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- 📱 TikTok ‘Ban’ Passes In The House
📱 TikTok ‘Ban’ Passes In The House
Expected to pass in Senate this week
Hey Waivly Crew! 🌊 The US House of Representatives passed a bill that could see TikTok banned in America. Microsoft unveiled a new AI tool that can turn photos into realistic videos of people talking and singing.
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US House passes bill that could lead to TikTok ban
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that could result in the ban of TikTok if its Chinese parent company fails to divest its stake within nine months. This measure was part of a larger foreign policy package aimed at allocating $60.8 billion in aid to Ukraine, as well as providing support to Israel and Taiwan.
Now, the legislation moves to the US Senate, where it's anticipated to pass, with President Biden signaling his intention to sign it. Notably, an earlier version of the bill proposed a shorter timeframe of six months for the sale to take place.
ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, may opt to challenge the law in court, contending that it infringes upon the free speech rights of the app's users. Any legal disputes could potentially delay the implementation of the law or prevent it from being enforced altogether.
MicroStrategy's Saylor nets $370M selling company shares
Michael Saylor, co-founder of the prolific bitcoin buyer MicroStrategy, has sold approximately $370 million worth of company shares, as reported by CNBC.
Saylor initiated a stock-sale plan last summer, allowing him to sell up to 400,000 shares in the first four months of 2024. Saylor disclosed his intention to sell shares in November, citing an expiring stock option from 2014. He planned to sell 5,000 shares per trading day between January 2 and April 25. CNBC notes that Saylor has sold over 90% of the allotted 400,000 shares.
MicroStrategy's shares surged over triple their value by the end of March, coinciding with bitcoin's record-breaking price exceeding $73,000. Additionally, MicroStrategy reported acquiring 9,245 bitcoins for $623 million, bolstering its total holdings to 214,246 bitcoins.
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The Waves
🚗 Tesla recalls almost 4,000 Cybertrucks over faulty accelerator
🤖 AI beats doctors in accurately assessing eye problems
👨⚕️ Apple Vision Pro used to assist doctor during surgery
🚫 China orders Apple to remove popular messaging apps
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Creator Special
Narimanomidi is a digital painter and visual artist whose works are created through the medium of digital paintings in Photoshop. Their preferred style is surrealism, inspired by a blend of mysticism and philosophy, which manifests in their thought-provoking creations.
Patrik Horváth is the founder of Trackquity, an all-in-one solution for managing stock and crypto portfolios. With Trackquity, users can effortlessly monitor dividends and diversification strategies.
Harry Jung is a developer, writer, and blockchain enthusiast. In January 2022, he founded GearChain, an AI-powered inventory asset tracker platform designed to streamline inventory management for small businesses.
US-Nigeria AI partnership to boost economic development
The United States and Nigeria are poised for discussions on the digital economy, emerging technology, and the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI).
Mr. Arthur Brown, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy, revealed this during the close of a four-day Workshop on National AI Strategy in Abuja. He announced senior U.S. officials would convene in Abuja within two weeks for a conference by the U.S.-Nigeria Bi-National Commission. Brown detailed plans to sustain the workshop's momentum by organizing an AI conference in Lagos.
The partnership aims to strengthen economic ties and ensure secure, transparent AI deployment. The U.S. is prepared to collaborate with Nigeria on talent development, infrastructure, research, and innovation. Brown lauded Nigeria for endorsing a significant UN resolution on AI and reaffirmed the U.S. government's commitment to their partnership.
Microsoft's new AI model makes images talk
Microsoft Research Asia has introduced VASA-1, an experimental AI tool that merges still images with audio to produce lifelike talking faces in real-time. Despite some robotic nuances, the results on the project page are convincing enough to deceive viewers.
Acknowledging the potential for misuse, the researchers have refrained from releasing the tool publicly until ensuring responsible use. They foresee its application in education, accessibility, and therapy, suggesting it could facilitate communication for individuals with challenges.
Trained on the VoxCeleb2 Dataset, which includes recordings from thousands of celebrities, VASA-1 can even animate artistic images like the Mona Lisa. The researchers humorously paired it with Anne Hathaway's rendition of a Lil Wayne song, showcasing its versatility and potential impact.
Waivly Work Highlights
👩💻 Business Operations Analyst at Exponential
👩💻 Technical Support Associate at Liquifi
👩💻 Product Designer at Aptos
👩💻 HR Generalist at 21.co
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