In The News
This week in tech news, we have some interesting stories to catch you up on. From a fake AI-generated “South Park” episode to the surging popularity of TikTok, here are the highlights:
1. Fake AI-generated “South Park” episode: A YouTuber named “SpaceToast” used artificial intelligence to create a fake episode of the popular animated show “South Park.” The video, titled “Sassy Justice,” features deepfake technology to manipulate the faces of real people, including Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg, onto animated characters. The video has gained significant attention and raises concerns about the potential misuse of AI-generated content.
2. TikTok’s surging popularity: TikTok, the short-form video app, continues to gain popularity worldwide. The app has now surpassed 2 billion downloads globally, with India being its largest market. Despite facing scrutiny from governments and privacy concerns, TikTok’s user base continues to grow, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when people are spending more time at home.
3. Apple’s new privacy feature: Apple recently announced a new privacy feature called “App Tracking Transparency” that will require apps to ask for user permission before tracking their data across other apps and websites. This move is seen as a significant step towards giving users more control over their privacy and limiting the data collected by advertisers.
4. Google’s new AI language model: Google introduced a new AI language model called “LaMDA” (Language Model for Dialogue Applications). LaMDA aims to improve conversational AI by understanding the nuances and context of conversations. Google showcased LaMDA’s capabilities in a demo where it engaged in a conversation about Pluto with a user. This development could have significant implications for virtual assistants and chatbots.
5. Amazon’s new health tracking device: Amazon is reportedly working on a new health tracking device that can detect emotions by analyzing the sound of a user’s voice. The device, codenamed “Dylan,” is said to be a wearable device that can monitor emotional well-being and provide insights into mental health. This move by Amazon further expands its presence in the health tech space.
Top things to Know
Here are the key points from this week’s tech news:
– A fake AI-generated “South Park” episode, titled “Sassy Justice,” has gained attention for its use of deepfake technology.
– TikTok has surpassed 2 billion downloads globally, with India being its largest market.
– Apple’s new privacy feature, “App Tracking Transparency,” will require apps to ask for user permission before tracking their data.
– Google introduced a new AI language model called “LaMDA” to improve conversational AI.
– Amazon is reportedly working on a health tracking device, codenamed “Dylan,” that can detect emotions through voice analysis.
Original article: https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/22/ai-generated-south-park-episodes-microsofts-security-woes-and-teslas-first-cybertruck-build/
