Meta acknowledges it’s scraping all public posts for AI training

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1. Meta acknowledges it’s scraping all public posts for AI training

Meta has halted plans to train its AI systems using user data from the European Union and the UK, following pushback from the Irish Data Protection Commission and the UK's Information Commissioner's Office. The DPC welcomed Meta's decision to pause its plans to use public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram across the EU/EEA.

Meta is already using user-generated content in markets like the U.S., but Europe's stringent GDPR regulations have created obstacles for companies looking to improve their AI systems. Meta's privacy policy change, which will allow it to use public content on Facebook and Instagram to train its AI, has sparked complaints from privacy activist organization NOYB, who claims it is contravening GDPR.

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2. Italy tests AI-assisted teaching in schools to boost IT skills

Italy is introducing artificial intelligence in its schools to help close the country's digital skills gap with other EU members. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara announced that AI-assisted software will be tested in 15 classrooms across four regions, with the aim of expanding the scheme later if successful.

The technology will act as virtual assistants, making learning easier for students and helping teachers identify methods for bespoke education. Italy has one of the worst basic digital skills scores in the EU, only bettering Latvia, Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania. The planned evaluation of the trial is "promising" and will help determine the best future rollouts of AI tools in schools.

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3. Infineon Advance to Lower Costs for New-Generation AI Chips

Infineon Technologies AG has developed 300 millimeter (12 inch) gallium nitride wafers, which can produce 2.3 times more chips than 200 millimeter wafers, making the emerging technology cheaper. This compound semiconductor is energy-efficient and is used in industrial and automotive applications such as power supplies for AI systems, solar panel systems, and motor-control systems.

The company plans to start sending samples to customers in late 2025 and eventually mass produce the wafers at its plant in Villach, Austria. The new tech can improve device performance, reduce costs, and ensure steady supplies for customers. The production breakthrough came after Infineon bought Ottawa-based GaN Systems for $830 million last year.

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4. Documentary producers release new ethical AI guidelines for film-makers

The Archival Producers Alliance, a group of over 300 documentary producers, has published ethical guidelines to help producers, film-makers, studios, broadcasters, and streamers address questions over the use of generative AI in nonfiction film.

The guidelines, which were endorsed by prominent documentary film organizations, encourage consideration based on four overarching principles: the value of primary sources, transparency, legal considerations, and ethical considerations of creating human simulations.

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5. OffDeal wants to help small businesses find big exits with AI agents

The Archival Producers Alliance, a group of over 300 documentary producers, has published ethical guidelines to help producers, film-makers, studios, broadcasters, and streamers address questions over the use of generative AI in nonfiction film.

The guidelines, which were endorsed by prominent documentary film organizations, encourage consideration based on four overarching principles: the value of primary sources, transparency, legal considerations, and ethical considerations of creating human simulations.

Read the full story here

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