic development groups, and labor or workforce training groups.

The initiative aims to make these regions key centers of innovation, creating more well-paying jobs across the country. Raimondo framed the initiative as crucial for U.S. national security and emphasized the importance of staying ahead in technologies like AI, biotech, and quantum computing.

They may want to invest in making these hubs more beautiful and interesting as well as tech savvy to sway the experts who much prefer LA, SF, Miami and NYC.

Top Tech Innovation News This Week

• U.S. Focuses on Invigorating 'Chiplets' to Stay Cutting-Edge in Tech
• Anthropic leapfrogs OpenAI with a chatbot that can read a novel in less than a minute
• Wendy's Is Bringing a Google-Powered AI Chatbot to Its Drive-Thru
• Vast says it will launch its first space station in 2025 on a Falcon 9
• Captura facility could remove gigatons of carbon dioxide from the ocean
• Google Maps will let you see your routes in 3D
• A Radical Plan to Make AI Good, Not Evil

Thanks for reading, friends,

Yours Truly,

V Ray

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