🔐Reddit locks down licenses to sell to AI

ALSO: The Air Force has AI controlled jets now

Estimated Read Time: 5 minutes

With AI being the new hotness, and AI also needing craploads of data to train with, data has become more valuable than ever. From newspapers and magazines, to the world’s largest forum, companies everywhere are ready to cash in by selling their licenses to AI companies.

• 💰Reddit proves the future of data training is paid.

• 🤔Biden announces a $3.3B investment by Microsoft.

• ✈️US Air Force Secretary rides in an AI controlled jet.

• 📕AI is used for ad-targeting in a deal with Magazine publishers.

💰Reddit proves the future of data training is paid

What happened: Reddit is locking down access to their data without an agreement in an effort to monetize their user’s data.

The details: 

• Reddit is the largest forum in the world, and currently sells user data to companies like Google for a hefty price.

• A huge driver of Reddit’s data-selling business is AI training. AI training takes a huge amount of data to work.

• Reddit recently went public, becoming the largest social media IPO in recent years. The stock rose mostly thanks to data deals.

• Reddit says their reasons for locking down data access without a contract is to protect user’s privacy. In truth it’s to force a monetary contract with them. A user’s data is protected… unless you’ve got the cash.

• Reddit has already made over $200M by selling access to their data.

Why it matters: This is the future of large companies who collect data. AI training is in a massive boom. Reddit, who are a public company, would be fools not to sell data to the highest bidder. You’ll see the same elsewhere. Newspapers are selling access to their articles to AI companies. Adobe is buying stock footage and photos or AI image training. It’s everywhere.

As of market close May 09, 2024.

📱TikTok is suing the US government in order to prevent the big ban/forced selling of the company. The lawsuit claims this goes against the First Amendment and TikTok’s rights as a company. This is TikTok’s only major way of fighting back. Now their fate lies in whether or not courts view the matter as a First Amendment issue or a national security concern.

🤖 Nvidia updated their own chatbot, ChatRTX. As the name implies, it requires an RTX GPU to run. You can train this version locally on your PC. It’s pretty interesting for a locally run AI. But be warned it still struggles with follow up questions and maintaining context within a conversation. It’s more of a tech demo than anything substantial.

🤓 Robots can have stretchable e-skin now. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a new stretchable electronic skin that can feel the sensation of touch and pressure. Yeah, we’re getting into scary territory now.

🤔Biden announces a $3.3B investment by Microsoft

What happened: President Biden traveled to Wisconsin to announce Microsoft is building a $3.3B data center at the site of the failed Foxconn Project.

The details:

• The Microsoft project will create a massive data center in Wisconsin at the same site where Foxconn failed their own massive project.

• Microsoft also plans to launch an “AI Innovation” lab at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a "Data Center Academy" at Gateway Technical College.

• The data center will supposedly bring massive economic benefits to the area and create a total of around 4,000 jobs.

• The failed Foxonn investment also promised tons of new jobs and economic benefits, but ultimately failed. There’s still skepticism about the new project from locals.

Why it matters: I expect a ton of jobs to rise up from the AI boom, specifically in data centers. Unfortunately, I think AI will still take more jobs than it creates. But this is good for locals of the area (assuming the project comes through this time).

✈️US Air Force Secretary rides in an AI controlled jet

What happened: US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendrall just took a historic ride on a completely AI-controlled jet. (I’m waiting for the plot twist where they tell us it was remotely controlled by another human…)

The details: 

• Frank Kendrall took off in an AI-controlled F-16. Classic. 

• The Airforce plans to deploy over 1,000 unmanned warplanes by 2028.

• These are not remotely controlled… they are AI-controlled. No human input required.

• This is one of the most significant advancements in Airforce technology since stealth fighters were introduced.

• Officials say no other country has AI controlled fighter jets yet (basically “our toys are better than yours”).

Why this matters: This is actually a big deal. Eventually all vehicles will have AI-controlled counterparts. And I think we all know what the military will use robotics for… And this is the turning point. These are highly sensitive (and dangerous) machines whose pilots take years to train. Now they can pilot themselves. We used to think remote controlled drones were a big deal. Now the drones will pilot themselves.

Come on self driving cars. The ball’s in your court.

📕AI is used for ad-targeting now

What happened: Dotdash, the publishers who own big magazines like People and Better Homes & Gardens, are signing a deal with OpenAI. And unlike most other deals, this is a quid-pro-quo, not just money. to use their model for ad targeting, in exchange OpenAI will get the license to train on their content.

The details:

• Dotdash will use OpenAI’s AI models to help with their ad targeting product D/Cipher.

• In exchange, OpenAI will gain access to Dotdash’s licensed content for AI training.

• They’ll also bring new AI features to magazine readers (though they don’t mention what these are).

• D/Cipher helps advertisers find consumers through the content that the users look at without using cookies. Basically they will use AI to help target ads in a “cookie-less world”. This could be the future of digital advertising (maybe).

• OpenAI has made other licensing agreements lately, such as the Financial Times.

• Other newspapers are suing OpenAI for copyright infringement. OpenAI trained on their materials without any agreement.

Takeaway: Again, a big portion of income for content-heavy companies is selling their data for AI training. But eventually this won’t be needed. AI will someday be… trained. What will some of these companies do then?

🛫 AI created jets

Source: Midjourney

Give us your feedback!

Got feedback? Rate today’s newsletter by clicking below! 

Got more personal feedback? Fill in the box when you rate us and give us your criticism and feedback.

Thank you for reading! 

❤️Share the (ARTIFICIAL) Love!

Got a friend who wants to appear as smart as you? An AI fanatic or someone shaking in their boots of getting replaced? Share us by clicking the link below and you’ll get our love ;)