AI News Tab #4: From Smarter Retail to Photos You Can Hear
AI news that caught my eye.
I've scoured the entire internet - okay, maybe not all of it, but definitely a solid chunk of it - and here’s some AI news that caught my eye.
AI is improving our retail experiences, learning to mimic human sounds, and finding new ways to empower creators. But it’s also flooding the internet with low-quality junk and forcing big tech companies to walk back their mistakes. The balance between innovation and quality remains as tricky as ever, and AI’s rapid evolution shows no signs of slowing down. Hold on tight—it’s going to be a wild ride.
News
Let’s kick things off in Italy, where footwear giants Scarpe&Scarpe and Pittarosso are stepping up their retail game. With over 300 stores and two e-commerce sites, these brands have rolled out a genAI-powered reporting system in collaboration with Impact Analytics. The goal? Smarter inventory management and customer service through data-driven marketing, production, and advertising decisions. With a combined turnover of over €480 million in 2023, these retailers are proving that AI has a sole (couldn’t resist!)
Meanwhile, over at MIT, researchers are teaching AI to talk like humans - but with a twist. Inspired by the mechanics of the human vocal tract, a new AI model can produce and understand vocal imitations of everyday sounds. Think your dog barking, a door creaking, or even a glass shattering. It’s a fascinating leap that could revolutionize entertainment, education, and even accessibility tech. Imagine the possibilities when machines don’t just understand words, but everything we hear.
But while some AI is learning to communicate like us, other systems are producing...well, junk. The Guardian’s Arwa Mahdawi is on a crusade against the “slop” generated by AI. Low-quality, auto-generated content is flooding the internet, drowning out genuine human creativity. The question isn’t just about how bad it’s gotten - it’s about where it all ends. When does the signal get lost in all this noise?
Speaking of AI missteps, Microsoft is doing some damage control after users complained that Bing’s AI Image Creator had taken a noticeable dip in quality. Following its December update, users weren’t happy, so Microsoft is reverting the tool to an earlier version. It’s not every day a tech giant admits its mistakes, but hey, at least they’re trying to fix it.
Meanwhile, Krotos, a Scottish AI company has come up with a tool that turns photos into sounds. Their image-to-sound tech can analyze a photo and produce the perfect soundscape in seconds. Upload a beach photo, and voilà - waves and seagulls. For content creators, it’s one less thing to worry about. For everyone else? Just another fun way to blur the line between art and AI.
And speaking of creative solutions, blockchain network Story has teamed up with Stability AI to give artists and developers a fighting chance in the AI ecosystem. Their collaboration focuses on tracking intellectual property ownership, ensuring that creators can get paid for their contributions. In a world where AI often masks attribution, this partnership might just offer a lifeline to those working in creative fields.
That’s all for today! If you feel that you got some value from this, please consider subscribing and sharing.