Jerry Adams may take legal action against Meta for reportedly using his book to train artificial intelligence

Former President Sinn Fair Jerry Adams is contemplating legal action against Meta for potentially using his book to train artificial intelligence.

Adams claims that Meta, and other tech companies, have incorporated several books, including his own, into a collection of copyrighted materials for developing AI systems. He stated, “Meta has utilized many of my books without obtaining my consent. I have handed the matter over to lawyers.”

On Wednesday, Sinn Féin released a statement listing the titles that were included in the collection, which contained a variety of memoirs, cookbooks, and short stories, including Adams’ autobiography “Before the Dawn: Prison Memoirs, Cage 11; Reflections on the Peace Process, Hope, and History in Northern Ireland.”

Adams joins a group of authors who have filed court documents against Meta, accusing the company of approving the use of Library Genesis, a “shadow library” known as Libgen, to access over 7.5 million books.

The authors, which include well-known names such as Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jacqueline Woodson, Andrew Sean Greer, Junot Díaz, and Sarah Silverman, have alleged that Meta executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, knew that Libgen contained pirated material.

Authors have identified numerous titles from Libgen that Meta may have used to train its AI system, Llama, according to a report by the Atlantic Magazine.

The Authors Association has expressed outrage over Meta’s actions, with Chair Vanessa Fox O’Laurin stating that Meta’s actions are detrimental to writers as it allows AI to replicate creative content without permission.

Novelist Richard Osman emphasized the importance of respecting copyright laws, stating that permission is required to use an author’s work.

In response to the allegations, a Meta spokesperson stated that the company respects intellectual property rights and believes that using information to train AI models is lawful.

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Last year, Meta launched an open-source AI app called Llama, a large language model similar to other AI tools such as Open Ai’s ChatGpt and Google’s Gemini. Llama is trained on a vast dataset to mimic human language and computer coding.

Adams, a prolific author, has written a variety of genres and has been identified as one of the authors in the Libgen database. Other Northern Ireland authors listed in the database include Jan Carson, Lynne Graham, Deric Henderson, and Anna Burns as reported by BBC.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Reportedly, Chinese officials are discussing selling TikTok in the US to Elon Musk.

Reports suggest that Chinese authorities have initiated discussions regarding the potential sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to billionaire Elon Musk if the app cannot avoid a ban. Authorities prefer TikTok to remain under the control of Chinese parent company ByteDance but are exploring other options, including a sale to Musk.

A TikTok spokesperson dismissed the report as “pure fiction” and reiterated the company’s stance of not selling its U.S. operations. TikTok has become one of the largest social networks globally, surpassing other popular platforms in app downloads and user numbers.

Concerns over potential Chinese influence led to U.S. lawmakers passing a bill requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok’s platform or face a ban. The Supreme Court has also mandated a decision on TikTok in the U.S. by January 19th.

The report suggests that TikTok’s U.S. operations could be sold through a competitive process or a government deal, indicating ByteDance may no longer have sole control over TikTok’s future. Chinese government involvement in ByteDance gives rise to regulatory concerns.

One scenario proposes Musk’s social media platform X taking control of TikTok US jointly, although no final agreement has been reached yet. Details regarding ByteDance’s awareness of discussions and Musk’s involvement remain unclear.

A sale to Musk would grant him greater influence over the U.S. information ecosystem, following his acquisition of Twitter and subsequent rebranding. Concerns over regulatory scrutiny and big tech censorship have also been raised.

If TikTok faces a ban, users may express concerns, as seen in jest from popular influencer Mr.Beast. TikTok has clarified government investment does not impact its global operations outside of China.

There has been no immediate response from Musk, Mr. X, Chinese authorities, or Commerce Ministry to requests for comments.

