Has Microsoft created a voice generator that is so good they won’t release it to the public? Is your next desktop your phone – Google’s new Beta release is pushing us further in that direction. AI competition on data analytics and visualization is pushing it more towards practical business applications. And the European Union says “bring it on” to Elon Musk’s threats of a tough corporate legal battle.
All this and more on the “my money is on the EU” edition of Hashtag Trending. I’m your host Jim Love, let’s get into it.
Microsoft’s latest AI breakthrough is turning heads in the tech world, but you won’t be able to try it out anytime soon. The company’s researchers have developed what they are calling VALL-E 2, a text-to-speech generator they claim achieves human-level accuracy in voice replication. Why you won’t see it? According to reports, it’s deemed too dangerous for public release.
Apparently, VALL-E 2 can mimic a human voice convincingly after hearing just a few seconds of audio. The researchers state, “VALL-E 2 represents a significant advancement in neural codec language models, achieving human parity in zero-shot text-to-speech synthesis for the first time.”
While the technology could potentially aid individuals with speech impairments, Microsoft is keeping it under wraps due to ethical concerns. The researchers acknowledge the risks of misuse, such as voice impersonation and spoofing.
This cautious approach mirrors other AI companies like OpenAI, who have also restricted access to certain voice technologies. And there are rumours as well, bolstered by statements by Sam Altman, that OpenAI is keeping its hyper realistic video tool SORA from the public until after the US elections.
So for now, VALL-E 2 remains a research project, with Microsoft stating, “We have no plans to incorporate VALL-E 2 into a product or expand access to the public.” The future of this ultra-realistic voice AI remains uncertain, but its existence signals a new frontier in the ongoing AI revolution.
Sources include: Tech Robot and Microsoft
Android users may once again have an opportunity to use their smartphone to double as your desktop computer. Google’s upcoming Android 15 beta is hinting at a built-in desktop mode, a feature that could transform how we use our mobile devices.
While companies like Samsung have offered similar capabilities, Google’s approach doesn’t require the additional (and we found temperamental) docking station. Using only USB-C, a standard and Bluetooth, this could make this a powerful feature on Android devices. Android Police reports that the desktop mode, currently hidden in developer settings, may become more prominent in the final release.
The timing seems right for this feature. As one commentator, Liam Proven from the Register said, “These days, the gap between PCs and phones is rather close.” With affordable USB-C monitors and Bluetooth peripherals widely available, the hardware ecosystem is primed for this shift.
“If you don’t need any special hardware or software – as is increasingly the case now – can plug a cheapo keyboard and mouse into the back of your monitor and plug the phone into that, we suspect that this could prove to be a more popular option,” Proven suggests.
This development could be a game-changer for users who rely primarily on their smartphones, potentially eliminating the need for a separate desktop computer for many tasks. As we await the official Android 15 release, the future of mobile computing looks increasingly versatile.
Sources: The Register
Elon Musk’s social media platform X is once again in hot water with the European Union.
The EU has accused X of violating its digital content rules, potentially deceiving users with its “verified” blue tick accounts. The EU’s tech regulator says X’s system, where anyone can pay for a blue tick, could mislead users about account authenticity.
European Commissioner Thierry Breton stated, “Back in the day, BlueChecks used to mean trustworthy sources of information. Now with X, our preliminary view is that they deceive users and infringe the DSA.”
The investigation, conducted under the EU’s Digital Services Act, also found issues with X’s transparency around advertising and data access for researchers. If confirmed, these violations could result in fines up to 6% of X’s global annual turnover.
Musk reacted strongly, calling the DSA “misinformation” and “censored speech.” He claims the EU offered a “secret deal” to avoid fines by quietly censoring content, which the EU firmly denies.
As the dispute heats up, Musk has declared his readiness for a “very public battle in court.” “Be our guest,” said EU Commissioner Thierry Breton in response to Musk’s post.
I know Elon Musk is one of the richest men in the world, but do you really want to get on the wrong side of the second largest economy in the world?
Sources include: Axios and the BBC
And the competition between Anthropic and OpenAI continues heat up. This time
Anthropic’s latest AI model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, is making waves, as it competes with OpenAI in the area of data visualization.
According to some reports, this new iteration is outperforming OpenAI’s GPT-4, setting a new benchmark in AI capabilities.
Swami Sivasubramanian, the head of AI at Amazon Web Services, has highlighted Claude 3.5 Sonnet’s impressive strengths in data science, analysis, and vision capabilities. These advancements suggest a significant leap forward in AI’s ability to interpret and visualize complex data sets.
Data visualization and data-driven insights are and enormous benefit from AI in every industry, from finance to healthcare. Once requiring data scientists and other hard to find staff, AI models become more adept at processing and presenting data. This could lead to a transformation in how businesses of all sizes approach data analysis.
While the claims are coming in fast and furious, whether Claude 3.5 Sonnet’s capabilities really edge out GPT-4 isn’t the point. The competitive dynamics will provide an impetus to push the limits of what is possible – again, a real benefit to businesses of any size. And it takes AI one step further from impressive consumer oriented functions to practical business applications.
Watch this space.
Sources include: Analytics India
And that’s our show for today.
Hashtag Trending is on summer hours. We will have 3 daily news shows a week, so our next show will be our Weekend Edition which we hope to post on Friday, but as much as I need a bit of a summer recharge, we’ll play with the schedule to see what works best.
Show notes are at technewsday.ca or .com – either one works.
We love your comments. Contact me at editorial@technewsday.ca
I’m your host Jim Love, have a Marvellous Monday.
