Cheddar Crystal Ball: Where Artificial Intelligence Is Heading in 2019
*By Conor White*
If you thought artificial intelligence took major strides in 2018, buckle up; 2019 may well be an even bigger year for the industry. What are insiders watching ー and what will make the biggest entrance in 2019? Cheddar's Crystal Ball has generated a prediction: Open source A.I., which allows information to be shared freely across many platforms.
"This isn't just like throwing a website together using open source," said Lauren deLisa Coleman, digi-cultural trend analyst for Forbes.
"This is replicating our intelligence," she said.
But there's a glaring danger that accompanies open source A.I.: It may be co-opted by bad actors.
"Technology is always neutral," Coleman told Cheddar in an interview Friday. "Until you decide to use it for good or bad."
Adding to the complexity is that A.I. is virtually unregulated.
"There aren't any standards in place. No one is really checking for cultural bias \[for example\],"deLisa Coleman said.
"We know that policy makers on the Hill are looking at this," she added.
Twenty-three percent of respondents have a negative perception of artificial intelligence, according to a study by The Brookings Institute, a number the industry would like to see shrink ー and fast.
"It's kind of astounding and terrorizing at the same time," she said of the technology.
Although many workers fear A.I. will render them irrelevant, Coleman said that theory is a product of "panic."
In fact, "we're going to see human judgement needed more than ever," Coleman added.
Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC. That’s because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived. In the meantime, YouTube TV subscribers who want to watch Disney channels could have little choice other than turning to the company’s own platforms, which come with their own price tags.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.
