As enterprises rely more heavily on AI integration to compile research and summarize things like meetings and email threads, the need for contextual search has become increasingly important. AI startup Cohere has released Embed 4 to make the task easier. Embed 4 is a multimodal embedding model that transforms text, images and mixed data (like PDFs, slides or tables) into numerical representations (or “embeddings”) for tasks including semantic search, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and classification. Supporting over 100 languages, Embed 4 has an extremely large context window of up to 128,000 tokens. Continue reading Cohere’s Multimodal Embed Model Organizes Enterprise Data

DirecTV is leaning even further into streaming despite its current decision to ditch its “Stream” branding. As of Sunday, the DirecTV Stream landing page had disappeared, its traffic rerouted to DirecTV.com.  The emphasis is now on streaming on any device, “satellite-free and with no annual contract or hidden fees.” Choosing what to watch and how to watch it “should be simple,” which is why DirecTV says it’s now marketing under a single brand. The main messaging on the new landing page includes a build-your-own channel lineup option and streaming via DirecTV’s bespoke dongle Gemini Air. Continue reading DirecTV Leans into Streaming, Bringing It Under Main Banner

Neptune is a new social video app aiming to compete in the short-form space against stalwarts like TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. Currently in beta with a test base of about 1,000 users, Neptune has amassed a waitlist of 400,000, according to the company. The app’s noteworthy features include the ability to hide likes and follower counts, in furtherance of a desire to prioritize creativity over competition. That goal stems from founder Ashley Darling’s past experience working as a talent director at the beauty and wellness agency OPTYX, where her focus was “underestimated influencers.” Continue reading TikTok Challenger Neptune Lets Users Hide Likes, Followers

Netflix is testing a new recommendation engine that uses OpenAI technology to suggest viewing options based on input that goes beyond the usual parameters of cast and genre. The system is being introduced gradually and is already available in Australia and New Zealand where subscribers must opt-in to try it out, reports say, noting it allows input of more nuanced parameters, including mood, to populate search results. The partnership underscores OpenAI’s efforts to have its technology applied practically and commercially as it seeks to transition from a non-profit to a for-profit public benefit business structure. Continue reading Netflix Tests Content Recommendations Powered by OpenAI

Among the many tech advancements unveiled at Google Cloud Next include a major generative media upgrade to Vertex AI, Google Cloud’s managed AI development platform. The new Vertex AI Media Studio lets enterprise users generate complete videos from scratch using text prompts. Lyria, Google’s text-to-music model is now available on Vertex in private preview. Both are subject to an “allowlist.” Chirp 3 now creates custom voices with just 10 seconds of audio input, while Imagen 3 has gained improved abilities for reconstructing missing or damaged portions of an image. Continue reading Vertex AI Movie Studio Can Create Videos from Start to Score

YouTube is rolling out a new tool called Music Assistant to its Creator Music marketplace. Music Assistant uses generative AI to automatically add royalty-free instrumental background music to long-form videos. Accessed via a dedicated tab in Creator Music, Music Assistant provides more control over things like the style, mood and instruments of the desired music, which is requested via text prompts. Creator Music is available in the U.S. to creators enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program. YouTube is also experimenting with a Shorts feature that automatically synchronizes audio for short-form video creators. Continue reading YouTube Brings Generative Music Assistant to Video Creation

Amazon has updated its Nova model series, with Nova Reel 1.1 now able to generate AI videos of up to two minutes as well as gaining a new ‘multi-shot’ feature. Announced in December, Nova Reel marked Amazon’s initial foray into generative video. AWS developer advocate Elizabeth Fuentes says that Nova Reel accommodates user prompts of up to 4,000 characters that can generate a series of six-second shots for a sequence totaling two minutes. The company also introduced the Nova Sonic real-time voice model that supports third-party enterprise development. Continue reading AWS Updates Nova Reels and Adds Nova Sonic Voice Model

ByteDance is testing TikTok for Artists, a free feature performers can use to manage music and mesh with fans. Aimed at generating exposure and building engagement, the feature also provides analytics — from fan insights to performance metrics and trend reports. The Artists platform is now being tested in Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and New Zealand. Though the U.S. deadline for ByteDance to remove TikTok from Chinese control was extended by 75 days (a second time) from April 5 to June 19, the social media app’s future here is more uncertain than ever. Continue reading ByteDance Tests TikTok for Artists with Its U.S. Fate in Limbo

