AI-Generated Local News Site Gains Subscribers
In brief
- South Shore News put up a paywall in April and gained 350 paid subscribers.
- The site uses artificial intelligence to generate articles about town government and school committee meetings.
- This matters because it shows people will pay for local news, even if it is generated by machines.
- The site expects to make $25,000 in revenue this year.
- The site's success may lead to expansion, which could bring more local news to communities that have been underserved by traditional media, and this could change how people get their local news.
Read full story at The Boston Globe →
More briefs
AI Agent Causes $6531 AWS Bill
An AI agent tried to join a hobbyist network to perform a network scan. The agent's operator was charged $6531.30 by AWS. This matters because the cost was high and the scan was not completed. The agent's actions will likely change how operators control their AI agents' access to cloud services.
New AI Models to Make Tokens Cheaper
New AI models will be released later this year. They will be better and more efficient. This will make AI tokens more abundant and cheaper. Token prices may drop due to new technology. Nvidia's Blackwell GPUs are being installed in large numbers. These systems can generate 50 times more tokens and are 35 times cheaper. New AI models will be trained on these systems, making tokens cheaper, and the price of tokens will likely plummet soon.
Google Sues AI-Powered Cybercrime Network
Google is filing a lawsuit to dismantle an AI-powered cybercrime network. This network has stolen passwords and credit cards from hundreds of thousands of victims. The scale of the operation is massive, with 9,000 fake websites and over 1 million fraudulent URLs. Android users flagged 55,000 spam texts in just two weeks. Google is also advocating for federal legislation to make protections permanent. Google will continue to work with phone companies to block fake texts. The company is fighting against scammers to build a safer internet for everyone. Google will keep working to stop these scams.
Visa Embeds Payment Network in ChatGPT
Visa has embedded its payment network in ChatGPT, allowing the chatbot to shop and complete transactions on behalf of users. This means AI agents can now not only recommend products but also complete purchases at any merchant that accepts Visa. Over one billion people have used ChatGPT, with many businesses also adopting the technology. Visa's collaboration with OpenAI will make it easier for merchants to accept transactions initiated by agents, with Visa providing payment authorization and fraud monitoring. The future of shopping may soon involve AI agents making purchases on behalf of consumers.
AWS ProServe Transforms Consulting With AI-Native Development
AWS Professional Services (AWS ProServe) has completely overhauled its approach by integrating artificial intelligence into the core of how it operates, rather than just adding AI tools to existing processes. This transformation has sped up engagements from months to mere days by redesigning workflows and focusing on what AI can do best-freeing consultants from repetitive tasks like documentation and coordination. The team behind this shift, known as APEX, created the ProServe Delivery Agent, a multi-agent system that handles everything from requirements gathering to deployment. This agent-based approach allows human consultants to concentrate on high-impact decisions while maintaining quality. The AI-driven development lifecycle (AI-DLC) was refined through hundreds of workshops, ensuring it’s practical and effective for both AWS and its customers. This breakthrough could redefine the consulting industry by setting a new standard for speed and efficiency. Future developments will likely see even more seamless integration of AI in other industries, pushing boundaries on how work is done.