Weekly dose of UI/UX Industry News / 44th Edition
Business Model | Meta, Universal Music Group address AI music in new licensing agreement
Meta and Universal Music Group (UMG) have expanded their multi-year music licensing agreement, allowing users to share UMG's music across Meta's platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Horizon, Threads, and WhatsApp, without copyright violations. A key aspect of this renewed partnership is addressing "unauthorized AI-generated content," which refers to music being used or replicated by AI systems without the original creators' consent. This move comes amid growing concerns in the music industry about AI-generated fakes and the unauthorized use of copyrighted material to train AI models.
“We look forward to continuing to work together to address unauthorized AI-generated content that could affect artists and songwriters so that UMG can continue to protect their rights both now and in the future,” Michael Nash, chief digital officer and executive vice president at UMG said in a statement.
The expansion of this agreement follows recent conflicts between UMG and platforms like TikTok over AI and online safety concerns. It also coincides with legal action by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) against music generation startups accused of using copyrighted music to train their AI. Meta, on its part, claims to be taking an ethical approach to AI music, using only Meta-owned or specifically licensed content for training its generative AI models.
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Artificial Intelligence | Napkin turns text into visuals with a bit of generative AI
Napkin, a new "visual AI" platform founded by former Googlers Pramod Sharma and Jerome Scholler, has launched out of stealth with $10 million in funding from Accel and CRV. Designed for marketers, content creators, and professionals, Napkin simplifies the design process by turning text into customizable visuals. Users can create presentations, outlines, or documents, and Napkin will generate corresponding visuals such as flowcharts, graphs, and infographics. Although the tool shows promise in simplifying visual content creation, it still has limitations, particularly when dealing with complex or abstract text.
“Napkin’s core product is targeted toward marketers, content creators, engineers and professionals in the business of selling ideas and creating content,” Sharma, one of the co-founders, told TechCrunch.
Napkin's AI-generated visuals are not always accurate, sometimes producing irrelevant or nonsensical results. However, the platform is still in its early stages, and the founders are committed to improving the AI's quality and expanding its capabilities. With plans to grow the team and further develop the product, Napkin aims to make visual AI a valuable tool for business storytelling.
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Applications | Google Wallet can make digital passes for nearly anything now
Google Wallet has introduced a new AI-powered feature called "Everything Else" that allows Android users to create digital versions of various passes, such as business cards, IDs, library cards, and even vehicle registrations. This feature, announced at Google I/O in May, replaces the previous "Photo" option and offers a more robust and organized digital pass experience. It enables users to take a picture of a physical pass, which Google's AI then processes to generate a digital version that can be stored in Google Wallet and used like any other digital pass.
All kinds of IDs, tickets, and other passes can be scanned and stored in Google Wallet using AI.
Currently available only in the U.S., this feature simplifies the process of accessing digital passes, saving users from the hassle of digging through emails or navigating various apps to find saved PDFs. The rollout of this feature is gradual, with some users already having access on their devices, while others may receive it soon.
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Socials | TikTok’s new group chats keep conversations in the app
TikTok has introduced a new group chat feature that supports up to 32 participants, enabling users aged 16 and up to share videos and communicate directly within the app. This feature allows users to start group chats by selecting friends from their inbox and is designed with specific privacy rules, especially for teens under 18, who must have at least one mutual follower in the group and manually approve new members.
You can now message up to 32 other people in TikTok.
In addition to group chats, TikTok is also rolling out custom stickers for users aged 18 and older, allowing them to create and upload their own stickers to the platform. Although TikTok is somewhat late to the group messaging trend, this new feature offers a more integrated way for users to share content without needing to switch to other messaging apps.
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Devices | Apple Watch 10: Everything we know so far, including blood pressure monitor rumor
The Apple Watch Series 10, also referred to as "Apple Watch X" or "Apple Watch 10," is expected to be released in September 2024, alongside the iPhone 16. Anticipation is building as rumors suggest significant upgrades, including a larger display approaching two inches, new health features like a blood pressure monitor and sleep apnea sensor, and a new magnetic mechanism for interchangeable bands. Pricing is expected to remain consistent with previous models, starting at $399.
However, some of the rumored health features are reportedly facing technical challenges, which could delay their inclusion until future models. Despite these hurdles, the Apple Watch 10 is shaping up to be a strong competitor in the smartwatch market, especially if it can successfully integrate new health monitoring tools.
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