OpenAI’s First Hardware Device Nears Reality with Apple Veterans at the Helm
In a move that sparks excitement and anticipation, OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, and renowned iPhone designer, Jony Ive, reportedly collaborating on developing OpenAI’s first consumer AI device. The latest development suggests that the secretive project is taking concrete steps towards becoming a reality. Apple executive Tang Tan, who played a crucial role in designing the iPhone and Apple Watch, joins the endeavor.
Tang Tan is set to work on the hardware engineering aspect of this highly anticipated AI device and has been enlisted by LoveFrom, the design firm founded by Jony Ive after departing from Apple in 2019. The collaboration between Tan, Ive, and Altman has heightened expectations for an innovative product that merges cutting-edge hardware with advanced AI software from OpenAI.
Tan’s decision to join LoveFrom adds to a growing trend of Apple design experts leaving Cupertino to join Ive’s team. Shota Aoyagi, another Apple executive, recently made a similar move, further strengthening the Apple alums working on this project.
While details about the device remain scant, initial concepts reportedly include a set of devices for home use, hinting at a potential expansion of AI applications beyond personal computing and smartphones. Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son has also been linked to discussions surrounding this project, adding an extra layer of intrigue.
Altman has emphasized that any AI hardware produced by OpenAI will not seek to replace smartphones, such as the ubiquitous iPhone. Despite this assurance, the collaboration’s secrecy and the involvement of Apple veterans like Tang and Ive have fueled speculation that the AI device could present a formidable challenge to the dominance of smartphones in the consumer tech industry.
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Altman has invested in another AI device developed by Humane, a startup led by ex-Apple employees. The “AI pin” by Humane, backed by Altman, is a screenless wearable device featuring a voice assistant and laser projector powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 AI model. While Humane’s device aims to replace smartphones and reduce screen time, it has faced criticism for providing inaccurate answers and needing to be more careful in demonstrations.
As OpenAI’s hardware venture progresses, the tech community eagerly awaits more details about this potentially groundbreaking consumer AI device. The collaboration between Altman, Ive, and now Tang Tan underscores the convergence of top talent from Apple and OpenAI, promising a fusion of design prowess and artificial intelligence expertise. OpenAI has not provided official comments on these recent developments, adding an element of mystery to the much-anticipated project.
The New York Times Sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over AI Copyright Infringement
In a groundbreaking legal move, The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement and marking a significant rise in the stakes in the ongoing legal battles surrounding the unauthorized use of published content for training artificial intelligence (AI) models.
The lawsuit, filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan, accuses OpenAI and Microsoft, creators of the widely-used ChatGPT and other AI platforms, of using millions of articles from The Times to train automated chatbots. According to The Times, these chatbots now compete with the news outlet by providing information derived from copyrighted works.
While the suit does not specify an exact monetary demand, it asserts that the defendants should be held accountable for “billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages” resulting from the “unlawful copying and use of The Times’s uniquely valuable works.” The legal action also demands the destruction of chatbot models and training data incorporating copyrighted material from The Times.
The Times claims it engaged in discussions with Microsoft and OpenAI in April to address concerns about intellectual property use. The meetings aimed at achieving an amicable resolution, possibly through a commercial agreement and technological safeguards around generative AI products. However, The Times contends that these talks failed to resolve satisfactorily.
OpenAI responded, expressing surprise and disappointment at the lawsuit, stating that the company had been “moving forward constructively” in conversations with The Times. Microsoft, on the other hand, declined to comment on the case.
This lawsuit is poised to explore the legal boundaries surrounding generative AI technologies, which create text, images, and other content after learning from extensive datasets. The outcome of this case could have profound implications for the news industry, where The Times has successfully built a business model around online journalism.
The legal action contends that OpenAI and Microsoft are capitalizing on The Times’s substantial investment in journalism without proper compensation. It accuses the defendants of “using The Times’s content without payment to create products that substitute for The Times and steal audiences away from it.”
The Times is not the only entity raising concerns about the uncompensated use of intellectual property by AI systems. Earlier instances involve actress Sarah Silverman’s lawsuits against Meta and OpenAI and a lawsuit by Getty Images against an AI company generating images based on copyrighted material.
This lawsuit adds a new dimension by positioning ChatGPT and other AI systems as potential competitors in the news business. The Times worries that users might be satisfied with chatbot responses and forego visiting its website, reducing web traffic and diminishing advertising and subscription revenue.
As the legal battles unfold, media organizations are grappling with the complexities of generative AI. Some outlets have reached licensing agreements to use their content, but the legal landscape remains uncertain. In its lawsuit, The Times seeks to protect its intellectual property and highlights potential damage to its brand through AI “hallucinations,” where chatbots disseminate false information attributed to the source.
This legal saga underscores the evolving relationship between copyright law and artificial intelligence, setting the stage for a potential Supreme Court decision as publishers navigate the novel challenges posed by AI technologies.
