Meta to Label AI-Generated Content

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Since?signing the executive order?on generative AI in October, the White House has been urging companies to place clear markers on AI-generated content across platforms.?Just last month?at the World Economic Forum, Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta, acknowledged content provenance as a "the most urgent task" facing the tech industry.

Today, Meta took measures one step further,?announcing that it will?start labeling all AI-generated photos uploaded to its platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Threads). The decision comes ahead of increasing traction surrounding this year's elections, both in?the United States?and?across the world, and the concerns of?inaccurate information?being distributed through generative AI.

Meta has?already been applying?an "Imagined with AI" watermark for all content created through its own?Imagine AI generator. This new decision will extend the insertion of a watermark on AI-generated content outside the platform from tools such as Google, OpenAI, Adobe, Midjourney, and Shutterstock.?

According to Clegg himself, this effort is meant to motivate the rest of the tech industry to crack down on the widespread use of AI-generated images that are becoming more difficult for users to distinguish from reality. In addition to labeling content, Meta will soon request that users disclose whether their posts are made with AI,?implementing a range of penalties?should the user choose not to.

Why it matters: Though a step in the right direction toward assuaging worries surrounding AI, Meta's expanded policy has its limits, with plenty of synthetic media capable of?slipping through the cracks. Nevertheless, it follows a trend of 2024 news thus far on implementing regulations for AI. As brands pursue the possibilities of AI-generated content, it is important to maintain transparency with audiences as they navigate the rapidly growing digital landscape.?

Other news and trends

• Now open: Bluesky.?Bluesky, a decentralized micro-blogging platform and key rival to X, dropped its invite-only system yesterday and?launched to the broader public. Users are now able to?sign up?without an invitation and choose their algorithm. The company also announced a new feature to allow users to?develop their own content moderation services, opening them up for subscribers. In addition to its technical feats, Bluesky reiterated its commitment to user experience, a key differentiator from its fellow decentralized social platform,?Mastodon.?
• “Less Social Media. More Snapchat.”?In Snap’s?first campaign in three years,?it positions itself as an “antidote” to rival social media platforms. It’s a timely message: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and others have long been accused of facilitating social harm to vulnerable teens and children—a process enabled by always-on algorithms that manipulate users’ attention and emotions. Putting their money where their mouth is, Snap last week became?the first social media giant to support the Kids Online Safety Act,?a bill proposal that would regulate how these platforms protect young users.
• Trending on TikTok: Southwest Airlines.?The airline is facing backlash after a viral TikTok video?(currently at 8.2M views) fueled public skepticism about the airline's claims of enhanced comfort. The video shows a side-by-side comparison of the old seats and the new ones, revealing that the latter appears to be smaller with thinner cushioning, and?commenters sardonically suggest?the redesign influences them to fly Delta instead. The negative reception comes at a challenging time for the airline, which has recently been?hit with a $140 million fine over its 2022 service meltdown, further tarnishing its reputation.
• The 66th?Annual Grammy Awards.?Held in Los Angeles on Sunday, the 2024 Grammy Awards proved?another hit-and-miss broadcast, and?the memes naturally followed. Jay-Z?broke protocol by calling out the Recording Academy?itself for?continually snubbing Black artists?like his wife Beyoncé, who?has never won Album of the Year. There were other highlight moments, such as Joni Mitchell's?post-brain aneurysm performance; Miley Cyrus?shading the audience?for not singing along to "Flowers"; Billy Joel?unveiling his first new song?in 30 years; Taylor Swift announcing a new album; and Celine Dion, amid her struggle with stiff person syndrome,?appearing in person?to present the final award (though audiences?were less than enthused?at Swift?seemingly ignoring Dion?as she grabbed the Grammy from her on stage).

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Contributors: Head of Social Content and Engagement Strategy Cristina Lawrence, Senior Vice President Jerry Lawrence, Group Vice President Andrew McKernan, and Senior Vice President Tammy Pepito.

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