AI Watermark Bill, California Call Centers, and Supermarket Retailers
Welcome to SV-AI (Silicon Valley - Accelerates Innovation), my newsletter focused on the responsible development and deployment of innovations strengthening California's global competitive edge. Please subscribe to receive upcoming editions. Here, I’ll share tech policy news and leadership insights that you need to know and how technologies, like Artificial Intelligence, are being used IRL. In this edition, I share news about a new bill requiring watermarks on AI-generated content, a plan to improve the customer experience for CA taxpayers, and how one grocery store is using AI to enhance their business competitiveness.?
AI 101
I love listening to podcasts, usually when I’m out walking our dog or in the gym. Here are three podcasts I recommend focused on AI that you can listen to while on the go:?
And stay tuned for the next season of SVLG’s Silicon Valley Vibes coming soon!?
A New Watermark Bill on the Horizon??
A fake robocall imitating the voice of President Joe Biden made headlines this week in New Hampshire. The artificially generated message is the latest example of AI being used in election disinformation. In California, legislators are taking action to help voters determine what is real and what is not.?
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, State Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) plans to introduce a new bill to address this challenge. SB942 would “require generative AI companies to ‘watermark’ images, videos, audio and potentially other content created by their models.” Becker thoughtfully acknowledges the technological and enforcement challenges, and argues that his bill will advance transparency and accountability.?
California is at the forefront of leveraging AI's potential for societal benefit while working to address its challenges.?
Through the Institute for California Artificial Intelligence Policy (I-CAP), SVLG is working to help advance responsible AI principles that don’t hinder innovation.?
Improving Customer Experience with AI?
The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) is looking for a better way to field more than 800,000 taxpayer inquiries a year.?
The CDTFA is seeking a generative AI solution that can train on existing reference materials and provide answers to taxpayers via chatbots and over the phone. Additional details on the requirements can be found here.?
Improving customer service using AI will be a major focus for government leaders in 2024. California, thanks in part to Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order, is on the leading-edge of exploring how AI can be used to improve state services.?
AI IRL
Gelson’s, a supermarket chain in Southern California, is embracing AI to optimize its prices and retain customers. AI tools can provide retailers with the fast and accurate analyses needed to best their competitors.?
It can also help ensure retailers are providing customers with the products they most want and need.?
Final Thoughts
Football is front of mind this week with our San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. We’ll be cheering our team on intensely this Sunday.?And, with hopefully another Super Bowl and Lombardi trophy around the corner, I want to close with my favorite Vince Lombardi quote:?
“The achievements of an organization are the results of a combined effort of each individual. People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or problems of modern society. Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”?
How do you inspire individuals on your teams to believe in a vision, and purpose, larger than themselves?
How have you built a winning culture for your team?
Please leave your comments to help our community learn and to be effective change agents for building more inclusive and successful teams.? Thank you!??
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So thrilled to see AI shaping our future in a responsible and innovative way! ?? As Stephen Hawking once said, "Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change," and it's inspiring to see how this is applied in various sectors. On a related note, Treegens is excited to share an opportunity for change-makers - we're sponsoring the Guinness World Record for Tree Planting, aiming to make a positive impact on our planet. ?? Check it out and join us: https://bit.ly/TreeGuinnessWorldRecord