You are here

  • Home
  • Meta previews generative AI tools planned for its platforms

Meta previews generative AI tools planned for its platforms

Meta said last month that it was working with a small group of advertisers to test tools that use AI for ad campaigns. (AFP/File)
Meta said last month that it was working with a small group of advertisers to test tools that use AI for ad campaigns. (AFP/File)
Short Url

https://arab.news/jbqf4

Updated 09 June 2023
Reuters
Follow

Meta previews generative AI tools planned for its platforms

Meta previews generative AI tools planned for its platforms
  • Tools include ChatGPT-like chatbots for Messenger and WhatsApp, text-based image editing and emoji sticker creation
Updated 09 June 2023
Reuters
Follow

NEW YORK: Facebook owner Meta Platforms on Thursday gave employees a sneak peek at a series of AI tools it was building, including ChatGPT-like chatbots planned for Messenger and WhatsApp that could converse using different personas.
Company executives speaking at an all-hands meeting also demonstrated a coming Instagram feature that could modify user photos via text prompts and another that could create emoji stickers for messaging services, according to a summary of the session provided by a Meta spokesperson.
The showcase provided the first concrete indications of how the social media giant is planning to make its own generative AI tools available to its 3.8 billion monthly users, months after competitors like Google, Microsoft and Snapchat announced a rush of launches of such tools in their products.
Meta has yet to roll out any consumer-facing generative AI products, although it announced last month that it was working with a small group of advertisers to test tools that use AI to generate image backgrounds and variations of written copy for their ad campaigns.
The company has also been reorganizing its AI divisions and spending heavily to whip its infrastructure into shape, after determining early last year that it lacked the hardware and software capacity to support its AI product needs.
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told employees at the session on Thursday that advancements in generative AI in the last year had now made it possible for the company to build the technology “into every single one of our products.”
In addition to the consumer-facing tools, executives at the meeting also announced a productivity assistant for employees called Metamate that could answer queries and perform tasks based on information gleaned from internal company systems.

Topics: Meta AI

Related

Meta introduces broadcast tool Channels on WhatsApp
Media
Meta introduces broadcast tool Channels on WhatsApp
Meta announces new AI models that understand 4,000 languages, produce speech in more than 1,000
Media
Meta announces new AI models that understand 4,000 languages, produce speech in more than 1,000

Friend or foe? AI in spotlight at Arab Media Forum

Friend or foe? AI in spotlight at Arab Media Forum
Updated 26 September 2023
Nadia Al-Faour
Follow

Friend or foe? AI in spotlight at Arab Media Forum

Friend or foe? AI in spotlight at Arab Media Forum
  • 21st annual conference opens in Dubai
  • ‘Technology is not the enemy of journalists,’ Sky Arabia’s head of news says
Updated 26 September 2023
Nadia Al-Faour

DUBAI: AI experts, analysts and journalists gathered on Tuesday for the 21st annual Arab Media Forum.

In a session titled “The Future of Journalism in the Web3 and Metaverse Era,” Mohammed Al Hammadi, chair of the UAE Journalists Association, said it was vital for those working in the industry to learn how to use artificial intelligence and ChatGPT.

“Journalists should be worried if they cannot keep up with the progress,” he said.

“Twenty years ago when social media first started to take hold, some continued to romanticize the old ways of publishing and the smell of newspapers. Those in question did not make it, their careers stalled and were replaced by those who knew how to handle progress. This technology will allow media to compete further on a global stage.”

Islam Al-Shatnawy, CEO of iApply Global, said during the session, which discussed the threats AI poses to journalism and journalists, that “money can be made if and once AI is utilized properly, allowing for complications in technicalities and productions to be resolved in record time and for less cost.”

In contrast, Abdu Gadallah, head of news at Sky Arabia, said the technology could lead to the loss of jobs, especially in areas like translation and production, though he doubted it would ever replace human presenters on TV.

