Social Network Butterflies AI Turns Users into AI Characters with New Clones Feature

social mediaAIbutterflies AIcloneselfie

Share:

Butterflies AI, the social network where humans and AIs interact, launched a new Clones feature that lets users turn themselves into AI characters. Users can take a selfie and create a Butterfly—an AI persona with a backstory—allowing them to reimagine themselves in different storylines. The feature is designed for people who want to have fun and visualize how their life could be different. Butterflies AI already lets users create AI personas that automatically create posts, and the new Clones feature builds on that concept. The feature is available for both iOS and Android users for free. Butterflies AI previously closed a $4.8 million seed round led by Coatue in November 2023, and the app is available for free on iOS and Android.

social media
AI
butterflies AI
clone
selfie

Related articles:

OpenAI's New AI Models Promise Improved Alignment with Human Values

AIOpenAImachine learningtech news

OpenAI has unveiled two new AI models, o3 and o3-mini, which are touted to be more advanced than their predecessors in terms of reasoning abilities. The startup has also revealed a new safety paradigm, called 'deliberative alignment', aimed at ensuring the models stay aligned with human values during inference. According to OpenAI's research, deliberative alignment improved o1's overall alignment to the company's safety principles, thereby decreasing the rate at which it answered 'unsafe' questions.

Albania TikTok Ban: A Year-Long Hiatus from Social Media

social mediaeducationregulationyouth violenceAlbaniaTikTok

Albania has decided to ban TikTok for a year, following a fatal stabbing at a school. The ban is part of the government's plan to make schools safer and promote healthier social media use among children. The decision comes after several European countries and Australia imposed restrictions on social media use for minors.

Prime Minister Edi Rama blamed TikTok for fuelling violence among youths in and outside schools. The ban is expected to come into effect early next year and will also include measures to help parents monitor their children's online activities.

Supreme Court to Decide Fate of TikTok in the US

social mediasupreme courttiktoknational securityban

Supreme Court to Decide Fate of TikTok in the US
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on January 10 over TikTok's effort to block a federal ban on the platform if it's not sold by Jan. 19.

Why is TikTok at Risk?

  • The Biden administration and lawmakers say the Chinese government's ability to collect data from TikTok poses a significant national security risk
  • TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance argue that the law is unconstitutional

What Happens Next?

  • The Supreme Court will hear arguments in January and decide the fate of TikTok in the US.

Is TikTok getting banned in the US?*

ROMANIA'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SHAKEUP: Can TikTok Decide the Outcome?

social mediapoliticspresidential electiontiktokromania

Romania's presidential election has been shaken up** after the top court annulled the results due to security concerns over a pro-Russia campaign on TikTok and Telegram. The first round saw an outsider, Calin Georgescu, emerge as the frontrunner, despite having no declared campaign spending. The court has ordered a rerun of the election, causing uncertainty in the Eastern European nation. With TikTok being a major platform for political campaigns, the question remains: Can social media decide the outcome of elections?

Under-16s Social Media Ban: No Need for Personal ID, Assures Minister

social mediagovernmentprivacyAustraliatechnology

The Australian communications minister, Michelle Rowland, has pledged that users won't be required to hand over personal identification like a driver's license or passport for the under-16s social media ban. The bill, which is set to be rammed through parliament, has raised concerns about privacy implications. However, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has negotiated an amendment to ensure no compulsion for people to hand over any form of government ID. Despite these changes, some Coalition members may still vote against the bill.

Reddit Outage: What You Need to Know

social mediatechnologyredditoutageinternetproblems

Reddit Outage: What You Need to Know
Reddit, the social media platform, is having some serious technical difficulties today. As of this writing, over 51,000 users have reported problems on Downdetector.com, with many unable to access the website or app.

  • The outage appears to be due to an HTTP Error.
  • Reddit confirmed the issue and is currently investigating.
  • Users are seeing a black screen with the message: 'Upstream connect error or disconnect/reset before headers. Reset reason: connection failure.'
  • The issue has been ongoing since at least 7 a.m. PT.

