Ilya Sutskever’s AI startup raises over $1 billion

+ Amazon Alexa's AI political bias

September 06, 2024

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Safe Superintelligence, the new AI startup co-founded by Ilya Sutskever, has secured over $1 billion in its first funding round. With backing from major investors like Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, the startup aims to build a "safe superintelligence" with a singular focus on advancing AI without commercial distractions. The funding is cash-based, highlighting the significant resources needed for computing power. This ambitious project comes as a clear rebuke of OpenAI, where Sutskever was a key figure before his departure. Read more

The AI craze is rewriting the rules of venture capital, with tech titans like Microsoft, Amazon, and Nvidia pouring billions into the space, leaving traditional VCs struggling to keep up. Unlike past tech waves, where venture firms led the charge, today's AI revolution is driven by well-capitalized corporations offering not just money, but also cloud credits and key partnerships. Venture-backed exits remain sparse as the IPO market slumbers, putting pressure on investors. While AI startups continue raising eye-popping amounts, the venture industry is left navigating a distorted market that shows no signs of slowing. Read more

YouTube is enhancing its defenses against AI deepfakes with innovative detection technologies. The new “synthetic-singing identification” tool targets fake audio of artists’ voices, while a face-detection feature helps protect celebrities and public figures from unauthorized AI-generated videos. These advancements strengthen YouTube’s copyright protections, aiming to prevent misinformation and misuse across the platform. Read more

A North Carolina man has been charged with orchestrating a massive streaming fraud, pocketing $10 million in royalties from platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Michael Smith allegedly used AI to create thousands of fake songs, streaming them with bots posing as real listeners. Over seven years, his scheme gamed the system by inflating play counts with fake accounts, tricking platforms into paying him royalties meant for real artists. Federal prosecutors say this is the first case targeting streaming manipulation, marking a new chapter in digital music fraud. Read more

A viral video showed Amazon's Alexa favoring Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in response to political questions, sparking claims of bias. Leaked documents reveal that the incident was caused by new AI software added to improve Alexa’s accuracy, which backfired by generating unequal responses. Amazon quickly blocked Alexa from answering political queries and attributed the issue to a software error. This controversy highlights the growing challenges of using AI responsibly in sensitive areas like politics. Read more