Chaos & Amazement 2308: Social Media’s Pay To Play, Spotify’s AI DJ, and Zarya of the Dawn

Feb 25

Social media business as usual

Social media's "pay-to-play" model turns free features such as security, visibility, and technical support into premium items. https://www.vox.com/recode/2023/2/21/23609375/meta-verified-twitter-blue-checkmark-badge-instagram-facebook The pay-to-play model discussed in the Vox article is concerning, as it may disadvantage smaller businesses and individuals who can't afford to pay for premium features.
Due to data protection concerns, the European Commission has ordered its employees to remove TikTok from their devices, including private ones. https://www.euractiv.com/section/cybersecurity/news/european-commission-bans-tiktok-from-corporate-devices/ It's essential to be mindful of data protection concerns, as seen in the case of the European Commission banning TikTok from its devices.
Some users have stopped using BeReal, a social media app, because of the repetitiveness of taking photos of themselves at work. https://mashable.com/article/bereal-users-decline
Artifact, the personalized social news reader app co-founded by Instagram's co-founders, is now open to the public on the Apple and Android stores. https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/22/instagrams-co-founders-personalized-news-app-artifact-launches-to-the-public-with-new-features/ I’ve installed it and I liked what I saw. It offers a feed of news on topics that interest me from sources outside of my news bubble.

This week, Spotify Introduced their AI powered DJ, which they described as "an entirely new way to play your Spotify". https://mashable.com/article/spotify-ai-dj
When you first open the DJ feature, the DJ, X, introduces itself in its super-realistic human voice before playing a selection of songs the algorithm chooses based on your previous listening.
Spotify News @SpotifyNews
Introducing DJ ✨ An entirely new way to play your @Spotify, powered by AI. Now rolling out to Premium users in the U.S. and Canada. Head to Spotify now to meet your DJ.
7:00 PM ∙ Feb 22, 2023
1,368Likes216Retweets
Jaime Brooks wrote an article discussing how people are willing to pay for brief, unpredictable interruptions while listening to music and how it affects the music industry.

Microsoft has limited the usage of its AI-powered Bing Chat, and users are not happy about it. The company has reduced the number of messages per day to 50 and the number of inputs per conversation to five. Bing Chat will no longer tell users how it feels or talk about itself. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/02/microsoft-lobotomized-ai-powered-bing-chat-and-its-fans-arent-happy/ It's funny how people often use AI chat interfaces to seek a sense of connection rather than just answers.
- Gary Marcus suggests that Microsoft tried to stick its existing, already-trained RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Preferences) model on top of GPT 3.6 for Bing Chat, but it didn't work. Reinforcement learning is notoriously finicky, and slight changes in circumstances may affect performance.
OpenAI has acquired the domain AI.com, which now forwards to their ChatGPT. https://mashable.com/article/chatgpt-ai-dot-com-domain-name-openai Acquiring a high-profile domain name like AI.com must have been expensive, but it's a smart move for OpenAI.
Synthesia, a London-based AI video creation platform, is used to create AI avatars that spread pro-Venezuela propaganda. Users can design their avatars and record videos in 120 languages. https://www.semafor.com/article/02/21/2023/venezuela-uses-ai-avatars-to-disseminate-propaganda This is a worrying development as it can contribute to the spread of misinformation and propaganda.

Kris Kastanova and Midjourney: A Landmark Legal Decision: https://www.bnox.be/2023/02/kris-kastanova-and-midjourney-landmark.html In a landmark decision, the US Copyright Office has stated that images created by the AI system Midjourney are not copyrightable, even if they're artistic masterpieces. It's fascinating to consider what the future of art may hold with the increasing use of AI technology. Will AI-generated art become a new genre of art? Or will it always be seen as a tool artists use rather than a creative force in its own right?
- The US Copyright Office has affirmed the copyright of Zarya of the Dawn, an AI-generated artwork, which will remain officially registered. https://www.reuters.com/legal/ai-created-images-lose-us-copyrights-test-new-technology-2023-02-22/

Harnessing AI for Faster, Cheaper Pharmaceuticals https://www.bnox.be/2023/02/harnessing-ai-for-faster-cheaper.html Startups like Exscientia, Verseon, and Apriori Bio are leading the way in developing new drug candidates using AI algorithms, which can analyze vast amounts of data much faster than traditional methods.
The potential benefits of this approach are significant, including faster drug discovery, reduced costs, and improved patient outcomes.
- AI startups are developing entirely new drugs with the help of artificial intelligence. The question is, will they work? https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/02/15/1067904/ai-automation-drug-development/ Which drugs would you like to see invented? Addiction-free pain killers?

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The world's first artificial "un"telligence called 2DUMB2DESTROY is now available. The platform invites users to ask questions without any restrictions, and the AI doesn't seem to care about the answers it provides. https://2dumb2destroy.com/
Chatprd.com is a parody of ChatGPT that is "all out of Fs to give." https://chatprd.com
"Bases Loaded" is a new game where players fend off an increasing swarm of dots using a pixel baseball bat and balls. https://kindanice.itch.io/bases-loaded A fun and challenging way to pass the time.
Retro.Directory is a website that helps retro and vintage enthusiasts find shops, museums, clubs, websites, and events related to their interests. The website features markers indicating places of interest for retro aficionados, such as museums, repair shops, old-school arcades, and upcoming events. [Source: retro.directory https://retro.directory/map This is an excellent resource for people interested in retro and vintage stuff.