Meta’s new AI image generator was trained on 1.1 billion Instagram and Facebook photos

image via arstechnica.com
image via arstechnica.com

If you're on Facebook or Instagram, it's quite possible a picture of you (or that you took) helped train Emu. In a way, the old saying, "If you're not paying for it, you are the product" has taken on a whole new meaning.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/12/metas-new-ai-image-generator-was-trained-on-1-1-billion-instagram-and-facebook-photos/

University of Chicago researchers seek to “poison” AI art generators with Nightshade

image via arstechnica.com
image via arstechnica.com

The open source "poison pill" tool (as the University of Chicago's press department calls it) alters images in ways invisible to the human eye that can corrupt an AI model's training process. Many image synthesis models, with notable exceptions of those from Adobe and Getty Images, largely use data sets of images scraped from the web without artist permission, which includes copyrighted material. (OpenAI licenses some of its DALL-E training images from Shutterstock.)

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/10/university-of-chicago-researchers-seek-to-poison-ai-art-generators-with-nightshade/

Hell freezes over, MS Paint adds support for layers and PNG transparency

image via arstechnica.com
image via arstechnica.com

But today Microsoft announced that it is finally adding two features that could make the app a bit more useful for power users: support for Photoshop-esque image layers and the ability to open and save transparent PNGs. The redesigned Paint is rolling out to Windows Insider testers in both the Dev and Canary channels, the two bleeding-edge and less-stable versions of Windows 11. Like other recent app updates, this appears to require Windows 11 and won't be backported to Windows 10.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/hell-freezes-over-ms-paint-adds-support-for-layers-and-png-transparency/

Hell freezes over as Apple supports right-to-repair bill

image via arstechnica.com
image via arstechnica.com

In a letter dated August 22, Apple showed its support for California's right-to-repair bill, SB 244, after spending years combatting DIY repair efforts. The bill requires vendors of consumer electronics and appliances to make sufficient documentation, parts, and tools for repairs available to customers and independent repair shops. The big exceptions are video game consoles and alarm systems.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/hell-freezes-over-as-apple-supports-right-to-repair-bill/

Grimes says anyone can AI-generate her voice “without penalty”

image via arstechnica.com
image via arstechnica.com

On Sunday night, Canadian musician Grimes tweeted that she would split 50 percent royalties on "any successful AI generated song" that uses her voice, reports The Verge. As an independent artist, Grimes says anyone can use her voice without penalty. "I have no label and no legal bindings," she says.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/04/grimes-says-anyone-can-ai-generate-her-voice-without-penalty/