🤔 HMM, THAT’S SUPER INTERESTING
AI News & Updates

📰 Here we are, this week’s Buzz in AI: LLMs, GenAI, and More!

📸 West Coast is the Best Coast: California is partnering with NVIDIA to bring advanced AI resources to community colleges across the state. The collaboration aims to equip students with cutting-edge AI tools and training, preparing them for the growing demand in tech industries. Now we just need Gov. Newson to share these resources with SunshineFM.

✋🏼Talk to the Hand, says Google: While Siri and Alexa have become household names for voice-activated tasks, Gemini Live aims to go further with real-time, AI-driven conversations that feel more human and dynamic. Unlike its predecessors, Gemini Live integrates cutting-edge generative AI capabilities, offering more nuanced and context-aware interactions, which could set a new standard for how we engage with voice technology.

🎬 Hooray for Hollywood: Artists recently secured a significant victory in a copyright case against AI art generators, marking a crucial precedent in the ongoing debate over intellectual property rights in the age of AI. The ruling likely reinforces the need for stricter guidelines on how AI tools can use and reproduce copyrighted works, impacting the future development and use of AI in creative industries.

🤫 You Grok too Much (You Never Shut up): X’s introduction this week of Grok, an AI chatbot, comes at a time when concerns over deepfakes and AI-generated content are at an all-time high. The fear is that tools like Grok could be weaponized to create convincing fake videos or images, which might be used for propaganda or misinformation. As Grok aims to push the boundaries of AI, it also highlights the urgent need for robust moderation and ethical considerations to prevent these technologies from being misused in ways that could harm public trust and democracy.

🎬 Hooray for Hollywood 2: SAG-AFTRA has reached an agreement with AI companies Narrativ and Voice Replica, allowing digital ads to use AI-generated voices of actors. This deal marks a significant step in how AI and human performers intersect, with protections in place for actors' rights and compensation.

📲 Google launches first AI-powered Android: The Google Pixel 9 phones come with a unique AI-powered Android update, introducing features like predictive actions, real-time language translation, and even AI-generated wallpapers. The update is designed to make the phone smarter and more personalized, with AI working behind the scenes to anticipate user needs.

🤔 And Finally: In a wild but unsurprising winge session, the former president of the United States accused Kamala Harris of using AI to boost crowd sizes at her rallies. While the claim is as credible as a unicorn in the Oval Office, it shows how AI is becoming a boogeyman in politics. Even when it’s about imaginary crowds, the mere mention of AI is enough to stir up drama. AI isn’t just creeping into politics; it’s getting dragged into the political mudslinging, too.

LOCAL STUFF - PALM SPRINGS COACHELLA
Electric Flying Taxis

🚁 Okay, so I couldn’t find any local AI news this week (except for what we’re doing at SunshineFM, obvs), but here’s a Startup business story that I’ve been keeping an eye on, that could affect us in the valley sooner than you think:

Archer Aviation and their electric flying taxis are set to revolutionize our Southern California Blue Skies and Sunshine, backed by over $1.3 billion in funding, including $230 million from Stellantis and United Airlines. With plans for a network of Vertiports across Los Angeles, including LAX, USC, and SoFi Stadium, Archer aims to have their eVTOL aircraft zipping over LA traffic by 2026. We could soon be commuting in style, soaring above the freeways at speeds of up to 150 mph.

Archer’s unique selling proposition (USP) lies in its development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, specifically designed to alleviate urban congestion by offering a faster, eco-friendly alternative to ground transportation. The problem they’re solving is the time-consuming and often frustrating experience of navigating dense traffic in cities like Los Angeles.

And of course the cities of La Quinta and Indio during Coachella.