Tech Brew Ride Home - Fri. 12/29 – The Media Industry’s Delicate Dance With AI

Episode Date: December 29, 2023

OpenAI has been talking to everybody in media, it turns out. But how would a partnership turn out for media? Google settles another big lawsuit. The first of the gadget announces for CES season have begun. Can Xiaomi do with cars what it did with cellphones? And the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: Robinhood.com/ride Links: Inside the News Industry’s Uneasy Negotiations With OpenAI (NYTimes) Google agrees to settle Chrome incognito mode class action lawsuit (ArsTechnica) LG’s new ultra-lightweight Gram laptops include some OLED screens and AI Boost (The Verge) EXCLUSIVE: Microsoft readies 'next-gen' AI-focused Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 with Arm chips and design upgrades for 2024 (Windows Central) Xiaomi Unveils Its First EV, With Ambition to Be China’s Porsche or Tesla (Bloomberg) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The Most Secretive Longevity Lab Finally Opens Its Doors (Bloomberg Businessweek) Lab-grown diamonds go luxury — and rock the industry (Axios) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On April 4th, 2023, around 2 in the morning, a man was found stabbed multiple times on a sidewalk in downtown San Francisco. Hey, who did this to you? What happened next turned the story into a political firestorm. Reports have identified the victim as Bob Lee, the founder of Cash App. From Bloomberg Podcasts, this is Foundering, the Killing of Bob Lee, beginning April 16. Welcome to the Tech meme right home for Friday, December 29th, 2023. I'm Brian McCullough today. OpenAI has been talking to everybody in media, it turns out, but how would a partnership turn out for media? Google settles another big lawsuit, the first of the gadget announces for CES season, have begun. Can Jiammy do with cars what it did with cell phones and the weekend long read suggestions? Here's what you miss today in the world of tech. Sources say OpenAI has held talks with major news publishers, including Gannett, News Corp, and IAC on the price in terms of licensing their content. Again, expect to hear a lot of this in the coming months. The web is sort of tapped out as a source of training data for AI companies.

What with the web getting flooded with AI generated content, sort of an Oroboros situation. So, Open AI and others need higher quality training content. Ironically, the bots. need us, need humanity to evolve further, quoting The Times, which remember is currently suing OpenAI. The Times said that before suing, it had been talking with the company for months about a deal, and it was not alone. Other news organizations, including Gannett, the largest U.S. newspaper company, News Corp, the owner of the Wall Street Journal, and IAC, the digital colossus behind the Daily Beast and the magazine publisher dot-dash Meredith, have been in talks with OpenAI, said three people familiar with the negotiations who requested anonymity to discuss.

the confidential talks. The News Media Alliance, which represents more than 2,200 news organizations in North America, has also been talking with OpenAI about coming up with a framework for a deal that would suit its members, a person familiar with the talk said. Microsoft, which is OpenAI's biggest investor and is incorporating OpenAI's technology into its products, has held talks as well. We've had thoughtful conversations with a number of publishers and look forward to future discussions, said Frank Shaw, a spokesman for Microsoft. Nearly a dozen publishing executives and media business experts say the talks have been complicated by the rapid development of artificial intelligence applications in the marketplace, which has raised thorny issues for the future of the

media industry. News publishers have had precarious relations with tech companies since losing much of their traditional advertising business to newcomers like Google and Facebook more than a decade ago, and publishing executives are wary of selling their content too cheaply. I think part of the reason news organizations are now looking so carefully at OpenAI is because they have 20 years of history, indicating that if we're not careful, we'll give away the keys to the kingdom, said Andrew Moores, the publisher of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the flagship newspaper of Cox Media Group, which is not in talks with Open AI. There is also fear that artificial intelligence applications may provide inaccurate information, citing their articles, damaging

the company's credibility. We've been through a period of a decade of misinformation and disinformation, and that was pre-AI, said Ken Doctor, a media analyst and entrepreneur. Now with AI on the scene, we are just at the dawn. of the age where anyone has the ability to further and multiply misinformation and disinformation, and that, of course, terrifies news publishers, end quote. Yeah, that's the other angle to all of this. Is this a chance for rebirth for traditional media, or is this the actual literal nail in the coffin for media, as we've known it, for at least 250 years? Again, I really think this flurry of legal stuff these last few weeks is related to the year ending, sort of let's get this stuff

off our books. Here's another one. Google has agreed to settle a 2020 class action lawsuit accusing the company of tracking and tying activity in Chrome's incognito mode to users' profiles, quoting ours, Technica. Arriising in the Northern District of California, the lawsuit accused Google of continuing to track, collect, and identify users' browsing data in real time, even when they had opened a new incognito window. The lawsuit filed by Florida resident William Bayett and California residents Chassam Brown and Maria Gwen accused Google of violating wiretap laws. It also alleged that sites using Google Analytics or Ad Manager collected information from browsers in incognito mode, including web page content, device data, and IP address.

