AI model Aitana takes social media by storm
In Barcelona, a pink-haired 25-year-old named Aitana captivates social media with her stunning images and relatable personality. But Aitana isn’t a real person—she’s an AI model created by The Clueless Agency. Launched during a challenging period for the agency, Aitana was designed as a solution to the unpredictability of working with human influencers. The virtual model has proven successful, earning up to €10,000 monthly by featuring in advertisements and modelling campaigns.
Aitana has already amassed over 343,000 Instagram followers, with some celebrities unknowingly messaging her for dates. Her creators, Rubén Cruz and Diana Núñez, maintain her appeal by crafting a detailed “life,” including fictional trips and hobbies, to connect with her audience. Unlike traditional models, Aitana has a defined personality, presented as a fitness enthusiast with a determined yet caring demeanour. This strategic design, rooted in current trends, has made her a relatable and marketable figure.
The success of Aitana has sparked a new wave of AI influencers. The Clueless Agency has developed additional virtual models, including a more introverted character named Maia. Brands increasingly seek these customisable AI creations for their campaigns, citing cost efficiency and the elimination of human unpredictability. However, critics warn that the hypersexualised and digitally perfected imagery promoted by such models may negatively influence societal beauty standards and young audiences.
Despite these concerns, Aitana represents a broader shift in advertising and social media. By democratising access to influencer marketing, AI models like her offer new opportunities for smaller businesses while challenging traditional notions of authenticity and influence in the digital age.
OpenAI services suffer second outage in December
OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Sora, and developer API experienced a significant outage on Thursday, disrupting services for over four hours. The issue began around 11 a.m. PT, with partial recovery reported by 2:05 p.m. PT. By 3:16 p.m. PT, OpenAI stated that Sora was operational, though ChatGPT users might still encounter issues accessing their chat history.
According to OpenAI’s status page, the outage was caused by one of their upstream providers, but the company did not provide further details. This marks the second major outage for OpenAI’s services in December. Two weeks ago, a similar incident attributed to a telemetry service malfunction resulted in a six-hour disruption, a notably longer downtime than usual.
Interestingly, popular platforms utilising OpenAI’s API, such as Perplexity and Siri’s Apple Intelligence integration, appeared unaffected during the outage, as confirmed by their status pages and independent testing. OpenAI is actively working to ensure full restoration of its services while addressing the root causes behind these recurring disruptions.
AI transformed the 2024 Paris Olympics and took centre stage
AI became a defining feature of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Athletes benefited from AI-driven tools like chatbots for cybersecurity and systems offering 360-degree performance replays. AI also enhanced event safety with software monitoring crowd dynamics and abandoned objects, paving the way for future global events.
Outside the Olympics, AI was integrated into consumer technology. Car manufacturers such as Volkswagen and XPeng introduced AI-assisted features, transforming vehicles into adaptive companions. Volkswagen’s ChatGPT integration enhanced in-car assistance, while XPeng’s AI-defined car promised autonomous decision-making.
Flying taxis generated excitement but failed to soar as anticipated. Despite setbacks, companies like Volocopter and Hyundai showcased designs, while Joby secured a UK license, with commercial flights expected by 2025. Tesla unveiled the Cybercab, relying solely on AI for navigation, with a 2026 market launch planned.
Smartphones and smart glasses underwent significant innovation. Bendable phones by Motorola and Lenovo offered new flexibility, and Samsung’s toughened foldable displays impressed. Meta’s neural-interface glasses broke ground but raised privacy concerns, demonstrating the balance between progress and ethics in technology.
German parties outline technology policies ahead of election
As Germany prepares for national elections on February 23, political parties are outlining their tech policy priorities, including digitalisation, AI, and platform regulation. Here’s where the leading parties stand as they finalise their programs ahead of the vote.
The centre-right CDU, currently leading in polls with 33%, proposes creating a dedicated Digital Ministry to streamline responsibilities under the Ministry of Transport. The party envisions broader use of AI and cloud technology in German industry while simplifying citizen interactions with authorities through digital accounts.
Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD, polling at 15%, focuses on reducing dependence on US and Chinese tech platforms by promoting European alternatives. The party also prioritises faster digitalisation of public administration and equitable rules for regulating AI and digital platforms, echoing EU-wide goals of tech sovereignty and security.
The Greens, with 14% support, highlight the role of AI in reducing administrative workloads amid labour shortages. They stress the need for greater interoperability across IT systems and call for an open-source strategy to modernise Germany’s digital infrastructure, warning that the country lags behind EU digitalisation targets.
