Designers say AI is making stock image sites unusable

image via creativebloq.com
image via creativebloq.com

AI is supposed to make things quicker and easier, right? But while it's true that AI tools can automate or streamline some of the most tedious tasks, it appears that the tech, or its results, are making some tasks more difficult. Some designers who use stock image libraries to source photos, illustrations and vectors for their projects are finding that they have to wade through more unusable content to find an image that suits their needs, adding more time to their workflows.

https://www.creativebloq.com/ai/ai-art/designers-say-ai-is-making-stock-image-sites-unusable

Meta rolls out live AI, translations, and Shazam to its smart glasses

image via theverge.com
image via theverge.com

Meta just announced three new features are rolling out to its Ray-Ban smart glasses: live AI, live translations, and Shazam. Both live AI and live translation are limited to members of Meta’s Early Access Program, while Shazam support is available for all users in the US and Canada.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/16/24322628/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-live-ai-translation-shazam

iOS 18.2, macOS 15.2 updates arrive today with image and emoji generation

image c/o arstechnica.com
image c/o arstechnica.com

Apple has announced that it will be releasing the iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 updates to the public later this afternoon, following weeks of beta testing for developers and users. As with iOS 18.1, the headlining features are new additions to Apple Intelligence, mainly the image-generation capabilities: Image Playground for general images, and "Genmoji" for making custom images in the style of Apple's built-in Unicode-based emoji characters.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/12/ios-18-2-macos-15-2-updates-arrive-today-with-image-and-emoji-generation/

iOS 18.2 Is Here: Check Out What’s New for Apple Intelligence

image c/o pcmag.com
image c/o pcmag.com

This update is critical for Apple to build momentum around its flagship AI product, especially after the first batch of features that arrived in October with iOS 18.1 were a bit of a letdown. Though they had the stellar design and ease of use we expect from Apple, none revolutionized the way we use our devices. I've even found myself wanting to turn off the notification summaries at times because they don't always accurately sum up emails and texts.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/apple-intelligence-what-to-expect-ios-18-2-chatgpt

Google Search May ‘Change Profoundly’ in 2025

image c/o pcmag.com
image c/o pcmag.com

AI is Google's main focus, and Pichai, perhaps unsurprisingly, suggested his company's AI models compete well against those from Microsoft. "I would love to do a side-by-side comparison of Microsoft’s own models and our models any day, any time," Pichai said, adding: "They’re using someone else’s models." Microsoft is backing OpenAI, and the two firms have been working together closely to share resources in AI development (and fight lawsuits).

https://www.pcmag.com/news/google-search-may-change-profoundly-in-2025-sundar-pichai-ai

New vs. Old Siri: How Much of an Upgrade Is Apple Intelligence?

image via pcmag.com
image via pcmag.com

Apple Intelligence debuted this week with iOS 18.1, adding a slew of generative AI smarts to long-standing features, like Siri. Apple's digital assistant is no longer a pulsing ball at the base of the screen. Instead, it's a multi-colored, neon glow around the edges, which you can interact with in two new ways: Pressing the lock button or a new text-to-Siri option.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/new-vs-old-siri-how-much-of-an-upgrade-is-apple-intelligence

LinkedIn says it has verified 55 million users in effort to combat AI’s spread of scams, misinformation

image via cnbc.com
image via cnbc.com

“You now see things like deep-fake videos, photos that are increasingly harder with the naked eye to understand if they’re real or fake,” Oscar Rodriguez, LinkedIn’s vice president of trust and safety, told CNBC in an interview. “That line-blurring is what we believe poses a significant challenge in combating things like misinformation, faking expertise and so forth.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/25/linkedin-has-verified-55-million-users-to-combat-ai-misinformation.html