The SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland expressed relief after the union reached a tentative agreement with major video game studios, bringing an end to nearly two years of negotiations over generative AI regulations. The strike, which began in July, resulted in more than 160 games signing interim agreements accepting SAG-AFTRA's proposed AI provisions. This development comes as the global video game industry is valued at $187 billion, with Newzoo estimating this figure for 2024.
https://www.boston25news.com/news/striking-video-game/KAA3NMXJ5REKHMDGHUTJHP25IE/Smartcat has launched its expert-enabled AI Agents, a breakthrough technology designed to automate the global content lifecycle for businesses. The AI Agents continuously learn from an organization's people, brand guidelines, rules, and feedback, allowing teams to create, translate, and localize content with full control and consistency. According to Ivan Smolnikov, CEO of Smartcat, the AI Agents eliminate common roadblocks in scaling globally, enabling seamless multilingual communication across marketing, learning, legal, and operations. Fortune 1000 customers have seen significant market share growth and productivity gains, with the potential for a double ROI over the next 12-18 months.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smartcat-launches-expert-enabled-ai-agents-to-transform-global-content-creation-translation-and-automation-302494795.htmlMany students at SMU have admitted to using AI tools for assignments, often without declaring it due to the lack of reliable detection tools. Only two out of 10 interviewed students were confident their use complied with university guidelines. Students like Manuel, a 23-year-old business management student, use AI for generating ideas, proofreading, and grammar checks, especially for less meaningful modules. They usually downplay their use of AI by stating they only used it for grammar checks, fearing repercussions from the university.
https://channelnewsasia.com/singapore/nus-ntu-ai-cheating-plagiarism-misuse-university-5220781A UNESCO report warns that the increasing demand for computational power to run AI models is straining global energy systems, water resources, and critical minerals, raising concerns about environmental sustainability and resource competition. However, researchers have found ways to reduce electricity usage by using smaller, specialized AI models and shorter prompts, such as reducing query lengths from 300 to 150 words. Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI offer miniature versions of their large language models, including Gemma, Phi-3, GPT-4o mini, and Ministral, which have achieved significant reductions in electricity usage without compromising performance.
https://channelnewsasia.com/sustainability/ai-needs-be-smaller-reduce-energy-footprint-study-5227156A recent report has found that only 11% of UK businesses are seeing tangible gains from their AI initiatives, with HR and finance departments struggling to achieve consistent or measurable returns. In contrast, four in five IT and cybersecurity departments have reported improvements. The survey by Qlik highlights the need for a unified data strategy with improved integration and analytics to unlock effective use cases for AI tools.
https://www.techradar.com/pro/ai-still-isnt-living-up-to-its-full-potential-for-many-businessThe US Department of a specific department is taking steps to improve its cybersecurity posture after receiving hoaxes that impersonated senior officials, including President Donald Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles. The hoaxes used AI-generated voice messages and text messages to dupe government officials and their associates. The department considers the scheme "not very sophisticated" but has deemed it prudent to advise all employees and foreign governments due to increasing efforts by foreign actors to compromise information security.
https://www.firstpost.com/world/marco-rubio-imposter-contacted-3-foreign-ministers-using-ai-13904347.htmlAI-generated video has made significant progress, with advancements such as Will Smith's convincing spaghetti-eating scene on Google's Veo 3 platform. This milestone has attracted Hollywood, artists, and advertisers, with companies like Runway AI and OpenAI launching new technologies like Dream Machine and Sora. The industry is shifting towards using AI for pre-visualization, visual effects, and storyboarding, allowing for more creative freedom and cost savings. However, some creators, including actor Will Smith's union representative Elizabeth Strickler, express concerns about the impact on energy consumption, original work usage, and the role of AI in artistic decision-making.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40371634/ai-video-becomes-more-convincing-rattling-creative-industryApple is losing a key talent in its AI efforts as Andrew Pang moves to Meta Superintelligence Labs, where he will be paid tens of millions annually. This departure is seen as a significant blow to Apple, which is competing with AI. Pang's team, led by Alexandr Wang, has attracted top AI names like Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross from OpenAI and Anthropic. The move may also indicate internal discontent within Apple's AFM team, which has discussed using third-party models like ChatGPT or Claude to boost Siri.
https://www.ibtimes.sg/who-ruoming-pang-apples-ai-chief-joins-metas-superintelligence-lab-80660Ruoming Pang, Apple's top executive in charge of artificial intelligence models, is leaving for Meta Platforms with a multi-million-dollar compensation package. Pang will join Meta's new superintelligence team, following a trend among tech giants offering high pay to attract top talent in the AI field.
https://channelnewsasia.com/business/apples-top-ai-executive-ruoming-pang-leaves-meta-bloomberg-news-reports-5225656