Darren Aronofsky uses AI to create series with human voice actors

Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky has launched a series about the American Revolution that combines artificial intelligence tools with human voice talent. The project, titled “On This Day… 1776,” recreates key moments from America’s founding year. Todd Spangler reports for Variety that the series is produced by Primordial Soup, the AI studio Aronofsky established in 2024. The …

Read more

Apple acquires Israeli AI startup Q.ai for up to $2 billion

Apple has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli artificial intelligence startup specializing in audio technology and facial analysis. The deal values the company at between $1.5 billion and $2 billion, making it Apple’s second-largest acquisition after the $3 billion Beats purchase in 2014. Q.ai was founded in 2022 by Aviad Maizels, Yonatan Wexler, and Avi Barliya in …

Read more

UK regulator proposes opt-out rights for publishers from Google AI Overviews

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has proposed new measures allowing publishers to opt out of having their content used in Google’s AI Overviews without losing visibility in traditional search results. Robert Booth reports for The Guardian that media organisations have experienced declining click-through traffic and revenue since Google began displaying AI-generated summaries at the …

Read more

Google launches AI Plus subscription in 35 countries for $7.99 per month

Google has expanded its AI Plus subscription to 35 new countries and territories, including the United States. The service is now available everywhere Google AI plans are offered. AI Plus costs $7.99 per month in the US and positions itself between the free tier and the $19.99 AI Pro subscription. According to Google, the plan …

Read more

ElevenLabs releases album with Liza Minnelli and Art Garfunkel created using AI

ElevenLabs has launched “The Eleven Album,” featuring original music from established artists including Liza Minnelli and Art Garfunkel, created in collaboration with the company’s AI music generation system. The project marks one of the first large scale partnerships between artificial intelligence technology and professional musicians, Todd Spangler reports for Variety. The album features tracks across …

Read more

Scarlett Johansson and Cate Blanchett lead revolt against “AI slop”

Around 800 creatives have joined a new campaign to protest the unauthorized use of their work by artificial intelligence companies. Mia Sato reports for The Verge that authors, actors, and musicians are calling the practice “theft at a grand scale.” The coalition includes famous names like Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, and the band R.E.M. The …

Read more

Major creative platforms ban generative AI content

Bandcamp and San Diego Comic-Con have implemented strict policies against generative AI to protect human creators. These decisions follow growing pressure from artists who seek to maintain the value of original work. Both platforms have transitioned from flexible approaches to explicit bans on AI-generated submissions. Bandcamp now prohibits music produced wholly or substantially by AI. …

Read more

UK and Ireland move to criminalize AI-generated deepfakes

Governments in the United Kingdom and Ireland are taking legislative action to address the misuse of artificial intelligence in creating non-consensual images and voice recordings. The UK government is enforcing a law this week that makes it a criminal offense to create or request non-consensual intimate images. This move specifically targets tools like the Grok …

Read more

Apple ditches going solo: Google’s Gemini will power next-generation Siri

Apple and Google have announced a multi-year collaboration that will integrate Google’s Gemini models into Apple’s artificial intelligence infrastructure. The partnership will power future Apple Intelligence features, including an updated version of Siri expected to launch this year. According to a joint statement, Apple selected Google’s AI technology after “careful evaluation”. The next generation of …

Read more

Meta Pays Billions to Enter Enterprise AI Market with Manus Acquisition

Meta has acquired Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup, for more than $2 billion. The deal represents one of the first major acquisitions by a U.S. tech company of a startup with Chinese roots, according to the Wall Street Journal. Manus builds general-purpose AI agents that autonomously execute complex tasks such as market research, coding, data …

Read more