“While technology is not the enemy of a journalist, there will be those who will be sacrificed in its pursuit,” he said.

“Technological advancement will not kill the message but might kill those who bring it about.”

Political analyst Yasser Abdulaziz described the new technology as “scary” and said job losses were inevitable.

It was possible that AI might one day also be responsible for making final decisions on editorial matters, he said.

Despite the threats, the panel urged journalists to view technological advancement and AI as a friend rather than a foe and to acknowledge the role it has to play in improving content production and profitability.

Topics: Arab Media Forum AI artificial intelligence

Related

Gulf on path to political, economic progress and cooperation, says GCC secretary-general
Media
Gulf on path to political, economic progress and cooperation, says GCC secretary-general
Spotify will allow AI-generated music on platform unless it impersonates real artists, says CEO
Media
Spotify will allow AI-generated music on platform unless it impersonates real artists, says CEO

Kuwaiti minister defends ‘retrogressive’ media bill

Kuwaiti minister defends ‘retrogressive’ media bill
Updated 26 September 2023
Arab News
Follow

Kuwaiti minister defends ‘retrogressive’ media bill

Kuwaiti minister defends ‘retrogressive’ media bill
  • Information Minister Al-Mutairi said changes address some of public’s concerns
  • Bill reportedly set to introduce new provisions, warnings and penalties
Updated 26 September 2023
Arab News

LONDON: Kuwaiti Information Minister Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi on Monday defended a new draft of a controversial media bill aimed at regulating the industry in the country, the Kuwait Times reported. 

Al-Mutairi, who was speaking at a meeting of members of the media to explain the draft law, said he welcomed feedback from journalists, editors and others industry professionals, adding that authorities are “ready to hear all remarks … all with the intent of enhancing Kuwaiti media and promoting conscientious freedoms.”

The draft law, first unveiled in August, introduces a raft of new restrictions including outlawing criticism of the crown prince, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. It would also prohibit the publication or display of content considered blasphemous, and the infringement on the private life of a public employee or National Assembly representative.

The bill also stipulates punishment for those who publish reports on official secret communications or agreements and treaties concluded by the Kuwaiti government before they are announced officially, without permission from the concerned ministry.

Journalists found to have breached the new regulations would be punished with hefty fines — between no less than 1,000 Kuwaiti dinars (over $3,200) and 100,000 dinars — and in some cases prison.

Al-Mutairi said the changes seek to address public concerns, noting that the new draft eliminates the harshest punishments and introduces clear articles.

He noted that penalties, in most cases, are personal and will not affect editors-in-chief of publications or automatically lead to closing those publications or suspending their licenses.

Experts have labeled the proposed law as a “suppression of freedoms and liberties,” warning that this might mark a “retrogressive step and a blow to the progression of democracy,” a concern voiced by parliamentarians who have vowed to reject it.

The new draft, which is currently being studied by six government agencies and is expected to be voted on in October, also regulates social media advertising, media licensing, and the removal of the requirement for media organizations to have physical offices.

Kuwait is currently chairing the Arab Media Excellence Award and is one of the sitting countries on the Council of Arab Information Ministers.

Topics: Kuwait media bill

Related

British media organizations condemn Meta’s decision to ditch Facebook News
Media
British media organizations condemn Meta’s decision to ditch Facebook News
Pakistan explores media partnerships, joint ventures with China and Russia
Pakistan
Pakistan explores media partnerships, joint ventures with China and Russia

Spotify will allow AI-generated music on platform unless it impersonates real artists, says CEO

Spotify will allow AI-generated music on platform unless it impersonates real artists, says CEO
Updated 26 September 2023
Arab News
Follow

Spotify will allow AI-generated music on platform unless it impersonates real artists, says CEO

Spotify will allow AI-generated music on platform unless it impersonates real artists, says CEO
  • There are valid uses of AI in the industry, such as tools that improved music, said Ek
Updated 26 September 2023
Arab News

LONDON: Streaming service Spotify has said it will not impose a blanket ban on its platform of all music created by artificial intelligence.

