Actors call for action on voice cloning, Anthropic blacklisting was unlawful

Actors including Matt Lucas, Hugh Bonneville and Nicola Coughlan have written to the UK government demanding greater protection against their voices being used by AI.The  performers are asking Prime Minister Andy Burnham to introduce legislation which would give every person in the UK a legal right to own their voice. Voice clones are created by training AI on recordings of real people. Quick versions can be made in minutes from a few seconds of audio, but high-quality copycats tend to require hours. BBC 

A US federal judge ruled Thursday that sanctions imposed in February by the Trump administration against AI giant Anthropic were illegal, finding that the government had punished the artificial intelligence company for publicly criticising the Pentagon. “The empty invocation of national security is not a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics,” Judge Rita Lin said in a 59-page decision. The Guardian

More than 100 companies have written an open letter calling for collective action to strengthen cyber defences amid a rise in AI-enabled cyber attacks. The companies, including tech heavyweights OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Microsoft warn of a “limited window to strengthen cyber-defences”, saying that the attacks “will become far more widespread and sophisticated as models from around the world become increasingly capable”, putting companies and public services at risk. Sky News 

Plans to rollout robotaxis in London have been delayed due to regulatory and technical hurdles. The self-driving taxis were said to be coming to the capital by the end of the year, with companies like Uber-backed Wayve confirming its fleets was “ready to go” in June. Both companies were granted the first minicab licenses in London to allow them to offer the self-driving robotaxi rides. But despite initial breakthroughs in progress – such as the transport secretary Heidi Alexander accelerating the proposed timeline for trials by a year – the rollout has been stunted by delays in guidance, as reported by the Financial Times.

As TV executives gathered in Edinburgh for the industry’s annual gathering this week, the shifting power balance in British broadcasting was clear to see. Just days before the luvvie exodus across the border, new accounts revealed that Netflix’s UK sales had eclipsed those of ITV for the first time. Netflix revenues topped £2bn last year, while ITV’s broadcast and streaming division made £1.9bn. It marks a milestone and a clear sign of how streamers have upended the TV industry. Telegraph 

You can already link your smartwatch and wearables to the Pokémon Sleep app via the Apple Health app or Google’s Health Connect. But if you’re a huge Pokémon fan and want a device that was designed with the app in mind, Google has something new for you. The company has introduced a special edition Pokémon Sleep Fitbit Air in what Google calls a “serene Sleepy Blue” colorway and a print label that features a sleeping Pikachu. Read More: https://www.engadget.com/2245218/google-special-edition-pokemon-sleep-fitbit/