Mail Gaming's TikTok triumph, a new paywall rising and EU's bold step against AI

This week's Content Aware brings you publishers vs Google, OpenAI debates on Reddit, and AI bringing Beatles back to life.

Published: 16:55, 06 February 2025

Corbidge comments on...copyright rights and wrongs
The UK government's push to relax copyright laws for generative AI has been blocked by the House of Lords. Are politicians so transfixed by the promise of AI that they have become unable to properly appreciate the value of intellectual property? Our resident master of perception Rob shares his thoughts.
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Anthropic's new no AI job policy
Anthropic, the owner of the AI Claude, recently introduced a policy aimed at addressing concerns over AI over-reliance in job applications, stating that they want to assess applicants without AI interference. While the policy appears to emphasize the value of genuine, human insight in an increasingly automated world, it doesn't erase the controversy surrounding Anthropic's data scraping methods.
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Open AI tries to win debates on Reddit
OpenAI is testing its AI's persuasiveness on Reddit's r/ChangeMyView subreddit to enhance its models' reasoning abilities. Unsurprisingly, this has sparked concerns regarding data sourcing, AI influence, and ethics. While the experiment is intriguing, it raises important questions about the ethical implications of AI manipulating opinions, even with safeguards in place.
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U.S. Copyright Office rules Yes on AI-assisted works
The U.S. Copyright Office have ruled that artists can copyright works created with AI assistance, as long as human creativity is involved in the final product, excluding fully machine-generated content. While this decision represents a key step in addressing the evolving relationship between creativity and technology, it also brings attention to the ongoing challenges surrounding fully AI-generated works and the broader ethical issues related to AI training.
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The Sun unveils £1.99 paywall
The Sun is launching Sun Club, a £1.99/month paid content service offering exclusive columns, videos, and deals. This move marks a key step in the UK title's digital evolution, with a clear focus on premium content to engage readers. However, it remains to be seen how this strategy will affect overall readership and how it will compete with free alternatives.
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EU cracks down on risky AI with new ban and fines
The EU AI Act , effective since August 2023, set a compliance deadline of February 2nd, 2024, introducing a four-tier risk level system, with "unacceptable risk" AI applications being banned. By imposing strict penalties on non-compliant tech companies by 2025. the EU is attempting to regulate the rapidly evolving AI landscape to protect users from harmful and invasive technologies. The real challenge now will be striking the right balance between fostering innovation and ensuring ethical responsibility.
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DeepSeek and the art of doing more with less
DeepSeek's rapid rise in the AI industry challenges the dominance of established tech giants, demonstrating the impact of innovation in a space once dominated by resource-heavy models. Its most effective approach not only intensifies competition but also signals a shift toward more sustainable, affordable AI solutions. As the landscape evolves, the questions remains: will DeepSeek's methods redefine the future of AI, or simply spotlight the growing potential of smaller players?
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2024 SEO volatility: how stable are Google rankings?
According to Search Engine Land, SEO rankings have experienced a notable 26% increase in volatility in 2024 compared to 2023. While this shift isn't consistent across all sectors, it reflects a broader trend of more frequent yet less dramatic rank fluctuations. Google's unknowable yo-yo continues to yank publishers up and down.
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Mail Gaming's TikTok success and what's next
Mail Gaming, the Daily Mail's gaming vertical, has swiftly built a strong social media presence, amassing over half a million followers, mostly brought by TikTok. By producing engaging, diverse content and tapping into the esports and sports content overlap, it has attracted major advertising partnerships as well. This success highlights the growing influence of social media in reaching younger, more diverse audiences, signalling a promising future for publishers who are ready to adapt and evolve in the ever-changing media landscape.
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Publishers VS Google: the $10B ad fight
Publishers from Australia and Canada are spearheading a US$10 billion class action lawsuit against Google, challenging its dominance in the global advertising market. The goal? Bringing fairness to digital advertising and underscore the vital role local newspapers play in their communities.
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AI resurrects The Beatles
In 2023, The Beatles released "Now and Then", using AI to separate John Lennon's vocals from a 50-year-old recording, leading them to winning a Grammy and showcasing a great example of technology meeting legacy.
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