Microsoft's Access to OpenAI Tech Is Focus of Contract Talks
The companies have discussed new terms that would let Microsoft use OpenAI 's latest models and other technology even if the startup decides it has reached its goal of building a more powerful form of AI known as artificial general intelligence (AGI), according to two people familiar with the negotiations. Under the current contract, OpenAI attaining AGI is seen as a major milestone at which point Microsoft would lose some rights to OpenAI technology.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
a few seconds ago
- Associated Press
One Tech Tip: Is that song by AI or a human? Here are some things to check
LONDON (AP) — Is it The Velvet Underground or Velvet Sundown? The fictitious rock group, Velvet Sundown, which comes complete with AI-generated music, lyrics and album art, is stoking debate about how the new technology is blurring the line between the real and synthetic in the music industry, and whether creators should be transparent with their audience. Computer software is widely used in music production, and artificial intelligence is just the latest tool that disc jockeys, music producers and others have added to their production pipeline. But the rise of AI song generators such as Suno and Udio is set to transform the industry because they allow anyone to create songs with just a few prompts. While some people do not care whether they're listening to AI-generated music, others might be curious to know. If you encounter a new song that leaves you wondering whether it's 100% made with AI, there are some methods that could reveal how it was created. Do a background check If you're wondering who's behind a song, try some old-fashioned detective work. The 'most obvious cues' come from 'external factors,' said Manuel Mousallam, head of research and development at streaming service Deezer. Does the band or artist have social media accounts? Lack of a social presence might indicate there's no one there. If they do exist online, examine the kind of content they post, and how long it goes back. Is there any sign that the artist or band exists in real life? Are there any upcoming concerts and can you buy a ticket for a gig? Is there footage of past concerts on YouTube? Has an established record label released their singles or albums? Try going to the source. Song creators often — but not always — publish their generated tunes on the Suno or Udio platforms, where they can be found by other users. The catch is that you'll have to sign up for an account to get access. Users can look up songs by track name or the creator's handle, and browse genres and playlists. But it can still be difficult to spot a song, especially if you don't know the name of the song or creator. Song tagsDeezer has been flagging albums containing AI-generated songs, as part of its efforts to be more transparent as it battles streaming fraudsters looking to make quick money through royalty payments. The Deezer app and website will notify listeners with an on-screen label — 'AI-generated content' — to point out that some tracks on an album were created with song generators. The company's CEO says the system relies on in-house technology to detect subtle but recognizable patterns found in all audio created by AI song generators. The company hasn't specified how many songs it has tagged since it rolled out the feature in June, but says up to 18% of songs uploaded to its platform each day are AI-generated. Song scanners There are a few third-party services available online that promise to determine whether a song is human-made or generated by AI. I uploaded a few songs I generated to the online detector from IRCAM Amplify, a subsidiary of French music and sound research institute IRCAM. It said the probability that they were AI-generated ranged from 81.8% to 98% and accurately deduced that they were made with Suno. As a cross-check, I also uploaded some old MP3s from my song library, which got a very low AI probability score. The drawback with IRCAM's tool is that you can't paste links to songs, so you can't check tunes that you can only hear on a streaming service. There are a few other websites that let you both upload song files and paste Spotify links for analysis, but they have their own limitations. When I tried them out for this story, the results were either inconclusive or flagged some AI songs as human-made and vice versa. Check the lyrics AI song tools can churn out both music and lyrics. Many serious users like to write their own words and plug them in because they've discovered that AI-generated lyrics tend to be bad. Casual users, though, might prefer to just let the machine write them. So bad rhyming schemes or repetitive lyrical structures might be a clue that a song is not man-made. But it's subjective. Some users report that Suno tends to use certain words in its lyrics like 'neon,' 'shadows' or 'whispers.' If a song includes these words, it's 'a dead giveaway' that it's AI, said Lukas Rams, a Philadelphia-area resident who has used Suno to create three albums for his AI band Sleeping with Wolves. 'I don't know why, it loves to put neon in everything.' No easy answers AI technology is improving so quickly that there's no foolproof way to determine if content is real or not and experts say you can't just rely on your ear. 'In general, it can be difficult to tell if a track is AI-generated just from listening, and it's only becoming more challenging as the technology gets increasingly advanced,' said Mousallam of Deezer. 'Generative models such as Suno and Udio are constantly changing, meaning that old identifiers – such as vocals having a distinctive reverb – are not necessarily valid anymore.' ___ Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at [email protected] with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.
