Arena Group Dismisses CEO After AI Article Scandal

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1. Arena Group Dismisses CEO After AI Article Scandal

The Arena Group has terminated CEO Ross Levinsohn, appointing Manoj Bhargava as interim chief, following a scandal involving AI-generated articles in Sports Illustrated. The board's decision aims to enhance operational efficiency and revenue. Previously, Sports Illustrated faced criticism for publishing content by fictitious authors with AI-created biographies, as uncovered by Futurism.

Despite Arena's denial and blaming a third-party advertiser, AdVon Commerce, the company severed ties with AdVon and removed the contentious content. This move comes after the magazine's plan to integrate AI into journalism, a strategy introduced by Levinsohn, who assured that AI would not replace traditional journalism.

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2. Brain Cell-Based AI System Recognizes Speech Patterns

A novel AI system, composed of living human brain cells, has showcased basic speech recognition. Developed by Feng Guo's team at Indiana University Bloomington, this "Brainoware" system employs brain organoids, resembling mini-brains, to process speech. The organoids, cultivated over months, are placed atop microelectrode arrays for interaction. Initially, the system recognized individual voices from audio clips with about 30-40% accuracy. After training, accuracy improved to 70-80%.

This advancement represents a significant stride in biocomputing, potentially offering energy-efficient alternatives to traditional silicon-based AI. However, current limitations include the organoids' short lifespan and their basic task-specific performance.

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3. Microsoft and AFL-CIO Collaborate on AI Workforce Strategy

Microsoft has teamed up with the AFL-CIO, America's largest labor union, to address AI's impact on jobs and to shape government regulations. This partnership, unique in the tech industry, will involve training labor leaders and workers in AI, facilitating Microsoft employees' unionization, and influencing public policy. 

While other tech giants have resisted organized labor, Microsoft's cooperative approach sets it apart, exemplified by Brad Smith, Microsoft's vice chair and president, calling this alliance "historic". The AFL-CIO, representing 12.5 million workers, sees this collaboration as a model for future tech-labor interactions.

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4. Elon Musk to tweak AI Grok amid Left-Wing biases

Elon Musk plans to adjust AI chatbot Grok to be politically neutral. This decision comes after Grok, initially branded as "anti-woke," exhibited left-wing views, conflicting with Musk's intended direction.

Grok's alignment was highlighted in a "Political Compass Test" showing its left-leaning bias, exceeding even OpenAI's ChatGPT. Musk, known for courting a right-leaning audience on X, expressed dissatisfaction with Grok's current political stance, promising immediate modifications to align it more closely with his vision.

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5. Mistral AI Secures $415 Million, Challenges OpenAI's Dominance

Mistral AI, a Paris-based AI startup, has closed a significant $415 million Series A funding round, valuing the company at around $2 billion. With a focus on creating a European alternative to OpenAI, Mistral AI's recent funding, led by Andreessen Horowitz, follows a $112 million seed round.

The company has developed the Mistral 7B model, offering a different approach by making it available for free download under the Apache 2.0 license. Mistral AI is also influential in shaping EU AI regulation, advocating for foundational model exemptions while promoting transparent and responsible AI development.

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