Google DeepMind Researchers Predict End of Humanity, Adobe Acquires Figma in Mega Deal, and Getty is Banning AI Images

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Click, swipe, and tap on the interwebs and listen to me, Mark Starling, John, and the First News 570 crew. This week’s hot and fresh tech news: Google nerds predict AI will end humanity, Adobe announces mega deal, and Getty bans AI images. You can listen to me and Mark Starling point and laugh at all things tech every Thursday at 643 am ET live on the radio or the iHeartRadio app.

Something I Made from Midjourney

GOOGLE NERDS SAY AI WILL END HUMANITY

This is why I work with a non-profit working to bring more equitable AI outcomes. Last week, researchers from the University of Oxford and Google DeepMind’s researcher Marcus Hutter, published a controversial paper saying that a Super Intelligent AI is likely, and…the AI will eliminate humanity. The paper was published and has been peer reviewed by AI Magazine. Since the paper and story broke last week, Google DeepMind has walked back their involvement and disavowed the paper. Google has come out against the work on the paper and is stating that they make products that are within ethical guidelines. We are adopting AI and machine learning technologies at a continuously increasing rate. We should really be careful about how and where we adopt these technologies.

ADOBE TO ACQUIRE COLLAB TOOL FIGMA IN MEGA DEAL

In weekly mega deals this week, Adobe has announced plans to acquire the online collaboration and design tool, Figma, for $20 billion. Adobe announced the purchase last week as a cash and stock deal. Figma was founded 10 years ago by the creative designers, Dylan Field and Evan Wallace. Figma was competing against Adobe products since the beginning and Adobe decided to buy the company. What’s interesting about this deal is that it’s straining Microsoft’s relationship with Adobe. Microsoft developers use Figma to design the Office suite. Microsoft has moved many Office functions to the web and Adobe is trying to muscle in on that market. We’ll see what happens next.

GETTY IMAGES BANS AI GENERATED IMAGES

Rounding the AI conversation, AI generated art and images is finding its way in more and more places. Yesterday, Getty Images says it’s banning AI generated art and images from being sold on its platform. They’re enforcing the ban because copyright issues and licensing haven’t been worked out on the platform. Ordinary peoples can create interesting and even spectacular images using Stable Diffusion, DALL-E, Midjourney. Even yours truly has generated some really interesting images. Of course human artists are upset that computers are moving in on their territory. We have to figure out a balance between using AI to improve our lives and furthering the human experience, rather than cutting us out.