Amazon Web Services’ Latest AI Announcements During re:Invent

At its re:Invent conference, Amazon Web Services (AWS) unveiled several new AI announcements.

One of the highlights was the Titan Image Generator, where users can provide text prompts for Titan to generate original images or edit existing images like removing backgrounds. Amazon is positioning Titan as an enterprise developer tool for building applications, contrasting it with more consumer-focused models like DALL-E. Safeguards are included like invisible watermarks to identify AI-generated images.

Other announcements include Titan Text Lite for lightweight text generation and Text Express for powering conversational apps. Significantly, Amazon now provides copyright indemnity to AWS customers using its Titan foundation models, even if they employ models like Anthropic's Claude. This reassures enterprises about potential copyright issues with generative AI.

Amazon also launched Amazon Q, an AI assistant that can answer natural language questions about a customer's business using their own data. It aims to provide quick access to company information without searching documents.

On the hardware side, Amazon revealed its next-generation Trainium and Graviton chips for efficient AI model training and inferencing. The chips aim to reduce AWS reliance on scarce GPUs amid surging demand for generative AI.

Stability AI Unveils SDXL Turbo

Stability AI has released SDXL Turbo, a new text-to-image generation model utilizing a novel distillation technique called Adversarial Diffusion Distillation (ADD). ADD allows SDXL Turbo to generate images in a single step while maintaining high quality.

Compared to the previous SDXL 1.0 model requiring 50 steps, SDXL Turbo reduces the step count to just one. This enables real-time text-to-image generation with unprecedented speed.

SDXL Turbo was tested against other diffusion models including OpenMUSE, IF-XL, and LCM-XL. In blind human evaluations, SDXL Turbo beat a 4-step LCM-XL and 50-step SDXL 1.0 with only a single step, demonstrating superior performance with lower computational costs.

The model also significantly improves inference speed. On an A100 GPU, SDXL Turbo can generate a 512x512 image in just 207ms. This is up to 250x faster than previous diffusion models requiring multiple steps.

Stability AI credits the advances to its new ADD technique detailed in the research paper. ADD incorporates adversarial training and distillation to retain high image quality in single-step diffusion.

SDXL Turbo is currently available on Hugging Face under a non-commercial research license. Users can test the real-time image generation on Stability AI's Clipdrop platform.

Pika Labs Introduces Idea-to-Video Platform Pika 1.0, Raises $55M

Pika, a startup creating AI-powered video editing and generation tools, has raised $55 million led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. This coincides with the early access launch of Pika 1.0, introducing new generative capabilities for editing videos in different styles.

Pika was founded by former Stanford AI Lab PhDs Demi Guo and Chenlin Meng. The company aims to make high-quality video creation accessible through its AI-powered interface. In six months since launch, Pika has grown to 500,000 users generating millions of videos per week.

Pika 1.0 ships with tools to extend videos, transform styles from live action to animation, expand canvas size, and edit content using AI like changing outfits. This aims to streamline creative videography and democratize professional techniques through AI.

The funding comes amid heightened demand for generative AI across text, images, video and more. However, recent surveys show many enterprises are still only piloting generative AI due to concerns over outcomes, bias, legal issues and more.

Pika competes with AI video tools from startups like Runway and Stability AI. But investor Lightspeed believes Pika's technical foundations and creative focus position it to lead transformation in AI-powered video creation.

ElevenLabs Announces its Grants Program for AI Startups

ElevenLabs has announced new grants to help early-stage startups and solopreneurs utilize voice AI to launch innovative projects. Recipients will get 11 million characters per month for 3 months to develop, test, and scale products powered by ElevenLabs' human-like voices.

The goal is assisting new businesses and models leveraging AI voices without high startup costs. Applicants must have a monetization strategy and valid business email. Grants are for long-term market-bound products, not one-off projects or campaigns.

Eligible companies must be early-stage with under 25 full-time employees. Only one application per company is allowed. Existing ElevenLabs enterprise customers cannot apply.

The application process involves submitting details on the product concept, team, and growth plans. Acceptance decisions come within 8 weeks. For approved applicants, the 3-month free usage plan is applied to their account.

The grants provide enterprise-level capacity of 11 million characters monthly, over 200 hours of audio. Additional benefits include high scale limits and early access to new features.

