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Morning Legal Briefs
ByteDance has been urged by senators to immediately cease operations of its Seedance AI video application. Separately, Encyclopedia Britannica has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging copyright infringement related to the use of its content.
Senators tell ByteDance to shut down Seedance 2.0 AI video app 'immediately'
US senators have demanded that ByteDance immediately shut down its Seedance 2.0 AI video generator, citing threats to American intellectual property and the creative community. The senators expressed concern over AI companies training apps on copyrighted materials without permission and called ByteDance's pledge to respect IP rights a delay tactic. The Motion Picture Association has also issued a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance regarding the app.
ByteDance has reportedly suspended the global rollout of its new AI video generator
ByteDance has reportedly suspended the global rollout of its AI video generator, Seedance 2.0, following concerns over copyright infringement raised by studios like Disney and Paramount. The tool faced immediate backlash after its launch in China due to allegations of using copyrighted materials in its training data.
ByteDance will reportedly buy NVIDIA's latest AI chips to use outside of China
ByteDance is reportedly acquiring NVIDIA's latest AI chips, specifically the B200 processors, through a Malaysian firm called Aolani Cloud to bypass US export restrictions. The significant investment of over $2.5 billion aims to fuel AI research and development outside of China, as the country faces limitations in accessing advanced hardware due to US regulations.
TikTok can continue its operations in Canada after agreeing to enhanced security measures
TikTok will continue its operations in Canada after agreeing to enhanced data security and regulatory oversight measures. This decision reverses a previous ban citing national security risks posed by the company and its parent ByteDance. The agreement aims to protect Canadian jobs and invest in the country's cultural sector.
Morning Mobilization
Apple has blocked US users from downloading apps from ByteDance, the Chinese company behind TikTok. Separately, Samsung has renamed its internet browser. The article also briefly mentions driving with Star Trek on Waze.
TikTok won't add end-to-end encryption to DMs
TikTok has stated it will not implement end-to-end encryption for its direct messages, citing safety concerns. The company believes this feature would hinder its ability to protect users, particularly younger ones, by preventing safety teams and law enforcement from accessing messages when necessary. While standard encryption is in place, TikTok confirmed that authorized employees can access messages upon requests from authorities or reports of harmful behavior.
In yet another twist in the US-China chip export fiasco, it seems like America may limit the number of H200 AI chips…
The US government is reportedly considering new restrictions on AI chip exports to China, potentially limiting Nvidia's H200 and AMD's MI325 chips. These proposed limits would cap exports at 75,000 units per Chinese firm, significantly reducing previous purchase requests. This development occurs amidst ongoing trade tensions and evolving export policies between the US and China.
Godot veteran laments 'AI slop,' Highguard's mystery investor, and a big doc for Big Hops - Patch Notes #41
This week's gaming news highlights concerns over generative AI's impact on hardware availability and the influx of low-quality submissions to open-source projects like Godot. Unity claims its AI can now generate full casual games from prompts, while a documentary explores the six-year development of the indie platformer Big Hops. Other news includes Hasbro shutting down its Atomic Arcade studio, Tencent's secret funding of Highguard, a banned Call of Duty ad, ByteDance potentially selling Moonton, and Valve warning of Steam Deck OLED stock issues due to RAM shortages.
ByteDance reportedly in "advanced talks" to sell Mobile Legends dev Moonton Technology to Savvy Games for over $6bn
ByteDance is reportedly in advanced negotiations to sell its mobile game developer Moonton Technology, known for Mobile Legends, to Savvy Games Group for over $6 billion. The deal, which could close this quarter, would signify ByteDance's significant withdrawal from the online gaming sector. Savvy Games Group, backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has existing investments in several major gaming companies.
