Spotify’s taking a stand against AI. Kinda
Spotify may be struggling to stem the flow of AI-generated tracks flooding its platform, but it’ll be damned if you’re tuning into Eddie Dalton without at least knowing he’s ripping off hundreds of real Blues musicians. The streamer has announced ‘Verified by Spotify’, a fancy little green badge that’ll prove an artist is human.
Any profile without the badge is a warning to steer clear. Mind you, not everyone can see these badges at the time of writing. It may take a few weeks to roll out, Spotify said. ‘Til then, you’re on your own. Earning the coveted badge means a human has reviewed the profile and meets Spotify’s criteria for “authenticity and trust.”
“”At launch, we have ensured that more than 99% of the artists Spotify listeners actively search for will be verified, representing hundreds of thousands of artists—the majority independent—spanning genres, career stages, and geographies,” it wrote in its announcement.
It’s a good first step in the war on AI-generated music. Even so, it isn’t nearly as robust as Deezer’s approach to sniffing out (and then banishing) AI-generated music, which it claims makes up 44% of daily uploads to the platform. Deezer’s AI-detection tool has allegedly caught and deleted more than 13.4 million AI tracks. Do more of that, Spotify. It’s not like we aren’t paying you enough to make it happen, right?
Amazon wants to take the thinking out of buying
Perhaps the only group more undeserving of a podcast than you and your unemployed mates is artificial intelligence. We can overlook the dull voices when they’re attempting to teach you something, but we draw the line when they’re trying to sell you something. Amazon’s expanded ‘Hear the highlights’ feature does just that.
More specifically, using the new feature that the company calls ‘Join the chat‘ offers you a brief, AI-generated audio summary of the product you’re on the cusp of buying. It’s a bit more interactive than that, with shoppers being allowed to ask questions via text or even voice, while the ‘bot is talking. It’s essentially a podcast that’s all ads.
Just like any YouTube podcast experienced without a Premium subscription. Amazon’s AI is pulling from product details, customer reviews (please do this one), and other publicly available information on the net to host these short conversations. You’ll need the Amazon shopping app to take advantage of the features, it seems. Just hit ‘Hear the highlights’ on a product page to hear the summary. Want to interject? Tap the raised-hand icon.
Like watching paint… move
If you thought your favourite Rocket League decal would only ever draw eyes in-game, think again. BMW’s new iX3 Flow Edition is experimenting with e-ink technology that’ll turn your car into a disco show. It’s currently only reserved for the hood, but we imagine it’ll expand if BMW sees the right financial incentive.
The German automaker reckons the technology is production-ready at the moment. That being said, the German automaker hasn’t yet decided on a price, nor confirmed where it hopes to launch these. We don’t see these turning up in South Africa so soon after their recent exhibition in China, but never say never.
Unlike your ol’ e-reader, BMW’s e-ink implementation doesn’t use a screen. Instead, the hood is coated with a special film with tiny capsules all over. Charged black and white pigments lie in wait and are moved around by electrical signals. Let BMW handle all the wizardry, in other words, and you’ll be left with shades of black, white, and grey, which can be adjusted at any time. BMW says users can choose from the eight animations.
The Lego Sega Genesis is for the unc in your life
If you were around for the launch of the Sega Genesis, you’re officially eligible for a quick dose of nostalgia. Lego and Sega are teaming up to deliver a set based on one of the more iconic consoles ever, thanks in part to a certain blue hedgehog cementing the Genesis’ legacy forevermore. Lest we forget Ristar. Or Altered Beast.
Now that we think back on it, the Sega Genesis was littered with iconic games. There was Castlevania, Golden Axe 3, and Comix Zone, to name just a few. But none of those has been remembered in this brick-built reimagining of Sega’s console. Instead, all buyers will get is a dummy cartridge featuring Sonic and Tails on the cover.
It’s not quite as big as the original console, but it’s not far off either (38 x 152 x 114mm). Comprising only 479 pieces, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours to slap these bricks together. Also in the box are two little controllers to complete this vision of perfection. It’s landing on 1 June, demanding $40 or around R670. It’s not live yet on South Africa’s Lego store, but don’t expect that to be the case for very long.
