😳 Meta Gives Up On AI Celebrities

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Hey Waivly Crew! 🌊 In today’s edition, Meta pulls the plug on its celebrity AI chatbots, while the SEC charges BitClout founder Nader Al-Naji with a multi-million-dollar crypto scam.

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Here’s what’s on the horizon today:

• Meta cancels celebrity AI chatbots after user backlash

• SEC charges BitClout founder Nader Al-Naji with fraud

• How to craft an impressive CV that piques interest

• Fertility tracking app Flo Health raises $200 million

• Canva to acquire generative AI platform Leonardo.AI

Let’s dive in!

STORIES MAKING A SPLASH

^_AI
Meta cancels celebrity AI chatbots after user backlash

Meta has shut down its celebrity AI chatbots, which allowed users to interact with alter-ego versions of famous personalities, as reported by The Information. These chatbots, launched with fanfare at Meta’s Connect event last September, are no longer available.

The shutdown comes after Meta’s recent introduction of AI Studio, a new tool enabling US creators to develop their own AI chatbots. The company appears to be shifting focus from celebrity-based bots to creator-generated AI personas.

Meta’s initial celebrity bots included figures like Charli D’Amelio and Dwyane Wade, but the planned expansion with additional celebrities never materialized. Despite this setback, Meta remains committed to AI chatbots, integrating its Meta AI assistant across its platforms and continuing to explore their potential.

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^_CRYPTO
SEC charges BitClout founder Nader Al-Naji with fraud

On July 30, the SEC and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York charged BitClout founder Nader Al-Naji with selling $257 million in unregistered securities through BitClout’s native token, BTCLT, and misusing investor funds. The complaint also included Al-Naji’s newer project, Decentralized Social (DeSo).

The SEC alleges Al-Naji spent $7 million on luxury items, including a Beverly Hills mansion and cash gifts to family, contrary to promises that funds would not be used for personal compensation. The complaint claims he misled investors about BitClout’s decentralized nature, while secretly controlling the project.

Additionally, Al-Naji’s family and related businesses are named as relief defendants for receiving investor funds. Gurbir S. Grewal of the SEC stated that Al-Naji tried to evade federal securities laws by falsely promoting decentralization.

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Craft an impressive CV that piques interest

Your CV is your professional calling card, a document that showcases your skills, experiences, and qualifications 📄 A well-crafted CV can significantly increase your chances of landing job interviews

Learn how to create a standout CV now at Work.Waivly.com! 🙌

TECH SPECIAL

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Fertility tracking app Flo Health raises $200 million

Women’s health tech, driven by AI and connected wearables, is gaining traction with users and investors. London-based Flo Health, a fertility-focused period-tracking app, has raised $200 million in Series C funding from General Atlantic, pushing its valuation past $1 billion and making it a standout “purely digital” unicorn in women’s health.

Despite facing challenges, including a privacy-related investigation and a tough tech market, Flo has seen significant growth. The app now serves 380 million users globally, with 70 million monthly active users of the free version and 5 million premium subscribers.

The new funding will help Flo attract more users, expand into menopause and perimenopause support, and potentially make acquisitions. General Atlantic will also join Flo’s board, reflecting their confidence in the company’s vision and growth potential.

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Canva to acquire generative AI platform Leonardo.AI

Canva has acquired Leonardo.ai, a generative AI startup specializing in content and research, to expand its AI capabilities. The deal, involving a mix of cash and stock, will integrate Leonardo.ai’s 120 employees, including its executive team, into Canva.

Founded in Sydney in 2022, Leonardo.ai initially focused on video game assets but expanded to offer AI model creation and training for various industries, including fashion and advertising. The platform provides collaboration tools, a private cloud for models, and APIs for custom tech development.

Leonardo.ai stands out with features like Live Canvas, which allows users to generate photorealistic images from text and sketches in real-=time. While details on the training of its AI models, like Phoenix, remain unclear, Leonardo.ai claims to use licensed, synthetic, and publicly available data.

EXCLUSIVE WAIVLY+ STORY

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THE WAVES

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Discover more Waves in the Waivly Community. Click here to get onboard and join the community! 🌊

SAIL INTO A NEW CAREER

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Waivly Work Highlights

👩‍💻 Senior Web3 Backend Engineer (Typescript/Node.js) at Gelato Network

👩‍💻 Business Development Manager - MEA at Chorus One

👩‍💻 Crypto Treasury Operations Specialist at Status

👩‍💻 Sr. Data Engineer at Across Protocol

BACK TO THE SHORE

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That wraps up today’s newsletter

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