The plaintiffs also accused Google of taking Chrome user's private browsing activity and then associating it with their already existing user profiles. Google initially attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed by pointing to the message displayed when users turned on Chrome's incognito mode, that warned users that their activity, quote, might still be visible to websites you visit. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers rejected Google's bid for summary judgment in August, pointing out that Google never revealed to its users that data collection continued even while surfing in incognito mode. Google's motion hinges on the idea that plaintiffs consented to Google collecting their data while they were browsing in private mode. Rogers ruled because Google never explicitly told users that it does so, the court cannot find as a matter of law that users explicitly consented to the

at-issue data collection, end quote. According to the notice filed on Tuesday, Google and the plaintiffs have agreed to terms that will result in the litigation being dismissed. The agreement will be presented to the court by the end of January, with the court giving final approval by the end of February, end quote. One thing the new year means is CES is just around the corner. Every year, some folks try to dribble out product announcements ahead of time to get a jump on things, and here you go. LG has debuted new Graham and Graham Pro laptops. That's their ultimate. ultra-light laptop line ahead of CES 2024. The processors in the pro lineup include Intel's AI

Boost NPU hardware for on-device AI tasks. Quoting the verge. For 2024, there's the Graham Pro 16 and 17 and the LG Graham Pro 2 and 1, more on what those two things are later. The Graham Pro 16 is available in either the standard wide quad or with an OLED display, as well as the 2-1. The 2-1 doubles as a laptop and a tablet featuring a touchscreen, a 360-degree adjustable hinge, and a chargeable wireless pen. All are equipped with NVME PCI-E 4.0 SSDs, NvidiaG, Force R-TX-30-50 graphics cards, and an FHD webcam with facial recognition. Just like the LG Gram, you'll have your choice of Intel Core Ultra-5 or Intel Core Ultra-7 processors for the LGGGM pro models. In the pro lineup, the processors include Intel's AI- Boost NPU hardware to

accelerate AI task process locally on the device. The standard LG Gram series will be available in four different screen sizes, 14, 15, 16, and 17 inches, and include Intel Core Ultra processors. All of them include built-in full-hd cameras, making the smaller ones particularly handy for unexpected Zoom calls during work travel, but even the larger ones weigh less than your lightest pair of dumbbells. The full lineup ranges from 2.42 to 2.98 pounds. The two largest ones boast a 2,560 by 1,600 display, making them more suitable for watching videos, extended reading on the internet, or photo editing. All the new LGgram models include the LGgram link app, which the company says will enable file sharing, photo transfers, and screen mirroring between your computer and Android

or iOS devices. The app will use AI to categorize your photos as well as make image searches easier through keywords, end quote. On device AI, expect that to be the big new marketing angle for all sorts of gadgets this year. For example, Windows Central says Microsoft is writing a Surface Pro 10 and a Surface laptop 6 for spring of 2024 with Intel and Arm variants, improved designs, and next-gen AI powered whatever. Quoting Zach Bowden. According to my sources, Microsoft is working on significant updates to its Surface Pro and Surface laptop lines, which sources say will feature significant upgrades with improved designs,

new features, and next-gen-gen-gen-in the form of Intel 14th Gen and Qualcomm X-Series chips. I hear the new devices will be announced in the spring and will be marketed as Microsoft's first true next-gen AI PCs. For the first time, both Surface Pro and Surface laptop will be available in Intel and Arm flavors, and both will have NextGen NPUs or Neuroprocessing Unit Silicon. Sources are particularly excited about the arm variants, which I understand will be powered by a custom version of Qualcomm's new StapDragad X series chips. Internally, Microsoft is calling next generation arm devices powered by Qualcomm's new chips. Cadmus PCs, these PCs are purpose-built for the next version of Windows, code named Hudson Valley, and will utilize many of the upcoming NextGen AI experiences Microsoft is building into the 2024 release of Windows.

Specifically, Microsoft touts Cadmus PCs as being genuinely competitive with Apple Silicon, sporting similar battery life performance and security. The NextGen Surface Pro and Surface laptop are expected to be some of the first Cadmus PCs to ship next year in preparation for the Hudson Valley release. lease coming later in 2024. So what's changing with the Surface laptop 6? I'm told this new surface laptop will finally have an updated design with thinner bezels, rounded display corners, and more ports. This will be the first time that Microsoft Surface laptop line is getting a design refresh, which is well overdue. The Surface laptop 6 will again be available in two sizes.

However, I'm told that the smaller model will have a slightly larger 13.8 inch display up from 13.5 inches on the Surface laptop 5. Sources say the larger model remains at 15 inches. The next Surface Pro is also shaping into a big update, although not as drastic as the Surface laptop 6, according to my sources, the most significant changes coming to Surface Pro 10 are mostly related to its display, which sources say is now brighter with support for HDR content, has a new anti-reflective coating to reduce glare, and now also sports-rounded display corners.

