Welcome to the Daily AI News podcast.
Ready for a deep dive?
Always.
We've got legal battles brewing,
job market predictions flying around,
AI being used to boost employee skills,
new AI tools popping up left and right,
and of course the big money flowing into AI startups.
Sounds like we've got a lot to cover.
We do.
Let's jump right in.
First of that court case with OpenAI, the chat GPT company.
Oh yeah, raw story and alternate.
Exactly.
They claimed OpenAI was using their articles
to train chat GPT without asking.
Right, and this brings up a bigger question.
How does copyright law work when it comes to AI training data,
especially for things like news articles and books?
So do those news outlets win their case?
Not this time.
The judge actually dismissed it but said they could refile.
Oh, interesting.
What was the problem?
They argued that OpenAI removed copyright info
from their articles, but the judge
didn't think that was enough to justify the lawsuit.
I see.
So this isn't over.
Not even close.
It's just one battle and a much bigger war.
We're seeing similar lawsuits pop up everywhere,
including one from the New York Times.
So the legal battle over AI and copyright is just heating up.
Definitely.
Something to keep an eye on.
Absolutely.
Now, what do you think about all of this?
How should copyright work in the age of AI?
It's a tough one for sure.
The whole idea of ownership and authorship
is being challenged.
Who gets to say what's inspiration and what's infringement?
Yeah, lawmakers and legal experts
are definitely grappling with that one.
Big time.
OK, let's switch gears for a minute
and talk about AI and jobs.
There's this prediction from Tony Blair's think tank.
Oh, yeah.
The one saying AI could displace millions of jobs in the UK.
Right between one and 3 million, to be exact.
Those are some big numbers.
They are.
But it's important to remember a few things.
First, those job losses wouldn't happen overnight.
We're talking over several decades.
OK, some more of a gradual shift.
Exactly.
And even at its peak, it would be about 60,000 to 275
thousand jobs lost per year.
And the report called those figures relatively modest.
Yeah, especially compared to the average annual job losses
in the UK over the past decade, which is about 450,000.
So not as dramatic as it might sound at first.
Right.
And here's the thing.
The think tank doesn't even think
this will lead to long-term job losses.
Really?
Yeah.
They predict that AI will actually
lead to a net gain in employment.
How so?
They argue that AI will boost efficiency and productivity,
which will lead to economic growth and the creation
of new jobs.
Interesting.
So they're pretty optimistic about the long-term impact
of AI on the job market.
Very much so.
They even suggest that AI's impact will probably
resemble past technological shifts,
like the Industrial Revolution.
So we could see entire new sectors and job roles emerging
that we can't even imagine yet.
Exactly.
It's fascinating to think about what those jobs the future
might be, what skills will be in high demand
in an AI-driven world.
Definitely something for all of us to think about.
OK, let's shift gears again.
Moving away from the potential threats of AI,
let's look at how some companies are using it
to actually enhance job skills and improve employee retention.
Now, this is a more positive angle.
Companies like Johnson & Johnson and DHL
are already using AI for something called Skills Inference.
Skills Inference?
What's that?
It's basically using AI to assess
what skills employees already have,
identify any gaps or training needs,
and even help them plan their career
growth within the company.
So it's like AI-powered career coaching?
Kind of.
And one of the big benefits is that it
allows for personalized training recommendations tailored
to each employee's individual needs and aspirations.
That's pretty cool.
Are there any real-world examples of this in action?
Absolutely.
Bank of America, for example, is using AI simulations
to train employees.
Interesting.
What kind of simulations?
Well, they allow employees to practice
difficult conversations in a safe environment
before they have to face them in the real world.
That's a great application.
So there's a lot of potential for AI
to help people develop their skills
and advance their careers.
Definitely.
But we have to remember that there are stay limitations
to what AI can do.
It's not a magic bullet.
Things like human oversight, accurate data,
and employees actively managing their digital footprints
are all still crucial.
It's all about using these technologies
responsibly and ethically.
Exactly.
OK, now for a couple of completely different applications
of AI, the Washington Post's new AI-powered search tool
and the rise of AI-driven parenting apps.
Two very different areas, but both showing
how versatile AI can be.
Right.
So the Washington Post launched this new tool
called Ask the Post AI.
I saw that.
It's supposed to give readers a much smarter search
experience.
Exactly.
It uses their huge archive of articles
to give summarized answers and curated search results
based on what the user asks.
Pretty cool.
And they launched this during one of their most successful weeks
for audience reach.
Yeah, which suggests people are really
interested in this kind of AI-powered experience.
Makes sense.
Now, what about those parenting apps?
Venture capitalists like Andres and Horowitz
see huge potential in AI-powered parenting co-pilots.
So using AI to help parents navigate the challenges
of raising kids.
Exactly.
And we're already seeing examples
like CradleWise's AI Baby Monitor.
The one that tracks leap patterns and rocks the crib.
That's the one.
And there are apps like Solah, which
uses AI to guide mothers through pregnancy and postpartum.
Wow.
AI is really making its way to all sorts
of different aspects of parenting.
It really is.
And speaking of trends, let's move on to the big money
flowing into AI startups.
Yes.
Amazon might be making another multi-billion dollar
investment in the AI startup Anthropic.
