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This Thursday, we are looking at the good, the bad, and the in-betweens. AI may be spying on us, but it’s also giving us some pretty good laughs.

Grab your coffee, grab your robot, and dive in.

Written by: Vineet

Curated by: Koko

TL;DR:
Old To The Moon - daily recap of the previous day’s top stories
New To The Moon - Five curated edits focusing on all the Metaverse, NFT, Digital Fashion, Web3 AI, and Blockchain Gaming news of the week.

📈📉AI & Big Data Tokens

Key Takeaway: Take a look at that % increase from ImgnAI! Wondering what ImgnAI is? Well, ImgnAI turns your words into images using Artificial Intelligence. ImgnAI’s flagship product is “Nai” - an AI bot that turns anything you write into an anime, 3D, or hyper-realistic image. It is currently free to use, but there are plans in the works to create a paid premium version where you can mint your work as NFTs.

🌑Full Moons - D&D, AI Comedy, & How AI Is Snooping On You!

Today on…

Dungeons & Dragons Ban AI Completely

Wizards of the Coast, publisher of Dungeons & Dragons, faced controversy over AI art in its upcoming book. Collaborator Ilya Shkipin used AI for illustrations in "Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants!". 

• Shkipin defends AI's role, stating it enhanced details rather than creating entire pieces.

• Wizards of the Coast responded on Twitter, unaware of AI usage, reaching an agreement with Shkipin for future contributors.

They now forbid AI in D&D art development. The AI art debate raises concerns over plagiarism and copyright. Despite NFT's popularity, Wizards of the Coast avoids NFTs.

Is this the first wave of brands completely pretending that AI doesn’t exist?

Wake Up Babe, AI Is Spying On You

UK researchers have unveiled a pioneering AI system that… eavesdrops on you?? This system is capable of covertly deciphering keystrokes by analyzing audio recordings of typing. This breakthrough algorithm, described in a recent research paper, achieved a remarkable accuracy rate of 93-95% in identifying pressed keys using only sound data from a MacBook Pro keyboard.

• Fun fact: Human hackers can do the same thing; google “Acoustic Keylogging” or “Keystroke Logging".

The study spotlights the potential risks associated with the widespread presence of microphones in consumer devices, such as phones and laptops, which could be exploited for acoustic side-channel attacks. Unlike past methods, this AI-based approach proves highly precise and adaptable due to the ubiquity of microphones in modern gadgets.

While it requires specific training data, it underscores the increasing concern over emerging AI security threats, prompting users to consider safeguarding measures.

AI Is No Laughing Matter(Or Is It?)

"Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything.” Vanessa 5000, an AI comedy act at Edinburgh Fringe, challenges AI's grasp of humor. AI's impact on entertainment has led to writer strikes in the US, as some fear it drains the soul from creative works. "Artificial Intelligence Improvisation" pits algorithms against human audiences, testing machine wit.

Despite AI's basic puns, comedians note mastering comedy's nuanced art remains elusive.

Boyd Branch finds humor in tech's awkward insertion into human contexts, while comedian Pierre Novellie remains skeptical, citing cultural knowledge and sensitivity as key elements AI lacks for successful comedy.

• “Heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain…..

🔭The Scope

Can we get an AI fear/love check-in? Are we loving or hating it this week? Of course, no-one loves being spied on, and no-one enjoys their art being stolen. Still, Shkipin makes a good point about using AI to create, and AI enhancing details rather than creating entire pieces, and apparently, AI is a comedian now, so there’s that!

🌓Half Moons

UK's MI5 utilizes AI to analyze online videos for potential terrorist threats, sparing staff from gruesome content. Director General Ken McCallum highlights AI's role in security, assessing threat levels based on individuals' consumption of violent content.

Meta plans to launch AI-powered chatbots with distinct personas on platforms like Facebook and Instagram next month, aiming to enhance engagement and gather user data.

Google and Universal Music are in talks to license artists' voices and melodies for AI-generated music amid concerns over deepfake songs, aiming to strike a balance between copyright ownership and AI's music potential.

🔭The Scope

So AI has ~duality~ - it can spy on you, but also be used to catch spies. Plus, it can now be your BFF online, and, artists can harness AI to create music. The more AI advances, the more life seems to resemble movies (Black Mirror ‘Joan is Awful’, and, of course, ‘Her’, - I’m looking at you here). AI adoption is coming to every aspect of our lives, whether we want that or not. If you can’t beat them, join them?

⚪Total Eclipse

💫Shooting Star

This week’s shooting star is Miss Al Simpson.

Miss AL Simpson, a renowned cryptoartist, merges her distinct style with AI collaborations, pushing artistic boundaries. Recognized globally for her work, she pioneers a new genre that blends oil painting with AI imagery, redefining the role of artists in the digital era.

🌚Dark Side of the Meme