Beyond 2024, my sources say that Microsoft is working on a more. significant design update for the Surface Pro line that targets a late 2025 release window. It's too early to know what exactly will be different with it, but sources say the company is toying with an 11-inch Surface Pro model that would ship alongside the standard 13-inch one, end quote. Jaume, the Chinese company best known for making smartphones, has unveiled the SU7, its first ever electric vehicle. And I found this interesting because the company says its aim is to become a top global carmaker in 15 to 20 years, which CEO Lejeune calls his final entrepreneurial bet. Quoting Bloomberg. The SU7, which stands for Speed Ultra, rolled onto a stage at the China National

Convention Center in Beijing, with no drivers visible, ending a presentation by CEO and co-founder Lejeune in front of thousands of people. Leigh spent hours detailing the car's features, which include a range of up to 800 kilometers or 500 miles on a single charge, adjustable spoilers, unique colors, and a top speed of 265 kilometers an hour. The five-seat sedan will be powered by batteries from Chinese market leaders, contemporary amperex technology, and BYD, depending on whether it has a single or dual motor configuration. Jaume's EV4A is a $10 billion wager by Leigh that his company can shake up the transport sector much as it did smartphones a decade ago. Lai, also a prolific venture investor, has called it his final entrepreneurial bet. Xiaomi's goal is to make a dream car

that is as good as Porsche and Tesla. Nice at Thursday at the launch event, end quote. Final weekend, long reads of the year. First up, we've been speaking about Sam Altman's side bets in terms of his investing, sometimes making people angry. I think he has a fusion company he's invested in, among other things, but one of his biggest bets is retro biosciences, which Altman apparently invested $180 million in.

What does retro biosciences do? Well, until now we didn't know. know, but it's actually quite big, quoting Bloomberg Business Week. The company Betts LaCroix started alongside the scientist Matt Buckley and Sheng Ding is called Retro Bioc Sciences Incorporated and has a pitch that's as ambitious as Silicon Valley gets. It wants to give every human 10 additional years of healthy, vigorous life. To pull this off and pull it off quickly, Retro has eschewed a number of biotechnology startup traditions. Most notably, instead of chasing a single super-promising compound or treatment, it's decided to pursue

five tracks of research at the same time. It's a high-risk, costly strategy made possible only by the company's unusual backing. Retro has raised $180 million from one investor. Sam Altman, OpenAI Incorporated's co-founder and recently ousted and de-austed chief executive officer. Once upon a time, Altman and Betts LaCroix had, in fact, discussed starting a smaller longevity technology-focused company around a single therapy. But the more they talk, the more they became excited by other things too. Usually in this field, you get to pick one idea and spend nine years on it, and then at the end, maybe it works and maybe it doesn't, Betts LeCroix says. Sam was willing to do something different and throw lots of money at a bunch of things in parallel.

Betz LeCroy describes Altman's support as lucky, freaking awesome and cool, which is what anyone given $180 million to pursue their hopes and dreams should say. Retro has operated in secrecy for most of its two-year existence, and this marks the first time the company has talked about its work in detail and opened its offices and last. laboratories for perusal. The company of about 50 people has small teams shooting for breakthroughs in autophagy, the removal of damaged cells, the rejuvenation of blood plasma, and three research programs tied to what biotech industry calls partial cell reprogramming. Cell reprogramming is a process proven out in numerous animal experiments in which the cells of an older creature can be treated

with a combination of proteins or molecules and turned into much younger cells. Based on Nobel prize-winning science, it's something retro and a handful of other startups consider the most promising longevity technology to yet appear, end quote. And for years, I've been hearing about lab-grown diamonds, but until now, I didn't know they have actually become a big thing. Such a big thing, in fact, that they've been driving the cost of all diamonds down, quoting Axios. As lab diamonds have gained popularity, the cost of all diamonds has dropped. About 63% of independent jewelers in the U.S. sell lab diamonds, which is up from 58% a year ago, according to a recent survey by trade publication in store.

In 2018, the FTC determined that lab-grown diamonds are diamonds, according to the Gemological Institute of America, which grades diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds have the same chemical and physical properties as natural diamonds. GIA stopped calling lab-grown diamonds synthetic in 2019. Meanwhile, jeweler Jean Doucette, the great-great-grandson of Louis Cartier, sees an opportunity, luxury lab-grown diamonds. He spent his career in natural diamonds, but this year opened a bespoke lab diamond show. room in West Hollywood. In his view, making designer diamonds, quote, hasn't taken anything away from

the mystique and beauty of diamonds. It just reset the price scale. The endeavor came out of Doucette's frustration with the idea that buyers often had to compromise with diamond purchases because of stone scarcity, cost or both. At his eponymous showroom, Doucette sells engagement rings with designer lab diamonds ranging from one to more than 18 carrots for $1,000 to $76,000 before the settings, end quote. So this is the final new show of the year. I will be taking Monday off for the holiday. Happy New Year to everyone listening. In the intervening days, I'll be releasing more Internet History podcast back catalog episodes to keep you company. So look for those. And I'll talk to you again on Tuesday in the year 2024.