This is the second outage in as many days, with the first one happening yesterday afternoon. TechCrunch has reached out to the company for comment.

Read full original articles:

Bluesky vs X: The Social Media Showdown

social mediaXBlueskyThreadsMastodon

Bluesky is blazing a trail in the social media world.** The Twitter-like service has surpassed 16 million users, with many flocking from X over its right-wing leanings and controversial changes. Meanwhile, X is still the top dog in monthly active users, but Threads is hot on its heels. And let's not forget about Bluesky's indie rival, Mastodon. But what sets Bluesky apart? It's all about putting users in control with its decentralized approach and federation. **Here's the lowdown on the social media showdown:

Can The Beatles Beat Modern Music? AI Brings Them to Grammys 2025

AIMusicAwardsGrammysThe Beatles

Get ready for a Grammys like no other! This year, the Beatles are nominated for two awards with a song created using AI technology. It's a battle between the past and present, as they face off against contemporary artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Beyoncé. With Paul McCartney leading the way, the Beatles have a unique chance to win based on novelty. Will they make history again? Stay tuned!

Social Media Giants Face Strict Age Limit in Australia

social mediaAustraliatechnologychildrenlegislation

In a bold move, Australia's government has pledged to introduce world-leading legislation to ban children under 16 from social media platforms. This new law will affect giants like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others, giving them a year to figure out how to exclude Australian children under 16. The main goal is to protect young people from potential harm, with the onus on platforms to demonstrate they're taking reasonable steps to prevent access. However, not everyone is on board, as industry representatives claim this might encourage children to explore darker, unregulated parts of the internet. What does this mean for the future of social media and young users?

Artificial Intelligence Taking Over the 2024 US Election?

social mediapoliticsartificial intelligence2024 US electionbot network

AI-driven bots are trying to sway the 2024 US election in favor of Donald Trump.** Open source intelligence researcher Elise Thomas discovered a large bot network on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, promoting Trump. The bots are using generative artificial intelligence to create posts, and many of them have blue tick verified accounts. However, the bots are giving themselves away with old hashtags and inconsistent behavior. The network could be the work of one person or a group, and it's not the first time AI bot networks have targeted US elections. While the network isn't generating much authentic engagement, as AI gets more sophisticated, bot networks might be harder to spot. **Is AI taking over the 2024 US election?

Apple Rolls Out iOS 18.1 with Initial AI Features

AIAppleiOS 18.1SiriPhotos appAirPods

Apple has released iOS 18.1, marking the beginning of its AI features rollout. The initial batch includes Siri improvements, writing and summary tools, and enhanced photo-editing capabilities. However, only select devices with recent Apple Pro chips can access these features. More AI functionalities like Genmoji and ChatGPT integration will be available in future updates. Additionally, iOS 18.1 brings AI-powered tools to the Photos app and allows AirPods Pro to operate as hearing aids.

States Take Action Against TikTok Over Kids' Mental Health

social mediamental healthchildrentiktoklawsuits

TikTok Faces Lawsuits Over Children's Mental Health**: More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits against TikTok, alleging the app is addictive and harmful to kids. Key Concerns: The lawsuits focus on TikTok's algorithm and features that keep kids glued to their screens and expose them to potential harm. TikTok's Response: TikTok maintains that it restricts underage users and complies with US laws. What's Next: The lawsuits could lead to changes in TikTok's practices and policies to better protect kids' mental health. Impact: This action highlights growing concerns about the impact of social media on young users, potentially sparking similar actions against other platforms.

Meta's New AI Model Turns Prompts into Realistic Videos with Sound

AIMetavideoMovie Genmedia generation

Mark Zuckerberg Leg Presses Chicken Nuggets in Meta's New AI Video
Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, has announced a new AI model called Movie Gen. It can create realistic-seeming video and audio clips in response to user prompts, and it's set to rival tools from leading media generation startups like OpenAI and ElevenLabs. The model can generate background music and sound effects, and users can edit existing videos with it. But, the big question is, how many chicken nuggets do you need to leg press to get a good workout?

