OpenAI has withdrawn the option to make chats discoverable on Google due to privacy concerns, making shared links private by default.
OpenAI has secured $2.8 billion in funding from Dragoneer Investment Group and other prominent firms like Blackstone, TPG, and Andreessen Horowitz, as the company accelerates its timeline for reaching $20 billion in annualized revenue by the end of the year. The surge in investor demand due to OpenAI's rapid growth has led to a significant increase in weekly active ChatGPT users, surpassing 700 million.
ChatGPT's creator, Sam Altman, expressed frustration after using the AI tool, stating he felt "useless" compared to it. Altman announced that GPT-5 free tier users will receive unlimited chats at standard intelligence, while ChatGPT Plus subscribers can access a higher level of intelligence and Pro subscribers can use the latest model at an even higher level.
The "Mag 7" tech companies, including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla, are expected to spend $650 billion on capital expenditure and research and development this year, surpassing the UK government's annual public investments. This significant investment focus on technology reflects corporate America's emphasis on "bits" over "bricks," with IT spending growing 6.1% of GDP, while private fixed and non-residential investment excluding IT has declined for consecutive quarters. The trend may be driven by fear of missing out (FOMO) on the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) plan to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for quicker darshan has sparked debate after retired Andhra Pradesh chief secretary L.V. Subramanyam expressed concerns about its feasibility, citing physical and procedural limitations within the temple. He urged the TTD trust board to reconsider the move, suggesting instead that funds be directed towards improving amenities for devotees awaiting darshan of Lord Venkateswara.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has declared that artificial intelligence (AI) is a revolutionary technology that surpasses the internet and smartphones in its impact. He stated that Apple must rapidly integrate AI into its products and services to stay ahead of competitors. The company plans to invest heavily in AI research and development, considering potential mergers and acquisitions related to this field.
The European Union has implemented new rules governing the development and deployment of most powerful artificial intelligence models, requiring them to be transparent about their decision-making processes and ensuring they do not pose a risk to society. The EU's AI Act sets out strict guidelines for developers, including requirements for explainability, accountability, and human oversight.
The EU's AI Code of Practice on General-Purpose (GPAI) requires major tech and AI companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI to commit to a copyright policy, safeguard against rights infringements, and designate complaint processing locations. The AI Act also demands transparency, making it challenging for artists to claim payment for work used in training AI models that have already been scraped. According to Du Moulin, the AI Act's retroactive nature limits its effectiveness, leaving generative AI providers with "free lunch" benefits from pre-existing content.
Hong Kong's privacy chief, Ada Chung, believes there is no immediate need to amend the law to specifically target AI-generated deepfake pornography, citing the existing Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance as sufficient to handle misuse of personal data in such images. The ordinance, which is principle-based and technology-neutral, applies to cases involving the collection or disclosure of data, including those related to deepfakes. Chung's office has launched a criminal investigation into a recent high-profile case at the University of Hong Kong, handling complaints about AI-generated porn in the same way as other data-related offenses.