OpenAI Transitioning to a For-Profit Company as CTO Steps Down

OpenAI is reportedly closing in on a $6.5 billion funding round, which could be finalized as soon as next week. This funding round is part of the company's transition from a nonprofit organization to a for-profit benefit corporation, a move that is expected to make OpenAI more attractive to outside investors. As part of this transition, CEO Sam Altman is reportedly set to receive a 7% equity stake in the company.

However, this transition is not without its challenges. OpenAI's CTO, Mira Murati, has announced that she is leaving the company, citing a desire to create time and space for her exploration. Two other company leaders, Bob McGrew and Barret Zoph, are also departing. Altman has expressed his gratitude for their contributions and has announced a new leadership structure, with Mark taking over as SVP of Research and Jakub as Chief Scientist.

The company's transition to a for-profit model has raised concerns about its ability to prioritize AI safety and accountability. OpenAI's nonprofit board will relinquish control but retain a minority stake in the new for-profit entity. The company's rapid growth and demanding work culture have also been cited as challenges, with Altman acknowledging that leadership changes are a natural part of companies that grow quickly.

Meta AI Makes Strides with Llama 3.2 and AI-generated Content

Meta has made significant advancements in its AI technology, releasing its first open-source model capable of processing images and text, Llama 3.2. This model allows developers to create more advanced AI applications, such as augmented reality apps and visual search engines. The model includes two vision and two lightweight text-only models, making it accessible for mobile devices.

In addition to the release of Llama 3.2, Meta has announced that it will be testing a new feature that creates AI-generated content for users, including images that incorporate their faces. This "Imagined for You" feature will be rolled out on Facebook and Instagram, allowing users to share AI-generated images and generate new pictures in real-time.

Meta AI has also gained multimodal capabilities, enabling it to understand and edit photos using AI technology. Users can now share photos in chats and ask Meta AI questions about the images, such as identifying objects or providing information about the photo. Additionally, Meta AI can edit images using AI, allowing users to make changes to the photo, such as adding or removing objects or changing the background.

Google’s NotebookLM Enhances AI Note-taking with YouTube, Audio File Sources and More

Google has updated its AI note-taking and research assistant, NotebookLM, with new features that allow users to get summaries of YouTube videos and audio files, as well as create sharable AI-generated audio discussions. The tool, which was initially launched as a project at Google's I/O developer conference last year, has seen a significant shift in its user base, with 50% of users now being business professionals and the other half being educators and learners.

The latest update expands on the Audio Overview feature, which was introduced earlier this month, by allowing users to share the generated audio discussions with a public URL. Users can also upload YouTube videos and audio files, such as .mp3 and .wav, as new source types, alongside existing support for Google Docs, PDFs, text files, Google Slides, and web pages. This allows users to summarize key points from YouTube videos and generate takeaways and insights from audio recordings.

According to Raiza Martin, a senior product manager for AI at Google Labs, the team adds new features to NotebookLM based on user feedback. The tool is powered by Google's multimodal large language model Gemini 1.5 Pro, and Martin notes that the team is aware of the challenges inherent to AI tools, such as the potential for oversimplification and the loss of the habit of reading long-form content. To address these concerns, NotebookLM provides clickable citations from the content users upload, encouraging users to read the original text and double-check the answers generated by the tool.

• Amazon dodges antitrust scrutiny in UK over Anthropic investment
• Cloudflare’s new marketplace will let websites charge AI bots for scraping
• OpenAI rolls out Advanced Voice Mode with more voices and a new look

• Reddit is bringing AI-powered, automatic translation to dozens of new countries
• Snapchat taps Google’s Gemini to power its chatbot’s generative AI features
• Spotify’s AI playlist feature rolls out to the US and more markets

Ubisoft Delays Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Shares Plunge 20%

Ubisoft has revised its financial targets due to "soft" sales of Star Wars Outlaws and the delay of Assassin's Creed Shadows. The company now expects net bookings of around $2.17 billion and break-even non-IFRS operating income and free cash flow. The delay of Assassin's Creed Shadows to February 2025 was attributed to the need for additional time to polish the title, following the "learnings" from the Star Wars Outlaws release. Ubisoft's share price has fallen over 50% in the last year, prompting one investor to call for the company to go private.

As a result of the delay, Ubisoft's shares have plummeted by 20%. The company's CEO, Yves Guillemot, has reaffirmed the company's commitment to creating games for fans and players and has launched a review to improve execution and accelerate the company's strategic path. Meanwhile, Photon, a leading multiplayer service provider, has been highlighted as a key player in the gaming industry, with thousands of live games and over 1.4 billion monthly active players. Photon makes it simple to launch triple-A-grade multiplayer games with Unity and Unreal and has a community of multiplayer developers.

Meta Reveals Quest 3S

Meta has unveiled its new Quest 3S headset, which is set to launch on October 15. The device will be available in two versions: a 128GB model for $300 and a 512GB model for $400. This marks a significant price drop compared to the original Quest 3 and Quest Pro headsets, which launched at $500 and $1,500, respectively.

The Quest 3S is expected to have the same performance and mixed reality features as its predecessor but with some notable changes. These include an improved 2.5-hour battery life, a smaller design, lower-resolution displays, and a narrower depth of field. The headset is being positioned as a lower-cost entry into VR, making it more accessible to a wider audience.

With the launch of the Quest 3S, Meta is phasing out some of its older headsets. The Quest 2 and Quest Pro, as well as the 128GB version of the Quest 3, will be discontinued. These headsets will be sold until the end of the year or until supplies last, with the 128GB Quest 3 being reduced to $430 and the 512GB version being reduced to $500.

Pokemon Sleep Surpasses $120M in Revenue

Pokémon Sleep has reached a significant milestone, surpassing $120 million in gross revenue just 14 months after its launch. This achievement coincides with the rollout of a major smartwatch compatibility update, which allows users to pair the game with their smartwatches and track their sleep without having to leave the app open.

The update enables compatibility with popular smartwatches such as Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, Fitbit, and Google Pixel Watch, providing users with a more seamless nighttime routine. This new feature broadens accessibility options and saves players from having to buy the $55 Pokémon Go Plus + device or leave their phone running throughout the night.

The game's revenue has been steadily increasing, with 74% of revenue now coming from Japan. The US market remains in second place, accounting for 13% of global in-game spending, while Taiwan remains in third place with a stable 4% share. The game's latest update, Sleep Style Discovery Week, is expected to boost engagement and create more opportunities for microtransactions.