AI Watermarks don't work!

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Welcome to Mindstream Weekend edition 1 of 2!

Could AI Watermarks actually be a bad thing? + Scientists have combined brain cells and AI… yay?

PLUS - can you tell if the image is real or AI generated?

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AI WATERMARKS

AI vs. Watermarks: the fake news fight gets messier

Amidst the buzz around tech bigwigs like Elon Musk and OpenAI, a crucial piece of AI news has gone under the radar.

Researchers have found out that it's super easy—taking just two seconds—to erase watermarks from AI-created content. D’oh!

These watermarks are supposed to help us tell apart real content from AI-made stuff. But, as it turns out, they might be useless.

This issue gains extra importance as we're approaching election times worldwide.

Also, there's a big push to make sure everyone can spot the difference between real and fake content online.

The criticism mainly targets Meta's plan to use watermarks for spotting fake news, which, according to researchers, isn't quite up to scratch.

Watermarks on fake news? Good luck with that

The catch is, watermarks are only effective if the people making fake content decide to use tools that include these watermarks, which often isn’t the case.

Even content from top AI sources like OpenAI can be tweaked to get past these checks with something as simple as a screenshot.

On another front, platforms like YouTube and TikTok are trying out labels to mark AI-generated videos.

But, this approach has its own set of problems, mainly because it can be confusing.

For instance, TikTok might label a video as AI-generated because of minor AI effects, even if the video is mostly real.

This confusion highlights a bigger challenge in making sure people can reliably tell real content from AI-generated ones, which isn’t as easy as just sticking on a label or watermark.

The effort to use watermarks and labels to fight fake news is important, but it's still a work in progress and hasn’t yet proven to be a solid solution, especially with elections on the horizon.

The situation shows we still have a long way to go in our battle against online misinformation.

Our View:

Watermarks on AI content is like trying to use a sieve to catch fog – good luck with that!

Vote for live results and see results + opinions from yesterday at the bottom of the email.

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AI Image or Real?

Every Saturday we get you to vote on an image and guess whether it’s a real photo or an AI-generated image.

Do you like my drongo? Now tell me if its real or fake!

You decide! Vote below.

The answer and results are revealed in tomorrow’s Mindstream!

AI BREAKTHROUGH

DishBrain - Sign of genius or dystopian nightmare?

An Australian startup, Cortical Labs, has developed 'DishBrain', a unique AI created by combining human brain cells with technology.

This breakthrough could customise medical treatments to match a person's DNA, offering a more personalised approach to healthcare.

DishBrain learned to play Pong and has shown that it can react differently to drugs based on the genetic makeup of its brain cells.

This innovation could lead to better treatments with fewer side effects and is also being explored for discovering drugs to fight diseases like Dementia and Alzheimer's.

AI with a side of humanity

The idea of a biological AI raises ethical questions and concerns about the possibility of it gaining consciousness.

And Cortical Labs is committed to ethical standards and acknowledges the need for clearer regulations in this fast-evolving field.

Experts argue that proper regulation is essential for public trust and the safe advancement of technology like DishBrain, highlighting its potential to revolutionize healthcare and beyond.

Our View:

Just hurry up and implant me so we can get this over with!

Mindstream Picks

The EU is overhauling its crypto sector with the new Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation (MiCA), impacting businesses across the bloc.

Chinese firms Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp reportedly used US tech for advanced chip production in China in 2023.

Apple aims to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, expanding iOS ecosystem access and enhancing user data portability solutions for seamless data transfer across different devices.

New EU law could boost Google's position against Apple in smartphone competition by promoting competition in digital advertising and app ecosystems.

X, led by Elon Musk, introduces "Articles" feature amid EU regulatory scrutiny.

AI Art

Our Image of the Day

Daily Image Prompt

Get art inspiration by trying this prompt in your image generator of choice.

Happy with the result, or have some other artwork you’re proud of?
You can send in your artwork and we will feature it, with credit to you.

Submit your artwork to Mindstream →

We get a lot of submissions, but we do look at every single one! So please don’t hesitate to send us your art.

Yesterday’s Poll

 “Can China catch up on AI?”

Yes - It’s in their hands. 59% ✅

No, USA + Europe has too much tech power. 41%

Reader’s Opinions

“With the Internet, it is a globalization world now. No one can be split on the Internet. It will just push the China hard to catch up on chips as well. ”” -macushk

“Developing something from nothing is hard. Reverse engineering something without understanding how it was created is pointless.”- rob@kte

Submit your opinions in our daily poll for the chance to be featured!