The Screen Actors Guild announced a deal with Replica Studios setting terms for voice actors that require guaranteed minimum payment and consent when actors' voices are digitally replicated for voice-overs.
Why it matters: The agreement with Replica, a platform calling itself an "Ethical AI" option for voice actors, offers one path forward for companies to harness generative AI while also supporting creators, and could serve as a model for other studios to use.
Meta will institute more protections for teenagers on Facebook and Instagram, the company announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: A lawsuit last year from more than half the country's attorneys general said Meta knowingly released products and features that harm teens'mental health.
The Biden administration announced a final rule on Tuesday that makes it harder to classify workers as independent contractors — a victory for gig workers that could shift the business models of companies that rely on them.
Why it matters: The rule, which takes effect in March, requires businesses to extend the benefits and protections offered to employees to other workers that may no longer fit the status of a contractor.
Fox Corp., one of the largest media companies in the U.S., has publicly debuted a new blockchain platform called Verify to help media companies track how their content is being used online.
Why it matters: Fox Corp. plans to use the Verify Protocol to negotiate deals licensing its content — an enormous trove of intellectual property across Fox News, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, and more — to artificial intelligence (AI) companies.
Why it matters: Scientific discovery itself must speed up if the world is to address its challenges — from climate change to personalized treatments for cancer — fast enough to make a difference.
Samsung remained atop the list of companies obtaining U.S. patents last year, while Qualcomm's number of patents grew nearly 50%, making it the first U.S. company in three decades to surpass IBM, according to market intelligence firm IFI Claims.
Why it matters: Though not a direct proxy for innovation, the rankings do show trends in terms of which companies are investing in both research and seeking protection for intellectual property.
Carta is one of the venture capital ecosystem's most critical companies, managing and safeguarding cap table information for around 40,000 startups.
Driving the news: Its credibility is under fire, as is an aspirational business model that helped the San Francisco-based company secure a $7.4 billion valuation.
The cellphone of the future may be able to detect air quality and smoke levels near the person carrying it, alerting users about dangerous findings.
Driving the news: A startup called Mobile Physics has developed this technology, and Qualcomm and STMicroelectronics are embedding it in a forthcoming Android phone platform.
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