What's New In Consumer Tech World Last Week? News That You Should Know (May 19-May 25, 2024)

Zinger Key Points
  • OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wanted actress Scarlett Johansson to be the voice behind ChatGPT voice assistant.
  • Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says that AI should be viewed as a tool, not a human-like entity.

The European Council has given the final nod to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, a pioneering law that will establish global standards for AI regulation.

South Korea has announced a 26 trillion won ($19 billion) support package to keep its semiconductor sector competitive.

In the face of growing threats from China’s Xi Jinping administration, Taiwan’s new minister of science and technology, Wu Cheng-wen, is confident that the island’s most crucial company, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. TSM, will be able to protect its proprietary advanced technology as it expands overseas.

Also ReadJeff Bezos Was One Of Google’s Early Investors: Here’s How Much His $250K Investment Would Be Worth Today

China’s leading internet company Tencent TCEHY and AI firm iFlytek have significantly reduced the prices of their large-language models (LLMs).

Gaming

Microsoft Corp. MSFT Activision initiated the marketing campaign for “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” with the release of its first teaser.

Also ReadMarvel’s ‘What If…? – An Immersive Story’ To Debut On Apple Vision Pro: Here’s What Fans Can Expect On May 30

Sony Group Corp. SONY is developing a PlayStation mobile platform to join the $90 billion mobile gaming market. It also recently released a YouTube video titled "Sony’s Creative Entertainment Vision," offering a glimpse into what gaming might look like in the next decade.

RelatedGTA 5 And 11 Other Games Leaving PlayStation Plus Extra Tier In June

Nintendo ADR NTDOY has announced the acquisition of Shiver Entertainment, the team responsible for the Nintendo Switch ports of popular games like “Hogwarts Legacy” and “Mortal Kombat 1.

Also ReadLarian Studios, Creator Of Baldur’s Gate 3, Launches Seventh Studio For ‘Very Ambitious’ RPGs

Tech

Nvidia Corp NVDA CEO Jensen Huang has highlighted the significance of the its partnership with Dell Technologies Inc. DELL in expanding the reach of its artificial intelligence technology.

RelatedJensen Huang Reveals That Demand For Nvidia GPUs Is ‘Just So Strong’ That Supply Takes A Hit

Also, Jensen Huang is upbeat about the latest Blackwell chips after it delivered better-than-expected results in the March 2024 quarter.

Also ReadWhile Jensen Huang Is Bullish About Nvidia’s Future, Report Says His $2.5 Trillion Booming AI Business Faces Challenges From Rivals And Market Dynamics

Samsung Electronics' latest high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips have reportedly failed the tests conducted by Nvidia for use in its AI processors. The failure is attributed to issues related to heat and power consumption.

LG Corporation is reportedly pausing its partnership with Meta Platforms Inc META to develop an extended reality (XR) device intended to compete with Apple Inc’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) Vision Pro headset, just three months after the joint venture was announced.

Microsoft is set to reveal new hardware and software for consumer devices at an event on its Redmond, Washington campus on Monday. Also, it unveiled a new feature for Windows 11 users during the Build developer conference called “Recall.” The feature will record and categorize user activities, allowing for easy retrieval.

ReadElon Musk Suggests Shifting ‘Consumer Desktops To Linux’ As Satya Nadella Promotes Microsoft’s New Windows AI Feature ‘Recall’ With Photographic Memory

Microsoft is set to kick off its annual Build developer conference this week, where the company will highlight its AI initiatives and new product launches. The company revealed Phi-3-vision, autonomous Copilot AI agents and GPT-4o integration on Azure for advanced AI.

Microsoft also introduced updates for Windows on Arm, Surface AI PCs and improvements to Microsoft Copilot AI.

RelatedSatya Nadella, Microsoft Leading’ AI Arms Race,’ Says Tech Bull Amid Redmond’s Slew Of New Copilot Announcements

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke about the company’s new AI-powered PCs, designed to outperform Apple’s MacBooks.

Also ReadWhy Nvidia’s Jensen Huang Won’t Slow Down: ‘…Everything Else Next To It Is Undesirable,’ Says CEO Of $2 Trillion Chip Empire

Microsoft President Brad Smith revealed that the company’s deal with UAE-backed AI firm G42 might involve transferring advanced AI technology.

