Most Read: AI Voice Generator Hit With Actor Lawsuit

Here are this week's most-read stories on AI Business:

Actors Sue AI Voice Generator for Unauthorized Use of Their Voices

A group of actors is suing Lovo, an AI voice generator over claims the company used their voices without permission.

The plaintiffs are Linnea Sage, who voices Black Cat in the Marvel Snap video game and Paul Skye Lehrman, who has starred in “Blue Bloods” and “New Amsterdam.”

Their 37-page class action lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that Lovo fraudulently used their voices to “create millions of voiceover productions without permission or proper compensation.”

Lehrman uncovered his voice was being used by the company while researching for a role. Meanwhile, Sage was paid $400 by someone called “tomlsg” to help produce test scripts for radio ads. She later discovered “tomlsg” was Lovo co-founder Tom Lee.

“[Lehrman and Sage] did not grant Lovo any right to market their voices,” according to the lawsuit. “The product that customers purchase from Lovo is stolen property. They are voices stolen by Lovo and marketed by Lovo under false pretenses: Lovo represents that it has the legal right to market these voices, but it does not.”

Learn more about the lawsuit

Microsoft Launches AI Copilot+ PCs: Fastest, Smartest Windows Devices Yet

Related:OpenAI Pulls ChatGPT Voice Over Scarlett Johansson Similarity

Microsoft has unveiled a range of AI-infused consumer-focused PCs, claiming the devices are the “fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever built.”

The new Copilot+ Windows PCs boast custom silicon to allow improved performance running AI and machine learning applications as well as a variety of AI features to improve productivity.

Microsoft says the new AI PCs are 20 times more powerful and up to 100 times as efficient for running AI workloads compared to rival devices.

The PCs include AI features like Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant tool that users can activate from the new shortcut key, the first keyboard update since 1994 when it added the Windows key. In a boost to its AI assistant, Microsoft announced it is adding OpenAI’s new GPT-4o model to power Copilot’s voice conversations, making them sound “more natural.”

The new devices can handle running large language models while connected to Microsoft’s Azure Cloud service. The PCs can also leverage Microsoft’s range of small language models, like the new Phi-3 mini, to power AI workloads directly on the device.

Read more about the PCs’ custom AI chips and AI productivity tools

Northrop Grumman Inks Nvidia Deal to Boost AI Projects

Defense contractor Northrop Grumman is leveraging Nvidia’s AI software to accelerate its AI projects.

Related:AWS Invests $17B in Spain for Cloud, AI Infrastructure Expansion

The companies announced a partnership that provides Northrop Grumman access to Nvidia’s software portfolio.

“Nvidia’s AI platforms will help us deliver Northrop Grumman’s advanced capabilities to our customers faster and with greater effect,” said Vern Boyle, the vice president of Northrop Grumman’s microelectronics center.

Northrop Grumman can now access software solutions like Nvidia AI, which includes a variety of AI-powered infrastructure and workflow tools, as well as Nim, a recently unveiled solution for optimizing AI model inference.

The defense contractor is working on several AI projects, including an AI assistant embedded into an augmented reality headset to assist helicopter pilots and software solutions for detecting threats to GPS signals.

Explore how Nvidia plans to work with the defense contractor

Sony Cracks Down on Unauthorized AI Training Using Its Music Catalog

Sony Music Group has issued a warning against the unauthorized use of its catalog of music recordings and compositions for training AI models.

The company owns record labels including Columbia Records and RCA Records, covering acts including AC/DC, Daft Punk and Doja Cat.

Sony is now looking to protect its array of music content as the demand for AI training data increases.

In a “declaration” published across its websites, Sony Music Group publicly stated that all use of its music library for training is prohibited.

The public statement says AI model developers cannot use its library of content for data mining or scraping, spanning lyrics, audio recordings, artworks, images and related data.

“Sony Music Group has been embracing the potential for responsibly produced AI to be used as a creative tool, revolutionizing the ways songwriters and recording artists create music,” the statement reads. “We support artists and songwriters taking the lead in embracing new technologies in support of their art. Evolutions in technology have frequently shifted the course of creative industries. AI will likely continue that long-standing trend.

Learn more about Sony’s strict stance on its music library

Nvidia-Backed AI Infrastructure Firm CoreWeave Raises $7.5B

CoreWeave has raised $7.5 billion in a debt financing round to power AI and machine learning workloads on its specialized cloud infrastructure.

Founded in 2017, CoreWeave offers cloud solutions for customers looking to train and run their AI models. Based in Roseland, New Jersey, its data centers can also be leveraged for non-AI workloads, including graphics and rendering and real-time streaming.

Funds managed by investment firm Blackstone led the round. Magnetar, Coatue and DigitalBridge Credit also participated.

Nvidia, former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and former Y Combinator investor Daniel Gross are among the company’s previous investors

CoreWeave will use the funds to expand its hardware stock. It already has access to H100 GPUs housed in its data centers, Nvidia’s flagship hardware until the new Blackwell units drop in 2025.

The company also plans to double its global data center numbers to 28 by the end of 2024.

Find out more about CoreWeave’s financing plans

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