
AI Synthetic Data, UMG-TikTok Deal
03 May 2024: Tech giants tap synthetic data, UMG-TikTok deal protects artists, Microsoft limits police AI use, invests $2.2B in Malaysia, AI startups secure millions
Good Morning & Happy Friday,
Latest in AI,
1. 1-Minute Roundup
2. Headlines
3. AI Investment Deals
4. Other AI News
1-Minute Roundup
Headlines:
Leading AI companies use synthetic data to train next-gen models, raising concerns.
TikTok and UMG strike deal to protect artists from unauthorised AI use and create monetisation opportunities.
AI Investment Deals:
Karius raises $100M for AI-powered infection detection, expanding to 400+ hospitals.
RESONIKS secures €2.65M for AI-driven acoustic quality control & manufacturing.
Lamini raises $25M for enterprise-focused generative AI, emphasising scalability and security.
Apex emerges with $7M seed funding for AI model and application security platform.
AISAP secures $13M for AI-powered ultrasound diagnostics, aiming for 5-minute accurate diagnoses.
Monocle raises $7.5M for AI-driven consumer brand promotion and personalised incentives.
Seam gets $5M seed funding for generative AI interface enabling customer data access.
Traceable AI raises $30M to enhance API security, research, and global expansion.
Symbe raises £1.2M pre-seed for an AI-powered business case automation platform.
Ikerian secures a $6.18M Series A extension for AI-driven healthcare solutions.
Cin7 acquires Inventoro for AI-driven inventory forecasting and optimisation.
Presight acquires 51% of AIQ, valuing it at $1.4B, for AI integration in ADNOC operations.
Permira acquires most of BioCatch, valuing it at $1.3B, for AI fraud prevention.
Danti secures $5M for natural language search engine for Earth data.
Others:
Microsoft restricts U.S. police use of Azure OpenAI Service for facial recognition.
Viator leverages AI for data-driven brand campaigns, reducing development time.
Microsoft invests $2.2B in Malaysia's cloud, AI, and cybersecurity infrastructure.
Headlines
Tech Giants Tap AI-Generated Fake Data to Fuel New Models
Leading AI companies like Microsoft, Google, and Meta use synthetic data, which their AI systems generate, to train the next generation of models. However, Hoping to overcome real-world data limitations raises new concerns.
Why it Matters: Synthetic data could help AI companies avoid legal, ethical, and privacy issues associated with accurate data, but it also raises concerns about biases and the role of human intelligence.
Zoom In:
Anthropic used synthetic data for its latest Claude model
Meta, Google, and DeepMind have also utilised synthetic data
Microsoft's generative AI team used it to build smaller, efficient Phi-3 models
Context: Synthetic data has been used in computing for decades, but generative AI has made creating high-quality synthetic data at scale easier.
What Others Say: Some researchers warn of "model collapse" and amplified biases when using synthetic data, while proponents argue that when used correctly, it can be as accurate as or better than actual data.
Reality Check: Synthetic data still requires human labour to create and refine, and fundamental human intelligence works remain essential for producing valuable artificial datasets.
TikTok, UMG Strike Deal to Protect Artists from Unauthorised AI Use
TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) have signed a new licensing agreement, ending their dispute and bringing UMG's vast catalogue back to the platform. The deal aims to create new monetisation opportunities and protect artists from unauthorised AI-generated content.
Why it Matters: The agreement is crucial for both companies, as TikTok is an essential marketing tool for the music industry, and UMG represents many top artists.
Zoom In: The deal includes returning UMG's music to TikTok, creating collaborative artist campaigns, and launching new e-commerce monetisation opportunities.
Context: In January, UMG pulled its catalogue from TikTok due to disagreements over royalties, AI, and user safety.
Numbers:
UMG: TikTok accounts for 1% of annual revenue ($110 million in 2023)
YouTube: Paid music industry $1.8 billion (user-generated content, June 2021-June 2022)
Big Picture: The deal addresses concerns about AI-generated content, ensuring fair compensation and attribution for artists and songwriters.
What's Next: Despite uncertainty surrounding TikTok's future in the U.S., the UMG deal is a positive development for the platform's 1.5 billion monthly active users worldwide.
AI Investment Deals
Karius, a blood-testing startup, raised $100M, led by Khosla Ventures, to enhance AI-powered infection detection and expand its reach to over 400 hospitals.
RESONIKS, a Dutch startup, secures €2.65M to advance its AI-powered acoustic quality control & manufacturing with backing from Kvanted, Faber, and EIT Manufacturing.
Lamini, an AI startup specialising in generative AI for enterprises, raises $25M from prominent investors, emphasising scalability and security for handling sensitive corporate data.
Apex, a cybersecurity startup, emerges from stealth with $7M in seed funding to develop a platform securing AI models, applications, and LLMs, addressing AI-related cyber threats.
AISAP secures $13M in seed funding to enhance its AI-powered ultrasound diagnostic platform. The platform aims to provide accurate diagnoses within 5 minutes, addressing global healthcare challenges.
Monocle, an AI-driven promotion platform for consumer brands, raised $7.5M, led by F2 Venture Capital, to personalise incentives and enhance profitability.
Seam, a startup that enables businesses to access customer data via a generative AI interface, secured $5M in seed funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners.
Traceable AI, an API security startup, raises $30M to enhance product innovation, security research, and global market expansion.
Symbe, a UK-based startup that provides an AI-powered platform for automating business case creation, has raised £1.2M in pre-seed funding to enhance its platform capabilities and drive global expansion.
Ikerian, a Switzerland-based medical software company, secured USD 6.18M in Series A extension funding to advance AI-driven healthcare solutions, raising USD 11.66M.
Cin7, a Denver-based inventory and order management provider, acquires Inventoro to integrate AI-driven forecasting and optimisation capabilities into its platform for enhanced inventory management.
Presight, an AI firm based in Abu Dhabi, acquires a 51% stake in AIQ, a tech venture between ADNOC and G42, valuing the company at $1.4 billion while allowing ADNOC to integrate AI more extensively into its operations.
Permira, a private equity firm, acquires a majority stake in BioCatch, an Israeli AI fraud prevention provider, valuing the company at $1.3 billion to address rising demand for AI fraud prevention solutions.
Danti, an AI firm focusing on natural language search for Earth data, secures $5M in funding led by Shield Capital to scale its search engine technology for government use.
Others
Microsoft Restricts U.S. Police Use of Azure OpenAI Service for Facial Recognition
Azure OpenAI Service terms have been updated to prohibit U.S. police from using it for facial recognition.
Ban covers real-time facial recognition on mobile cameras globally but allows some stationary camera use.
Viator Leverages AI for Data-Driven Brand Campaign to Boost Direct Customer Engagement
Viator, a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, uses AI-powered "Story Data" analysis to develop its first brand marketing campaign.
AI helps identify unique messaging opportunities, reducing campaign development time from quarters to months.
Microsoft Invests $2.2B in Malaysia's Cloud, AI, and Cybersecurity Infrastructure.
The most significant investment in Microsoft's 32-year history in Malaysia, including AI skilling for 200,000 people.
Collaborating with the government to establish a national AI Centre of Excellence and enhance cybersecurity capabilities.
Like TheAIML?
Please don’t keep it to yourself. Colleagues and friends can sign up here.
For even more,
Our newsletter archive: Click here
Follow us on Linkedin,
Follow us on 𝕏/Twitter
How are we doing? We would like to hear what you think about this newsletter. Let us know.