Google watermark spots AI images

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🔎 Google watermark spots AI images

🦾 How AI empowers the M&A process

💰 MoonPay launches venture arm for web3, gaming investment

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Google watermark spots AI images [Link]

In its bid to fight misinformation, Google is testing out a digital watermark to spot AI-produced images.

Here are the further details on this new watermark tool:

• Developed by DeepMind, Google's AI arm, SynthID will identify machine-generated images, and it works by embedding changes to individual pixels in images so watermarks are detectable by computers but not by the human eye.

• DeepMind gets candid, though, and admits the tool is not "foolproof against extreme image manipulation,” with the ability to tell the difference between real and artificially generated images becoming more difficult over time.

• Google has its own image generator called Imagen, and its system for creating and checking watermarks will only apply to images created via this tool.

Back In July, Google was one of 7 tech giants to sign a voluntary agreement in the US to ensure AI’s safe use and development. This standardization and use of watermark to detect AI-generated images is part of such commitment.

This news also comes as Google unveils a swath of fresh AI tech and partnerships this week to bring the novel tech to the enterprise sector.

How AI empowers the M&A process [Link]

AI is touted to help alleviate a few pain points in mergers and acquisitions, streamlining every stage of the journey and ensuring optimized transactions, particularly with all things involving tech.

With gen AI-driven capabilities, companies can enhance the diligence process for businesses they are interested to acquire or merge with, making the overall M&A process less risky, quicker, and more efficient.

A few ways AI can benefit M&As:

• Creating ease during the evaluation phase: M&As in the tech space involve evaluating a company’s software, where human analysts are often faced with a mountain of data to review and parse. AI-driven resources can help make the initial evaluation easier and more seamless.

• Enabling seamless M&A transitions: AI can assist in consolidating the tech infrastructure, including a complete audit of all software and apps to understand how those tools are being used.

• Optimizing business activities post-merger: Companies can harness AI-based tools for a robust way forward once the transaction is complete. They can use AI, which is capable of uncovering trends and patterns that may have been overlooked by humans, to unveil new opportunities for better efficiencies.

MoonPay launches venture arm for web3, gaming investment [Link]

MoonPay, renowned for its robust web3 infrastructure, has taken a leap forward by launching MoonPay Ventures, an investment arm aimed at nurturing and empowering early-stage startups in the web3, gaming, and adjacent fintech domains.

Key insights about this investment arm:

• Its range spans from $100K to $1M, affirming the arm's commitment to supporting promising ventures in their nascent stages.

• It has already invested in over 25 companies, including notable names like BCB Group, Ledger, BRUT, BeatClub, absolute labs, Create/OS, BridgeTower Capital, and Mythical Games.

• It invests off its balance sheet, utilizing a strategic approach to maximize commercial ROI, demonstrating business savvy.

• It places a strong emphasis on the teams behind the startups, looking for exceptional ones with the capability to turn ideas into realities.

Hong Kong bets big on web3 [Link]

Hong Kong is fast emerging as a frontrunner in the blockchain revolution, offering insight into the advancing web3 ecosystem of NFTs, DeFi, and beyond.

Hong Kong's web3 potential:

• Financial Secretary, Paul Chan Mo-po, envisions web3 as the driving force behind the next wave of digital breakthroughs. Acknowledging the significance of NFTs and GameFi, he believes the core blockchain tech of web3 can transform various sectors beyond digital entertainment.

• The government is actively fostering a favorable environment for web3 development. The recent issuance of the 1st retail crypto trading license to HashKey and the approval of OSL's retail trading platform highlights the region's progressive stance.

• The tech hub Cyberport is at the forefront of web3 innovation. With 180+ web3-related companies and licensed virtual asset trading platforms, HK has become a nucleus of growth. The government's investment of $50M in Cyberport underscores its commitment to nurturing the web3 ecosystem.

• To drive web3 development, a dedicated task force comprising non-official members from various sectors, government officials, and financial regulators was established in June. The task force's role is pivotal in promoting Hong Kong's web3 ecosystem.

Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

• NPCx raises $3M in funding for improving motion capture for non-player characters (NPCs) in games. (Link)

• A patent from PlayStation is attempting to use AI to alter the visuals of video game graphics. (Link)

• Microsoft is betting big on AI for Windows, Bing, and now Xbox if its job listings for an “Xbox Gaming AI team” were any indication. (Link)

• Despite a softening in direct consumer gaming spend overall, mobile is still the largest market opportunity for games, a new report reveals. (Link)

• Ken Timsit, MD at Cronos Labs, highlights NFTs’ impact, community management expertise, and AI’s role in enhancing web3 gaming. (Link)

• Video game tech - brain-computer interface developed by Speech Graphics, UCSF, and UC Berkeley - aids a paralyzed woman in regaining her communication abilities. (Link)

• MetaQuiz rolls out a 100% AI-powered blockchain learn-to-earn quiz game. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

• A deep dive into couture and haute couture - and the rise of NFTs in the fashion space. (Link)

• DRAUP and VERTICAL offer aspiring digital fashion designers the chance to participate in a 6-week intensive program. (Link)

• Apparel Resources, India’s leading B2B fashion media house, mounts the 1st edition of Fashion Technology Week (FTW) in Bengaluru for a dose of high-tech style and fashion. (Link)

• Vogue asks: Exactly what is Copy, the 1st AI-powered fashion magazine, trying to prove? (Link)

• See what’s in store at Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, which kicks off its spring/summer 2024 collection season. (Link)

• 6 questions for Leila Ismailova, who left a successful TV career in Belarus behind for the US, on digital fashion, life after Artisant, and being in crypto today. (Link)

🏀 Sports

• After severing ties with FIFA, EA Sports FC explores uncharted territory and hints at the integration of NFTs into its gaming experience. (Link)

• Fox Sports is turning to gen AI, particularly Google Cloud, to help its staffers more rapidly generate content from millions of hours of its archived games footage. (Link)

• AI tennis commentary is coming to the US Open and we’re yet to see if it can mimic a human sportscaster’s real-time monologues. (Link)

• The sports tech market is projected to reach $25.7B by 2030, at a CAGR of 26.2% during the forecast period 2023-30. (Link)

• Sporting goods retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors and digital sports platform Fanatics collaborate for an expanded array of licensed sports products. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

• Me4U develops AI chatbots to interact with fans of online creators on food, travel, fashion, and business. (Link)

• Instagram is testing a feature that will let creators share notable fan comments from their posts or reels to their stories. (Link)

• A British cross-party group of lawmakers urge AI creators to prevent unauthorized use of music, literature, and art to train models. (Link)

• As part of the digital living megatrend, the metaverse is enabling businesses to create immersive and realistic experiences for consumers online. (Link)

• AI voice-overs are becoming increasingly popular, offering consumers access to a wealth of information, promoting escapism, and espousing fast learning. (Link)

• WhatsApp launches a new native app for Mac, allowing up to 8 people to join video calls and 32 people to join audio calls. (Link)

🖼 Art

• Mythical Games adds an NFT player card feature to its mobile gaming experience NFL Rivals. (Link)

• Did the US SEC just declare war on NFTs? (Link)

• LimeWire, a former file-sharing platform, launches a new content creation platform on Polygon tapping AI to produce new content that can be sold as NFTs. (Link)

• Cube Art Fair is returning to NYC for its 10th edition with the debut of an AI Art Fair. (Link)

• This competition looks to find 20 artworks for the 1st zero-emission digital art exhibition hosted in Milan, Italy in November. (Link)

🤖 AI

• Google Cloud and NVIDIA unveil AI infrastructure and software for large model generative AI development and deployment. (Link)

• Hyundai Home Shopping Network introduces Seo Ah-rang's Shopping Live, a show using AI and 3D avatar Rangi. (Link)

• Senate Majority Leader Schumer will host a summit with tech CEOs Zuckerberg, Nadella, and Pichai to discuss AI regulation, aiming to reduce job loss risk. (Link)

• 10 colleges for studying AI. (Link)

• Google releases Google Duet, a new AI plug-in to utilize Google Workspace apps for businesses. (Link)

• Uber Eats develops an AI-powered chatbot to offer users personalized recommendations and help them place orders quickly. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• FirstMate announces a $3.75M funding round to develop an NFT storefront builder for creators. (Link)

• Refiberd seals an investment of $3.4M in its early stage to deploy its AI for managing fabric refuse. (Link)

• Jasper partners with Google Workspace, Webflow, Zapier, and Make to enable marketers to create AI-powered content with brand security. (Link)

• Northern Ireland digital tech firm Kainos is making a long-term investment in gen AI to improve client experiences and drive digital transformation. (Link)

• Google DeepMind and Google Cloud launch SynthID, a tool embedding digital watermarks into AI-generated images produced using Google's Imagen model. (Link)

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All content on this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not aim to serve as or replace expert investment advice.

📈 If you are a startup building in the metaverse / web3 ecosystem and are raising capital, please reach out to Sfermion. Sfermion is an investment firm focused on accelerating the emergence of the metaverse 📈

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