By covering costs to test concepts with ElevenLabs voices, the program aims to help promising startups turn AI voice ideas into real products and businesses. It reduces barriers for solo entrepreneurs as well.

Microsoft Joins OpenAI’s Board as Sam Altman Rejoins as CEO

Sam Altman is officially back as CEO of OpenAI after being briefly ousted by the previous board last week. The new board consists of Bret Taylor as chair, Adam D'Angelo, and Larry Summers.

Microsoft will also gain a non-voting observer seat to increase visibility into OpenAI given its 49% stake. Altman expressed excitement for OpenAI's future and gratitude to employees for their resilience during the turmoil.

The old board, including Ilya Sutskever and Helen Toner, attempted to remove Altman over disputes on direction. But after employee backlash, a deal was reached for Altman's reinstatement. Altman harbors no ill will towards Sutskever, who will no longer serve on the board.

Priorities going forward are advancing OpenAI's research and safety efforts, deploying products for users, and building out a diverse board. An independent review of recent events will also occur.

Altman aims to ensure OpenAI's commitment to stakeholders worldwide is clear. He believes the ability to handle uncertainty shows the team is ready to build AGI safely.

Chair Bret Taylor said the board will focus on strengthening governance so OpenAI can serve its mission. An oversight committee will review the leadership crisis. Enhancing the governance structure aims to ensure OpenAI can thrive.

With public interest surging, Taylor emphasized OpenAI's importance in responsibly developing awe-inspiring AI. He committed to learning from employees to effectively meet challenges.

Perplexity AI Unveils ‘Online’ LLMs that Could Rival Google Search

Perplexity AI, founded by former Google researchers, has released two new AI models - pplx-7b-online and pplx-70b-online. These large language models aim to provide helpful, factual, and timely information, surpassing limitations of chatbots like ChatGPT.

The models incorporate Perplexity's search indexing and crawling system to augment them with the most relevant, up-to-date information from the web. This allows responses based on recent data versus the knowledge cutoff of models like GPT-3.5.

Perplexity tested its models against GPT-3.5 and Meta's Llama-2. Human evaluators preferred the freshness and accuracy of Perplexity's models, though found GPT-3.5 more helpful overall.

The models are now available through Perplexity's API for developers and businesses. This publicly launches Perplexity's API after beta testing. However, usage incurs fees starting at $20/month beyond free credits.

Perplexity is positioning itself as an alternative to traditional search engines by combining conversational AI and the latest web knowledge. With rivals like Google struggling on next-gen search products, Perplexity sees an opportunity to lead with its informed chatbot approach.

Early adopters believe Perplexity could define the future of search as an AI assistant that provides instant, personalized answers. But uptake remains uncertain as Perplexity must compete with free models like GPT-3.5 and convince users to pay.

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Rockstar to Release Trailer 1 of the Next GTA Next Week

Rockstar has confirmed the first trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto game will premiere on Tuesday, December 5 at 9am ET. While not explicitly stated, this lines up with Rockstar's previous tease of a trailer coming in early December for the new GTA.

The announcement tweet features tropical art, offering the first official tease of the rumored Vice City setting. Massive leaks in September also pointed to a return to Vice City in the next GTA.

As one of the biggest entertainment products ever, the excitement for a new GTA needs little context. The previous entry, GTA V, is the most profitable entertainment release in history as of 2018.

Fans have eagerly awaited news on the sequel for years. While details remain scarce, the first trailer will finally offer a glimpse into Rockstar's vision for the next era of GTA on Tuesday.

Of course, Rockstar is known for pushing boundaries with the GTA series. Controversies around violence and cultural depictions will likely resurface with the sequel.

But for now, fans are excited to get a first look at the future of GTA. The series has defined open world games for decades, and the trailer starts to unveil Rockstar's plans to evolve the iconic franchise next week.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Release Date Officially Announced

Capcom held a 15-minute showcase revealing new details on Dragon's Dogma 2, including a release date set for March 22, 2024. The showcase debuted a new class called the trickster that uses smoke conjuring abilities to trick enemies into fighting each other.

The trickster appears to be a necromancer-like rogue class that employs a censer weapon and smoke magic. It can summon constructs from smoke to confuse foes, representing inspired class design.