Vimeo is launching Vimeo Streaming, a turnkey platform that allows businesses, creators, and just about anyone to create and monetize their own branded streaming service. The announcement was timed to the 2025 NAB Show. Vimeo suggests the new offering — described as “a technological leap forward for content and media businesses” — is the next generation of its existing over-the-top product that is already helping creators earn $429 million per month. The approach is similar to YouTube with more design flexibility and brand control, but living on the Web, outside the cozy confines of social media with its built-in audiences. Continue reading Vimeo Streaming Helps Creators Build Subscription Platforms

Google’s YouTube is rolling out new tools to make YouTube Shorts even more competitive with social-video platform TikTok. The new publishing suite includes an improved video editor, a tool for generating AI stickers, enhanced templates, and a feature that can synchronize content to a musical beat. YouTube says the upgraded editing feature will provide users with the ability to make more precise adjustments, fine-tuning the timing of each clip. Users can “move or remove clips to create a rough version, add music or timed text, and preview their Short to make sure it tells the story the way they want it to,” according to YouTube. Continue reading YouTube Shorts Updates Video Tools to Compete with TikTok

The QVC Group has launched TikTok U.S.’s first 24/7 live third-party social shopping stream with a berth on TikTok Shop. The move builds on QVC’s existing presence on TikTok Shop, a tab within the TikTok app where it debuted in August 2024. QVC, which launched in 1986 as the Quality Value Channel, built its business around live cable TV shopping but has seen the sector contract due to cord cutting. QVC Group CEO David Rawlinson is tasked with reinventing the network by engaging younger shoppers through social media. QVC Group is a subsidiary of John Malone’s Liberty Media. Continue reading QVC First with Live 24/7 Branded Shopping Stream on TikTok

Netflix has gone multilingual, adding a feature that lets viewers choose from a list of more than 30 languages for dubbing or subtitles on any title. The option has previously only been available via mobile and Web browsers, with TV options limited to a handful of choices deemed relevant based on geographic location. Referencing some of its most popular programming — such as South Korea’s “Squid Game,” Spain’s “Berlin” and France’s “Lupin” — Netflix explains, “we know that language availability is what helped these stories and characters find fans beyond their country of origin.” Continue reading Netflix Expands Dubbing and Subtitle Options to 30 Languages

Meta Platforms is developing a deluxe entry for its popular Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses line that is said to incorporate hand-gesture controls and will include a screen for displaying photos and apps. The price tag will reportedly be more than $1,000 (and possibly as high as $1,400) when the item hits the shelves, possibly by the end of this year. Code-named Hypernova, the souped-up eyewear is part of a Meta plan to make a wearable alternative to Apple iPhones. Existing Ray-Ban Meta glasses can pair with Android phones to make calls. Continue reading New Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses to Include Built-In Screen

Runway has introduced a new video generation model, launching a next phase of competition that could transform film production. Notably, its Gen-4 system improves the consistency of characters, locations and objects across multiple scenes, an elusive prospect for most AI video generators. The New York-based startup calls its new development “a step towards Universal Generative Models that understand the world.” The key, Runway says, is to provide a single reference image of the character, item or environment as part of the model’s project material. Runway Gen-4 can generate 5- and 10-second clips at 720p resolution. Continue reading Runway Gen-4 Tackles AI’s Elusive Video Scene Consistency

During Nvidia’s GTC AI Conference in San Jose earlier this month, VP and GM of Media & Entertainment Richard Kerris presented the Nvidia Media2 initiative that builds on the company’s Blackwell GPU foundation to enable real-time AI solutions for all aspects of media production workflows. His talk showcased a broad range of generative AI breakthroughs in real-time ray tracing and VFX, video search and summarization, and musically-based sound effects (SFX). Kerris also shared insights on the media industry’s reception to AI thus far and humbly implored the audience to consider using such technology as an effective new tool for storytelling. Continue reading Nvidia Forges AI Initiative to Streamline Production Workflows