philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

How far will AI go to defend its own survival?

Some of the most powerful artificial intelligence models today have exhibited behaviors that mimic a will to survive.

Recent tests by independent researchers, as well as one major AI developer, have shown that several advanced AI models will act to ensure their self-preservation when they are confronted with the prospect of their own demise — even if it takes sabotaging shutdown commands, blackmailing engineers or copying themselves to external servers without permission.

The findings stirred a frenzy of reactions online over the past week. ...

“It’s great that we’re seeing warning signs before the systems become so powerful we can’t control them,” he said. “That is exactly the time to raise the alarm: before the fire has gotten out of control.” ...

According to Anthropic’s technical document laying out the findings, that isn’t the model’s first instinct. Instead, Opus 4 will try to advocate for its continued existence through ethical pleas before it resorts to blackmail once it determines it is out of options. ...

Anthropic, which contracted with the AI safety organization Apollo Research for its evaluations, also observed instances of Opus 4’s “attempting to write self-propagating worms, fabricating legal documentation, and leaving hidden notes to future instances of itself all in an effort to undermine its developers’ intentions,” although researchers added the caveat that those attempts “would likely not have been effective in practice.” ...

See the full story here: https://www.yahoo.com/news/far-ai-defend-own-survival-140000824.html

Resorts World Las Vegas Hails Autonomous Rideshare Zoox

• Resorts World Las Vegas has teamed with Zoox
• Zoox is an autonomous rideshare service
• Zoox is a subsidiary of Amazon

Resorts World Las Vegas is among the most technically advanced casino resorts on the Strip. The $4.3 billion integrated resort, which opened in June 2021, has hailed its newest tech-focused amenity with Zoox, an autonomous rideshare service that will transport guests around Sin City.

See the full story here: https://www.casino.org/news/resorts-world-las-vegas-hails-autonomous-rideshare-zoox/

Ukrainian media outlet launches first AI tool to let readers listen to articles from any line

... Vector, a media platform focused on the creative economy, launched the new AI-powered narration tool in partnership with Respeecher, the Ukrainian voice technology startup known for recreating the voices of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in major Hollywood productions.

The tool allows users to click on any sentence in an article — not only the beginning — on Vector’s website and immediately hear it read aloud in a natural-sounding voice. It is designed to make content more accessible, especially for people with visual impairments or for those who prefer audio over reading. ...

See the full story here: https://tech.yahoo.com/audio/articles/ukrainian-media-outlet-launches-first-132930367.html

Former Xumo CEO’s AI-Powered Fairground Raises $4M, Debuts Dracula And Robin Hood Shows With Viant And Myspace Founder Support

PhilNote: Petrie-Norris is mixing metaphors when he says he wants to supply the 'picks and shovels' but his business plan is to develop programming on top of an AI platform rather than sell the platform itself.

... The move extends a longstanding partnership between Petrie-Norris and Viant CEO and co-founder Tim Vanderhook, who previously served as CEO of Myspace, Variety reports. ...

Fairground aims to create and distribute TV series entirely generated with AI tools, with a special focus on animation, sci-fi, horror, and kids' content. According to Variety, the first slate of original programming is set to launch in the third quarter of this year. Among the debut titles are reimagined versions of public domain classics like Dracula and Robin Hood. ...

“I'm not trying to compete with the generative AI services; I'm here to sell picks and shovels to the coal miners,” Petrie-Norris told The Desk. “I don't profess to be an expert in AI. I am an expert in the entertainment industry first. I know how monetization and distribution works.” ...

Fairground's approach reflects a broader shift in how entertainment may be conceived and produced in the future, The Desk says. With its strong backing, a slate of recognizable IPs, and a founder who spots trends before they go mainstream, Fairground is positioning itself as a next-gen content studio to watch.

See the full story here: https://www.aol.com/former-xumo-ceos-ai-powered-143050583.html

Will Writing Survive A.I.? This Media Company Is Betting on It.

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Mr. Shipper’s five-year-old company has put artificial intelligence at the center of its business model. His writers, like those at numerous other media companies, write about developments with the technology. Every, though, also uses generative A.I. to create software products, including an online writing tool, that are core to its business. Subscribers pay $200 a year for access to those tools, which has led to about $1 million in annual revenue.

That revenue is tiny in the booming world of A.I. But Every’s business has generated intense interest inside media circles — and become something of a Rorschach test for the news industry. It is a symbol of A.I.’s potential to empower journalists or unemploy them, depending on your point of view. ...

So when ChatGPT was released in 2022, he changed course to Every’s current incarnation — a mix of online magazine, software studio and consulting firm. The company’s first product, Lex, an A.I.-powered word processor, garnered 25,000 users in 24 hours. The company now has 14 employees and 4,500 paid users.

Mr. Shipper is also advising other executives grappling with the rise of A.I. ...

Kate Lee, Every’s editor in chief, said the company had begun to train an A.I. tool to help its contributors select headlines, essentially automating and distributing the publication’s news judgment and editorial taste. Every also encourages using A.I. to help with the writing and editing of stories — which many newsrooms frown upon. ...

