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The Technology Behind ChatGPT Gets More Powerful and Scarier

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The Technology Behind ChatGPT Gets More Powerful and Scarier

OpenAI unveiled GPT-4, which according to them, is capable of performing well on standardized tests. OpenAI further reveals that the updated technology passed a law school bar exam with a score in the top 10% of test takers. The older version, GPT-3.5, scored around the bottom 10%. Equally impressive, GPT-4 can also read, analyze or generate up to 25,000 words of text, and write code in all major programming languages, according to the company.

GPT-4 is a multimodal large language model, which means it can respond to both text and images. “Give it a photo of the contents of your fridge and ask it what you could make, and GPT-4 will try to come up with recipes that use the pictured ingredients. It’s also great at explaining jokes, says Sutskever, OpenAI’s Chief Scientist. “If you show it a meme, it can tell you why it’s funny.”

Within hours after its release, several users said they created computer games in less than a minute by simply asking the chatbot to generate code, resulting in near-perfect renditions of Tetris and Connect Four.

We are happy to confirm that the new Bing is running on GPT-4, which we’ve customized for search,” Microsoft said. “If you’ve used the new Bing preview at any time in the last five weeks, you’ve already experienced an early version of this powerful model.”  According to CNN, while ChatGPT has impressed many users with its ability to generate original essays, stories and song lyrics in response to user prompts since its November 2022 launch, it has also raised some concerns. AI chatbots, including tools from Microsoft and Google, have been called out in recent weeks for being emotionally reactive, making factual errors and engaging in outright “hallucinations,” as the industry calls it.

To use GPT-4, users have to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus, which has a  $20 monthly subscription, for premium access to the service. 

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Biden Administration to TikTok: Remove Chinese Ownership or Face U.S. Ban

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black content creators

TikTok is on the clock. The Biden administration has warned the tech giant that it is facing a ban in the United States if its Chinese owners do not sell their stakes in the social media platforms.

The order was given by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), highlighting China and the social media app having nearly 100 million users in the United States.

CNN notes TikTok confirmed receiving the request but denied the possibility of providing details.

“If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem,” TikTok spokesperson Maureen Shanahan said in a statement. “A change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access. The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, US-based protection of US user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing.”

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated America has “failed to produce evidence that TikTok threatens US national security.”

In 2022, Congress and Joe Biden passed legislation blocking TikTok from US Government devices, which the European Union and Canada followed.

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Wyclef Jean Updates Fans After Hospitalization for Exhaustion: ‘We Forget Our Body is our Temple’

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wyclef jean

Wyclef Jean had his first-ever stay in the hospital, but he is delivering a message to fans that he is doing ok.

Speaking with TMZ, Wyclef Jean stated he felt numb on the right side of his face and went to a doctor immediately. That doctor then sent him to the ER.

On Instagram, Wyclef wrote, “Sometimes we forget our body is our temple. Be back soon.”

Wyclef stated Dr. Waleed Lashin let Wyclef know the hospital stay and numbness resulted from exhaustion and stress-related. Wyclef is now back at home, and more tests are scheduled.

Wyclef Jean has always had his hands on many different things.  Now, the former Fugees member is taking his talents to the automotive industry.  On Monday (March 6), Jean showed off his new electric vehicle in an Instagram post.  The caption read, “U S A premier Attucks Apex AP0 welcoming my Electric SuperCar…. Little Haiti We Up!!!!”

His new vehicle is the Attucks Apex AP0, a two-seat lightweight supercar.  It is said to be the lightest electric supercar in the world, weighing less than 2,700 pounds.  The car was designed in the United Kingdom but built in the United States.  Jean called it his dream car on Twitter.  It was first revealed at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island Country and Golf Course this past weekend in Florida.

Though the Attucks Apex has been released, consumers won’t be able to purchase it until the Winter of 2024.  The electric vehicle is set to be priced at $350,000 with a high speed of 190 miles per hour.  The car has the capacity to reach 60 miles per hour in 2-3 seconds!  The “Sweetest Girl” rapper continues to help improve his birth nation, Haiti.  With this new vehicle, Jean has plans to have its headquarters right in Little Haiti, Miami.

Wyclef spoke about his new supercar on Twitter.

“Attucks Apex AP0 EV Supercar also marks the launch of my new platform, #AttucksFuture and technology; we will voice and create dreams in the community.”

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The Game’s Crypto Company Registration Revoked

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The Game rapper

Words by: Brandon Simmons

Compton rapper The Game is one of the many people to invest in cryptocurrency.  He backs a crypto startup company, ParagonCoin Limited, which is mainly involved in the marijuana industry.

