Three major North American music performing rights organizations, or PROs, have decided to allow registration of musical compositions that are “partially generated using artificial intelligence tools.” ASCAP, BMI and the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) have agreed to accept direct registration within their individual societies. For registration purposes, all three PROs define a partially AI-generated musical work as “one that combines elements of AI-generated musical content with elements of human authorship.” Musical compositions that are entirely created using AI continue to be ineligible for registration in these groups. Continue reading Music Groups Will Register Music ‘Partially’ Generated by AI

Qualcomm, which has established itself as a leading supplier of AI chips for edge devices with its Snapdragon line, is now making a major push into the data center space to challenge industry leaders such as Nvidia and AMD. The AI200 and AI250 accelerator chips are aimed at rack-scale inference systems as the debut entries in what Qualcomm describes as a multi-generation roadmap of AI inference equipment that will be updated annually. At Monday’s market close, Qualcomm stock was up by 11 percent on the news as investors saw promise of the San Diego-based firm’s expansion beyond its core mobile market. Continue reading Qualcomm Articulates Its Expansion into AI Data Center Chips

Amazon wants to save customers time shopping by helping them reach an informed decision more quickly using AI. The new “Help Me Decide” feature aims to pair people with the right product “with the tap of a button” that produces “one clear recommendation.” This includes an explanation of why the product is right for you “based on your specific needs and preferences,” ascertained via analysis of your browsing history. If you’ve been perusing similar products but haven’t yet purchased, the “Help Me Decide” button will appear at the top of the product detail page. It can also be accessed by tapping “Keep shopping for” on the homepage if you want to pick up where you left off in a previous browsing session. Continue reading Amazon: ‘Help Me Decide’ Uses AI to Help Shoppers Choose

Pinterest is experimenting with new AI-powered tools to make the platform more personalized for users. Now live in the U.S. and Canada, “Styled for You” uses AI to curate collages featuring newly imagined outfits assembled from past Pins. Pinthusiasts can mix-and-match different clothing and accessories to create and save new looks. Coming soon, “Boards Made for You” are personalized boards assembled through a combination of AI suggestions and editorial input. Trending fashion and weekly inspiration are key features of these shoppable boards, which will be appearing globally in the months ahead. Continue reading Pinterest Is Adding New Personalization Tools Powered by AI

Netflix has shuttered its Boss Fight Entertainment, the game studio best known for developing the mobile “Squid Game:  Unleashed” multiplayer action game based on the streamer’s hit series franchise. The title went to number one on the charts in 26 countries, according to Boss Fight co-founder and CEO David Rippy, who posted a farewell on LinkedIn. The unit also developed “Netflix Stories,” described as “an interactive visual novel platform” based on Netflix shows “Virgin River,” “Emily in Paris” and “Selling Sunset.” Netflix reportedly plans to continue offering the Boss Fight titles even as it de-emphasizes mobile games. Continue reading Netflix Shutters Mobile Game Studio as Part of Strategy Shift

Electronic Arts has partnered with Stability AI to co-develop new models, tools, and workflows that empower game designers, artists and developers. The partnership comes on the heels of the publicly traded EA agreeing to go private in a deal valued at $55 billion, including debt, led by Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, equity firm Silver Lake and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). The partners aim to “reimagine how content is built,” according to EA. The 40-plus years firm has of late been using machine learning and artificial intelligence to power real-time animation and physics simulation. Continue reading EA and Stability AI Partner to Develop Models, Creative Tools

Spotify has added a feature that lets users follow their favorite venues to stay current on upcoming performances. In March the music streamer created a Concerts Near You playlist option, updated weekly, that helps fans discover when their favorite artists are touring nearby. Now, Spotify says its redesigned Live Events feed, updated daily, is available to both Free and Premium subscribers directly in-app, letting users view venue and scheduled concert details right from their libraries. Spotify is also recommending other smaller venues fans may enjoy based on their tastes. “Great live music isn’t just about the artist you see — it’s also about where you see them,” Spotify believes. Continue reading Spotify Updates Live Events Feed, Lets Fans Follow Venues

London-based global marketing giant WPP has launched WPP Open Pro, a new edition of its flagship AI marketing platform, WPP Open, aimed at attracting “brands of all sizes” and helping them to plan, create and publish campaigns independently. The product stems from the Gemini-powered AI platform WPP built with Google — a relationship that has been extended by five years and includes a $400 million WPP spending commitment. The spend will drive WPP’s mission to expand the use of AI in its services and technologies. “This partnership will empower WPP clients with groundbreaking AI solutions, transforming how they connect with audiences and achieve business goals,” according to WPP. Continue reading WPP Rolls Out Open Pro AI and Extends Its Deal with Google