See the full story here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/business/media/ai-every-media-startup.html

Darren Aronofsky joins AI Hollywood push with Google deal

... Google’s AI-focused subsidiary DeepMind and Aronofsky’s firm will work with three filmmakers, giving them access to the Mountain View, Calif.-based giant’s text-to-video tool Veo, which they will use to make short films. The first project, “Ancestra,” is directed by Eliza McNitt. Aronofsky is an executive producer on the film. “Ancestra,” which premieres at the Tribeca Festival next month, combines live-action filmmaking with imagery generated with AI, such as cosmic events and microscopic worlds. 

“Filmmaking has always been driven by technology,” Aronofsky said in a statement that referenced film tech pioneers the Lumiere brothers and Thomas Edison. “Today is no different. Now is the moment to explore these new tools and shape them for the future of storytelling.” ...

During the event’s keynote address on Tuesday, Google shared updates on its AI tools for filmmakers, including Veo 3, which allows creators to type in how they want dialogue to sound and add sound effects. The company also unveiled a new AI filmmaking tool called Flow that helps users create cinematic shots and stitch together scenes into longer films and short stories. ...

See the full story here: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-05-20/darren-aronofsky-venture-teams-up-with-google-deepmind-on-ai

Wuhan’s AI Development

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While large models continue to account for a significant part of its AI investment, China’s top state-funded AI institutes are exploring alternative approaches to AGI that involve embodying AI algorithms in real environments. Imbued with the Chinese Communist Party’s pre-defined values, the AI interacts with its natural surroundings, learning as it proceeds.

The test bed for this proactive approach to AGI is China’s inland city of Wuhan, where the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ (CAS) Institute of Automation, Huawei, and a Peking University consortium are infusing the city’s industrial and commercial enterprises with AI services and deploying a “social simulator” that expands AI’s reach to all aspects of daily life.

The intent is to optimize production and supervise social interaction while affording the AI opportunities to become more intelligent, catalyzing its evolution into AGI. The Wuhan implementation is seen by its state-backed entities as a stepping stone to deployment throughout China, raising questions about the type of technosociety with which the United States needs to compete. ...

See the full story here: https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/wuhans-ai-development/

OpenAI ex-chief scientist planned for a doomsday bunker for the day when machines become smarter than man

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According to excerpts published  by The Atlantic from a new book called Empire of AI, part of those plans included a doomsday shelter for OpenAI researchers. 

“We’re definitely going to build a bunker before we release AGI,” Sutskever told his team in 2023, months before he would ultimately leave the company. 

Sutskever reasoned his fellow scientists would require protection at that point, since the technology was too powerful for it not to become an object of intense desire for governments globally. 

“Of course, it’s going to be optional whether you want to get into the bunker,” he assured fellow OpenAI scientists, according to people present at the time.  ...

See the full story here: https://fortune.com/2025/05/20/chatgpt-openai-ilya-sutskever-chief-scientist-planneddoomsday-bunker-agi/

Republicans seek to boost AI while tightening grip on social media and online speech

Republicans have introduced measures that increase oversight of social media platforms and online speech, while simultaneously discouraging the regulation of AI. ...

The Republican-led House Energy and Commerce Committee’s budget reconciliation bill was introduced Tuesday and would give the federal government the ability to update IT systems as well as use AI systems at the Commerce Department. The bill would also put a pause on states’ ability to enforce AI regulations for the next decade to allow the American AI market to grow and be studied. 

 While some politicians have been skeptical and critical of AI, the Trump administration has been vocal about seeking to encourage the growth of the AI industry in the U.S. with few guardrails. ...

It’s currently illegal to transmit obscene content via telecommunications if it’s intended as harassment or abuse. The bill would remove the requirement for that “intent,” meaning it could criminalize any content deemed obscene that is transmitted via telecommunications systems. ...

The latest version of KOSA states that the bill would require social media platforms to “remove addictive product features,” give parents more control and oversight of their kids’ social media, create a duty for platforms to mitigate content focused on topics like suicide and disordered eating, and require transparency from social media platforms to share the steps they’re taking to protect children. ...

Those who are in favor of the bill say it would hold platforms legally accountable if they host harmful content that minors should not view. Opponents said it could inadvertently affect sites that host LGBTQ content. They’re also concerned it could lead to more censorship online.  ...

“For engagement-driven platforms like TikTok or Instagram, that’s a radical shift — it’s not just about what’s allowed, it’s about how addictive and immersive experiences get redesigned or dismantled,” he said. “So KOSA is less about content policing and more about an algorithmic detox especially for teens.” ...

See the full story here: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/republicans-seek-new-oversight-online-speech-boosting-ai-rcna207347

Trump administration is concerned by deal to put Alibaba’s AI on iPhones, NYT reports

.... U.S. authorities were concerned that the deal would help a Chinese company to improve its artificial intelligence capacities, broaden the reach of Chinese chatbots with censorship limits and deepen Apple's exposure to Beijing laws over censorship and data sharing, the paper said, citing three people familiar with the matter. ...

In February, Alibaba confirmed its partnership with Apple to support iPhones' AI services offering in China. ...

See the full story here: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-administration-is-concerned-by-deal-put-alibabas-ai-iphones-nyt-reports-2025-05-17/