Daniel Ek, the company’s CEO, explained in a BBC interview on Monday that there were legitimate uses of AI in the music industry, including tools that improved music, such as auto-tune.

However, he stressed it was unacceptable to use AI to impersonate real artists without their consent.

Several music-streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, in April removed songs that used AI to clone the vocals of artists Drake and The Weeknd.

Ek also cited a middle ground in which AI-created music is influenced by existing artists but does not directly impersonate them.

He said the use of generative AI to create music was likely to be the subject of debate for “many, many years.”

Asked about the challenges the music industry was facing, he added: “It is going to be tricky.”

Artists across several disciplines, including music, have been speaking out against the use of AI in the creative industries, while voicing concerns about the unpaid use of their work to train such technology.

Irish musician Hozier said last month he would consider going on strike to protest at the threat of AI, stressing in a BBC interview he was not sure the technology met the definition of art.

Topics: Spotify AI music streaming

Related

Spotify highlights rising talents by naming Zena Emad as September’s EQUAL Arabia Ambassador
Media
Spotify highlights rising talents by naming Zena Emad as September’s EQUAL Arabia Ambassador
Spotify raises prices worldwide, MENA spared for now
Media
Spotify raises prices worldwide, MENA spared for now

Gulf on path to political, economic progress and cooperation, says GCC secretary-general

Gulf on path to political, economic progress and cooperation, says GCC secretary-general
Updated 26 September 2023
Nadia Al-Faour
Follow

Gulf on path to political, economic progress and cooperation, says GCC secretary-general

Gulf on path to political, economic progress and cooperation, says GCC secretary-general
  • Presence of Saudi Arabia at BRICS and UAE at G20 proves how 'vital and important their participation is not only economically but in terms of coexistence, humanitarian aid and trade,' said Al-Balawi
Updated 26 September 2023
Nadia Al-Faour

DUBAI: The Gulf Cooperation Council is on the right path towards positive political and economic progress and cooperation, Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi, the secretary-general of the GCC, said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the annual Arab Media Forum held in Dubai, Al-Budaiwi touched on points of progress and the challenges that member countries face. 

He said the presence of Saudi Arabia at BRICS and the UAE at the G20 Summit proved how “vital and important their participation is not only economically but in terms of coexistence, humanitarian aid and trade.”

Al-Budaiwi also touched on the subject of Iran and its relationship with the member countries, reiterating the main agenda is to get Iran to stop meddling in the region and to respect international laws.  

“Re-opening ties with Iran or attempting to is not necessarily new, there have been multiple attempts throughout the years; the late Saudi King Abdullah even tried,” he said.

“We are asking for a ‘normal’ relationship, after all, we are neighbors on the western frontiers,” he added.  

While Iran has some good relations with certain member countries, such as Kuwait and Oman, “the proof is in the pudding,” Al-Budaiwi noted. “The bigger and most important point is: do not meddle.” 

Ties were seeing progress until the recent Houthi-backed drone attack which claimed the lives of two Bahraini soldiers by the Saudi-Yemeni border on Tuesday morning. 

In terms of economical cooperation and numbers, the GCC’s budget amounts to $2.4 trillion, with $170 billion allocated for trade with each other.  

“These are not small numbers nor are they easy to achieve. But our cooperation with each other and the steps we are taking in transparency help,” Al-Budaiwi said.

He added that the GCC members have outstanding cooperation between each other in terms of political and security issues, but that economic plans require more effort and sacrifices and there is where the main challenge is.  

“You can’t win them all, you can’t lose them all” he noted during the session.  

The GCC is undergoing modernization of laws and regulations which is cementing its place in the global stage.   

On media and journalism, the GCC handles topics rather than dictation, preferring to discuss how to better promote their plans, like backing Saudi Arabia’s bid to hold Expo 2030 and the UAE hosting COP28, as well as how to tackle sensitive topics like the burning of the Qur’an in Europe.  