Recently, the ex-G-Unit member’s crypto company had its registration revoked via the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.  The SEC claims the company has not filed periodic reports since 2019.  The commission also reports that they have sent letters to ParagonCoin Limited regarding the need to complete the necessary reports.  The letters were never answered.

The “Wouldn’t Get Far” rapper’s company has had issues since its initial offering in 2017.  In 2021, the company was sued for violating securities laws during the initial offering four years prior.  ParagonCoin now owes over $12 million in damages, which is the $12 million the company raised in its Initial Coin Offering.

According to ParagonCoin’s official website, the crypto company is filing for bankruptcy.  In a statement, the firm credits the lawyers they hired as for why the company has become insolvent. 

“Our goal was to build a much-needed decentralized solution for the cannabis industry, however, our plans were impossible to achieve due to several legal mistakes….we sought out the guidance of highly recommended lawyers that were supposed to help, unfortunately they misguided and failed us.”

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Mark Zuckerburg and Meta Announce 10,000 Layoffs to come to Facebook Parent Company

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Meta Dissolves the Team Designed to Protect Society from Facebook

The Meta company is making headlines after the Facebook-parent company announced a layoff of an additional 10,000 workers. This is the company’s second round of job cuts in the past four months.

According to CNN Business, CEO Mark Zuckerburg revealed the job cuts will occur “over the next couple months.”

In a memo, Zuckerburg wrote, “We expect to announce restructurings and layoffs in our tech groups in late April, and then our business groups in late May.

The complete run of layoffs is believed to take as long as the end of 2023 to complete.

“At this point, I think we should prepare ourselves for the possibility that this new economic reality will continue for many years,” Zuckerberg added. “Higher interest rates lead to the economy running leaner, more geopolitical instability leads to more volatility, and increased regulation leads to slower growth and increased costs of innovation.”

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DatPiff Eases Rap Fans Minds After Rumors of Shut Down: ‘We Are Still Here’

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DatPiff Eases Rap Fans Minds After Rumors of Shut Down: 'We Are Still Here'

Fans were holding a funeral for legendary mixtape platform Datpiff a little bit too soon. Fans noticed the site was down, leading to rumors that the mixtape hub had run its course.

Hitting Twitter, Datpiff revealed they are still around, just working through tech issues.

“Despite the rumors, we are happy to report that we will still be supplying you with all the mixtapes you love,” Datpiff’s official Twitter wrote. “We’re working through technical issues on our site and app, but still actively update our youtube! Thanks for all the love and concerns but we promise, we are still here.”

A post from Reddit claimed the site was no longer responsive after months of acting slowly. Turns out it is just in update mode. The iOS web app is currently experiencing bugs and the Android version is currently not available.

Thankfully, Datpiff is still around.

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Miguel’s “Sure Thing” Is Popular Again, Skyrocketing Up UK Charts Due to TikTok

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miguel

Words by: Brandon Simmons

In 2011, R&B crooner Miguel released his hit song “Sure Thing.”  12 years later, it remains a hit-thanks largely to TikTok.  Amid finishing up his new album, Miguel just recently found out about the song’s performance on TikTok.  It is performing so well that “Sure Thing” has landed in the Top 10 on the UK charts!  Also, New Zealand and other European countries have seen the song climb their charts too.

TikTok creators have been using the sped-up version of “Sure Thing” to dance to, calling it the “Sure Thing” challenge.  Miguel feels it is “fascinating” how a song so old is still relevant today.

“Getting the information that something of mine from so long ago is picking up, and exponentially picking up, week by week, is just fascinating.”

The Los Angeles singer is no stranger to seeing success on the Billboard charts, as when “Sure Thing” first debuted in 2011, it was highly ranked.  It was number one on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number seven on their Adult R&B Songs chart, and came in at number 14 on Billboard’s Rhythmic chart.

Now, in 2023, the hit song has reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, surpassing the previous position.  In 2011, “Sure Thing” debuted at number 36.

@nolydimate

dc: @yeslydimate 👎🏼 #surethingtrend #thisisnotatrend #imembarrassed #thisismyonlyachievement

♬ Sure Thing (sped up) – Miguel

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Wyclef Jean Announces the Launch of His Attucks Apex AP0 Electric Supercar

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Wyclef Jean Announces the Launch of His Attucks Apex AP0 Electric Supercar

Words by: Brandon Simmons

Wyclef Jean has always had his hands on many different things.  Now, the former Fugees member is taking his talents to the automotive industry.  On Monday (March 6), Jean showed off his new electric vehicle in an Instagram post.  The caption read, “U S A premier Attucks Apex AP0 welcoming my Electric SuperCar…. Little Haiti We Up!!!!”

