Meta, the tech giant formerly known as Facebook, is under scrutiny for using public Instagram posts to train its generative AI model without notifying users in Latin America, according to Rest of the World. The company’s decision has particularly impacted artists in the region, who rely heavily on social media to showcase their work but cannot opt out of this data usage. Lack of Notification and Opt-Out Options On June 2, many Latin American artists discovered that Meta had not informed them about its plans to use their public posts
London-based fintech startup Jarvis has secured £1.8 million ($2.3 million) in funding to transform retirement planning. The funding round was led by Ascension VC and Cornerstone VC, with additional participation from Tokio Marine Future Fund. This capital injection will support Jarvis’s growth and product development as it integrates with the broader ecosystem of pension-related services. Addressing The Retirement Planning Gap In today’s workforce, financial autonomy is on the rise, with the global shift towards self-employment and gig economy work has made traditional workplace benefits like pensions increasingly inaccessible. Projections indicate
Runway AI, a multi-billion dollar company, has been training its AI video tool, Gen-3, on thousands of YouTube videos without permssion, 404 Media has revealed. Among the videos used were over 1,600 from tech influencer Marques Brownlee (MKBHD). The exposé follows an investigation by Proof News, copublished with Wired, which found that tech firms including Apple, Anthropic, Nvidia, and Salesforce had training their AI systems on subtitle data from more than 170,000 YouTube videos. Runway Secretly Trained On YouTube Videos In June, Runway AI launched Gen-3, initially called Jupiter, which received high praise
Former NFL quarterback and activist Colin Kaepernick has announced the launch of Lumi, an AI-powered storytelling platform. Lumi aims to change the storytelling process, allowing individuals to create, publish, and monetize their stories regardless of their skill set. The platform offers end-to-end story creation, simple AI tools, and both physical and digital publishing options, making it easier for creators to bring their stories to life. With the added benefit of built-in merchandising, creators retain full ownership of their work, bypassing traditional industry gatekeepers. Addressing Gaps in Storytelling Kaepernick’s inspiration for
SheerLuxe, a renowned UK lifestyle and fashion magazine, recently introduced Reem Bot, a woman of color AI-powered fashion and lifestyle editor, causing backlash. Presented as a new team member, Reem is designed to provide recommendations on fashion, beauty, travel, and more. However, the announcement was met with significant backlash, particularly regarding the ethical implications and the portrayal of Reem as a person of color. Public Reaction and Concerns The introduction of Reem Bot sparked controversy among SheerLuxe’s audience, which includes nearly half a million Instagram followers. “We’re thrilled to introduce
Biases in current voice technologies for non-white users has the potential to cause lower self esteem, psychological and physical harm researchers have found. In a new study published in the Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, HCII Ph.D. student Kimi Wenzel and Associate Professor Geoff Kaufamn identified six downstream harms caused by voice assistant errors. The pair also devised strategies to reduce them in their work which won a Best Paper award at the Association for Computing Machinery’s Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
Mexican fintech company OCN, which offers car rental models for gig workers in Mexico and the US, has successfully raised $86 million in equity and debt. The Series A funding round was led by Brazil’s Caravela Capital, with additional contributions from Collide Capital and Great North Ventures on the equity side, and New York-based i80 Group leading the debt portion. Innovative Solutions For Gig Workers Launched in 2022, OCN provides gig workers with new car rentals on a weekly fee basis, inclusive of maintenance and insurance. Users also have the
NASA has made history by transmitting the lyrics of Missy Elliott’s iconic song, “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” to Venus. This event marks the first time a hip-hop song has been beamed into space. A Hip-Hop Song In Space On July 12 at 10:05 a.m. PDT, the lyrics were sent from NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) Goldstone complex in California. The DSN, known for its large and sensitive array of radio antennas, facilitates deep-space communication, supporting missions from the Moon to far-reaching planets. The transmission traveled approximately 158 million miles (254
The Black AI Consortium has officially launched, aiming to encourage dialogue and advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) with Black scholars at the forefront. The consortium, established in May, seeks to provide a network for individuals across the African diaspora interested in AI, encouraging the sharing of ideas and insights while addressing current industry concerns. A Network for AI Enthusiasts Across the African Diaspora The mission of the Black AI Consortium, as reported by Black News, is to “cultivate a vibrant and supportive community where individuals of the African diaspora can
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will honor Black mathematician Dorothy Vaughan and the women of Apollo with events on the eve of the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. The highlight will be the renaming and ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 19 to dedicate Building 12 as the “Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of the Women of Apollo.” The Legacy Of Dorothy Vaughan Vaughan, a pioneering mathematician, human computer, and NASA’s first Black manager, will be remembered for her groundbreaking work and leadership. She headed the National Advisory