The far-right AfD, projected to secure 17%, opposes EU platform regulations like the Digital Services Act and seeks to reverse Germany’s adoption of the NetzDG law. The party argues these measures infringe on free speech and calls for transparency in funding non-state actors and NGOs involved in shaping public opinion.
The parties’ contrasting visions set the stage for significant debates on the future of technology policy in Germany.
Microsoft expands AI beyond OpenAI models
Microsoft is taking steps to diversify the AI powering its flagship product, Microsoft 365 Copilot. While OpenAI’s GPT-4 model has been a cornerstone of the AI assistant since its launch in March 2023, Microsoft is now integrating internal and third-party AI models, including its proprietary Phi-4, to reduce costs and improve efficiency. This move reflects Microsoft’s broader strategy to lessen reliance on OpenAI, its long-time partner, as it looks to offer faster, more cost-effective solutions to enterprise customers.
The shift is driven by concerns over the high costs and slower speeds associated with OpenAI’s technology for enterprise users. A company spokesperson confirmed that OpenAI remains a partner for advanced models but emphasised that Microsoft customises and incorporates a range of AI models depending on the product. Beyond its collaboration with OpenAI, Microsoft is also customising open-weight models to make its services more accessible and affordable, with potential cost savings for customers.
Microsoft’s approach mirrors similar changes in its other business units. For example, GitHub, acquired by Microsoft in 2018, has started incorporating AI models from Anthropic and Google as alternatives to OpenAI’s offerings. These efforts align with Microsoft’s goal of demonstrating the return on investment for its AI tools, particularly as some enterprises remain cautious about adopting 365 Copilot due to concerns over pricing and utility.
Despite these challenges, Microsoft reports growing adoption of 365 Copilot. The company states that 70% of Fortune 500 companies are using the AI assistant, and analysts predict that more than 10 million users will adopt it this year. As Microsoft continues refining its AI technology, leaders like CEO Satya Nadella are keeping a close watch, underscoring the company’s commitment to innovation in enterprise AI.
Grok introduces AI-powered features to wider audience
Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI, has unveiled a standalone iOS app for its chatbot, Grok, marking its first major expansion beyond the X platform. The app, currently in beta testing across Australia and a few other regions, offers users an array of generative AI features, including real-time web access, text rewriting, summarisation, and even image generation from text prompts.
Grok, described as a ‘maximally truthful and curious’ assistant, is designed to provide accurate answers, create photorealistic images, and analyse uploaded pictures. While previously restricted to paying X subscribers, a free version of the chatbot was launched in November and has recently been made accessible to all users.
The app also serves as a precursor to a dedicated web platform, Grok.com, which is in the works. xAI has touted the chatbot’s ability to produce detailed and unrestricted image content, even allowing creations involving public figures and copyrighted material. This open approach sets Grok apart from other AI tools with stricter content policies.
As the beta rollout progresses, Grok is poised to become a versatile tool for users seeking generative AI capabilities in a dynamic and user-friendly interface.
o3 models set to enhance OpenAI’s capabilities
OpenAI has announced internal testing of its latest reasoning models, o3 and o3 mini, which aim to tackle complex problems more effectively than their predecessors. The o3 mini model is expected to launch by January, with the full o3 model to follow. These developments signal increased competition with rivals like Google, which recently released its second-generation Gemini AI model.
OpenAI’s advancements build on its earlier o1 models, released in September, which demonstrated improved reasoning in science, coding, and mathematics. The company is inviting external researchers to test the new o3 models before public release.
The announcement follows OpenAI’s $6.6 billion funding round in October, highlighting its growing influence in the generative AI market. As competition intensifies, both OpenAI and Google aim to push the boundaries of AI technology.
Free AI conversations with OpenAI’s new phone feature
OpenAI has introduced a new way to access its popular ChatGPT AI by phone. Users in the United States can now call 1-800-CHATGPT to speak with ChatGPT for up to 15 minutes per month at no cost. This innovative feature is powered by OpenAI’s Realtime API and marks a move towards making AI more approachable for everyday users.
For those outside the US, OpenAI has expanded access via WhatsApp, allowing global users to interact with ChatGPT through text. The initiative is part of OpenAI’s effort to offer a simplified version of ChatGPT, providing a ‘low-cost way’ to try the service through familiar communication channels.
OpenAI has reassured users that calls will not be used to train its models, distinguishing its approach from similar past services like Google’s now-defunct GOOG-411. With this launch, OpenAI continues to bridge the gap between technology and accessibility, making conversational AI more reachable than ever.