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'Legacies condensed to AI slop': OpenAI Sora videos of the dead raise alarm with legal experts

The Guardian

After launching in October in the US and Canada via invitation only, OpenAI's video app, Sora 2, hit 1m downloads in just five days. After launching in October in the US and Canada via invitation only, OpenAI's video app, Sora 2, hit 1m downloads in just five days. The video app can produce realistic deepfakes of Marx shopping and MLK Jr trolling. Some say using'historical figures' is the company's way of testing the legal waters L ast night I was flicking through a dating app. One guy stood out: "Henry VIII, 34, King of England, nonmonogamy".


Meta is bringing smart glasses live translation and AI to more people

Engadget

Meta AI, the most interesting thing you can do with Ray-Ban Meta glasses, will soon be available to more people. The company's Live Translation feature is rolling out to all the product's markets, and Live AI (where you can hold a free-flowing conversation about what you're looking at) will soon be available in the US and Canada. In addition, glasses owners in the EU can finally use Meta AI with their high-tech specs. Live translation, previously available in early access, is now rolling out in every region where Ray-Ban Meta glasses are available. Handy for trips abroad or chats with locals who speak a different language, the AI-powered feature speaks a translation in your preferred language in real time.


Meta's AI assistant is coming to Quest headsets in the US and Canada

Engadget

Meta's AI-powered assistant have been accessible on the Ray-Ban smart glasses for quite some time, but the company will only start rolling it out to its Quest headsets next month. The assistant will still be in experimental mode, however, and it's availability will be limited to users in the US and Canada. Meta has revealed the update alongside its announcements for the Llama 3.1 and the new Meta AI capabilities. Users who get access to the assistant in August will be able to put its hands-free controls to the test. The company said Meta AI is replacing the current technology used for Voice Commands on Quest, so it will be the one controlling the headset whenever people use voice for navigation and the one answering their questions if they ask for information.


WeWork Survived Bankruptcy. Now It Has to Make Coworking Pay Off

WIRED

Following a final hearing on its bankruptcy plan Thursday morning, the coworking pioneer will have fewer locations, a new influx of capital, and 4 billion in debt wiped from its books. In a packed courtroom in Newark, New Jersey, Judge John Sherwood approved WeWork's restructuring plan. WeWork expects to finally exit bankruptcy in mid-June. The plan also staved off a bid by WeWork's controversial founder Adam Neumann, who had sought to buy back the company he founded before he was infamously ousted. WeWork's clean slate will coincide with a new era of working, one in which office workers have pushed back against returning to offices full-time.


India's foreign minister says he briefed US officials on Canada row

Al Jazeera

India's foreign minister has confirmed that he discussed his country's row with Canada over the killing of a Canadian Sikh leader with top United States government officials during a visit to Washington, DC, this week. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Friday that he laid out India's concerns about Sikh separatist movement supporters in Canada during talks a day earlier with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on September 18 that his government was investigating "credible allegations of a potential link" between Indian government agents and the June killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh leader in western Canada. "They [Blinken and Sullivan] obviously shared US views and assessments on this whole situation and I explained to them … the concerns which I had," Jaishankar said during an event on Friday morning at the Hudson Institute, a conservative US think tank. "Hopefully we both came out of those meetings better informed."


Spotify launches an AI DJ with a 'stunningly realistic voice'

Daily Mail - Science & tech

Whether it's the latest chart hits or a classic soul album, Spotify already has something for music lovers of almost any taste. Now, the tech giant has launched its most personalised service, in the form of an AI DJ. The DJ, dubbed X, features a'stunningly realistic voice' and creates personalised mixes based on your music taste. 'The DJ is a personalized AI guide that knows you and your music taste so well that it can choose what to play for you,' Spotify explains. 'This feature, first rolling out in beta, will deliver a curated lineup of music alongside commentary around the tracks and artists we think you'll like in a stunningly realistic voice.'


Gatik Raises Funding for Autonomous Delivery in Canada

#artificialintelligence

Gatik, a Palo Alto and Toronto based autonomous technology company deploying autonomous vehicles for B2B short-haul middle-mile logistics, announced today it has raised $25 million in Series A funding. The round was co-led by Wittington Ventures and Innovation Endeavors with participation from FM Capital and Intact Ventures. Existing investors like Dynamo Ventures, Fontinalis Partners, AngelPad and others participated as well. Gatik's investors bring a wealth of deep experience in automotive, artificial intelligence and supply chain, making them a strong strategic fit for the company's rapid growth. Gatik will use the funding to further expand its operations across North America, its team size in Silicon Valley and growing presence in Canada.


Nest thermostats in the US and Canada can now monitor your HVAC system

Engadget

The latest Nest thermostat isn't the only model that can tell you if something's wrong with your HVAC system. Even older models will get the capability, now that the Google-owned brand has rolled out HVAC monitoring to all Nest thermostats across the US and parts of Canada. According to software engineers from the Nest team, they started working on the HVAC monitoring feature two years ago as a side project. The company started testing it earlier this year, sending users who sign up for the Nest Home Report alerts if the system detects something wrong with their heating, ventilation or AC. Nest's HVAC monitoring capability will send you alerts via email or the Google Home app if it sees any signs of a malfunction.


AllAnalytics - Ariella Brown - Hiring Trend: ...

#artificialintelligence

The Unilever brand is associated with things like soap and deodorant. But technology does play a central role in its business operations, and the UK-based company sought to tap into its power to improve hiring. With the goal of diversifying its pool of entry-level candidates, Unilever experimented with replacing its standard approach to recruiting with algorithms and targeted mobile ads. As described in a recent Wall Street Journal article, Unilever's recruiting in the past had centered primarily around eight college campuses and the usual resume collection. But the company wanted to try a different approach that would reach more people and filter through applications without overwhelming the human resources in place. The solution was setting up a hiring process based on algorithms.