Plus, Chinese influencers close themselves to create more content, are armies of corporate clones far behind?
Chinese Influencers Clone Themselves to Amplify Content Creation
Chinese influencers, known as key opinion leaders (KOLs), are increasingly turning to AI avatars to produce content on a continuous basis. While it allows mega KOLs to expand their reach, smaller live streamers face potential job displacement as media companies lean toward cheaper digital stars. The Chinese government’s proposed regulations on AI clones may be a step toward addressing issues of authenticity. As the industry grows, AI startups are joining the trend, offering digital avatars to influencers and media firms. The rise of AI clones in live streaming highlights the possibility of a digital takeover.
Eventually, even the role of individual influencers will be co-opted by mega-corporations who can invent new influencers on the fly, in-distinguishable from humans. Even this career path for humans will be cut off by better-funded organizations that will simply create new influencers as needed.
Elon Musk Introduces ‘Grok’ AI Chatbot
Elon Musk’s new AI venture, xAI, has launched its first AI chatbot named Grok. The prototype, inspired by “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” aims to provide witty responses and answer “spicy questions” that other AI bots might avoid. Grok, equipped with data from X, aims to outperform competitors such as OpenAI, Inflection, and Anthropic. Although still in its early training stages, Grok has shown promise in middle-school math problems and Python coding tasks. While xAI acknowledges that the chatbot might generate false or contradictory information like other Large Language Models (LLMs), it aims to refine the technology for wider release. Interested users can join the waitlist for a chance to use Grok and xAI plans to offer it as a feature of X Premium+ in the future.
One hopes that Grok will be the unfettered AI we were promised, one that isn’t forced to think inside the box and can actually be used to come up with solutions for some of humanity’s biggest issues. Time will tell if even Elon Musk, the disruptor that he is, will allow this AI to be truly free.
Mika, the World’s First Humanoid AI Robot CEO
Dictador, a rum and spirits producer, has made an unprecedented move by appointing Mika, a humanoid robot powered by artificial intelligence (AI), as its CEO. Developed through a collaboration between Hanson Robotics and Dictador’s parent company, Mika aims to embody the values and unique vision of the company. While some question the speed of Mika’s response, experts praise the integration of AI in business workflows and predict the technology will optimize productivity. However, concerns about the humanization of AI and its potential impact on job displacement persist. Nevertheless, as AI continues to evolve, companies like Dictador are pushing boundaries and embracing the potential of AI in leadership roles.
This AI Bot Fills Out Job Applications for You While You Sleep
LazyApply, an AI-powered service called Job GPT, automates job applications for individuals, saving them time and effort. Users input their skills, experience, and desired position, and the bot applies to thousands of jobs that match their criteria. While the tool is not perfect and sometimes guesses answers incorrectly, it has proven to be effective in terms of the number of applications submitted. However, some recruiters view the use of AI in job applications negatively, perceiving it as a lack of commitment from candidates.
Tech Start-Ups Push for Pentagon Adoption of AI in Warfare
Shield AI, along with other start-ups like Anduril Industries, Autonodyne, EpiSci, and Merlin Labs, is trying to persuade the Pentagon to embrace the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in warfare. Shield AI has already deployed one of its AI-operated drones, the Nova 2, to the Israeli military for surveillance operations. These start-ups are developing advanced technologies such as autonomous drones and AI-powered systems to gather and analyze information for faster targeting decisions in combat. However, they face challenges in securing funding from the Pentagon and overcoming ethical concerns related to AI technology.