
7 Min
Welcome to AI News by Lab51. This week’s highlights include a class-action lawsuit against OpenAI over data usage, Neko Health raising $65 million for AI body scanning, Valve addressing ban claims on AI-generated games, OpenAI launching a specialised team to safeguard against rogue AI, and Inflection AI’s $1.3 billion funding for Chatbot Pi development.
A California-based law firm has recently filed a class-action lawsuit against OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company known for its popular chatbot ChatGPT. The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI has massively violated the copyrights and privacy of countless individuals by using data scraped from the internet without their consent to train its technology.
The lawsuit seeks to test a novel legal theory. It claims that OpenAI has infringed upon the rights of millions of internet users by utilizing their social media comments, blog posts, Wikipedia articles, and even family recipes.
Ryan Clarkson, managing partner of the Clarkson law firm, stated that they aim to represent “real people whose information was stolen and commercially misappropriated to create this very powerful technology.” The case was officially filed in a federal court in the northern district of California.
This lawsuit raises a crucial question concerning the surge in “generative” AI tools like chatbots and image generators. These technologies ingest vast amounts of data from the open Internet and learn to make inferences from it. Consequently, “large language models” can generate responses, write poetry, engage in complex conversations, and even pass professional exams.
However, the individuals who created the billions of words used for training did not consent to OpenAI using their work for profit.
This class-action lawsuit adds to the growing list of legal challenges faced by companies involved in AI technology. OpenAI has been previously sued for defamation. Also, similar lawsuits have been filed against other companies, such as Microsoft and Stability AI.
Neko Health, a preventative healthcare startup co-founded by Spotify co-creator Daniel Ek, has recently secured $65 million in funding to advance its innovative approach to promoting wellness. The company’s core offering involves providing full-body scans that enable individuals to receive comprehensive health assessments, aiding in the early detection of potential health issues.
The funding will be instrumental in further developing Neko Health’s technology and expanding its operations. By leveraging advanced scanning techniques, the company aims to empower individuals to take proactive steps toward maintaining their well-being.
Neko Health’s full-body scans offer a non-invasive and detailed examination of a person’s overall health. These scans utilize cutting-edge imaging technology to capture a comprehensive view of various bodily systems and organs. By analyzing the gathered data, the company’s algorithms can identify potential abnormalities or early signs of health issues.
The recent funding round highlights the growing interest and support for innovative healthcare solutions focused on prevention rather than solely treating existing conditions. Neko Health’s approach aligns with the shift towards a proactive and personalized approach to healthcare, aiming to empower individuals to manage their health actively.
Valve, the renowned gaming company known for its popular platform Steam, has recently addressed allegations suggesting that it has imposed a ban on AI-generated games. In response to these claims, the company clarified its stance, emphasizing its openness to collaborating with developers who utilize AI technology in game development.
The initial allegations arose from a post by an indie developer in a subreddit. He claimed that Valve was no longer willing to publish games with AI-generated content. This situation revealed that Steam, like other app platforms, has a review and approval process. The guidelines on content can be ambiguous until developers test them with unique scenarios.
However, Valve has now clarified with its latest statement that it does not have a specific policy against AI-generated content on its platform. The company acknowledges AI’s potential to drive innovation and advance game development. However, AI-generated games come with unique challenges, such as quality control and user experience issues. Despite these concerns, Valve is open to collaborating with developers to address them.
Moreover, Valve stresses that it assesses games based on their merits and quality, regardless of whether they use traditional or AI methods. The company’s priority is to ensure that games on its platform meet player expectations and provide a high level of enjoyment.
OpenAI, the popular artificial intelligence research company, has announced the establishment of a specialized team dedicated to preventing the emergence of rogue AI. The team’s mission is to proactively address the potential risks associated with the development and deployment of artificial intelligence systems.
With the rapid advancement of AI technologies, concerns have arisen regarding the potential misuse or unintended consequences of AI. Examples of such alarms have come from renowned AI expert Geoffrey Hinton, often referred to as the “Godfather of AI,” and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI itself.
In response, the company is committed to leading in responsible AI development. Specifically, they are working to ensure AI systems include strong safety measures and ethical considerations.
Furthermore, the new team will focus on researching and applying methods to prevent harmful or malicious AI behavior. To achieve this, they will explore robust oversight, auditing, and monitoring techniques for AI models throughout their lifecycle.
OpenAI’s initiative aligns with broader efforts in the AI community to establish robust governance frameworks and ethical guidelines (e.g., the AI Act released in the EU). It reflects a growing recognition of the need to ensure that AI development proceeds responsibly and in the best interests of society.
Inflection AI, a prominent player in chatbot technology, has successfully raised $1.3 billion in a recent funding round. The funding was primarily focused on supporting the development and advancement of its flagship chatbot platform, Chatbot Pi.
Noteworthy investors spearheaded the funding round, underscoring the growing recognition and interest surrounding AI-powered chatbot solutions. Nvidia led the investment round, which was joined by billionaires Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn), Bill Gates (Microsoft), and Eric Schmidt (Google). This successful funding round valued Inflection at $4 billion, according to a credible source. Although co-founder and leader Mustafa Suleyman and other major shareholders retained their stakes, Inflection has chosen not to disclose further details or comments on the development.
The investment’s protagonist is Chatbot Pi, developed by Inflection AI. This advanced chatbot platform leverages AI and NLP to deliver enhanced conversational experiences. The platform aims to revolutionize customer interactions and streamline business operations by providing intelligent, automated conversational agents.
The company’s successful funding round will accelerate the development and deployment of its very own Chatbot Pi, which will allow Inflection AI to enhance its capabilities and expand its market reach.