Source: www.theguardian.com

US Authorities Reportedly Considering Breaking Up Google After Ruling of Illegal Monopoly

The Justice Department is weighing various options, including the breakup of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, with a reported market capitalization of approximately $2 trillion, following a court ruling that tech giants monopolized the online search market illegally. The New York Times and Bloomberg News.

According to reports, one of the potential remedies frequently discussed by Justice Department lawyers is the sale of the Android operating system.

Authorities are also reportedly exploring options such as forcing the sale of Google’s search advertising program, AdWords, and its Chrome web browser.

A spokesman for the Justice Department stated that they are assessing the court’s decision and will determine the appropriate next steps in compliance with the court’s directives and applicable antitrust laws.

No decision has been made yet, as per a spokesman, and Google declined to comment. Google intends to appeal the ruling and faces a separate antitrust trial filed by the Department of Justice next month.

Other potential measures being considered by the Justice Department include mandating Google to share data with competitors and implementing safeguards to prevent unfair advantages with its AI products, according to sources familiar with the matter.

In the recent trial outcome, it was revealed that Google had paid over $26 billion in 2021 to secure agreements with companies like Apple to maintain its search engine as the default option on Safari, leading to monopoly allegations and anti-competitive practices, as ruled by the judge.

Following the judge’s ruling, rival search engine DuckDuckGo proposed banning exclusive agreements of this nature.

The ruling, issued last week, found Google in violation of antitrust laws and spending billions to establish an illegal monopoly that cemented its position as the global default search engine. This ruling marks a significant win for federal regulators challenging the dominance of tech giants in the market.

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In the last four years, federal antitrust regulators have sued Meta Platforms Inc., Amazon.com Inc., and Apple Inc. for allegedly maintaining monopolies unlawfully.

In 2004, Microsoft reached a settlement with the Department of Justice over claims that it compelled Windows users to use its Internet Explorer web browser.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elon Musk and Donald Trump to reportedly meet during fundraiser

According to The New York Times, former Republican President Donald Trump sought significant funding for his re-election bid by meeting with billionaire Elon Musk in Florida over the weekend.

Trump held talks with Musk, who is among the wealthiest individuals globally, along with various affluent Republican donors on Sunday. The Times reported that he is scheduled to have a one-on-one discussion with Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, as well as the owner and executive chairman of X, formerly known as Twitter.

Requests for comments from Reuters to Musk and the Trump campaign have not been immediately responded to.

In an attempt to enhance his presidential campaign after recent financial setbacks from legal cases, President Trump is looking to secure more major contributors, as per The Times.

Although Musk has not confirmed his financial support for Trump, he previously indicated his disapproval of incumbent Joe Biden and hinted at not wanting him to win a second term in a social media post following the 2020 election defeat.

While Musk has aimed to stay politically neutral, he previously revealed his vote for Biden in 2020 but has since criticized and clashed with the administration.

The White House condemned Musk’s tweets as allegedly showing anti-Semitism last year, and Musk’s mother accused the president of obstructing his plans for global betterment.

In light of his priorities to defeat the president, Musk, with an estimated net worth of $200 billion, holds a significant financial advantage over Trump in the upcoming 2024 general election campaign, as noted by Forbes.

Financial disclosures from the Federal Election Commission revealed a decrease in Trump’s cash reserves while Biden’s campaign reported an increase, giving him a more sizable financial backing.

This report includes contributions from Reuters.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Spotify reportedly seals new deal with Joe Rogan potentially worth $250 million

Spotify Technology announced a new multi-year deal with comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan on Friday, with the goal of leveraging the show’s popularity to increase advertising revenue.

The estimated $250 million multi-year deal with Rogan includes a guaranteed minimum upfront payment and a revenue-sharing agreement based on ad sales. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the company declined to confirm the terms of the deal, but stated that the reported value was incorrect.

The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast, which premiered in 2009, has been exclusively available on Spotify since 2020 and is promoted as the most listened to podcast globally.

Spotify also announced plans to make Joe Rogan’s show available on other platforms, including Apple, Amazon, and YouTube.

