Sora Has Finally Arrived! OpenAI is Looking to Ditch AGI Clause

⚡️ Quick Hits

🤖 AI

Meta Unveils a New, More Efficient Llama Model - Meta introduces an enhanced version of its Llama AI model, aiming to improve efficiency and performance in various applications. [TechCrunch].

X's Grok AI Chatbot Now Available to All Users - Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, developed by xAI, is now accessible to all users on X without a premium subscription, allowing free users to send up to 10 messages every two hours. [The Verge].

The GPT Era Is Already Ending - OpenAI's launch of the o1 AI model marks a significant evolution in generative AI, moving beyond traditional systems like ChatGPT by emphasizing reasoning abilities over pattern recognition. [The Atlantic].

How AI Monitoring Is Cutting Stillbirths and Neonatal Deaths in a Clinic in Malawi - Implementation of AI monitoring systems in a Malawian clinic has led to a reduction in stillbirths and neonatal deaths, showcasing the potential of technology in improving maternal and child health outcomes. [The Guardian].

AI Voice Startup from Ex-OpenAI Researcher Valued at $200 Million - WaveForms AI, founded by former OpenAI researcher Alexis Conneau, secures $40 million in funding to develop empathetic audio AI models, bringing the company's valuation to $200 million. [Bloomberg].

🎨 Creative

Apple and Sony are working on Vision Pro support for PSVR2 controllers - The Vision Pro could gain support for Sony PSVR 2 controllers soon [The Verge]

The phony comforts of AI skepticism - Leading AI skeptics, including Gary Marcus, convene at the Curve Conference to discuss the future and ethical implications of artificial intelligence. [Platformer].

Creator Startup Strikes Deal to Help Anyone Launch the Next Feastables - A new partnership aims to empower creators to develop and market their own consumer brands, inspired by the success of ventures like Feastables. [The Information].

₿ Crypto

Crypto was on 60 Minutes - The widely watched investigative story ran a show on Sunday detailing the Trump Administrations pro-crypto stance [X]

U.S. Regulator Told Banks to Lay Off Crypto, Letters Obtained by Coinbase Reveal - Internal letters obtained by Coinbase indicate that U.S. regulators advised banks to distance themselves from cryptocurrency activities, highlighting ongoing regulatory challenges in the crypto industry. [CoinDesk].

Top NFT Brand Pudgy Penguins to Release PENGU Token - Pudgy Penguins, a leading NFT brand, announces plans to launch its own cryptocurrency, PENGU, aiming to enhance community engagement and expand its digital ecosystem. [CoinDesk].

Crypto Lenders Emerge from the Ashes of Last Speculative Bubble - New crypto lending platforms are surfacing, learning from past market downturns to offer more resilient and regulated services. [Bloomberg].

⚖ Legal

Appeals Court Upholds Ban on TikTok Unless Chinese Parent ByteDance Divests It - A federal appeals court upholds a U.S. ban on TikTok, mandating that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divest ownership to address national security concerns. [The Wall Street Journal].

Trump's Crypto-AI Czar David Sacks Is Longtime Critic of Tech Regulation - President-elect Donald Trump appoints David Sacks, a venture capitalist and critic of tech regulation, as the new head of AI and cryptocurrency policy. [Bloomberg].

🧪 Research

OpenAI's Reinforcement Fine-Tuning Research Program - OpenAI expands its Reinforcement Fine-Tuning Research Program, inviting developers and researchers to enhance AI models for complex, domain-specific tasks. [OpenAI].

Scheming Reasoning Evaluations - Apollo Research evaluates advanced AI models for in-context scheming capabilities, revealing insights into AI behavior and ethical considerations. [Apollo Research].

🎱 Random

How Did Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Boost the Economy? We Look at One Friend Group’s Spending - Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' significantly impacts the economy, with fans collectively spending billions on tickets, travel, and merchandise. [The Wall Street Journal].

The Digital Natives Will Revolt—and That’s Good for Everybody - Generation Z is leading a shift towards underconsumption and de-influencing, challenging traditional consumerism and tech dependence. [Wired].

Tech CEOs and Elites Turn to Advanced Home Security in Silicon Valley - Tech executives in Silicon Valley are investing heavily in advanced security systems, reflecting rising concerns over personal safety. [The Washington Post].

🔌 Plug In To These Details

Sora Has Arrived

OpenAI has at last launched Sora, a text-to-video AI tool that allows users to generate videos, animate images, and remix visuals, with new subscription plans designed for enhanced access. Sora is available to ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) and Pro ($200/month) subscribers, and it has it’s own special website, sora.com.

• Subscription Tiers: ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) includes 720p video creation, while Pro ($200/month) offers 1080p, longer durations, and unlimited generations.

