Today’s AI developments: AI to address global water crisis, TikTok experiments with AI-generated songs, and more.
Let’s take a look at today’s daily roundup, featuring Barcelona Nonprofit Earth05 utilizing AI to address the global water crisis. A UCL Study discovers how AI reveals insights into memory and imagination processes. Experts suggest that Generative AI can stimulate job creation and promote economic inclusivity. Additionally, fan reactions are divided as AI deepfake technology transforms South Park characters into real individuals.
1. Barcelona Nonprofit Earth05 harnesses artificial intelligence for the global water crisis
Barcelona-based non-profit Earth05, launched at the World Economic Forum, aims to combat the worsening global water crisis using artificial intelligence. With 2.2 billion people currently without access to clean drinking water, Earth05 combines water, education and artificial intelligence to bring together “brilliant minds”. The organization aims to improve the lives of 500 million people by 2030 by using artificial intelligence to analyze future water systems and predict consumption and availability based on climate conditions, ABC News reported.
2. Artificial intelligence reveals secrets of memory and imagination processes, UCL Study states
Researchers at University College London’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience reveal how artificial intelligence is unraveling the processes of memory formation and imagination. A study published in the journal Nature Human Behavior examines generative networks and shows how artificial intelligence extracts information from experiences to remember certain events and imagine new ones. Lead author Eleanor Spens explains the parallelism between remembering and imagining the past, highlighting the cooperation of the hippocampus and neocortex in memory, imagination and planning, Wion reports.
3. Generative AI: A catalyst for job creation and economic inclusion, experts say
Experts believe that significant investment, government incentives, and open source content in generative artificial intelligence (AI) can alleviate unemployment and narrow socioeconomic gaps. Vishal Talwar, director of IMT Ghaziabad, emphasizes that creative AI can create new jobs and empower people with limited skills to perform higher-level tasks, thereby promoting economic inclusion. According to a PTI report published by the Economic Times, the discussion highlights the need for infrastructure and budgetary resources for generative AI innovation in India.
4. AI deepfake turns South Park characters into real people, dividing fan reactions
Berlin-based AI artist “demonflyingfox” uses deepfake technology to transform South Park characters into real people in an 80s sitcom setting. The YouTube video, now in its 27th season, reimagines iconic characters like Eric Cartman and Stan Marsh. Reactions have been mixed, with some calling deepfakes “creepy and weird” while others hailing the hobby as “on point”. According to a report by the Independent, users point out nuances like Kenny’s wrong hair color, sparking mixed opinions about the confusing but fascinating transformation.
5. TikTok is testing AI-generated songs for users’ posts
TikTok is testing an “AI Song” feature that uses artificial intelligence to create unique songs for users’ posts. Users enter prompts, and an AI powered by the Bloom language model composes lyrics with music from TikTok’s catalog. Although the same tune can be reused with different lyrics, users can customize the genre. However, the feature is bound by rules that prohibit harm, misinformation and harassment in the content created, TechCrunch reported.
