Quick Task - Home

Technology & Publishing

Authors Unite Against AI: A Call for Ethical Publishing

A group of authors, including prominent names like Lauren Groff and R.F. Kuang, have issued an open letter urging book publishers to limit their use of AI tools. The letter emphasizes concerns about authors' work being exploited to train AI models without compensation. Key demands include publishers pledging not to release AI-created books, avoiding the replacement of human staff with AI, and refraining from degrading existing roles into AI monitoring positions. The letter gained significant traction, amassing over 1,100 additional signatures within 24 hours of its release. This action follows lawsuits filed by authors against tech companies for using their books to train AI models.

Technology

Meta Expands AI Team with Additional OpenAI Researchers

Meta has reportedly hired four more researchers from OpenAI, including Shengjia Zhao, Jiahui Yu, Shuchao Bi, and Hongyu Ren. This follows earlier reports of Meta hiring other OpenAI researchers, including Trapit Bansal.

This hiring spree comes after the launch of Meta’s Llama 4 AI models, which reportedly did not perform as well as CEO Mark Zuckerberg had hoped.

There has been some back-and-forth between the two companies, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman suggesting that Meta was offering large signing bonuses to attract talent.

Technology News

AI Talent Wars and Autonomous Vehicle Maneuvers: A Week in Tech Shifts

AI Talent Acquisition: Meta has hired Trapit Bansal, a key OpenAI researcher, to enhance its AI superintelligence team, joining other AI talents poached from rival labs.

Autonomous Vehicle Developments: Travis Kalanick may return to the self-driving car industry by acquiring Pony AI's U.S. arm, potentially with Uber's support.

Copyright and AI Training: A federal judge ruled that training AI on copyrighted books without permission can be considered fair use, sparking debate among creatives.

AI-Powered Fashion: Google has launched Doppl, an experimental app that uses AI to allow users to virtually try on outfits using an AI-generated version of themselves.

Energy Storage Innovation: Redwood Materials activated North America's largest microgrid, powered by retired EV batteries, to fuel an AI data center.

Robotaxi Scrutiny: Tesla's new robotaxis in Austin are under investigation by federal safety regulators due to videos showing unsafe driving behavior.

Publisher Revenue Solutions: Google introduced Offerwall in Ad Manager to help publishers generate revenue through micropayments, surveys, and ad views as AI impacts search traffic.

Leadership Changes at Tesla: Elon Musk reportedly fired Omead Afshar, Tesla's VP in charge of sales and manufacturing in North America and Europe.

Facebook Group Issues: Facebook Groups are experiencing mass suspensions, potentially due to faulty AI-based moderation.

Windows Update: The iconic Windows blue screen of death is being replaced with a black screen.

Cybersecurity

Scattered Spider Hackers Target Airlines and Transportation Sector, Warns FBI

The FBI and cybersecurity firms are warning that the hacking group Scattered Spider is now targeting airlines and the transportation sector. The hackers, known for social engineering and phishing tactics, may target large corporations and their third-party IT providers.

Hawaiian Airlines and WestJet have recently reported cyberattacks, with WestJet's incident linked to Scattered Spider. This wave of attacks follows previous targets in the U.K. retail sector and the insurance industry. Scattered Spider has also previously broken into hotel chains, casinos, and technology giants.

The FBI's statement highlights that anyone in the airline ecosystem, including trusted vendors and contractors, could be at risk.

Artificial Intelligence

AI Talent War: Meta's Hefty Pay Packages Attract Researchers, But $100M Bonuses Are a Myth

Meta is offering substantial multimillion-dollar compensation packages to attract AI researchers to its new superintelligence lab. However, reports of $100 million signing bonuses are inaccurate, according to a poached researcher and internal meeting comments.

CTO Andrew Bosworth clarified that such high figures might be part of a four-year total pay package for senior leadership roles, primarily through restricted stock units (RSUs) tied to tenure or performance.

