Meta has secured rights to the voices of actors Judi Dench, Kristen Bell, John Cena and others for its Meta AI chatbot, a ChatGPT-like digital assistant that is part of the plan for conversational AI as part of the multimodal Llama 3.2. Also revealed at Meta Connect this week was Orion, “the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen,” queued up to become Meta’s “first consumer full holographic AR glasses,” though they won’t be available anytime soon. A low-priced Quest 3 mixed reality headset, the $299 Quest 3S, will be arriving in time for the holidays, however. Continue reading Meta Reveals Orion Concept Glasses, Celeb Voices, Quest 3S

As OpenAI gears up to become a for-profit company next year, it is releasing ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode, which brings a humanlike conversation mode to ChatGPT 4o. All U.S. subscribers to ChatGPT Plus and Team plans will gain access to the new feature, which will also be made available to those paying for ChatGPT Edu and Enterprise plans in the coming weeks. The firm is also adding five new voices and allowing customers to save personalized instructions for the voice assistant, including memory behaviors. Concurrently, executives including CTO Mira Murati have resigned as the company pivots to commerciality. Continue reading OpenAI Rolls Out Advanced Voice Mode Feature for ChatGPT

Microsoft has released a suite of “Trustworthy AI” features that address concerns about AI security and reliability. The four new capabilities include Correction, a content detection upgrade in Microsoft Azure that “helps fix hallucination issues in real time before users see them.” Embedded Content Safety allows customers to embed Azure AI Content Safety on devices where cloud connectivity is intermittent or unavailable, while two new filters flag AI output of protected material. Additionally, a transparency safeguard providing the company’s AI assistant, Microsoft 365 Copilot, with specific “web search query citations” is coming soon. Continue reading New Microsoft Safety Tools Fix AI Flubs, Detect Proprietary IP

Cloudflare has released AI Audit, a free set of new tools designed to help websites analyze and control how their content is used by artificial intelligence models. Described as “one-click blocking” to prevent unauthorized AI scraping, Cloudflare says it will also make it easier to identify the content bots scan most, so they can wall it off and negotiate payment in exchange for access. Helping its clients toward a sustainable future, Cloudflare is also creating a marketplace for sites to negotiate fees based on AI audits that trace cyber footprints on server files. Continue reading Cloudflare Tool Can Prevent AI Bots from Scraping Websites

Alibaba Cloud last week globally released more than 100 new open-source variants of its large language foundation model, Qwen 2.5, to the global open-source community. The company has also revamped its proprietary offering as a full-stack AI-computing infrastructure across cloud products, networking and data center architecture, all aimed at supporting the growing demands of AI computing. Alibaba Cloud’s significant contribution was revealed at the Apsara Conference, the annual flagship event held by the cloud division of China’s e-retail giant, often referred to as the Chinese Amazon. Continue reading Alibaba Cloud Ups Its AI Game with 100 Open-Source Models

Google announced that the latest update to Password Manager now enables users to sync their passkeys across multiple devices. Previously, Google passkeys could only be easily saved to Password Manager on Android, limiting cross-device utility. Scanning a QR code on an Android device was previously required to use passkeys on non-native platforms. The update makes it possible to use Google Password Manager on desktop systems that run Windows, macOS and Linux. ChromeOS is currently being beta tested and Google says iOS support is “coming soon.” Continue reading Google Debuts Secure Passkey Sync Feature Across Devices

Amazon has joined the ranks of firms offering generative video tools, although its release is aimed only at advertisers, at least for now. Simply called Video Generator, it can turn a product image into a video that showcases the product and even demonstrates its features, “leveraging Amazon’s unique insights to vividly bring a product story to life.” At the company’s Accelerate 2024 conference Amazon also debuted Live Image, which lets brands create animated GIFs from stills, a customizable chatbot assistant for third-party sellers, and a new AI-powered recommendation engine based on customer interests. Continue reading Amazon’s Video Generator Turns Stills into Advertising Clips

