Social Media’s Secret: How Your Posts Train AI and the Emerging Revolution of User-Controlled Data

Ah, the world of social media – a place where we share our brunch pics, dog videos, and apparently, fuel the AI juggernauts of big tech companies. Yep, every time you hit 'post' on Instagram or Facebook, you're not just updating your followers but also contributing to Meta's AI training. Mark Zuckerberg, ever the humblebrag, recently revealed this during Meta’s earnings call.

Imagine Zuckerberg sitting in a massive library, not of books, but of our social media content. This dataset, according to him, outshines even the Common Crawl dataset. It's like finding out your diary is being used for a best-selling novel, and you're not even getting a shoutout.

Now, let’s talk about the implications. For years, we’ve been unwittingly training Meta's AI tools with our life updates and cat videos. And while Zuckerberg's chest-puffing about this massive dataset, it's worth pondering – who really owns our online selves?

This is where ideas like Passive Income Data Solutions (PIDS) and platforms such as POPN (People over Profits Networks) enter the picture. They propose a radical shift: returning data ownership to users. Imagine a social media universe where you control how your data is shared, potentially earning income or receiving discounts in return. It's a refreshing contrast to the current norm and aligns perfectly with the rising call for data autonomy.

Sarah Silverman and other book publishers suing Meta for idea theft highlight the growing concern over data ownership. And it's not just Meta; Elon Musk is also using Twitter data to train X’s AI. It's a gold rush, but instead of gold, it's your data.

But wait, there's more. Meta’s been using this data goldmine to train its AI assistant and its large language model, Llama. They’re planning to integrate these into Facebook, Instagram, and the Metaverse. It's like they found the secret sauce to make billions, and it's seasoned with our social media activity.

Now, this might sound like a dystopian sci-fi plot, but it's our current reality. And here's the kicker: there's a whole market thriving on this hunger for data. Companies like Nomad Data are matching data vendors with buyers, feeding into this insatiable AI appetite. It's a bit like a buffet, but instead of food, it's data, and AI models are the hungry diners.

This brings us to a serious point – the need for a Data Protection Agency. With AI technology being used for scams, exploiting personal data in alarming ways, and the risks of data misuse skyrocketing, the need for user empowerment and protection is clear. Concepts like PIDS and platforms like POPN are not just innovative but necessary in this digital Wild West, aiming to establish a new norm where users are not just data sources, but beneficiaries and decision-makers in their digital lives.

And there you have it – a glimpse into the not-so-secret life of your social media posts, and a peek into a future where your online life is not just your own, but also your asset. Welcome to the future, folks, where data empowerment is just around the corner.

An AI Deepfake Scam Robs Company of $25 Million in Elaborate Heist

Key Takeaways:

• Sophisticated Scam: An AI deepfake was used in a highly convincing scam, tricking an employee into transferring $25 million from a Hong Kong-based multinational company.

• Elaborate Scheme: The scammer, impersonating the company's CFO via a phishing message, organized a fake video conference using deepfake technology to authenticate the request.

• Multiple Transactions: The deceived employee made 15 transfers to various bank accounts in Hong Kong, believing they were following legitimate instructions.

• Publicly Sourced Footage: The scammer created convincing deepfakes of the CFO and other employees using publicly available audio and video, demonstrating the potential dangers of accessible digital content.

• Ongoing Investigation: No arrests have been made, and the investigation continues, highlighting the challenges in tracing and apprehending cybercriminals using advanced AI technologies.

The Big Picture: The growing threat of AI-powered cybercrimes is a very real problem. As deepfake technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, it presents new challenges for individuals and organizations in detecting and preventing fraud. The case underscores the need for heightened vigilance and advanced security measures, where traditional methods of authentication may no longer suffice.

Ambience Healthcare Secures $70 Million From OpenAI & Others

Quick Bytes: Ambience Healthcare secures $70 million for its AI-driven healthcare operating system, enhancing clinical administrative tasks with support from major investors like OpenAI and Kleiner Perkins.

Key Takeaways:

• Innovative Approach: Ambience Healthcare focuses on reducing clinicians' administrative burden, offering an AI-powered "operating system" for healthcare organizations.

• Notable Investment: The $70 million Series B funding, led by Kleiner Perkins and OpenAI's Startup Fund, reflects the startup's significant traction in the healthcare AI sector.

• Diverse Clientele: Serving various outpatient specialties, Ambience boasts clients like UCSF and Memorial Hermann Health System, demonstrating its wide applicability.

• Founders' Inspiration: Co-founders Michael Ng and Nikhil Buduma, with personal experiences of medical traumas, aim to streamline healthcare processes using AI.

• Expanding Ambulatory Specialties: The platform's focus on multiple specialties, including cardiology and oncology, underlines its comprehensive healthcare solution.

• Strategic Partnerships: The involvement of OpenAI and Kleiner Perkins suggests Ambience's alignment with broader AI advancements in healthcare.

The Big Picture: Ambience Healthcare's significant funding round and its innovative AI-driven operating system for healthcare organizations underscore the growing importance of AI in healthcare. This investment highlights the sector's potential for transformative solutions that can streamline clinical processes, enhance patient care, and reduce administrative burdens on healthcare professionals. The backing from prominent investors like OpenAI and Kleiner Perkins further cements the startup's role in shaping the future of AI in healthcare.

The First AI-Generated Super Bowl Commercial

Quick Bytes: Coca-Cola's sports drink brand Bodyarmor utilizes generative AI for a Super Bowl ad, showcasing unsettling visuals and a robotic voiceover to emphasize "real hydration." They purposefully used AI-generated video that wouldn’t be considered for any real commercial even when the technology is 100x better today than what they are showing.

Key Takeaways:

• Exaggerated: This AI-generated video/ad is what we were seeing produced over a year ago. Today, there are creatives using AI to generate videos you’d have a hard time knowing if it was real or fake.

• Unnerving Imagery: The ad, titled "Field of Fake," features AI-generated morphing body parts and a pulsating Gatorade jug, aiming to contrast "real" and "artificial."

• AI-Powered Production: The commercial blends generative AI video, audio, and traditional VFX, reflecting Bodyarmor's stance against artificiality in its products.

• Trending Technique: Following a surge in AI-generated ads, Bodyarmor's attempt aligns with other brands leveraging AI for creative and cost-effective advertising.

• Industry Shift: Major advertisers, including Bodyarmor, are increasingly embracing generative AI to reduce costs and enhance creativity in marketing campaigns.

• Future of AI Ads: As AI technology advances, the distinction between AI-generated and real footage is expected to blur, leading to more AI-driven advertising experiments. I believe nearly every industry and brand will supplement AI-generated images and video into their ads.

The Big Picture: Bodyarmor's AI-generated Super Bowl ad symbolizes the growing trend of brands utilizing AI in advertising, challenging the boundaries between real and artificial while sparking debates on the effectiveness and ethics of AI in marketing. This trend marks a significant shift in the advertising industry, as companies explore the innovative and sometimes unsettling possibilities of generative AI.