Film industry against AI video clips, criticism of AI companies by ex-employees

Disney is fighting back against a new AI software from TikTok owner ByteDance, which can generate realistic video clips, with a cease and desist letter. This is because AI video software has been getting better and better lately. However, Netflix shows no fear of AI. While AI can create cool action scenes, the art of storytelling is missing. Meanwhile, the boundaries of some employees are being crossed within AI companies. This includes Mrinank Sharma, who led an AI safety team at Anthropic and wants to dedicate himself to poetry after his resignation. He is the next ex-employee of AI companies with concerns. Shortly after, an AI researcher left OpenAI and publicly voiced criticism. This criticism is also echoed by the renowned cryptologist Bruce Schneier. While he sees AI's potential to make software safer, he warns against monopolies and calls for strong regulation, especially from the EU. He considers the Digital Markets Act, Digital Services Act, and AI Act to be good. In contrast, there is hardly any competition oversight in the USA at the moment -- the most important news in a brief overview.

Hollywood is taking action against a new AI software from TikTok owner ByteDance that can generate realistic video clips. Disney sent ByteDance a cease and desist letter regarding the AI model Seedance 2.0. The company pointed out that the AI-generated clips contained unauthorized characters from "Star Wars" and the Marvel superhero universe, among others. Seedance 2.0 had initially shocked the US film industry this week with an AI-generated video showing Hollywood superstars Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting on a rooftop. The industry as a whole is concerned that AI could displace human creativity, for example, because it is cheaper to generate scenes on a computer than to film them: Disney takes action against Bytedance after AI-generated Star Wars and Marvel clips.

However, AI companies are also being criticized by former employees. For instance, a senior AI safety researcher recently left Anthropic because he sees the world in danger. Mrinank Sharma justifies this cryptic warning not only with the development of AI but also with biological weapons and current global crises. In a farewell letter to colleagues after his resignation, he also mentions the pressure he felt within Anthropic, which would sideline what truly matters. He is not alone with these concerns. Just one day after Sharma's resignation, an AI researcher left OpenAI. She particularly criticized the newly introduced advertising on ChatGPT: AI security expert resigns from Anthropic and sees the world in danger.

AI companies are also being criticized by external experts, such as Bruce Schneier. He developed encryption algorithms and warned as early as 2007 about the non-random random number generator in the NIST standard Dual_EC_DRBG. At the same time, Schneier is one of the "techies" who have been advising for years to secure user safety through regulation and competition oversight. This applies to AI as well, says the Harvard researcher and author. Europe, he advises, must not weaken the newly established rules in this area. Because in the USA, there is hardly any competition oversight left, as money and politics are intertwined and the financial world does not want it. He therefore relies on the EU for Security through AI: Bruce Schneier warns of monopolies and calls for regulation.

The surface keyboard is a new feature for Meta Platforms' VR headset, introduced with Horizon OS 85. It is currently being rolled out gradually to users. According to the release notes, only Meta Quest 3 is supported. Quest 3S and older headsets remain excluded for now. As it is an experimental feature, you must first activate it in the settings under "Experimental." To use the surface keyboard, you need to place your hands flat on the desired surface. After a short scanning process, the flat outlines of the keyboard and touchpad appear on the table. Technically, it is a small masterpiece: How good is Meta's futuristic new input method, the surface keyboard?

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Permafrost, snow, and ice: The gas demand rises precisely in such a winter. The public and politicians have been sensitized since the reduction of gas supplies from Russia in 2021/22. "Gas storage is emptying rapidly faster and faster!" claim attention-grabbing videos on YouTube. On TikTok, X, and in Bild, panic is being stirred up: Will we all freeze to death? And who is to blame? In reality, things are not going smoothly this winter. If the winter is this cold, the Baltic Sea freezes over in places. This is a problem for energy supply. Recently, ships with LNG could not approach or leave the terminals because of this. However, the state points to sufficiently filled gas storage and sees no need for action. A commentary on this can be found in Missing Link: Gas supply – Between real problems and scaremongering.

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