From exercising in outer space to navigating via Google Earth VR, HTC has made inroads with its Vive headsets. The new mixed reality model, the Vive Focus Vision XR, has color passthrough and 2448 x 2448 resolution per-eye. Aiming squarely at the enterprise and high-end gaming markets, it accommodates tethered PCVR or standalone play, while IPD eye tracking makes it suitable for high-volume environments, like training or industrial use. Available for $999 for the consumer platform and $1,299 for enterprise, this latest iteration in the Focus Vision series is also made for location-based experiences. Continue reading HTC’s $1000 Vive Focus Vision XR is Built for Work and Fun

After previewing its Windows App unified gateway last year, Microsoft is now rolling it out wide. This means accessing the Windows operating system from mobile devices is intended to increase productivity via a cloud-based workflow. The Windows App is now generally available on Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and via web browser, and in public preview for Android. Microsoft couches the app as a secure way “to connect to Windows across Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Remote Desktop, Remote Desktop Services, Microsoft Dev Box, and more.” Continue reading Microsoft Offers Mobile Windows App for Android and Apple

Eight of the largest cinema chains in the U.S. and Canada have committed to investing more than $2.2 billion to modernize theaters over the next three years. The announcement was made by the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), which says the eight investors represent over 21,000 screens and 67 percent of the box office. The funds will be used to improve everything from picture and sound to air quality, dining, concessions and additional entertainment options. “This investment reflects that commitment in a tangible way that every moviegoer will see and enjoy,” said NATO President and CEO Michael O’Leary. Continue reading North American Theaters Announce Plans for Major Upgrades

Amazon will become the newest member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), a move that is likely to have significant ramifications as the e-commerce giant throws its weight behind the global entertainment trade and lobbying organization. As the parent of both the Prime Video streaming service and MGM Studios, as well as the force behind Amazon Web Services, the company has clout across both entertainment and technology at a level that is unparalleled among MPA principals. At $2 trillion, it becomes the largest MPA member by market cap. Netflix, which joined in 2019, is capped at $300 billion. Continue reading Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video Latest to Join the MPA

BlackRock has joined forces with Microsoft to launch what will initially be a $30 billion investment fund to finance AI infrastructure — concentrating primarily on building data centers and developing energy projects. The amount could quickly scale to about $100 billion. Abu Dhabi-based tech investment firm MGX is also participating, as is Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), which owns, operates and invests across energy, transport, digital and waste management. BlackRock announced it is in the process of acquiring GIP, and says a deal expected to close next month. The new fund is called Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership (GAIIP). Continue reading BlackRock Teams with Microsoft to Advance AI Infrastructure

YouTube is going all in on generative AI with nine new generative features announced at the Made on YouTube creator event in New York. Google DeepMind’s AI video generation model, Veo, is coming to YouTube Shorts later this year, enabling “even more incredible video backgrounds, breathing life into concepts that were once impossible to visualize,” as well as six-second standalone AI segments that can be incorporated into short videos. “Imagine a BookTuber stepping into the pages of the classic novel ‘The Secret Garden,’” suggests YouTube Chief Product Officer Johanna Voolich in describing the new AI-powered features. Continue reading YouTube Unveils New AI-Powered Features at Creator Event

A newly redesigned Snapchat experience is built around a three-tab user interface called Simple Snapchat. As part of that effort, the social platform is launching more generative video features, including text-to-video as part of the app’s Lens Studio AR authoring tool. Easy Lens allows the quick generation of Lenses by typing text prompts, making it possible to do things like experiment with Halloween costumes or explore looks for back to school. Launching in beta for select creators, Snap says the new features are designed for all ability levels. The company is also updating its GenAI Suite and adding an Animation Library of “hundreds of high-quality movements.” Continue reading Snapchat Is Getting a Redesign and Generative Text-to-Video

Nine months after lawmakers grilled social networks for exposing children to harm, Meta Platforms has announced that Instagram’s teen accounts will be set to “private” by default. Instagram Teen Accounts have built-in protections, limiting who can contact the underage account holders as well as the content they see. “We’ll automatically place teens into Teen Accounts, and teens under 16 will need a parent’s permission to change any of these settings to be less strict,” Meta revealed in a blog post. To avoid leaving teens feeling their wings were clipped, Meta says there will also be new features designed expressly for them. Continue reading Instagram Sets Its New ‘Teen Accounts’ to Private by Default