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- #64 Zoom is using call data to train AI
With over 300 million daily meeting participants, Zooms’ role in many of our lives is far more prominent than many of us would like. Regardless, they’re jumping aborad the AI express, but their T&Cs about what they do with the data they collect from our calls aren’t as straightforward as we’d hoped.
In today’s newsletter:
Hottest stories: Zoom’s contradictions, the growing AI bubble, and Dungeon & Dragons, oh my!
TL;DR Rundown: Warren Buffets secret stocks, Chinese robotaxis, and AI chips are the bottleneck
Tool of the day: Self-reflection for personal growth
Free resources: Academic you
HOTTEST STORIES
Today’s biggest stories if you’re in a rush
Zoom, the video conferencing software company, recently updated its Terms of Service to clarify its policies on training AI on user data. The update sparked outrage on the influential forum Hacker News over the weekend, as the company’s legal documents state that Zoom reserves the right to train AI on user data without explicit permission. However, Zoom’s Chief Product Officer Smita Hashim published a blog post on Monday morning stating that the company does not use audio, video, or chat content for training its AI models without customer consent.
The takeaway here is crystal clear. As AI gets more intertwined in our daily grind, companies need to be super clear about how they're using our data. We're talking full transparency. No gray areas. Users deserve to know and have a say.
Zoom’s recent dance with its terms? A timely reminder that in the world of tech, clear communication isn't just a nicety; it's a necessity. Clear up the fog, and keep the trust.
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Silicon Valley's buzzing, and it's not just from the espresso shots. Whispers of an AI bubble are getting louder. Suddenly, every kid with a startup's waving the 'We do AI!' banner, and chatbots are swimming in billions of investment dollars. But the real question: are people still buying what they're selling?
Take OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot, for instance. This shiny toy sprinted to 100 million users in just three months. For perspective? TikTok took nine months, and Instagram lounged around for 2½ years to hit the same mark. Impressive, right?
But here’s the catch: the AI gold rush has Valley veterans raising eyebrows. We’ve been on this rollercoaster of hype before, and the final destination isn't always Disneyland. So, where does AI fit on this thrill ride? Jury's still out.
The bottom line? While AI's poised to flip many industries on their head, it pays to be a discerning investor. Sure, there's gold in them hills, but not every shiny thing is a nugget. Do your homework, and tread wisely.
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Roll for insight: Dungeons & Dragons is diving into a modern-day plot twist. An artist for their latest spellbook, Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants!, just spilled the beans on X (you might remember it as Twitter) about a little AI magic in their artwork. Ilya Shkipin confessed that AI gave some of his painted wonders a bit of a boost. Sure, it wasn't a full-on AI conjuration – more like a sprinkle of enchantment. Yet, those AI touches made it to the book, and eagle-eyed fans noticed there wasn’t a whisper about it on the pages.
The big twist? The D&D overlords at Wizards of the Coast seemed blindsided. Insiders say they had zero clue about Shkipin’s sidekick (read: AI). They've vouched that the book’s text is 100% human-crafted, and are now scrambling to spell-proof their guidelines against future AI surprises.
The whole saga's got everyone mulling: In the realm of art, if AI’s wielding the brush, even just a bit, do we have a right to know?
GIVE US A CLICK AND TAKE YOUR PICK
A gentleman’s agreement
TL;DR RUNDOWN
Listicle of what else is happening today
Travel scam: As if there aren’t enough scams already - now we’ve got AI-generated guidebooks filling Amazon’s shelves, some with accurate information, some with utter nonsense. Stick with the Lonely Planet.
Merovingian fear: Lambert Wilson, the Paris-born actor who played the rouge computer program The Merovingian in The Matrix Reloaded, says he has himself always feared AI. He tells us why here.
AI professionalism: Asian student asks AI to create a “professional” profile picture of her selife for LinkedIn, and gets, well…something different.
Bottlenecks: A shortage of powerful AI chips is already causing problems in the AI industry.
Medically unprepared: A recent study shows that despite AI becoming an integral part of medical decision-making, physicians are woefully unprepared for how AI will transform medicine and medical best-practice.
AI.com: Elon Musk now owns the URL AI.com. Interestingly, it used to belong to OpenAI. Elon’s at it again.
App rush: All the apps and add-ons you can think of are rushing to integrate AI somehow - but they aren’t helping anyone.
Pony taxis: Pony.ai and Toyota have teamed up to mass produce robotaxis in China, backed with $139M in capital from GAC Toyota Motor Co. The future is a bad time to be a rickshaw driver.
Warren Buffet: 47% of Warren Buffet’s $375B portfolio is invested in 3 AI stocks…hint hint.
TOOL OF THE DAY
AI tools we’ve used, loved, and recommend above all others
Today’s tool is jung.gpt.com.
Self-reflection and being honest with oneself are the basis of personal development and robust mental health - but it’s hard. Emotional Reflection Tools (ERFs) help you dive into your feelings, instigating profound discussions and consistently presenting thought-provoking queries for your contemplation and self-growth. Definitely worth a look.
FREE RESOURCES
Stuff that might help
Proper academic research isn’t what it once was - wading through printed PDFs of peer-reviewed journals with a highlighter and post-it notes.
It’s a hell of a lot easier with Google, and even easier with this list of “The Best AI Tools to Power Your Academic Research.”
Whether you’ve got a paper due, a project to complete, or just want to DYOR, these tools will get you the answer you need, with the sources to back it up.
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