The story leans into geopolitical intrigue which could provide an engaging narrative backdrop. While not seeming revolutionary, Dragon's Dogma 2 may deliver a satisfying low-stakes, sword-and-board RPG.

The March 22 release date comes after the Steam page leaked a March 21 date prior to the showcase. The updated date pits Dragon's Dogma 2 against another anticipated 2024 game, Princess Peach: Showtime!

While more details are still needed, the showcase provided the first good look at Dragon's Dogma 2's vision. The new trickster class and geopolitical story hooks demonstrate some creative directions for the sequel.

As a cult hit, the original Dragon's Dogma won applause for its unique pawn system and combat. Fans are eager to see how the sequel can expand on that foundation.

Tiktok Maker ByteDance Restructures its Video Game Business

ByteDance, the maker of TikTok, is reportedly undergoing a major restructuring of its video game business in pursuit of long-term growth. The company plans to shut down its Nuverse gaming arm and exit the mainstream game market altogether.

Nuverse is the parent of studios like Moonton and C4Games, and has published globally popular titles such as Marvel Snap. But according to sources, ByteDance will end development on unreleased Nuverse games and look to divest launched titles.

Hundreds of employees are expected to be impacted as ByteDance winds down Nuverse with no plans to return to gaming. The company invested heavily in Nuverse and game studios over the past decade through acquisitions and funding.

The restructuring reflects a recent trend of layoffs and closures in pursuit of growth, despite past investments. ByteDance shut down a Shanghai studio in mid-2022 resulting in over 100 job cuts.

While exiting mainstream gaming, ByteDance's gaming strategy going forward is unclear. The company didn't provide specifics besides a focus on long-term growth areas.

The shutdown of Nuverse raises concerns over the future of its major titles like Marvel Snap. However, developer Second Dinner assured Snap will continue operating unaffected.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape Delayed To June

Bungie has officially delayed the release of Destiny 2 expansion The Final Shape from February 27 to June 4, 2023. The studio says the extra development time is needed to fully deliver their vision and honor the conclusion to Destiny's 10-year storyline.

The Final Shape delay has reshuffled the Destiny 2 roadmap. Season of the Wish still begins on February 28 as planned. Guardian Games has been moved up to March and will refocus on class competition. New PvP maps arrive in May.

Bungie also announced Destiny 2: Into the Light, a two-month content update launching in April to prepare players for The Final Shape. Details are scarce so far on what this update will entail.

The Final Shape was revealed last August as the culmination of Destiny's primary narrative. However, recent reports claim underwhelming pre-orders and waning player engagement influenced the delay decision following layoffs.

Bloomberg had reported The Final Shape's rumored delay prior to official confirmation. Their report also claimed Bungie's upcoming game Marathon had been pushed to 2025, but this remains unconfirmed.

While disappointing for eager fans, Bungie stresses the delay aims to deliver an even bolder, memorable conclusion for The Final Shape and honor Destiny's journey.

With the lengthy delay, Bungie faces pressure to maintain player interest and rebuild sentiment. But if the additional time enables them to stick the landing, Destiny's finale could go out on a high note.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Resumes Production, Reveals New Look At Shadow

Production has resumed on Sonic the Hedgehog 3 after being stalled by industry strikes. A new teaser image provides another look at Shadow the Hedgehog, presumably the antagonist for the upcoming sequel set to release December 2024.

The image shows Shadow's signature hover shoes, providing a partial reveal of the character who briefly appeared in Sonic 2's mid-credits scene. Details remain unknown about Shadow's exact role and voice actor in the third film.

Director Jeff Fowler and stars Ben Schwartz, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Idris Elba, and James Marsden are all returning for the sequel. Sonic 3 has the tall task of following the box office success of Sonic 2, which became the highest grossing video game movie in the U.S. before being dethroned by The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

The teaser indicates that despite delays, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 remains on track for its slated release. Fans are eager to see Shadow fully realized on screen and how the franchise will continue building out its animated world in live action.

Nintendo Switch 2 Rumors and Leaks

The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to be a more powerful successor to the best-selling original Switch. While not yet officially announced, leaks point to a late 2024 release target.

The Switch 2 is rumored to maintain the hybrid portable/home console design but with upgraded internals somewhat comparable to the PS4 and Xbox One. The goal seems to be reasonably beefed up performance versus cutting edge specs.

