Trending This Week: AI Features on iPhones and AI Disclosures on YouTube
Emerging Tech Roundup — March 22
The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.
This week in tech: YouTube Helps Creators Disclose Altered or Synthetic Content, Nvidia Reveals ‘World’s Most Powerful Chip’ for AI, Gaming Report Claims AI is Already Used By 62% of Studios, Apple Is in Talks to Let Google Gemini Power iPhone AI Features, Nvidia Uses AI to Turn Game Characters into Chatbots, Meta Rolls Out Trending Topics on Threads, and Copilot Gets its Own Key on Microsoft’s New Surface Devices.
How YouTube is Helping Creators Disclose Altered or Synthetic Content
(Youtube Blog, March 18)
YouTube has introduced a new requirement for creators to label realistic AI-generated content in videos to enhance transparency and trust with viewers. Creators can now disclose AI-generated or synthetic content by checking a box during the upload process within Creator Studio. These labels will be implemented gradually on YouTube platforms, starting with mobile, and then expanding to TV and desktop, with prominent displays for sensitive topics such as news, elections, and health.
Nvidia Reveals Blackwell B200 GPU, the ‘World’s Most Powerful Chip’ for AI
(The Verge, March 18)
Nvidia unveiled its latest and most advanced series of AI chips, solidifying its position as a leader in the tech industry. The new Blackwell B200 GPU and GB200 “superchip” promises unprecedented performance, boasting up to 20 petaflops of FP4 horsepower and 30 times the efficiency for LLM inference workloads while dramatically reducing energy consumption. With these groundbreaking advancements, Nvidia is poised to maintain its competitive edge and reshape the landscape of AI computing.
AI Already Used By 62% of Studios, Unity Report Claims
(Euro Gamer, March 18)
According to Unity’s 2024 Gaming Report, over 60% of video game studios are leveraging AI to streamline workflows, notably for content creation and character animation. Among developers surveyed, the primary uses of AI include enhancing character animations, coding, and creating game levels and art, with over 70% reporting operational improvements. The adoption of AI aims to expedite prototyping processes, as indicated by 68% of developers seeking to shorten development timelines, with a significant decrease in prototyping duration observed from 2023 to 2024.
Apple Is in Talks to Let Google Gemini Power iPhone AI Features
(Bloomberg, March 18)
Apple is reportedly in talks with Google and OpenAI to integrate generative AI into the next iPhone software update, iOS 18. The potential deal with Google’s Gemini AI could enable advanced services like chatbots and image generators on iPhones, reaching over a billion users. If negotiations fail, Apple may turn to alternative AI providers like OpenAI or Anthropic, while also developing its own AI tools.
Nvidia is Using AI to Turn Game Characters into Chatbots
(The Verge, March 19)
Nvidia has unveiled AI-powered game characters turned chatbots, showcasing developers’ usage of its tools to voice, animate, and create dialogue. The playable tech demo “Covert Protocol” demonstrates NPCs dynamically responding to player interactions, offering unique outcomes. While promising, the AI’s effectiveness remains uncertain. However, Nvidia aims to encourage adoption through collaborations with Inworld AI, which plans to release Covert Protocol’s source code, and Microsoft for AI-driven Xbox tools.
Meta is Finally Rolling Out Trending Topics on Threads
(Engadget, March 19)
Meta is introducing a “trending now” feature on Threads, allowing US users to see popular topics based on current engagement. The AI-driven feature appears in search pages and between posts in users’ feeds, initially showcasing five trends to maintain curation and safety. While Meta aims to avoid issues seen on platforms like X, the addition of trends responds to user demands for insight into discussions beyond their own feeds, offering a glimpse of news and events despite the company’s stance on discouraging news content.
Copilot Gets its Own Key on Microsoft’s New Surface Devices
(Tech Crunch, March 21)
Microsoft has introduced a dedicated key on their latest Surface devices for Copilot, the company’s AI chat assistant. The move heralds a significant step toward integrating AI seamlessly into user experiences. In a precursor to their upcoming Build event, Microsoft emphasized AI advancements through an online showcase, spotlighting Copilot’s capabilities as it takes center stage. The unveiling of Surface Pro 10 for Business and Surface Laptop 6 for Business with Copilot keys underscores Microsoft’s commitment to AI integration, allowing for effortless AI engagement within Windows environments.
