WednesdAI // Week 43

Deals Break, Jobs Fade, Photos Fool, and New Voices Rise

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AI Revolution Redefines Futures, From Groundbreaking Deals and Creative Innovation to Empowering Voices and Global Opportunities!

Let’s get into it!
 
Welcome to WednesdAI – Pixel Dreams’ weekly update with top stories from the rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence.

 

This Week’s Episode


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This Week’s News


 

$14B Microsoft-OpenAI Deal Faces Breakdown

 
OpenAI and Microsoft are negotiating over how to turn Microsoft’s $14 billion investment into equity, as OpenAI’s $157 billion valuation complicates matters. The talks come amid OpenAI’s financial struggles, with projected 2024 losses of $5 billion, and growing tension as it asks Microsoft for more funding and computing power. Microsoft, hesitant to invest further, is trying to secure a stronger stake in the AI firm. Both companies have brought in top financial advisors to navigate the high-stakes discussions.

 

Find more insights from Wall Street Journal

 
 


 
 


 

Apple Intelligence: Falling Behind in AI

 
Apple’s latest AI push, branded as “Apple Intelligence,” may not live up to the hype. Despite its debut alongside the iPhone 16 and updates to other devices, internal reports suggest that Apple’s AI is still far behind competitors like OpenAI and Google. Early features, like notification summaries, are underwhelming, and more advanced AI capabilities are years away. Analysts believe that while Apple is starting behind, the company has a history of catching up by acquiring or developing the necessary tech​.

 
For more details, visit TechXplore, Hothardware

 
 


 
 


 

AI’s History Hoax: When Fake Photos Fool the World

 
AI-generated historical photos are flooding social media, creating confusion about real past events. Popular AI tools like Midjourney have produced convincing but fake images of iconic moments, such as the Hiroshima explosion, the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald, and even ancient scenes like the Roman Colosseum. These fabricated visuals are blurring the line between fact and fiction, raising concerns about distorting public understanding of history. Experts warn that while some AI images contain subtle errors—like too many fingers or overly perfect composition—improvements in technology could make them harder to spot​.

 
For more details, visit Wall Street Journal.
 
 


 
 


 

AI Disrupts Hollywood: Jobs at Risk

 
AI is shaking up the entertainment world in big ways. It speeds up things like visual effects, making production faster and cheaper, which helps even smaller studios compete with Hollywood giants. But actors, writers, and VFX artists worry that AI could replace their jobs or lower wages. The industry now faces the challenge of using AI for efficiency while keeping creativity and human input at the core. Despite these concerns, many believe AI could open new doors for storytelling and push creativity to new heights​.

 
Details from TechXplore, Northeastern Global News, TechXplore

 
 


 
 


 

Anguilla Strikes Gold with AI Domain Boom

 
The Caribbean island of Anguilla is making a lot of money from the AI trend because it owns the .ai internet domain. Last year, the island earned $32 million from selling these domains, which is now a big part of its budget. To handle the high demand, Anguilla teamed up with a U.S. company to manage the domains and keep them secure. The money is being used to improve things like the airport and healthcare on the island​.
 

 
Full details from Voice if America, TechXplore, Voa News.

 
 


 
 


 

AI Signs for Deaf Train Riders

 
Train travel can be a risky venture for Deaf passengers in Sydney due to most updates being given via audio. To address this, researchers are working with Sydney Trains and the Deaf community to develop an AI-powered Auslan avatar. This avatar will automatically translate announcements into Auslan, the native sign language of many Deaf Australians. The real-time translation aims to improve safety and independence by offering crucial updates, like delays or emergency instructions, through sign language, a more accessible format than text for many Deaf individuals.

 
Read details here from TechXplore, The Conversation.

 
 


 
 


 

Videos of the Week

What’s exciting, a short statement about what’s exciting. Just a short sentence or two about what’s most exciting.
 


Who You Gonna Claw? by MeanOrangeCat


Bosco Freestyle (Compton) by The Game The Dor Brothers


Harry Potter Movie Trailer by Haider.

 

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The images accompanying the news items in this article were generated in Midjourney using the following prompts:

In a dystopian world vintage-film like Wes Anderson’s movies where towers are made of tangled wires and data streams, a colossal Microsoft logo battles with an OpenAI symbol that transforms into a euphoric, sentient orb. The scene unfolds over a chaotic where rain falls and vintage stock numbers flash across the sky. The entire setting is dimly lit by the erratic pulses of vintage lights coming from broken billboards, casting fragmented reflections on the wet streets below.

A dreamlike cityscape where a silver snail with glowing Apple’s logo on it crawls slowly along a golden path of innovation, while sleek robotic figures of OpenAI and Google sprint ahead, leaving trails of glowing code in their wake. The scene is whimsical, with AI features represented as floating translucent orbs, but Apple’s are dimmer, barely hovering. Soft pastel light bathes the scene, highlighting the gentle pace of Apple compared to the speeding advancements around it.

In a post-apocalyptic world where history is preserved only through AI-generated images, a massive, floating gallery displays fake historical photos in perfect, unsettling clarity. The Roman Colosseum hovers in mid-air, surrounded by pixelated versions of famous events like Oswald’s assassination and the Hiroshima explosion, each slightly off in an eerie, uncanny way. The lighting is harsh and artificial, with sharp beams cutting through the digital fog. The composition feels fragmented, as if reality itself is breaking down, leaving only distorted memories and fabricated visuals.

On a floating studio set, VFX artists sculpt ethereal clouds while looming AI figures move in and out of the fog, automating the process with streams of electric-blue code. The lighting shifts between harsh industrial beams and soft, cinematic glows, casting dramatic shadows on actors who are being digitally reconstructed. The composition feels like a theatrical showdown between human artistry and mechanical efficiency, an eerie balance of innovation and disruption.

A futuristic Caribbean utopia where glowing AI symbols drift like clouds above Anguilla’s tropical beaches, blending with swaying palm trees and crystal-clear waters. The island’s iconic .ai domain floats as a massive, holographic projection in the sky, while AI-infused drones construct sleek hospitals and airports in the background. The lighting is a radiant sunset, casting golden hues on both nature and technology, reflecting the harmonious balance between island life and the digital boom.

Set in a whimsical, cyberpunk-inspired train station filled with neon graffiti and floating platforms, the AI Auslan avatar is an abstract being made of glowing digital vines, its hands morphing between organic shapes as it signs. A kaleidoscope of colors floods the scene, casting sharp, angular shadows on the graffiti-covered walls. The trains are sleek and semi-transparent, zooming past in a blur of light while the avatar’s hands leave trails of luminous symbols in the air, creating an energetic, chaotic beauty in the heart of the station.

 
 

The Author

Sean Ward
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