His new vehicle is the Attucks Apex AP0, a two-seat lightweight supercar.  It is said to be the lightest electric supercar in the world, weighing less than 2,700 pounds.  The car was designed in the United Kingdom but built in the United States.  Jean called it his dream car on Twitter.  It was first revealed at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island Country and Golf Course this past weekend in Florida.

Though the Attucks Apex has been released, consumers won’t be able to purchase it until the Winter of 2024.  The electric vehicle is set to be priced at $350,000 with a high speed of 190 miles per hour.  The car has the capacity to reach 60 miles per hour in 2-3 seconds!  The “Sweetest Girl” rapper continues to help improve his birth nation, Haiti.  With this new vehicle, Jean has plans to have its headquarters right in Little Haiti, Miami.

Wyclef spoke about his new supercar on Twitter.

“Attucks Apex AP0 EV Supercar also marks the launch of my new platform, #AttucksFuture and technology; we will voice and create dreams in the community.”

Congratulations are in order for the 53-year-old entrepreneur, but he is not the first rapper to have their own vehicle.  Last year, Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, unveiled a new Mercedes AMG 4-Door Coupe.  He called it the WILL.I.AMG as it is a part coupe, part SUV.  His new Mercedes will be present at the Formula One race in Miami this weekend for the first time.

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Can You Copyright an AI-Generated Image? The U.S. Copyright Office Says No

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copyright infringement

By revoking copyright registration it had previously granted for a comic book whose artwork was created by an AI-powered image generator, the U.S. Copyright Office has effectively ruled that AI-generated images are not eligible for copyright protection in the U.S. 

Kris Kashtanova is a New York-based artist who created the graphic novel Zarya of the Dawn.  Kashtonova wrote the story, created the layout and organized the presentation of the images.  The images were generated by Midjourney, a commercial image synthesis service that uses the latent diffusion process.

Latent diffusion models are used to generate detailed images from text descriptions, by mapping an image generator to text descriptions.  Effectively, the user can input a text description of the image they want created, and the latent diffusion model will generate detailed image based on those parameters.

Kashtanova registered the copyright in Zarya of the Dawn with the Copyright Office in 2022, claiming that the artwork was not created entirely by the AI, but had been created by her with AI assistance.  The Copyright Office has previously rejected copyrights registered to AI as the author – however, it has not ruled against copyrights in AI artwork where the author is a person.    Here, Kashtanova was granted copyright registration for Zarya of the Dawn in September 2022.

However, this past Tuesday, the Copyright Office revoked the registration, on the basis that Kashtanova had not disclosed in her application that the images in the comic were created by an AI model.  Apparently, following issuance of the registration, the Copyright Office learned on social media that her comic included AI-generated images.   The Copyright Officer then issued a notice to her in October 2022, requiring her to provide additional information showing why the registration should not be canceled.

Through her attorney, Kashtanova responded that Midjourney was merely an assistive tool, and she had authored every aspect of the work.  The Copyright Office rejected this argument, finding that although she claimed to have “guided” the content of each image, it was Midjourney that had “authored’ the images for purposes of copyright registration.  Accordingly, the portion of her registration covering the images was canceled.

Kashtanova still holds a copyright registration for the other elements of the comic- namely, the text and the selection and coordination of the visual elements.  However, for now, this ruling means that AI-generated images cannot be copyrighted in the United States, and this ruling will likely stand unless it is challenged in court or revised by law.

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TikTok’s SoundOn Partners with Snoop Dogg to Bring Death Row Catalog Exclusively to TikTok

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DeathRow TikTok SoundOn 1

Snoop Dogg and Death Row Records have teamed up with TikTok’s SoundOn to exclusively provide the legendary Death Row library to the TikTok audience for one week before its DSP release.

It has been a year since the storied catalog was accessible. SoundOn, TikTok’s all-in-one artist platform for music distribution, development, and promotion, will distribute the catalog in this groundbreaking collaboration.

Your favorite creators can now use the label’s well-known tracks, such as “Gin and Juice” and “Ain’t No Fun,” as the soundtrack to their most recent dance, dish, or narrative. The venerable studio albums Doggystyle and The Doggfather by Snoop Dogg are included in the recently made catalog. Via the TikTok Sounds Page, creators will also have access to a special playlist that was put together in collaboration with Death Row Records.

“I’m excited for y’all, because Death Row Records is back up for you to enjoy. You can go get that playlist right now and you can listen to any song you want off the catalogue strictly on TikTok… Tell ’em Snoop Dogg sent you.”

– Snoop Dogg via Tiktok

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