YouTube Launches Celebrity Voice Cloning
PLUS: NTU Singapore researchers developed DIRFA, an AI system that creates realistic 3D talking faces.
Casey Clifton
November 17, 2023
Good morning. Today is Friday, November 17th and in today's news we have YouTube testing AI music cloning and Bain Capital launching an AI incubator. New to The Intelligence Age? Sign up here.
Drop us a line anytime at [email protected] with feedback.
News & Insights
YouTube Tests AI Tool That Clones Pop Stars' Voices
YouTube's Dream Track is a nod to the future. It's an AI tool that clones artists' voices, allowing users to generate songs via text prompts. With names like Demi Lovato and T-Pain on board, the implications are vast. What does this mean for music creation? This is about more than mimicry – it's about redefining the artist-fan relationship.
The tool's experimental nature is key. Currently, it's limited to a select group, aiming to gather insights on AI's role in creative industries. The quality, as noted, isn't perfect; digital artifacts are present. Yet, the essence of the artists' styles remains. "I believe as artists we need to be a part of shaping what that future looks like," says Demi Lovato. Engagement shapes the future. bbc
Why does this matter?
If AI can evoke the essence of an artist, might it one day capture the unique creative process of songwriting itself? Beyond simply cloning voices, could such technology serve as a muse, generating not just the song but the very spark that ignites a new hit?
Bain Capital Ventures Launches BCV Labs In Search Of New AI Deals
Bain Capital Ventures (BCV) is redefining how investors connect with AI startups. BCV Labs, their Palo Alto brainchild, is more than an incubator; it's a strategic nexus for AI talent. Aaref Hilaly and Rak Garg designed it to overcome the Bay Area's networking glut, offering entrepreneurs access to crucial AI tech infrastructure and investor dialogues. The initiative is not just theory; it's already bearing fruit with Contextual AI's seed round and more ventures in the pipeline.
Strategic investment isn't just about capital; it's about creating ecosystems. BCV's model, fostering intimate discussions and tailored resource access, aims to build a community that will lead to the inception of the next big AI players. "We want to find great startups," Garg explained, indicating their commitment to support from seed to success. Will BCV Labs become the crucible for the future of AI innovation? crunchbase
Why does this matter?
As BCV Labs cultivates the AI field, could similar incubators be the catalyst for revolutionizing other tech sectors, like quantum computing or biotech, fueling advancements that are currently beyond our grasp?
Together with The AI Solopreneur
Grow your business or personal brand on autopilot
If you’ve ever wanted to build an audience for your business or personal brand, AI Audience Accelerator will help you—in a fraction of the time.
Create one week's worth of engaging Twitter, LinkedIn, and newsletter content in one hour
Learn how to create content that builds your authority and generates leads
Spend less time on the content treadmill and more time focusing on growing your business
Please support our sponsors!
Mastering AI
Top Tools
Too many AI tools, not enough time? We write a guide about 1 top AI tool every week and email it to our premium subscribers. You’ll also get access the full tools database, where you can filter by industry and occupation, plus our AI use case library. Sign up here
Practical AI
“Make It Real” AI Prototype Wows Devs By Turning Drawings Into Working Software
In a digital era where speed is currency, tldraw's "Make it Real" is a game-changer. By translating simple vector sketches into functional Tailwind CSS and JavaScript, this prototype slashes development time, enabling a pong game to leap from concept to playable reality for less than a dollar. Kevin Cannon's online awe, "I think I need to go lie down," encapsulates the disruption.
However, with great power comes great responsibility. Security concerns loom as the use of OpenAI's GPT-4V API necessitates an API key, a potential vulnerability. Developers are cautioned to safeguard their keys, as misuse could result in unexpected costs. Experimentation is encouraged, but with an eye towards protection. arstechnica
Why does this matter?
Beyond convenience and innovation, "Make it Real" could pivot as a teaching tool, simplifying the learning curve for aspiring developers. Yet, could such ease of creation inadvertently lead to a clutter of half-baked digital products?
Around The World
More News
France's Mistral Advocates for EU Artificial Intelligence Legislation to Focus on Application Regulators Rather than Creators of AI Models.
Menlo Ventures Secures $1.35 Billion to Fuel Investment in Emerging Artificial Intelligence Startups.
Trending Today
So many announcements today. Meta just dropped EmuVideo, generating 4-second short videos at 512x512 resolution and 16 FPS. Idea is quite straightforward: text -> image first, then do a "super-resolution" of the image along the temporal axis to synthesize motion.
Long-form… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
— Jim Fan (@DrJimFan)
Nov 16, 2023
Research Review
Realistic Talking Faces Created From Only An Audio Clip And A Person's Photo
NTU Singapore's breakthrough in multimedia communication is stirring the waters. DIRFA, an AI program, takes a simple audio clip and a single photo to craft 3D videos of speaking faces, complete with naturalistic facial expressions and head movements. This leap overcomes previous limitations in pose and emotional accuracy. Researchers see its potential stretching from enhanced virtual assistants in healthcare to empowering communication for individuals with speech or facial impairments.
Imagine. A world where digital representations convey not just words, but the full spectrum of human emotion. Associate Professor Lu Shijian remarks, "The impact of our study could be profound and far-reaching." Indeed, as Dr. Wu Rongliang highlights, speech conveys more than words; it's a window into the speaker's identity and emotional state. DIRFA's nuanced audiovisual sync could redefine our digital interactions. Is this the dawn of truly expressive virtual communication? sciencedaily
Written by Isaac R. Ward, Casey Clifton, and Alex Brogan.
Send us feedback at [email protected] and help us provide the best coverage of Artificial Intelligence possible.
Interested in reaching smart business leaders like you? To become an Intelligence Age partner, apply here.