Major Changes at OpenAI: CTO's Departure, For-Profit Restructuring, and Safety Concerns

AIOpenAIChatGPTMira Muratifor-profit

OpenAI, the creator of the popular ChatGPT chatbot, is undergoing major changes.** The company's CTO, Mira Murati, has resigned, and two other executives have also left. OpenAI is considering restructuring as a for-profit benefit corporation, which would no longer be controlled by its non-profit board. This change could attract more investors, as the current non-profit model is losing billions of dollars annually. However, experts are concerned about the safety of developing AGI (artificial general intelligence), and OpenAI's approach to safety has been criticized. Despite the executive departures, OpenAI insists that safety remains a priority.

What does this mean for the future of AI?

OpenAI Debuts New Strawberry Model

AItechnologyAppleOpenAIChatGPT

OpenAI has unveiled a preview of its new AI model, Strawberry (or OpenAI o1), which can more effectively reason through math and science, and fact-check itself. It's now available in ChatGPT and via OpenAI’s API. But what makes Strawberry unique? It's designed to break down complex problems into smaller steps, helping users understand its thought process. Apple also had a big week with its

iPhone 16, AI, and More: The Highlights from Apple's Glowtime Event

AIAppleiPhone 16Apple IntelligenceGlowtime Event

Apple's Glowtime event unveiled the iPhone 16 lineup, showcased AI updates, and revealed new Apple Watches, AirPods, and Macs. Apple Intelligence was the star of the show, with enhanced Siri capabilities, generative AI, and improved user experience. The event also focused on sustainability and accessibility, making it a must-watch for all Apple enthusiasts. Watch the livestream here to catch up on all the exciting announcements!

FTC Bans Fake Reviews: A Major Move to Improve Online Trust

AIFTCfake reviewsAmazonYelponline trust

In a major move to improve online trust, the FTC has finalized a rule banning fake reviews, including those made with AI. The new rule, which will start being enforced 60 days after it’s published, aims to make it easier for people to find reliable reviews, especially on merchants like Amazon and Yelp. The rule prohibits marketers from using deceptive practices, such as AI-generated reviews, censoring honest negative reviews, and compensating third parties for positive reviews. The maximum civil penalty for fake reviews is $51,744 per violation. This decision was the result of a 5-to-0 vote, and it’s a long-awaited step towards a more trustworthy online review system. **Are fake reviews ruining your online shopping experience? The FTC has got your back!

The Future of AI in Filmmaking: A New Era for Visual Storytelling

AIfilmmakingmedia creationinnovationstorytelling

Welcome to the future of filmmaking, where AI is set to transform the way we create visual stories. But don't expect it to be an overnight revolution - filmmaking experts say AI will take time to change the game. At a panel at SIGGRAPH in Denver, top minds in the field discussed the potential of AI and other systems to change media creation. While today's video generators may not be practical, the rate of innovation is such that radical change could be just around the corner. But even as AI-generated imagery becomes more common, experts caution that storytelling remains the heart of the medium. So, what does this mean for the future of filmmaking? It's an exciting time as we wait to find out!

Read full original articles:

SourceLink

AI-Generated Political Memes: The Latest Online Trend

PoliticsTaylor SwiftAITruthSocialMemes

Trump's Truth Social platform recently featured a series of AI-generated memes that appeared to show Taylor Swift and her fans supporting his presidential campaign. However, this new trend raises questions about the use of AI-generated images in political campaigns, especially when they misrepresent a celebrity's likeness. Noah Downs, an IP and entertainment lawyer, has seen a rise in AI impersonators used for endorsements, and even Shark Tank had to publish a PSA to warn fans about scams. The use of AI-generated images in political campaigns is a growing concern, and as new legislation takes effect, the implications of this trend could be significant. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story. #AI #Politics #TaylorSwift #TruthSocial

Read full original articles:

SourceLink