Amazon Web Services is building-out its programmatic ad offerings with AWS RTB Fabric, designed to optimize the high-speed, high-volume real-time bidding (RTB) auctions that power programmatic advertising for Amazon Ads and the company’s AdTech partners. The product has been in beta testing with select partners for months and now becomes “generally available,” deployed from North Virginia and Oregon in the U.S. East and West, and Singapore, Tokyo, Germany and Ireland, serving nearby areas with what AWS says is “single-digit millisecond latency” through a private, high-performance network. The idea is to make programmatic ad-buying cheaper and more efficient. Continue reading Amazon Bows AWS RTB Fabric for Programmatic Advertising

Amazon has developed smart glasses to help its delivery drivers navigate the world more efficiently, improving navigation, identifying hazards and having instant access to cargo data. The wearable was “designed and optimized with input from hundreds of Delivery Associates (DAs), drivers who work for Delivery Service Partners (DSPs)” and use “advanced computer vision processing and AI integration for seamless driver experiences,” according to Amazon. The eyewear helps DAs scan packages, follow turn-by-turn walking directions and capture proof of delivery — all without the help of a phone, creating a hands-free documentation experience. Continue reading Smart Glasses Use AI to Help Amazon Drivers with Deliveries

Google has made upgrades to its AI Studio development platform, adding a vibe code interface with buttons and retooling the AI Playground as a central hub for the company’s latest AI models. According to Google, users can now easily switch between Gemini, GenMedia (with new Veo 3.1), text-to-speech (TTS) and Live models, “all without losing your place or switching tabs,” while the Chat UI has been conformed more with typical interfaces. The updates allow users to more easily “go from prompt to image to video to voiceover in one continuous flow.”
Continue reading Google Revamps AI Studio with Vibe Coding, Maps Integration

Google has released Veo 3.1 and Veo 3.1 Fast in paid preview, adding new capabilities to the generative video model that is already a leader in the field. Creative and technical upgrades include richer native audio from dialogue to sound effects, greater understanding of cinematic styles and better prompt adherence. The two new models are available via the Gemini API in Google AI Studio and Vertex AI, with Veo 3.1 also available in the Gemini app and the storytelling tool Flow, which now gets native audio. Flow has generated more than 275 million videos since its release at Google I/O in May, according to the company. Continue reading Google Veo 3.1 Advances Generative Video in Flow and Vertex

Snapchat rolled out a host of new AR updates during Lens Fest, including new gaming tools, AR creation and monetization elements, and generative AI guidance Lens development. New Lens Studio AR creation options include “Realistic StyleGen,” which lets creators add more lifelike textures and lighting effects for virtual clothing, while “FaceGen” has been updated to provide more realistic digitally generated expressions. There is also a new 3D asset generator that turns people into digital representations, and “AI Clips” for the creation of image-to-video Lenses. In addition, Snapchat is debuting a “Lens Studio AI” chatbot to conversationally build AR lenses. Continue reading Snapchat Debuts FaceGen Expressions, Chatbot Lens Builder

Netflix revenue grew 17 percent to $11.5 billion in Q3 versus the same period a year earlier, driven by membership growth along with price hikes and an increase in ad revenue. Net profit was up by almost 8 percent for the quarter to $2.5 billion, versus the $2.98 billion that was expected. The quarter was Netflix’s best-ever for ad sales, with that revenue expected to more than double this year over 2024. The new user interface it began rolling out in May is now available to 85 percent of TV devices and the company is beta testing an AI-powered “conversational search experience.” Continue reading Netflix Highlights Tech and Innovation in Q3 Earnings Report

OpenAI has launched Atlas, a free web browser that uses ChatGPT as its search engine and integrates with the company’s other products. Initially released for Apple’s macOS, OpenAI says support for Windows, Android and iOS is coming soon. News that OpenAI was developing the product surfaced in April as part of the Google antitrust trial, where OpenAI executive Nick Turley testified the company was interested in buying Chrome. Now the ChatGPT Atlas browser is available for download, challenging Chrome and others. Rather than type queries, people can chat with Atlas, something Chrome and Perplexity’s new Comet browser also allow. Continue reading OpenAI Enters Browser Market with Launch of ChatGPT Atlas