Forbes
a few seconds ago
- Forbes
Why AI Is Your Biggest Business Opportunity—And Risk
Steve Wilson, Chief AI and Product Officer, Exabeam. Cybersecurity often operates within a bubble, assuming that business leaders are fully conversant with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). The reality? AI is reshaping every facet of business, and its implications stretch far beyond security. Although McKinsey researchers report that 78% of organizations now use AI in at least one business function, a significant jump from 72% in early 2024, many executives' exposure to AI regrettably begins and ends with large language models (LLMs). This leaves them unaware of vital areas such as AI-powered threat detection, the complexities of autonomous systems and the strategic implications of adversarial machine learning. That's not just a blind spot, it's a business risk. AI is now both your biggest opportunity and your biggest threat. The Art Of Knowing What You Don't Know AI is now embedded everywhere, boosting efficiency. But this integration unleashes unintended consequences: flawed automation, biased outputs, compliance pitfalls and reputational damage. These aren't technical glitches; they're fundamental business risks that hammer trust and resilience. Leaders don't need to be security experts, but they must grasp the AI agenda. This means dictating AI's governance, deployment and risk management enterprise-wide. It also means having the self-awareness to ask the right questions and the right people. Assuming everyone "just gets it" widens the critical gap between security pros and executive leadership. The real danger isn't misunderstanding; it's the profound business implications that follow. Without clear, business-aligned AI risk communication, companies underinvest, stall decisions and create a false sense of security at the top. The Results Speak Loudly The tangible benefits of AI are already underway, and the results speak for themselves. For example, in a 2025 Exabeam study, 56% of security teams reported that AI has boosted productivity by streamlining tasks, automating routine processes and accelerating response times. These undeniable gains demonstrate the real business value of AI when implemented responsibly and with clear oversight. But the stakes are rising. In a May 2025 Senate testimony, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called for an AI regulatory sandbox to encourage innovation while avoiding fragmented overregulation. His message was clear: This isn't just tech. AI is now a geopolitical, economic and competitive force. Leaders who aren't actively engaged will miss the opportunity. From Soundbites To Substance It isn't enough to simply name-drop AI on earnings calls. True leadership means showing, not just saying, how AI aligns with business outcomes like growth and resilience. Every company, not just tech vendors, must step up. That starts with the following actions: • Establish AI governance at the C-suite level. AI is a cross-functional strategic priority, not just an IT or security task. A C-suite team, including legal, risk and operations, must align AI initiatives with business goals, prioritize investments and manage enterprise-wide risks and rewards. • Treat AI as a strategic asset, not just a tool. To secure executive buy-in, frame AI risks by their business impact: reputational damage, fines, market loss or eroded trust. This helps ensure leaders see AI as a critical business issue, demanding their proactive management, not just a technical one. • Champion smart AI regulation and industry collaboration. Engage with policymakers, regulators and industry groups to advocate for balanced AI regulations that prevent overregulation at the state level while fostering innovation. As OpenAI's Altman testified, creating a framework for AI adoption is crucial. This collaborative approach can help shape a sustainable AI ecosystem, ensuring that regulations support growth while addressing security and ethical concerns. • Invest in AI resilience, transparency and accountability. Prioritize building effective, transparent and auditable AI systems. This mitigates risks like bias and compliance failures, helping ensure long-term trust, quick issue correction and leadership in responsible AI. Your AI Strategy Can't Be Siloed Too often, AI sits with technical teams, disconnected from core business strategy. That's a governance failure. AI must be embedded across strategic planning, risk management and product development, with clear ownership from the start. Meanwhile, the market is awash with new AI products and bold promises. CISOs and tech leaders must become simplifiers and skeptics, cutting through the hype to vet solutions based on real value, not just marketing tropes. Generative AI brings innovation but risks repeating past cycles of overpromising. Disciplined due diligence is essential. Ultimately, AI is a catalyst for growth. The smartest leaders aren't chasing every trend—they're investing in the right people, like data scientists and prompt engineers. Because in this complex era, the real edge is clarity. Bold leadership means aligning your teams, tech and strategy to unlock value while keeping risk in check. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
CNBC
a few seconds ago
- CNBC
5 things to know before the Thursday open: Microsoft tops $4 trillion Fed decision dissent
The Federal Reserve kept the key funds rate unchanged, but it wasn't a unanimously welcome move within the central bank. Fed members Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller dissented, marking the first time in more than three decades that a decision got multiple "no" votes. Though investors had largely anticipated the announcement, stocks tumbled as Chair Jerome Powell said there wasn't a clear decision on what the central bank would do at the next policy gathering in September. However, stock futures climbed on Thursday morning — follow live market updates here. While Fed-heads were locked in on the meeting Wednesday afternoon, President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on copper imports, beginning Friday. With that, copper is in the same boat as steel and aluminum at the 50% levy rate. Later in the day, Trump announced a deal with South Korea that will set tariffs at 15%. Remember: All this action takes place as the clock counts down to Friday, which is when the White House said it will start requiring tariff payments. It's a good morning to be a megacap tech investor. Meta and Microsoft earnings both beat Wall Street's earnings expectations, sending the pair of stocks jumping in extended trading. Notably, Microsoft's after-hour rally sent the stock's market cap above $4 trillion, making it the only name besides Nvidia to sit above this elite threshold. Investors don't have to wait long for the next round of Magnificent Seven reports, as Apple and Amazon are both scheduled for after Thursday's closing bell. With the Fed in the rearview, attention now turns in full force to the economic data on the docket this week. Economic data released Wednesday brought good news, with private payrolls swinging back to expansion and the GDP rising at a higher rate than economists forecast for the second quarter. Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, went so far as to name "resilient" the word of the summer economically. Now, the question is if the rest of the week's releases will paint a similarly rosy picture. There will be a lot to follow, with both inflation data and the all-important jobs report coming in the backend of the week. If you opened a High Noon box recently to find energy drink cans, rest assured, you aren't alone. High Noon said it was recalling some of its 12-packs for a can branding issue. The box itself was branded correctly, and the drinks inside the cans were, indeed, a vodka seltzer. The problem: The cans themselves have the branding of energy drink Celsius rather than High Noon's. —
