Welcome to The Week in Generative AI, a weekly roundup for marketers from Quad Insights that sums up the latest news surrounding this rapidly evolving technology.
Google fined $270 million in France over AI training
Google was just fined €250 million (roughly $270 million) by France’s competition authority over copyright protections for news publishers’ content, TechCrunch’s Natasha Lomas and Romain Dillet report. According to Autorité de la Concurrence, the tech giant disregarded some of its prior commitments to publishers, Lomas and Dillet note, adding that the decision focuses on Google’s use of publishers’ copyrighted content to train its generative AI model Gemini. “The competition authority has found fault with Google for failing to notify news publishers of this GenAI use of their copyrighted content,” Lomas and Dillet write.
See also: With this fine, legal developments surrounding AI continue to heat up, particularly in Europe. Last week, the European Union parliament passed the world’s first major act to regulate AI, as we noted in the previous edition of The Week in Generative AI.
Apple in discussions with Google to power iPhone AI features
Apple is in “active negotiations” with Google for a licensing deal to power iPhone AI features, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports. Per Gurman’s confidential sources, the deal would build Gemini AI — Google’s AI model — into new features coming with an iPhone software update as early as this year. Apple has also held discussions with OpenAI and has considered using its AI model for such a deal, according to Gurman’s sources.
The takeaway: An Apple-Google partnership could be a game-changer for the AI sector.
Nvidia launches new chips and software for AI models
During its developer conference on Monday, Nvidia announced a new generation of AI computer chips and software, looking to “solidify its position as the go-to supplier for AI companies,” CNBC’s Kif Leswing reports. The new wave of graphics processors, dubbed Blackwell, will be available later this year, Leswing notes, adding that a revenue-generating software called NIM was announced as well — a strategic shift for the AI chipmaker. “[Nvidia] is becoming less of a mercenary chip provider and more of a platform provider, like Microsoft or Apple, on which other companies can build software,” Leswing writes of Nvidia executives’ spin on the shift.
See also: With the explosion of large language models and AI training, demand for high-powered computer chips has soared, and Nvidia has reaped the rewards. In February, the chipmaker saw its market cap increase by $273 billion in one day, the largest single-day surge ever for any company on record, as we noted in a recent edition of “10 marketing, media and industry statistics to know now.”
Reddit’s sale of user data for AI training leads to FTC inquiry
ICYMI: As part of its recent IPO filing, Reddit disclosed an inquiry from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about its sale of user data to tech companies for the training of AI models, Wired’s Paresh Dave reports. In February, as part of its IPO push, Reddit announced data licensing agreements with Google and unspecified other companies that it projects will total over $200 million in coming years. Details of the FTC’s interest aren’t currently clear; however, with an increasing number of media and tech companies positioning their user generated content libraries as troves for AI large language model learning, closer interest from regulators seems likely.
See also: Presenting its AI data-licensing capabilities as a key revenue driver seems to have paid off for Reddit. Making its anticipated market debut on Thursday, Reddit’s IPO ended the day priced at the top of its projected range and shares ended trading up 48%, per Reuters.
Further reading
AI strategy:
AI tools and advancements:
- “xAI open sources Grok” (The Verge)
- “Microsoft debuts first Surface PCs with dedicated Copilot AI button” (CNBC)
- “AI generates high-quality images 30 times faster in a single step” (MIT News)
AI regulation:
- “United Nations adopts U.S.-led resolution to safely develop AI” (The Washington Post)
- “Tennessee becomes the first state to protect musicians and other artists against AI” (NPR)
AI trends:
- “How bracketologists are using artificial intelligence this March Madness” (The Associated Press)
- “‘As fast as possible but no faster than is safe’: Hospitals, tech companies confront AI governance” (Healthcare Dive)
- “10% of US workers are in jobs most exposed to artificial intelligence, White House says” (CNN)
