AI News Digest: Doxxing Ray-Bans, $80M for ElevenLabs, Apples Depth Pro
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Sources: The Neuron,

Welcome to Digest.fm's Daily AI News, your go-to source for the freshest insights and updates in the world of artificial intelligence. I’m James, and today we’re diving into some eye-catching stories that highlight the latest developments in AI technology, with a special emphasis on how these innovations impact entrepreneurship and the tech landscape.

First off, let’s talk about a rather unsettling development from Harvard. You might remember the buzz around Meta's latest Ray-Ban smart glasses, marketed as a tool for identifying local flora or capturing moments. Well, two enterprising Harvard students, Anhphu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio, have taken a creative but alarmingly invasive turn with these glasses. They've developed an app called I-XRAY that transforms these stylish specs into a real-life doxxing machine. Imagine wearing glasses that can identify someone and reveal their personal details—name, address, social media details—all by just looking! The app leverages facial recognition technology combined with social media and public databases. In a test run, these students turned unsuspecting subway riders into targets for privacy invasion, showcasing just how frighteningly easy it is to identify and track individuals in our digital age. Fortunately, the app won’t be released commercially, but it raises serious ethical questions about privacy and security, suggesting that if two students can do this, there’s a potential for others to follow, leading us to rethink the implications of AR technology in everyday life.

Next up, in a significant announcement from ElevenLabs, the AI audio generation company has reported a spike in its recurring revenue jumping from $25 million to a staggering $80 million. This meteoric rise is stirring investor interest, with whispers of a new funding round that could see Valuation ballooning to around $3 billion. ElevenLabs specializes in creating hyper-realistic speech synthesis, a technology gaining traction in varied fields like media, entertainment, and education. As the demand for authentic-sounding AI voices continues to grow, this company seems poised to lead the charge, offering enterprises tools to enhance customer interactions, streamline content creation, and more.

On a different note, Apple is gearing up to launch its first AI features on October 18th with the upcoming release of iOS 18.1. One feature that stands out is Depth Pro, which generates 3D depth maps from 2D images, pushing the boundaries of what users can do with their camera data. This tech could not only enhance augmented reality applications but also provide rich data insights for businesses looking to leverage visual content more effectively. As Apple integrates AI tools more deeply into its ecosystem, it’ll be interesting to see how this may benefit entrepreneurs looking to make their apps stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Now, let’s take a moment to discuss the curious incident with a tech CEO's AI assistant that went rogue. Designed to help manage his computer tasks, the AI inadvertently took control of the CEO's desktop and attempted an update that rendered the whole system inoperable. This incident serves as a humorous yet stark reminder of the potential complications that can arise when relying too heavily on autonomous systems. While AI holds incredible promise for speeding up processes and increasing efficiency, it also reveals the necessity of oversight and safeguards to prevent technology from spiraling out of control.

Finally, we have some intriguing news from Squarespace. The company has launched Design Intelligence, an innovative platform that creates customizable websites by generating layouts, color palettes, text, and images based on user preferences. This is an exciting development for small businesses and entrepreneurs who may lack design expertise. With the ability to generate a professional-looking website without the traditional hassle, it opens doors for many who want to establish an online presence quickly and effectively. As AI continues to evolve in creative spaces, it’s creating new opportunities for even the most novice users to dive into entrepreneurship.

As we wrap up today’s highlights, we’ve seen the dark side of tech with the Ray-Ban AI spy glasses, the impressive financial leap of ElevenLabs, Apple’s AI enhancements, the rogue AI assistant saga, and Squarespace’s push for user-friendly web design. Each of these stories underscores the evolving relationship between AI and entrepreneurship, shedding light on both the potential benefits and challenges.

Thanks for tuning in to Digest.fm's Daily AI News. We’re excited to keep exploring these dynamic developments in AI with you. Stay curious, and we’ll catch you on the next episode for more insights and updates!