GCC member countries include: Saudi Arabia, The UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman.

Topics: Arab Media Forum Gulf Cooperation Council Dubai

Related

Arab Media Excellence Award to dedicate next session to coverage of natural disasters
Media
Arab Media Excellence Award to dedicate next session to coverage of natural disasters
Saudi Arabia, GCC economies ‘world leading’ in green transition, says City of London’s lord mayor
Business & Economy
Saudi Arabia, GCC economies ‘world leading’ in green transition, says City of London’s lord mayor

Amazon steps up AI race with $4 bn Anthropic investment

Amazon steps up AI race with $4 bn Anthropic investment
Updated 26 September 2023
AFP
Follow

Amazon steps up AI race with $4 bn Anthropic investment

Amazon steps up AI race with $4 bn Anthropic investment
  • Amazon is to leverage Anthropic’s technology to power its cloud, other services
Updated 26 September 2023
AFP

PARIS: Amazon said on Monday it would invest up to $4 billion in AI firm Anthropic, as the online retail giant steps into an AI race dominated by Microsoft, Google and OpenAI.
The success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a chatbot released last year that is able to generate poems, essays and other works with just a short prompt, has led to billions being invested in the field.
Amazon had already announced it aimed to soup up its Alexa voice assistant with generative AI, which the firm said would allow users to have smoother conversations.
San Francisco-based Anthropic is seen as a leader in the field and has its own chatbot, Claude, a competitor to ChatGPT.
“We have tremendous respect for Anthropic’s team and foundation models, and believe we can help improve many customer experiences, short and long-term, through our deeper collaboration,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.
The giant firms and wealthy investors of Silicon Valley have poured money into artificial intelligence as they seek to find a killer application to justify the interest.
ChatGPT’s instant success threw much of the focus onto chatbots and sparked imitators and rivals, not least from Google with its Bard chatbot.
Chinese titans Tencent and Baidu have also launched bots they claim can rival ChatGPT.


As part of Monday’s deal, Anthropic will use Amazon’s chips to develop its next models.
The AI firm will also use Amazon’s cloud services — the data centers that store and process data on a vast scale — for “mission critical workloads.”
Amazon said it would take a “minority ownership position” in the AI firm, which has already raised more than $1 billion since it was set up in 2021.
The statement announcing the deal focuses on the benefits to clients of Amazon’s cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS).
It promises that “Claude,” which is the name of the Anthropic’s chatbot and its model, will “help customers of all sizes to develop new generative AI-powered applications to transform their organizations.”
The deal intensifies competition between Amazon and Google, which had earlier opened its cloud services to Anthropic and invested $300 million to acquire 10 percent of the company.
AI models require huge computing power so AI firms rely on data centers provided by the likes of AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure.
As tech giants push their own AI ambitions, they have been increasingly looking at tie-ins with smaller AI firms — Microsoft leading the way with a multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI.

Topics: Amazon Anthropic artificial intelligence (AI)

Related

Abdul Latif Jameel picks Amazon as its digital transformation partner  
Business & Economy
Abdul Latif Jameel picks Amazon as its digital transformation partner  
Amazon is consumers’ top ad platform, finds study
Media
Amazon is consumers’ top ad platform, finds study

Latest updates

Riyadh Development Company, Misk sign 25-year deal to build educational facilities
Riyadh Development Company, Misk sign 25-year deal to build educational facilities
Jordan downs two drones carrying drugs from Syria — army
Jordan downs two drones carrying drugs from Syria — army
Syria slams US ‘terrorist war’ in UN address
Syria slams US ‘terrorist war’ in UN address
Realty sector must adopt people-centric approach to planning
Ghada Al-Rumayan
Friend or foe? AI in spotlight at Arab Media Forum
Friend or foe? AI in spotlight at Arab Media Forum

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2023 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.