Welcome to Daily Zaps, your regularly-scheduled dose of AI news ⚡️ 

Here’s what we got for ya today:

• 🕶️ Smart glasses - privacy's new nightmare

• 🎥 Meta Movie Gen coming 2025

• 🏆 Nobel Prizes awarded to pioneers of AI

• 🇺🇸 More US states exploring AI uses cases

Let’s get right into it!

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PRIVACY

Smart glasses - privacy's new nightmare

Two Harvard University students, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio, are highlighting the extent of publicly available personal information online by using Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses and AI technology. They developed software that captures video feeds from the glasses, identifies faces through facial recognition, and performs reverse image searches to retrieve personal details such as names and contact information within minutes.

While they recognize potential positive applications of their technology, such as aiding those with memory loss, they chose not to release their product due to concerns about misuse. Their work raises awareness about privacy issues and the legal landscape surrounding facial recognition technology, which varies across states in the U.S.

BIG TECH

Meta Movie Gen coming 2025

Meta has unveiled Movie Gen, an AI-powered video generator capable of producing high-definition videos with sound. The tool generates videos based on text inputs, edits existing footage, and adds AI-generated audio, such as ambient noise and background music. Movie Gen can also transform still images into custom videos and modify elements in existing clips, allowing for creative changes like altering backgrounds or adding new objects.

However, Meta has not yet made the tool publicly available due to high costs and long generation times. While similar tools are being developed by companies like OpenAI and Google, concerns about copyright violations, job impacts for creatives, and ethical use remain prevalent. Meta stated that Movie Gen was trained on a combination of licensed and publicly available datasets.

WORLD NEWS

Nobel Prizes awarded to pioneers of AI

Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield, two pioneering scientists in the field of machine learning, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their foundational work that has led to significant advancements in artificial intelligence. Their research on artificial neural networks, inspired by the human brain's structure, allows AI systems to learn from examples, enabling applications like language generation and image recognition.

Hinton, known as the "Godfather of AI," expressed surprise at receiving the award and shared his concerns about the potential misuse of AI technology, stating that preventing bad actors from exploiting it is challenging. Hinton's work includes the development of the Boltzmann machine, while Hopfield is recognized for the Hopfield network, which helps recreate patterns from distorted images. Both scientists emphasize the need to be cautious about the implications of creating intelligence that surpasses human capabilities.

STATE AND LOCAL

More US states exploring AI uses cases and developing policies

Nearly a year after the emergence of AI task forces and councils in various states, many are now moving into the implementation phase of their AI policies. This transition follows a period of brainstorming in 2023 and early 2024, with states beginning to integrate AI into their regular operations by the end of 2024. Notably, at least 33 states have established AI councils or working groups, especially in the South.

A growing number of states have also implemented restrictions on AI usage, requiring review and approval before launching AI programs. Additionally, 13 states are maintaining inventories of their AI systems, and eight states have introduced AI training programs for different audiences.