Today’s AI highlights: Son uses AI to replicate late father’s voice, Yamaha introduces AI piano, deepfakes, and more.
As we head into the weekend on December 23, there are some interesting updates from the world of artificial intelligence. In a surprising turn of events, Infosys has suffered a loss of a $1.5 billion deal with an undisclosed AI company. This news comes shortly after the resignation of Infosys CFO Nilanjan Roy. Additionally, a team of teachers collaborated with Yamaha to develop an AI-assisted piano that can track music notes and enhance performances by adding necessary keys that are not pressed. Furthermore, Arizona is taking proactive measures by creating its own deepfakes to prepare for upcoming elections. These are just a few highlights from today’s AI roundup. Let’s delve deeper into these stories.
Infosys loses mega contract with AI firm
Infosys recently terminated a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an undisclosed global artificial intelligence firm just two weeks after the unexpected departure of CFO Nilanjan Roy, reported Hindustan Times. The agreement, which aimed to develop artificial intelligence solutions for industrial needs, was originally a 15-year commitment and was officially concluded in September 2023.
In its exchange, Infosys said: “This is a follow-up to Infosys’ vide letter dated September 14, 2023, titled ‘Company Update’ regarding the Letter of Intent with the Global Company for which the parties entered into the Master Agreement… The Global Company has now decided to terminate the MoU and the parties will not continue convention”.
Yamaha is developing an AI-assisted piano
Disabled musicians, including Usami, who has cerebral palsy, used an AI-powered piano called “Anybody’s Piano” during a performance of Symphony No. 9 with the Yokohama Sinfonietta at Suntory Hall, according to an AFP report. Developed in collaboration with Yamaha, the piano follows the notes of the music and completes the performance by adding keys as needed. Usami’s dedication to playing with one finger inspired the AI program. The concert, which featured innovative piano, was a significant achievement in musical inclusivity.
OpenAI begins discussions for $100 billion in funding
Bloomberg reports that OpenAI is in early talks to secure a new round of funding worth at least $100 billion. Details, including funding terms and timing, are still in the early stages and are subject to change. In addition, OpenAI is said to be negotiating with Abu Dhabi-based G42 about financing a new chip project. The report does not clarify the relationship between the chip equity financing and the company’s broader funding, but it does mention discussions about increasing the $8 billion to $10 billion from G42.
Son recreates late father’s voice with artificial intelligence
A St. Louis man, Phillip Willett, used artificial intelligence to recreate his late father’s voice as a Christmas present for his mother, according to a report by ABC News. As a content producer for the media company The Content Guy, Willett got the idea from his wife, who knew he was using artificial intelligence in his professional work. Willett found a community online that was successfully using AI voice software for similar purposes and decided to give it a try. Using ElevenLabs’ text-to-speech software, he recreated his late father’s voice and put together a video book with photos of his father and mother that has gained viral attention on TikTok with over 3 million views.
US states create their own scams to prepare for elections
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is taking a proactive approach to addressing the potential abuse of artificial intelligence in election disinformation, according to a Politico report. Concerned by conspiracy theories of electoral fraud in the 2020 presidential election, Fontes is leading a series of exercises to prepare for potential threats in the 2024 election. In a recent two-day simulation involving about 200 stakeholders, Fontes used open-access AI tools to create audio and video deepfake content in an attempt to trick participants with false information. The goal is to assess the risks associated with artificial intelligence technology in spreading election-related disinformation and prepare for them.