ReadReal-World Data Questions Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai’s AI Success Claims As Users Clamor To Disable Google’s Feature

Social Media & Streaming Platform

ByteDance’s TikTok is trying out longer video uploads, allowing some users to post videos up to 60 minutes long. This feature, confirmed by TikTok to TechCrunch, is currently limited to a select group, with no immediate plans for a wider rollout.

ReadElon Musk, Who Acquired Twitter For $44B, Says Social Media Is Bad For Kids: ‘They’re Being Programmed By A Dopamine-Maximizing AI’

TikTok is reportedly planning to lay off a significant number of employees from its operations, content and marketing departments as it battles President Joe Biden’s new law forcing it to either divest or be banned.

Also Read: Twitter-Killer Bluesky Launches Direct Messaging Feature For Private Communication: Here’s How It Works

Netflix’s NFLX hit series “Baby Reindeer” could face potential legal action. According to Piers Morgan, this could be a “big problem” for the streaming platform, Richard Gadd, a comedian on whom the series is based and Clerkenwell Films, the producers.

Smartphone

Apple is set to unveil the iPhone 16 at its much-anticipated September event. Its new iPhone promises to redefine mobile technology, especially with significant advancements in its battery technology.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to feature a battery with increased energy density and a stainless steel housing. Also, the company has initiated a significant price reduction for its iPhone models in China, as it faces mounting competition from local rivals like Huawei Technologies Co.

RelatedApple’s iPhone 16 Pro Models To Ditch Blue For Rose Titanium — Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo Predicts New Color Options

Apple is preparing to request the dismissal of the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against the company.

RelatedElon Musk Endorses This Apple Product As ‘Great’ — And, No It’s Not iPhone Or Vision Pro

Apple is reportedly working on an upgraded version of its popular AirTag item tracker and plans to launch it in 2025.

Apple is contesting a $1.95 billion (1.8 billion euros) fine imposed by the European Union, which accuses the tech giant of undermining fair competition from music-streaming services like Spotify Technology SA SPOT.

Elon Musk

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been lauded for launching Starlink’s satellite internet service in Indonesia, a move aimed at enhancing connectivity in the country’s remote areas.

Also ReadElon Musk Is In A ‘League Of His Own,’ Says Steve Jobs And Tesla CEO’s Biographer: ‘He’s A Serial Tasker’

Musk has once again taken a swipe at Meta Platforms questioning the advertising choices of companies, including Walt Disney Co. DIS.

Elon Musk praised the accuracy of X’s Community Notes, highlighting their effectiveness in identifying misleading posts.

ReadDonald Trump Supporter Caitlyn Jenner Praises Elon Musk For His Stance On AI And Ways To Avoid A Nuclear Apocalypse: ‘I Love This Guy’

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has emphasized that artificial intelligence should be viewed as a tool, not a human-like entity.

Also Read‘Universal Basic Income Was A Good Idea’: AI ‘Godfather’ Geoffrey Hinton Warns Of Job Losses And Extinction-Level Threat From Tech

Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has formed a new advisory council to provide guidance on the company’s AI and technological advancements.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wanted actress Scarlett Johansson to be the voice behind the company’s ChatGPT voice assistant, reaching out to her last September but she declined the offer for personal reasons, the actress said in a statement.

Related: ‘Obviously A Ripoff:’ Elon Musk Slams OpenAI For Mimicking Scarlett Johansson In GPT-4o: They Were ‘Literally Bragging About It’

Scarlett Johansson hired “legal counsel” against OpenAI for allegedly replicating her voice using artificial intelligence technology.

RelatedScarlett Johansson Gets Backing From Actors Union In AI Voice Dispute With OpenAI

OpenAI has decided to release the majority of its former employees from non-disparagement agreements linked to their exit contracts and equity.

OpenAI’s AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT, which is currently unavailable in China, appears to have a new rival in the Asian country. China’s top internet regulator has introduced a large language model based on President Xi Jinping’s political philosophy.

The future of Humane Inc., a startup once seen as a potential rival to the iPhone, is now uncertain. The company is reportedly exploring a sale following a lackluster reception of its AI hardware product.

ReadBarack Obama: The First US Muslim President? Google’s AI Overview Faces Backlash For Describing Ex-President As Such

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