Potential new features based on patents include a dual screen design reminiscent of past Nintendo handhelds. The screens could separate for two-player gaming. But patents don't confirm final products.

Rumored specs include 12GB RAM, upgraded processors, and support for new graphics tech like ray tracing. Cartridge support is also expected to continue.

Nintendo has shown private demos to developers according to reports, using games like Breath of the Wild 2 and Unreal Engine 5 tech demos to showcase capabilities. Nintendo denies showing hardware.

In terms of games, rumors point to a new 3D Mario and Mario Kart launching in 2024 and 2025. A new Donkey Kong is also rumored. Nintendo staples will surely lead the way if history is a guide.

Backward compatibility remains a big question. Fans hope Switch games can benefit from the power boost on Switch 2, but nothing is confirmed yet.

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Cristiano Ronaldo Faces Class Action Lawsuit Alleging the Promotion of Unregistered Securities

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is facing a proposed class action lawsuit alleging he promoted the crypto exchange Binance's sale of unregistered securities, causing losses for users.

The lawsuit stems from Ronaldo's multiyear deal with Binance that started back in 2022 to promote his NFT collections on the platform. Plaintiffs claim his promotion brought new users to Binance who then invested in unregistered securities like BNB tokens and yield programs.

They argue Ronaldo encouraged millions of followers to invest on Binance through his influential brand and successful NFT drops, increasing traffic 500% after initial sales. He should have known Binance sold unregistered securities per SEC guidance on disclosing crypto promotions, the suit alleges.

The class action seeks damages for users who suffered losses as well as legal fees. It comes as Binance and its founder face their own legal troubles including fines, criminal charges, and SEC investigations related to money laundering, operating unregistered, and more.

Ronaldo provided a huge boost to Binance's popularity and growth. But questions linger over what he promoted, his disclosure of the relationship, and whether followers suffered losses from investing in unregistered products.

The lawsuit casts Ronaldo's promotion as soliciting investments that put users at risk. But details remain uncertain around what was promoted, how users invested, and who is liable for losses.

Square Enix’s 'Symbiogenesis' Launch Date Revealed

Square Enix has revealed new details on its upcoming NFT game Symbiogenesis, including a launch date set for December 21, 2023. The publisher also kicked off the first NFT auction for in-game characters on Monday.

500 Ethereum NFT characters will be auctioned in three stages - 10 for stakeholders, 90 through a priority mint, and 400 to an allowlist. Initially listed for free claim, an auction occurs if multiple users attempt to claim the same NFT.

To encourage bidding, Square Enix is giving away free NFTs. All bidders receive a countdown illustration NFT, while bids of 0.05 ETH ($100) or more get a Member Card NFT granting bonus points in Symbiogenesis.

Symbiogenesis represents Square Enix's first original NFT game. The company has been invested in crypto for years via projects, collaborations, and investments.

The NFT auction and free gifts aim to build engagement and demand ahead of launch. But results remain to be seen as the crypto market downturn continues.

While Square Enix is plunging ahead into NFT gaming, the space faces huge challenges around adoption. Many players express disinterest or skepticism about blockchain games.

Symbiogenesis will provide a high-profile test case as a major publisher's purpose-built NFT title. But the crypto association could also limit its appeal among mainstream gamers.

The countdown NFTs suggest Square Enix will leverage both Ethereum and Polygon in its blockchain plans. The multi-chain approach contrasts with recent bets on a single network.

Esports Giant ‘Team Liquid’ Collabs With Illuvium

Esports organization Team Liquid has announced a collaboration with blockchain game Illuvium, which recently launched in early access. Team Liquid members will be limit testing and advising on Illuvium's turn-based, player-versus-player creature autobattler mode.

Team Liquid founder Victor Goossens said members were impressed by Illuvium's quality so far. He believes the game will reward skill and strategy like other esports titles Liquid is involved in.

As part of the collaboration, Illuvium will release Team Liquid-themed NFT character skins and avatars. The game is built on Ethereum scaling network Immutable X.

In 2024, Team Liquid and Illuvium plan to co-host a $100,000 esports tournament for the game as they aim to develop its competitive scene.

