😵‍💫Big Tech's Shocking Move

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Today we will discuss-

• 🗳️China using AI to influence polls, says Microsoft

• 🛠️OpenAI release fine-tuning tool for GPT-4

• 👥Tech giants unite to combat AI-linked job losses

• ⚙️9 amazing AI tools you might not have heard of

All this and more - Let's dive in!

👩‍🍳What’s cooking in the newsroom?

China will use AI to disrupt elections in the U.S., India & South Korea, warns Microsoft

📔Context of the news - For years, China, along with countries like North Korea, Russia, and Iran, has been accused of conducting influence campaigns in the U.S. and other nations to impact voter behavior, often through disinformation efforts.

♨️News - Now, a new report published by Microsoft's threat intelligence team warns that that China plans to use AI to interfere with elections in India, the United States, and South Korea this year. 

The report cautions that as people in India, South Korea, and the United States head to the polls, Chinese cyber and influence actors, and to some extent North Korean cyber actors, are likely to target these elections.

🫢What's more? Microsoft noted that China has already tested its AI-driven election disruption capabilities, citing the activity of a Beijing-backed group called Storm 1376 during the recent Taiwanese presidential election. The company emphasized that this marks the first instance of a state-backed entity using AI-generated content to influence a foreign election.

According to Microsoft, China will, at the very least, produce and share AI-generated content via social media platforms to support its interests in the upcoming elections in India, South Korea, and the United States.

The company acknowledged that the current impact of AI-generated content is minimal but cautioned that this could evolve over time. To this end, the company highlighted China's increasing experimentation with AI to enhance memes, videos, and audio, suggesting that these efforts might become more influential in the future.

At the time of writing, Chinese officials had not provided any comments on this matter.

OpenAI expands its custom model training program, introduces fine-tuning service

👨‍💻News - OpenAI is expanding its Custom Model program to help businesses develop personalized generative AI models for their specific needs. This program allows selected organizations to work with OpenAI researchers to train custom GPT-4 models tailored to their requirements.

OpenAI has also officially introduced assisted fine-tuning as part of its Custom Models program. Through this service, OpenAI staff will assist customers in fine-tuning GPT-4 using smaller, more focused datasets such as a company's portfolio. 

✨How will this enhance the user experience? Customized models would offer improved internal results and also help maintain consistency in public responses, preventing embarrassing situations like the ChatGPT-powered Chevy dealership’s bot that mistakenly offered to sell a car for $1. 

Another example is for customers who want to use generative AI but prize accuracy. They might benefit from new customization options, such as connecting to third-party platforms for fine-tuning information sharing and saving fine-tuned models during additional training without having to retrain the entire model. 

Big tech companies form consortium to address AI's impact on ICT jobs

☕News - As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into the tech industry, there are growing concerns about its potential impact on the workforce and the economy. In response, leading tech giants like Google and Microsoft (whose executives have often downplayed concerns about AI job displacement) have come together to form a consortium dedicated to studying the effects of AI on technology jobs.

The group, led by telecommunications equipment producer Cisco, also includes other industry giants such as IBM, Intel, SAP, and Accenture. Additionally, unions such as the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) are designated as "advisors" to the consortium.

⏭️What's their plan moving forward? Cisco's announcement about the group—called the AI-Enabled Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Workforce Consortium—said that in the first phase of its work, it will focus on providing actionable insights for business leaders and workers. 

The report will explore the potential impact of AI on 56 different technology-related roles, although the specific jobs are not yet disclosed. The intention is to publish the findings in a report by summer, but there's still uncertainty regarding the consortium's roadmap beyond this phase.

According to a spokesperson, the Consortium plans to define the scope of its second phase by mid-2024. Furthermore, as they move forward, they may reach out to additional organizations and institutions to expand their collaborative efforts in fostering the growth of an AI-enabled ICT workforce. 

🙆🏻‍♀️What else is happening?

• China’s cyberspace regulator vows to work with Africa on AI governance

• Opera becomes the first major browser with built-in access to local AI models 

• Steve Cohen says his financial firm can already save $25 million by using AI

• New York City defends AI chatbot that advised entrepreneurs to break laws

• AI seen cutting worker numbers, survey by staffing company Adecco shows

🤩AI-based movies

• The Island (2005) - It is a sci-fi action film directed by Michael Bay. The movie is set in a futuristic world where human clones are bred to be harvested for their organs and body parts for the elite. Through the story of two clones, Lincoln Six Echo and Jordan Two Delta, the film explores the ethical and moral implications of human cloning.

• Simulant (2023) - A fantasy film that follows the story of a woman named Faye, who tries to replace her newly deceased husband, Evan, with a humanoid simulator. In an attempt to win over her heart, the humanoid collaborates with a hacker to eliminate limitations on its potential, triggering an AI uprising and a government manhunt to eliminate the rise of the machine consciousness.

• Realive (2016) - A film starring Tom Hughes as Marc, a terminally ill man who undergoes cryogenic preservation and is revived in the present day. It explores the implications of playing with human mortality through advanced technology and the challenges that come with it.

👩🏼‍🚒Discover mind-blowing AI tools

1. Piggy Quiz maker - Allows users to create quizzes on any topic by entering a URL, text, or topic (Free)

2. Viroll - An AI-powered video editing tool that helps users create highlight clips from their videos (Free)

3. Fotor - An AI-based all-in-one tool for editing photos and creating designs (Freemium) 

4. Tactic - Helps users automate research, analysis, and action by generating insights from any document ($20/month)

5. KrockIO - A one-stop solution for remote creative collaboration designed for animation and video production firms ($15/month)

6. Endel - A personalized soundscape tool designed to help users focus, relax, and sleep ($260 lifetime access) 

7. RipX - A tool for removing vocals, creating stems, remixing tracks and fixing audio ($79 after 21-day free trial)

8. Flair - An AI design tool that helps users quickly and affordably generate high-quality marketing assets (Free up to 642 designs/month)

9. Podsqueeze - A tool that uses AI to generate content such as shownotes, timestamps, newsletters, tweets, blog posts, and titles for podcasts ($12/month)

😵Unusual AI use cases

• Sneaker Design - AI creates custom designs based on user preferences. Shift Sneakers employs AI algorithms to craft personalized sneaker designs, offering unique and tailored footwear experiences for individuals.

• AI philanthropy - AI-driven platforms can match donors with charities based on shared values and causes. Bright Funds is a brand that uses AI algorithms to connect donors with charitable organizations aligned with their values.

• AI workout routines - AI can create personalized workout plans that adapt in real-time based on the user's physical capabilities. Freeletics is a fitness app that uses AI algorithms to create customized workout plans for users based on their performance, feedback, and goals, providing a unique and personalized fitness experience.