Musicians - 'Do not fear AI' - Was Stability AI Founder Duped? - AI Helps You Talk To Yourself
AI news to know
The Last News
As you may already know, I recently started sending out this weekend news ‘bulletin’. The reception from subscribers has been somewhat mixed, with some supporting the inclusion of news, but many more feeding back that they are only interested in the image prompts. I hear you, and to avoid diluting Prompt Hackers, this will be my last weekend news missive from Prompt Hackers.
AI News To Know
In a week where an Indian TV station got its first AI-generated news anchor called 'Lisa,'and a CEO fired 90% of customer support staff because AI chatbot outperforms them.
Musicians Told ‘Do Not Fear AI’
The CEO of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr., believes that artificial intelligence can enhance creativity in music rather than replace musicians.
He compares A.I. to essential musical instruments like flutes and drums. Mason Jr. acknowledges the both the positive and scary aspects of A.I. in music. While some artists fear their voices being replicated without consent, others like Grimes embrace the idea and demand royalties.
Mason Jr. hopes that A.I. will be recognized and awarded for its contribution to human creativity.
Was Stability AI Founder Duped?
The co-founder of Stability AI is suing the company and its CEO. He claims that he was tricked into selling his ownership stake in the company for only $100.
The co-founder, named Cyrus Hodes, says that the CEO convinced him that the company was worthless, but then later led a funding round that valued the company at $1 billion. Now, Stability AI is trying to raise even more money at a valuation of $4 billion.
If Hodes had kept his shares, they could be worth around $500 million.
The lawsuit was filed in San Francisco, and Stability AI has said that they will defend themselves. Stability AI is based in London and San Francisco and is known for its work in generative AI, particularly Stable Diffusion.
Hodes has been involved in AI projects for many years and had concerns about how the CEO was running the company, including using company funds for personal expenses.
Stability AI releases a sketch-to-image tool
Stability AI, a startup company, has released a new tool called Stable Doodle. It can turn sketches into images.
Stable Doodle uses Stable Diffusion to analyze a sketch and create a more visually pleasing image. The tool is available through ClipDrop, a platform that Stability AI acquired.
Unlike other sketch-to-image tools, Stable Doodle offers more precise control over the image generation process. It uses a combination of Stable Diffusion XL and a control solution called T2I-Adapter, developed by Tencent's Applied Research Center. The control solution helps the AI model understand the sketch outlines and generate images based on prompts.
Stable Doodle supports 14 styles of art at the moment and aims to be a useful tool for designers, illustrators, and other professionals to save time and increase efficiency.
Talk To Yourself At Mini USA
Mini USA has introduced a new interactive AI persona called "Mini-logue" that allows people to have conversations with themselves about whether they should buy a Mini electric vehicle.
By using voice cloning and deep learning technology, the AI creates a version of the user and simulates their inner voice. Users can then engage in a conversation with themselves to help make a decision.
After the conversation, the AI generates a shareable video for social media platforms.
Mini believes that the most influential voice in the car-buying process is the customer's own inner voice.
The AI experience is part of a marketing campaign called "Trust Your Inner Mini-Logue" and includes animated advertisements featuring talking heads.
Writing Community Woes
The Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), a union representing writers in various fields, conducted a survey on artificial intelligence (AI). The survey found that 65% of respondents believed that the increased use of AI would reduce their income from writing, and 61% were concerned about AI replacing jobs in their profession. In response, WGGB published a report called "Writers and AI," which highlights the challenges and risks posed by AI while acknowledging its potential benefits for writers.
The report addresses several concerns about AI, including fewer job opportunities, lower pay for writers, copyright infringement, and the unauthorized use of writers' work. The survey showed that 81% of respondents believed writers should be paid when their work is used by AI systems.
WGGB recognizes that AI systems are not yet capable of matching the quality of writing produced by professional writers. However, the union emphasizes that AI will never be able to replicate the originality, authenticity, enthusiasm, and human touch that professional writers bring to their storytelling. The report suggests that AI, if used ethically, transparently, and responsibly, can help writers diversify their income and sustain their careers.
WGGB believes that regulations are necessary to safeguard workers' rights, protect audiences from fraud and misinformation, and strike a balance between the risks and benefits of AI. The union's recommendations aim to protect and reassure the writing community while harnessing the power of AI as a valuable tool.
Next week in Prompt Hackers
This week we depicted everyday life, mingled in large crowds, created some pictures in the rain, mechanised some dolls, and generated some beautiful patterned faces.
Next week, we embark on some candy capers, meet people and things in sombreros, generate some primitive abstractions, meet the masters of ink, and create some butterfly people.
Thanks for reading