Spotify to label AI artists, London Underground expands facial recognition tech

Spotify is to label AI artists and exclude them from algorithm recommendations as part of a crackdown on fake performers. The world’s largest music streaming platform is creating a label for AI-generated artist identities called “AI personas” that will appear on the artist profile and on track listings on playlists. It means that from September AI-generated artists such as the Velvet Sundown will carry the persona label and will be blocked from personalised recommendations by default. The aim is to differentiate these deepfake artists from real performers who might lose out on streams to artificial rivals. The Guardian 

A farmer in China claims to have lost 25 acres of crops “overnight” after following pesticide advice from an AI assistant. The 67-year-old from Chuzhou in Anhui province had been using artificial intelligence software for a year prior to the incident, according to local reports, using it to ask for advice on everything from scheduling to fertilising. Initial success led to him trusting the AI and blindly following its instructions without confirming the information with other sources. Independent 

The debate over public surveillance and privacy is only getting more intense, with the British Transport Police (BTP) the latest organization to stoke the fires: it’s expanding a trial of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology across several London Underground stations from today. As per the BTP’s official statement, this will start at Victoria and then rotate around other stations until November. “Our deployments are intelligence-led and focused on identifying people wanted by the police or courts, including those suspected of serious offences..” says the BTP. Tech Radar 

Working from home has triggered a surge in male loneliness, a new study has claimed. Young men aged 18 to 25 now spend, on average two fifths of their waking hours – about 6.5 hours – on their own, the Resolution Foundation said on Wednesday. This is two hours more than they did a decade ago, the study found. The think tank said the rise was driven by the increasing numbers shunning the office and said it was linked to a sharp rise in the number of young people, particularly men, reporting feeling lonely. Telegraph

The Google Pixel 11 series is going official tomorrow at the Made by Google event. While most details about the lineup have already leaked, a new rumor has revealed details about the base Pixel 11’s telephoto camera. According to tipster @evowizz, the standard Pixel 11 will feature a 10.8MP periscope telephoto camera. It is likely the same sensor used in the Pixel 10 and is expected to support 5x optical zoom.

Previously leaked marketing materials suggest the handset will offer up to 30x digital zoom. The tipster also claims the Pixel 11 will be equipped with 12GB of RAM, which aligns with earlier reports. GSM Arena

It’s a familiar experience: racing against masses of anonymous netizens online to get yourself on the list for an in-demand event. For Andrew Bird, from Melbourne, in Australia, it was a spot in an often over-booked pilates class – but his solution had unexpected consequences. He says he outsourced the “chore” to an AI agent – a tool that can carry out online tasks autonomously. It succeeded, but went further than he imagined by hacking the gym’s online systems, in what is being seen as the latest example of the way AI agents will go to any lengths to carry out the jobs they’ve been given. BBC