Welcome to Daily Zaps, your regularly-scheduled dose of electrifying AI news ⚡️ 

Here’s what we got for ya today:

• 🎒 Bring your own AI (BYOAI)

• 🕶 More details about OpenAI search

• 🏴‍☠️ Export restrictions for closed source AI models

• ❌ OpenAI outlines how to ‘opt out’ of AI training

Let’s get right into it!

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AI AT WORK

Bring your own AI (BYOAI)

Microsoft Corp. and LinkedIn have released a 2024 report about AI at work. Here are the main points:

AI Usage Growing Fast: AI use at work has almost doubled in six months. Many leaders say they wouldn't hire someone without AI skills, yet worry their companies lack a clear AI vision. Despite this, 75% of knowledge workers use AI, and 78% bring their own AI tools to work.

AI Influences Careers: The use of AI is changing the job market. Although some worry about job losses, there's actually a talent shortage, especially in fields like cybersecurity and engineering. Many employees are considering career changes and improving their AI skills independently—LinkedIn profiles showing AI skills have surged.

AI Power Users: People who use AI frequently save time and find their work more enjoyable. These "power users" often receive support and encouragement from their companies' leaders to use AI more effectively in their roles.

This report highlights that AI is already significantly impacting how we work, and there's a push for companies to better integrate and support AI tools to capture their full potential.

AI SEARCH ENGINE

More details about OpenAI search

OpenAI is working on a new feature for ChatGPT that would allow it to search the web and include citations in its answers. This feature would let users ask questions and get responses with details from sources like Wikipedia and blogs, sometimes accompanied by relevant images. For example, if someone asked how to change a doorknob, ChatGPT could provide a diagram.

This development would put OpenAI in direct competition with Google and the AI search startup Perplexity. While Google is updating its search to integrate AI, and Perplexity is known for its AI-driven search engine that focuses on accuracy and citations, OpenAI's new feature could enhance ChatGPT's functionality, which already includes limited web search capabilities for paid users. The full details of this feature are not yet public, and OpenAI has not commented on it.

U.S. GOVERNMENT

Export restrictions for closed source AI models

The Biden administration is considering new regulations to limit the export of advanced AI models to countries like China and Russia. This comes after concerns that these models could be used for cyberattacks or creating biological weapons. The plan may involve setting a threshold based on the computing power needed to train these models, which would help the Commerce Department identify which AIs need to be controlled.

This step is seen as part of a broader effort to prevent U.S. AI technology from enhancing foreign military capabilities. However, controlling these exports is challenging, especially since many AI models are open source and not currently covered by export restrictions.

STARTUPS

OpenAI outlines how to ‘opt out’ of AI training for content creators

OpenAI released a document titled “Our approach to content and data in the age of AI,” proposing a new initiative to align AI model training with creators' consent for using their works. However, the document seems to merely spin a positive narrative without promising significant changes, and even acknowledges the lack of legal obligation to avoid using creative works without consent.

OpenAI describes ongoing efforts as if they already respect creators' choices, yet hints that truly respecting copyright could be financially impractical. They suggest a new tool, Media Manager, to allow creators to specify the use of their content, but this approach shifts the burden to creators rather than having OpenAI secure the necessary rights before use. The document overall suggests more of an appearance of consent than a commitment to meaningful change in how AI models use copyrighted content.