It's a big deal.
They already invested $4 billion in Anthropic last year.
This potential new investment shows just how competitive
the AI space is becoming.
Absolutely.
And it highlights how important AI is for these tech giants.
I read that Amazon wants Anthropic to use its own AI chips.
But Anthropic prefers servers powered by NVIDIA's chips.
Yeah.
A bit of a power struggle there.
But the bottom line is that we're seeing huge sums of money
being poured into developing and deploying AI technology.
It's clear that the major players see this as the next big thing.
No doubt about it.
It really is.
And it highlights how important AI is for these tech giants.
Speaking of Anthropic, it's not just Amazon that's interested.
Right.
Google's also investing in them too.
Yeah.
A big investment.
They've committed to putting in $1.5 billion over time.
Wow.
That's a serious chunk of change.
It is.
And it's interesting.
Anthropic was actually co-founded by some former open AI execs.
So they know their stuff.
Definitely.
A lot of experience in the field.
So now we've got two of the biggest tech companies
both wanting a piece of this AI startup.
Exactly.
Shows you the potential of Anthropic
and how competitive the AI space is.
It's like a high stakes poker game.
With billions of dollars at stake.
And those stakes are only getting higher
as AI gets more powerful.
Speaking of AI's evolving capabilities,
let's talk about Mistral.
They just launched a new API for content moderation.
Oh, yeah.
Content moderation is a huge challenge, especially online.
Right.
And their API is supposed to help companies filter out
all the bad stuff automatically.
Like hate speech violence scams, personal info, you name it.
Pretty sophisticated stuff.
It is.
They claim their API uses a really advanced AI model
trained on a massive amount of text in multiple languages.
Sounds impressive.
Yeah.
But how do we know it's not going to be biased or make
mistakes?
Those could have real consequences.
You're right.
AI systems are only as good as the data they're trained on.
So if the data is biased, the AI will be biased too.
Exactly.
And even with the best data, there's always a chance of errors.
So human oversight is still really important.
Absolutely.
We can't just blindly trust these AI systems.
We need to keep an eye on them and make sure they're working
the way they're supposed to.
Couldn't agree more.
Speaking of keeping an eye on things,
remember those AI-powered parenting co-pilots
we talked about earlier?
The ones that are supposed to help parents be more effective
and less stressed.
Right.
There are a few different companies out there,
but they all seem to have that same goal.
It's an interesting idea.
Parenting can be really tough, and it's not always clear
what the right thing to do is.
Definitely.
Having an AI assistant to offer advice and support
could be really helpful for some people.
Cradle-wise's AI baby monitor is a good example.
Oh, yeah.
The one that tracks sleep patterns and rocks the crib.
That's the one.
And then there's NANIT, which uses AI to analyze video
from a crib camera.
Wow.
So it can tell parents if their baby's breathing OK.
That's right.
Huge relief for new parents who are worried about S-sides.
And then there's Sola, which focuses more
on providing guidance and support to mothers
during pregnancy and after the baby's born.
Lots of different approaches, but all using AI
to help with the different aspects of parenting.
It makes you wonder what other AI-powered parenting tools
we'll see in the future.
I'm sure there's a lot more to come.
OK.
So we've seen lawsuits, job predictions, AI getting
into everything from parenting to baby monitors.
But what does it all mean for you?
That's the real question, isn't it?
We've been talking about all this AI news,
but the important thing is how it affects your life.
Exactly.
Like that copyright battle.
For example, imagine you're a writer or a musician
or an artist.
How would you feel about your work being used to train
some AI without your permission,
especially if you're not getting paid for it?
Yeah, it's a tough one.
On the one hand, AI needs tons of data to learn.
And if we restrict that data too much,
it could slow down progress.
But on the other hand, creators deserve
to have their rights protected.
They should have a say in how their work is used.
It's a tricky balance, for sure.
And it's not just about creative work.
Think about your JOB.
We talked about those predictions of AI potentially
replacing millions of workers.
The think tank was optimistic about new jobs emerging.
But are you confident that you'll
be able to adapt and thrive in this AI-powered future?
It's definitely smart to be prepared.
What skills can you learn now that
will be valuable in an AI-driven world?
Maybe it's learning to work with AI,
or maybe it's focusing on those uniquely human skills
that AI can't replicate, like creativity, critical thinking,
problem solving.
And then there's the personal side of things,
like those AI parenting apps.
Would you use one?
Do you see them as helpful tools,
or are you worried about relying on them too much?
Where do you draw the line between technology
making your life easier and maybe giving up too much control?
It's all about finding that balance, right?
And in the end, it's a personal choice.
But the important thing is to be aware of what's going on
and make informed decisions.
Don't just jump into new technology
without thinking about how it might affect your family,
your work.
Because AI is here.
It's not science fiction anymore.
It's real.
And the choices we make today will shape
how we experience this AI-powered future.
So be curious, be critical, and most importantly, be engaged.
The future of AI is being written right now,
and we all have a part in shaping it.
We hope this deep dive has given you some things
to think about as we navigate this exciting and sometimes
a little scary new world.
Thanks for listening to the Daily AI News Podcast,
and stay tuned for more.