Team Liquid has been exploring blockchain gaming partnerships to bring fans into Web3 and provide a safe onboarding experience. The collaboration furthers the goal of bridging esports and crypto gaming.

Illuvium recently launched in early access after raising over $72 million from investors. The open world RPG incorporates NFT characters with autobattler gameplay.

Securing Team Liquid's expertise represents a major accomplishment for Illuvium as it works to build out its PVP features and eventual esports integration.

The collaboration sets a precedent for mainstream esports organizations embracing blockchain games. As crypto gaming matures, more established esports names could follow Team Liquid's lead.

Pudgy Penguins Release Exclusive Walmart ‘Influencer Box’ for Cyber Monday

NFT project Pudgy Penguins released an exclusive "influencer box" of toys and collectibles available only on Walmart.com for Cyber Monday 2023. The $25 bundle includes plush toys, an action figure, clip-on plush, igloo toy, and an NFT for Pudgy's gaming platform.

Pudgy Penguins partnered with Walmart in September to stock plush toys in over 2,000 stores, bringing the NFT brand into the mainstream toy market. The Cyber Monday deal represents a unique online promotion tapping into holiday shopping demand.

Launched in 2021, Pudgy Penguins grew in value during the crypto bear market after being acquired by entrepreneur Luca Netz. Netz expanded the brand into toys, merch, and entertainment while boosting community engagement.

Recent milestones include raising $9 million in funding and hitting an all-time high NFT floor price of over $13,000 in ETH - a 7x gain since Netz took over. Pudgy is one of few NFTs gaining value post-crash.

The Walmart partnership and influencer box showcase Pudgy's strategy of bridging physical and digital experiences. While risky amid crypto skepticism, the project is attracting mainstream toy buyers unfamiliar with NFTs.

Capitalizing on Walmart's vast reach for the Cyber Monday promotion could significantly expand Pudgy's brand recognition. The bundle caters to both NFT collectors and toy enthusiasts.

Azuki DAO Rebrands to ‘Bean’ as it Drops Lawsuit Against Founder

Azuki DAO, a decentralized community organization around the Azuki NFT collection, has announced it is rebranding as "Bean" and dropping its proposed lawsuit against Azuki creator Zagabond.

The DAO says Bean will pivot to become an Ethereum layer-2 memecoin on Blast and has secured $10 million from investors. The Bean token will have a total supply of 1 billion. An initial token distribution plan allocating portions to the DAO treasury, NFT holders, and Zagabond is now outdated, according to the DAO.

The lawsuit stemmed from Zagabond releasing a second Azuki NFT series called Elementals, which resembled the originals and diluted their value. Azuki prices fell 44% afterward.

But now Bean is discontinuing the suit as part of its shift into a new direction as a memecoin. Details on financing and roadmap are expected soon.

The rebrand marks a major change for the Azuki DAO after forming around the popular NFT collection. Dropping the lawsuit and pivoting away from Azuki NFTs suggests a desire to distance itself from recent issues.

However, the economics around the new Bean token are still unclear. The revised token distribution plan raises questions around allocations.

Scam-As-A-Service ‘Inferno Drainer’ Shuts Down After Helping Steal $70M in Crypto

Inferno Drainer, a popular crypto wallet-draining service used in phishing scams, has announced it is shutting down after helping steal nearly $70 million worth of crypto this year.

Inferno Drainer gained prominence in 2023 after other drainers like Monkey Drainer ceased operations. The service let scammers use its software to drain crypto wallets in exchange for a 20% cut.

Analytics show Inferno assisted in the theft of close to $70 million from over 100,000 victims since February. The Inferno team claimed the total was over $80 million.

In its shutdown announcement, Inferno Drainer thanked users but said "nothing lasts forever." It won't destroy its infrastructure so users can transition to other services.

Blockchain security firm CertiK called Inferno Drainer one of the most damaging phishing services to the crypto community. Rival wallet drainers like Pink Drainer and Angel Drainer remain active.

Crypto draining services have collectively stolen hundreds of millions by aiding phishing schemes. But some like Inferno claim they are shutting down for ethical reasons or to pursue new ventures.

Inferno Drainer's shutdown continues a trend of prominent drainers ceasing operations after stealing vast sums this year. But new services keep emerging to fill the void.