OpenAI’s “shipmas” + Spotify Wrapped goes AI + FTC on Microsoft 🛠️🎧

OpenAI kicks off 12 days of announcements, Spotify Wrapped gets smarter, and the FTC probes Microsoft’s AI moves.

December 04, 2024

Hi there,

ChatGPT now boasts over 300 million weekly users, with 1 billion messages sent daily, according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at the DealBook Summit. The AI chatbot’s rapid growth continues with new features like web search and a coding-friendly “Canvas” interface—plus an upcoming integration with Siri in iOS 18.2.

Latest headlines 👇

Starting December 5th, OpenAI will launch a "shipmas" campaign with daily announcements over 12 days, including the highly anticipated text-to-video tool Sora and a new reasoning AI model. CEO Sam Altman hinted at the festive rollout during the DealBook conference, as staff teased releases on social media.

The launch of Sora comes amid artist protests and competition from Google's generative AI video model, Veo, now in private preview. ChatGPT may also get a Santa-inspired voice for the holidays.

Stanford expert Jeff Hancock admitted using ChatGPT for citation assistance in a legal declaration, resulting in fabricated references. The filing supported Minnesota’s law on deepfake election influence, now under scrutiny after opposing attorneys flagged the "hallucinated" citations. Hancock insists the errors don’t undermine his substantive claims on AI's impact on misinformation, expressing regret for the oversight while defending the core of his testimony.

Spotify’s Wrapped 2024 includes a new feature powered by Google’s NotebookLM, letting users generate an AI-hosted podcast summarizing their top songs, artists, and genres. The interactive recap is available in select countries and adds to other updates like tracking musical evolution with themed playlists and new sharing features. Premium users can also create AI-curated playlists reflecting their year in music.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is investigating Microsoft’s AI business, focusing on its exclusive deal with OpenAI and the bundling of its Copilot software. The inquiry, part of a broader cloud computing probe, examines whether Microsoft’s cloud dominance provides unfair advantages in the AI market. The FTC has yet to issue civil investigative demands, which could extend the process for months.

The investigation's trajectory may shift with the incoming Trump administration, where Republican regulators have signaled interest in AI market competition.

Google DeepMind's GenCast has set a new benchmark in weather forecasting, outperforming the trusted European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on over 97% of evaluated metrics. The model uses AI to generate ensemble forecasts in minutes, providing a range of possible outcomes, a key step in predicting extreme weather events linked to climate change.

Despite its promise, GenCast faces gaps, like limited time-step detail, leaving room for traditional models and human meteorologists to remain vital.

Meta is seeking nuclear reactor developers to power its AI-driven data centers and surrounding communities, aiming for one to four gigawatts of clean energy by the early 2030s. Open to various reactor types and locations, Meta hopes to accelerate deployment through partnerships that handle everything from permitting to operations.

The move mirrors other tech giants like Google and Amazon, reflecting the increasing demand for zero-carbon energy solutions for AI workloads.

Kayrros has launched "methane GPT," an AI-powered tool allowing users to identify methane-emitting facilities globally via plain-language prompts. Integrated with satellite and proprietary data, the tool offers free access to Methane Watch, aiming to enhance climate literacy and accountability for greenhouse gas emitters.

Methane's potency as a warming agent makes this innovation key to curbing near-term climate change impacts.

OpenAI is exploring the addition of ads to products like ChatGPT, potentially tapping into a lucrative revenue stream to offset the high costs of running AI services. While other companies like Microsoft and Adzedek have incorporated ads into AI chat experiences, concerns arise about trust and transparency in chatbot responses.

As OpenAI faces mounting financial pressures, including billions in losses and expensive new projects, advertising could offer a much-needed revenue boost. However, the challenge will be ensuring ads remain clearly marked to maintain user trust.