Joe Rogan interviews prominent politicians, businessmen, and celebrities on his podcast, such as director Quentin Tarantino, singer Miley Cyrus, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

The Sweden-based company is focused on increasing advertising revenue on its platform through the Spotify Audience Network, an advertising marketplace for podcast publishers and creators.

“Since podcasts became exclusive to Spotify, overall podcast consumption on the platform has increased by 232%,” the company stated, noting that revenue from the previous year had risen by 80% compared to 2021.

Spotify first introduced podcasts in 2015 and has since made significant investments in the medium. It acquired podcast networks Gimlet Media and Anchor FM in 2019 and secured exclusive contracts with reality TV star Kim Kardashian and former US President Barack Obama. However, the company has since scaled back its ambitions and laid off 200 Gimlet Media employees.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Apple is reportedly exploring AI partnerships with news publishers and is prepared to offer substantial financial incentives.

In recent weeks, Apple has begun negotiations with major news and publishing organizations seeking permission to use their material in the development of its generative artificial intelligence systems, as reported by The New York Times on Friday. The iPhone maker is offering a multi-year deal worth at least $50 million to license its news article archives, the report said, citing people familiar with the discussions. Media outlets contacted by Apple include Condé Nast, publisher of Vogue and The New Yorker, NBC News, and IAC, which owns People, The Daily Beast, and Better Homes and Gardens, according to the New York Times. Tim Cook’s Apple is reportedly offering a multi-year deal worth at least $50 million to license its archives of news articles. According to reports, some publishers contacted by Apple were tepid about the proposal. Apple did not respond to Reuters‘ request for comment. Leading technology companies are actively investing in integrating generative AI. Apple, on the other hand, used this technology to improve the basic functionality of its new gadgets. Media outlets contacted by Apple include Condé Nast, Vogue, and The New Yorker. Apple also announced new MacBook Pro and iMac computers and three new chips to power them in October, making chatbots and other creations constrained by the amount of data they can hold in a computer’s memory. It was emphasized that these can be used by many artificial intelligence researchers.

Source: nypost.com

Reliance reportedly nearing agreement to purchase Disney’s India operations

Reliance is reportedly close to agreeing to buy Disney’s India operations as Mukesh Ambani’s oil telecom empire looks to expand its digital and television assets.

Disney values ​​its India operations at about $10 billion, while Reliance pegs its assets at $7 billion to $8 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. According to the report, a deal could be signed and announced as early as next month.

Reliance said in an earlier statement that the company is constantly evaluating properties for acquisition.

In 2019, Disney acquired 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets for $71.3 billion, a move that was significantly strengthened by the addition of Star India.

The deal was critical to Disney’s global streaming expansion, giving Disney broadcast and streaming rights to Indian Premier League cricket matches, a number of multilingual television channels, and an interest in a Bollywood film production company. At the time of acquisition, Star’s Hotstar had approximately 150 million monthly active users.

Hotstar dominated India’s video streaming world for several more quarters, but its popularity grew after Reliance-backed Viacom18 secured five-year rights to stream IPL cricket matches for about $3 billion, and the situation has since changed. became tapered. Disney paid $3 billion for the same five-year rights to air the content on television.

Reliance has poached a number of top leadership and engineering talent to strengthen JioCinema over the past year, bringing premium content from HBO and NBC to its on-demand streaming service.

Disney’s Hotstar, which lost around 20 million subscribers this year as consumers flocked to JioCinema to watch IPL matches, has turned to the ongoing Cricket World Cup in hopes of winning back customers. Streaming for free to mobile viewers. Earlier this month, the Disney Streamer app took back the global on-demand video streaming record from JioCinema when a cricket match drew 35 million concurrent viewers. During Sunday’s India vs. New Zealand match, concurrent viewership jumped to 43 million viewers, breaking its own record.

Source: techcrunch.com