Researcher Lucas Beyer, who joined Meta from OpenAI, refuted claims of a $100 million signing bonus. Meta's focus is on entertainment AI, leveraging its Quest VR headsets and Ray-Ban and Oakley AI glasses.

While not distributing $100 million bonuses, Meta is still investing heavily in AI talent, with examples like the hiring of OpenAI's Trapit Bansal and an investor mentioning an AI researcher turning down an $18 million offer from Meta.

Technology

YouTube Create Expands to iOS Amidst Fierce Video Editing Competition

Google is developing an iOS version of YouTube Create, its video editing app initially launched on Android nearly two years ago. Job listings indicate that Google is actively hiring engineers in India for this project.

YouTube Create offers free mobile video editing tools with features like stickers, GIFs, and effects for both YouTube Shorts and longer videos. It was developed after consulting with 3,000 creators to compete with ByteDance’s CapCut.

Despite showing a 28% year-over-year increase in monthly active users in Q2, YouTube Create lags behind competitors like CapCut and InShot in downloads, monthly active users, and retention rates.

The primary user base for YouTube Create is in India, followed by Indonesia, Germany, Brazil, and the UK. An iOS release could help YouTube Create grow its market share, though competition from other video editing platforms remains strong.

Venture Capital

Halogen Ventures Secures $30M Fund III for Family-Focused Startups

Halogen Ventures, founded in 2015 by Jesse Draper, has closed a $30 million Fund III. The fund will concentrate on early-stage startups in the 'future of family,' with an emphasis on the physical and financial health of households. This follows increased investor interest in the care economy post-pandemic. Halogen, which prioritizes companies with at least one female founder, previously raised a $21 million Fund II in 2021 and a $10.41 million Fund I in 2018.

Economics and AI

Anthropic's Initiative: Investigating and Addressing AI's Economic Impact

Anthropic has launched the Economic Futures Program to research AI's effects on the labor market and global economy. The program aims to provide grants for AI research, create forums for policy proposals, and build datasets to track AI's economic usage. It builds upon Anthropic's existing Economic Index, which analyzes AI's impact on labor markets. Anthropic is offering rapid grants up to $50,000 for research on AI's economic impacts and is seeking partnerships with research institutions, providing Claude API credits and resources. The program contrasts with OpenAI's Economic Blueprint, which focuses on AI adoption and infrastructure. Anthropic's initiative is part of a trend among tech companies to address the disruptions they are creating.

Artificial Intelligence

Meta Eyes Play AI to Enhance AI-Powered Audio Features

Meta is reportedly in discussions to acquire Play AI, a voice-cloning startup. The acquisition aims to bolster Meta's consumer-facing AI features and integrate audio capabilities into its creative suite. Play AI allows users to clone voices for AI-powered applications like customer service. Meta intends to acquire Play AI's technology and bring its staff on board.

Play AI has raised $23.5 million from investors like 500 Global, Kindred Ventures, and others. Meta currently allows creators to build chatbots and has added video-editing to Meta AI. Acquiring Play AI would enable Meta to incorporate audio features into its creative tools.

Artificial Intelligence

Meta's AI Talent Acquisition: Unveiling the Truth Behind Compensation Packages

Meta is indeed offering significant multi-million-dollar compensation packages to attract AI researchers for its Superintelligence Lab. However, claims of $100 million 'signing bonuses' are inaccurate, according to a poached researcher and internal meeting discussions.

CTO Andrew Bosworth clarified that such high figures might be part of comprehensive pay packages for senior leadership roles, involving restricted stock units contingent on tenure or performance, rather than immediate cash bonuses.

Lucas Beyer, who recently moved from OpenAI to Meta along with two others, refuted the $100 million sign-on bonus claim on social media.

Meta's focus in AI seems to be leaning towards entertainment AI, aligning with its VR headsets and AI glasses, as indicated by Bosworth.

While not handing out $100 million bonuses freely, Meta is still investing heavily in AI talent acquisition, with some researchers declining offers as high as $18 million from Meta in favor of other AI startups.