Instagram launches new creation tools for Stories and Reels
Instagram is launching a host of new creation tools across the platform. One new feature will allow users to create custom stickers for their Reels and Stories using AI. Driven by Meta’s Segment Anything AI model, the stickers can be created by uploading photos or videos from a phone’s Camera Roll, or choosing from eligible photos and videos on Instagram.
The AI stickers arrived alongside a range of other new features for Instagram and Reels, including new “undo” and “redo” features for Reels; new tools to scale, crop and rotate individual clips; and access to a new Media Clip hub for making memes. The company also added new photo filters, 10 new English text-to-speech voices, six new text fonts and styles, and support for outlines.
YouTube helps record companies flag AI fakes
YouTube is rolling out new guidelines that allow record companies to request the removal of songs that use AI-generated versions of artists’ voices. Earlier this year, fake AI-generated music became increasingly popular with one of the most high-profile examples being Heart on My Sleeve, a song featuring AI-made vocals claiming to be Drake and the Weeknd. YouTube is now fighting against this, introducing a tool that allows music labels and distributors flag content that mimics an artist’s unique singing or rapping voice. The platform said it will trial the new controls with a selected group of labels and distributors before a wider rollout. YouTube will also allow people to complain about deepfakes in an update to its privacy complaint process.
Meta disbands its Responsible AI team
Meta has made some changes to its teams, reportedly disbanding its Responsible AI (RAI) team and is now focusing more on generative artificial intelligence. Some members of the RAI team will join the generative AI product team, while others will work on Meta’s AI infrastructure. Meta says it is continuing to “prioritise and invest in safe and responsible AI development.”
Threads begins experimenting with an alternative to hashtags
Meta is testing a new tagging feature for Threads as an alternative to hashtags. Users will use a hashtag to create or add to a topic’s conversation, but instead of showing up as a hashtagged word, Threads converts it to a blue-text hyperlink. This is first being released to Australian users as an initial “limited test” before it gets a wider release.
