Meta plans to bring generative AI to metaverse games

Meta plans to bring more generative AI tech into games, specifically VR, AR and mixed reality games, as the company looks to reinvigorate its flagging metaverse strategy. According to a job listing, Meta is seeking to research and prototype “new consumer experiences” with new types of

Spotify tests emergency alerts in Sweden

Music, podcasts, audiobooks…emergency alerts? Spotify’s latest test has the streaming app venturing into new territory with a test of an emergency alerts system in its home market of Sweden. According to code references found within the Spotify app, the company is considering a system t

YouTube now lets you request removal of AI-generated content that simulates your face or voice

Meta is not the only company grappling with the rise in AI-generated content and how it affects its platform. YouTube also quietly rolled out a policy change in June that will allow people to request the takedown of AI-generated or other synthetic content that simulates their face or voice. The cha

Reliance Jio, Airtel kick off Indian telecom price hike

Reliance Jio and Airtel, the two largest telecom operators in India, have initiated what analysts expect to be an industrywide increase in tariffs in the world’s second largest wireless market, raising some of its plans by about 20%.  Jio’s revised pricing structure, effective July 3,

The RIAA’s lawsuit against generative music startups will be the bloodbath AI needs

Like many AI companies, music generation startups Udio and Suno appear to have relied on unauthorized scrapes of copyrighted works in order to train their models. This is by their own and investors’ admission, as well as according to new lawsuits filed against them by music companies. If thes

Streaming execs think TV's future looks a lot like its past

We're at a transitional moment in streaming — user growth is slowing and major players are looking to consolidate, but the long-promised dream of profitability finally seems within reach (especially if you're Netflix). This is the perfect time, then, for The New York Times to interview m

'What's in it for us?' journalists ask as publications sign content deals with AI firms

Vox Media's president, Pam Wasserstein, sent her staff a Slack message and an email on May 29 detailing what the company's journalists say was shocking news: Vox had signed a content licensing deal with OpenAI. The deal gives the AI company access to Vox's current content, as well as t

This is your brain on Pink Floyd

The human brain has long been a subject of fascination for art and science, which are now both mixed into “Brainstorms: A Great Gig in the Sky,” a new live interactive experience to the tune of Pink Floyd. Interactivity is optional, but memorable. Exhibition visitors can opt in (and pa

YouTube confirms crackdown on VPN users accessing cheaper Premium plans 

YouTube appears to be taking a firm stance against Premium subscribers who attempt to use a VPN (virtual private network) to access cheaper subscription prices in other countries. This week, a number of users took to Reddit to express their frustration after their Premium plans were canceled for u

DeepMind’s new AI generates soundtracks and dialogue for videos

DeepMind, Google’s AI research lab, says it’s developing AI tech to generate soundtracks for videos. In a post on its official blog, DeepMind says that it sees the tech, V2A (short for “video-to-audio”), as an essential piece of the AI-generated media puzzle. While plenty

YouTube is testing another way to combat ad blockers

YouTube continues its efforts to circumvent ad blockers. Earlier this week, ad blocker SponsorBlock posted that the Google-owned video service is testing out server-side ad injection with a limited number of users. Essentially, this means that the ad is injected into the video before it arrives on

YouTube creators can now test multiple video thumbnails

YouTube announced this week the rollout of “Thumbnail Test & Compare,” a new tool for creators to see which thumbnail performs the best. The feature first launched to select creators last year but is now widely available.  When creators publish a new video (or update an existing video), t

AI news reader Particle adds publishing partners and $10.9M in new funding

Traffic is down, newsrooms are undergoing layoffs and publishers fear that AI technologies will only make matters worse. Entering the fray, news-reader startup Particle is teaming up with publishers to seek out a new business model for the AI era, where AI summaries of news don’t have to mean

Apple TV+ introduces InSight, a new feature similar to Amazon's X-Ray, at WWDC 2024

At Apple's WWDC 2024, the company revealed a handy new feature for Apple TV+ called InSight. The feature will allow viewers to learn actor names and song titles as they appear on the screen.   Apple TV+'s new feature appears to be similar to Amazon's X-Ray feature, where user