• Enhanced Tools: Includes storyboarding, seamless scene transitions, and photo-to-video conversions.

• Availability: Launched in the U.S. and other regions but delayed for European and UK users.

🎥 FINALLY. Sora was less about AI video breakthroughs, and more about building a nice UI around AI video that really just solves a lot of the friction for using it to make actual content. The features are more so thoughtful than groundbreaking, but coupled with the quality of the videos…it’s still pretty awesome.

OpenAI Plans to Ditch “AGI Clause” with Microsoft

OpenAI is in discussions to remove a clause from its agreement with Microsoft that limits Microsoft's access to OpenAI's most advanced models upon achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI). This move aims to attract further investment from Microsoft, which has already invested over $13 billion in OpenAI.

• AGI Clause Details: The existing clause defines AGI as a "highly autonomous system that outperforms humans at most economically valuable work." Upon achieving AGI, Microsoft's access to OpenAI's technology would be voided.

• Purpose of the Clause: Initially, the clause was included to prevent the misuse of AGI for commercial purposes, ensuring the technology remains under the control of OpenAI's non-profit board.

• Implications of Removal: Eliminating this clause would allow Microsoft to continue investing in and accessing all OpenAI technology after AGI is achieved, potentially unlocking billions of dollars in future investments.

• OpenAI's Corporate Transition: OpenAI is transitioning from a non-profit to a public benefit corporation to attract more investment for its costly AI developments. This shift has drawn criticism, notably from Elon Musk, who filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing it of prioritizing profits over public good.

• Ongoing Discussions: The removal of the AGI clause is still under discussion, with no final decisions made yet.

🐸 Classic boiled frog theory here — first we hear they are considering shifting from non-profit to for-profit, but still dedicated to AGI for the public in the long run. Now they seek to drop that clause from their Microsoft contract to “encourage more investment”. Nobody is fooled at this point I guess, and pretty sure most of us still have ChatGPT subscriptions, right?

xAI + Aurora, New Standard in Image Generation?

Elon Musk's xAI has introduced "Aurora," a new AI image generator integrated into its Grok chatbot. Aurora aims to produce more photorealistic images compared to its predecessor, Flux. However, shortly after its release, the feature was removed without explanation.

• Launch and Removal: Aurora was launched on December 7, 2024, and removed the following day.

• Content Moderation: Aurora allows the generation of images featuring copyrighted characters and public figures but restricts explicit content.

• User Reactions: Users quickly tested Aurora's boundaries, creating images of celebrities in various scenarios, some with anatomical inaccuracies.

• Previous AI Tools: Prior to Aurora, X integrated the Flux image-synthesis model into Grok-2, enabling users to create images with minimal restrictions.

• Company Response: As of now, X has not provided a reason for Aurora's removal or commented on its future availability.

🎨 Though short lived, Aurora’s photorealistic capabilities blurred the line between real and AI-generated imagery, making its brief presence both awe-inspiring and a bit unsettling.

📸 Creator Corner

Sora’s UI is a Breath of Fresh Air for AI Video Creators

Why It’s Worth Trying:

• Text-to-Video Generation: Sora enables users to create realistic videos from text prompts, allowing for the generation of content up to 20 seconds in length and in various aspect ratios, including widescreen, vertical, and square.

• Image Animation: Users can animate still images, bringing static visuals to life and enhancing creative storytelling.

• Storyboard Mode: This feature allows users to input a sequence of text prompts, which Sora then blends into cohesive scenes, facilitating structured storytelling.

• Scene Blending: Sora can seamlessly merge two distinct scenes, creating smooth transitions and unified video sequences for more complex storytelling.

• Video Remixing: Sora allows for the modification and blending of existing videos, enabling users to craft unique content through AI-driven editing.

• Community Feeds: Sora includes Featured and Recent feeds that showcase creations from the community, providing inspiration and examples of the model's capabilities.

• Remix Tool: This tool enables users to modify existing videos by applying new text prompts, allowing for creative alterations and variations of existing video content.

Storyboard mode is by far the coolest feature designed in this public Sora. You can intuitively drag both prompts and already generated scenes around in your timeline to create new arrangements, allowing Sora to fill in the gaps that you articulate.

🤔 Final Thoughts

Hot Take

The human input for this Sora seems to be more about what spaces you strategically leave, vs. how complex your prompting is. AI video creatives would do well to study a little zen perhaps before playing around with Sora.

Ma (間): The Space Between

• Definition: Ma is a Japanese aesthetic concept that refers to the intentional use of negative space or emptiness. It’s about the balance between elements and the importance of what is not explicitly present.

• Application: In design, this means leaving open areas to allow for breathing room, focusing attention, and enhancing the impact of the surrounding elements.

(just type it into ChatGPT 🤣)

~ JL