Businesses Go Video-First with Synthesia 2.0
Plus: OpenAI is on an acquiring spree, buying Rocket and Multi & Record labels sue AI music startups over copyright infringement.
Hello Engineering Leaders and AI Enthusiasts!
Welcome to the 304th edition of The AI Edge newsletter. This edition features Synthesia 2.0, the world's first AI video platform for businesses.
And a huge shoutout to our amazing readers. We appreciate you😊
In today’s edition:
🎥 Synthesia 2.0: World’s 1st AI video communication platform
🤝 OpenAI is on an acquiring spree, buying Rocket and Multi
🎵 Record labels sue AI music startups over copyright infringement
🧠 Knowledge Nugget: AI can't fix what automation already broke by
Let’s go!
Synthesia 2.0: World’s 1st AI video communication platform
Synthesia is launching Synthesia 2.0 - the world's first AI video communications platform for businesses. It reinvents the entire video production process, allowing companies to create and share AI-generated videos at scale easily.
The key new features and capabilities of Synthesia 2.0 include:
2 Personal AI Avatars: Expressive Avatars shot in a studio and Custom Avatars created using your webcam.
AI Video Assistant: Converts text, documents, or websites into high-quality videos, with options to customize the branding, tone, and length.
Intuitive Video Editing: Editing simplified with "Triggers" that let you control animations and edits from the script.
Translation and Dynamic Video Player: Videos can now be translated into over 120 languages. Synthesia is also building a new video player with interactive features.
AI Safety Focus: Synthesia is pursuing ISO/IEC 42001 certification, the first standard for responsible AI management, to ensure its AI technologies are ethical.
Why does it matter?
By making video creation and distribution more accessible and automated, Synthesia aims to help businesses transition to a "video-first" approach to communicate more effectively, improve employee training, customer service, and marketing efforts, and streamline various business operations.
OpenAI is on an acquiring spree, buying Rockset and Multi
Last week, OpenAI acquired Rockset, a startup that develops tools for real-time data search and analytics. OpenAI said it would integrate Rockset's technology to power its infrastructure and offerings across products.
This week, OpenAI acquired Multi, a startup focused on building remote collaboration tools and software. Technically, the deal is an acqui-hire as the entire Multi team, including its co-founders, will join OpenAI to work on the company's ChatGPT desktop application.
Why does it matter?
With over 600,000 paid business users, including most Fortune 500 companies, OpenAI’s back-to-back acquisitions strategically position it to expand its enterprise-focused AI products and make its powerful language models more useful for businesses.
Record labels sue AI music startups over copyright infringement
The world's major record labels, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music, have filed twin lawsuits against the AI music generation startups Suno and Udio. The lawsuits accuse the companies of unlawfully training their AI models on massive amounts of copyrighted music, which, according to the complaints, allows the startups to generate similar-sounding music without permission.
The record labels allege Suno and Udio have effectively copied artists' styles and specific musical characteristics. The labels claim the AI-generated music is so close to the original that it is eerily similar when transcribed into sheet music. The lawsuits also accuse the startups of making it easy for people to distribute AI-created samples that mimic copyrighted recordings on platforms like Spotify.
Why does it matter?
This legal battle is only the latest example, and one of many, of AI technology colliding with creative industries. However, any resolution of these battles will likely have far-reaching implications for the music industry and the development of AI-powered music tools.
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Knowledge Nugget: AI can't fix what automation already broke
The article discusses how a bank uses AI to help call center workers who get stressed out from dealing with angry customers all day. However, in this article,
argues that this AI "solution" misses the root cause—customers are already frustrated by navigating terrible automated phone systems before reaching a human. The AI is just a band-aid trying to fix a problem created by previous automation efforts to cut labor costs.The author's main point is that this is part of a long pattern of companies using new technology like AI not to innovate or improve services but to find new ways to cut costs and replace human workers. He fears AI like ChatGPT will continue this trend, leading to more "shitty automation" that degrades jobs, customer service, and human institutions, all in the name of corporate profit over human needs.
Why does it matter?
This could inspire more scrutiny and skepticism toward AI solutions marketed as fixes for problems created by automation. Considering the broader societal impacts, it highlights the need for a more holistic and ethical approach to deploying AI and automation.
What Else Is Happening❗
🍎 Apple withdraws AI collaboration deal with Meta over privacy concerns
Contrary to the rumors about a potential AI collaboration, Apple is not planning a partnership to integrate Meta's AI models into its products due to privacy concerns. Instead, Apple is focusing on partnerships with OpenAI and Google that align with its commitment to user privacy. (Link)
🛍️ Shopify expands its AI capabilities to attract more businesses
Shopify has expanded access to its AI-powered features, including the Sidekick assistant and image-generation tool. It is making these AI tools available to more users, as it aims to provide merchants with an integrated and seamless platform to scale their businesses. (Link)
🏫 Google is bringing Gemini access to teens through school accounts
Google now makes its AI assistant Gemini available to teenage students through school accounts. This move is aimed at helping prepare students for a future where generative AI is more prevalent. Google says Gemini will provide real-time feedback and support to students while including safeguards to prevent inappropriate responses. (Link)
🤖 NVIDIA deploys its AI tech in the Middle East among U.S AI export curb
NVIDIA has struck a deal with Qatari telecom provider Ooredoo to deploy its AI technology in the Middle East. This move comes amid U.S. export restrictions on advanced AI chips to some countries in the region. Ooredoo will be the first company in the Middle East to offer Nvidia's AI and graphics technology to its clients across multiple countries. (Link)
📷 Meta marks real photos with ‘Made by AI’ label
Meta has been incorrectly labeling real photos as "Made by AI." Multiple photographers have reported that Meta has added this label to their genuine photographs, even when they have only made minor edits using tools like Adobe's Generative Fill. Meta says it relies on industry standards to detect AI-generated content, leading to false positives. (Link)
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