Anthropic's Copyright Victory
AI Inside for Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Lot's of interesting stuff this week, including a landmark AI copyright ruling, rumors of Apple eyeing Perplexity, and new AI-powered Chromebooks.
But first... a huge shoutout to our Patron of the Week: Fred Davisson! If you want to support the show, check out patreon.com/aiinsideshow.
Judge Rules on AI Copyright: Fair Use or Not?
A federal judge has delivered a first-of-its-kind ruling in the case of book publishers versus Anthropic. The court deemed Anthropic’s use of copyrighted books as training data for its AI models "quintessentially transformative" and qualified as fair use under US copyright law. However, the judge separated the issue of using pirated books from online "shadow libraries", those do NOT qualify as fair use and will face a separate trial later this year. Anthropic could be on the line for major statutory damages in that case. No determination was made about whether the AI’s output is fair use and transformative. If you buy all the content you train on, are you in the clear? Judge Alsup likened this to reading a book and then writing about it afterwards.
Apple and Meta Eye Perplexity
Apple is reportedly in the early stages of considering an acquisition of Perplexity AI. Bloomberg says Apple is exploring the option but has not yet made a formal offer or approached Perplexity directly. Apple is also considering a partnership, with the goal of integrating Perplexity into Siri or developing a search engine alternative to Google. If this happens, I worry that Apple would seal off Perplexity to non-iOS users.
Meta has also explored buying Perplexity to strengthen its Meta AI assistant and compete with Google and OpenAI. Meta is in a public race to hire top AI talent and restructure its AI efforts. Meta has also looked at Sutskever’s Safe Superintelligence and Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab, but nothing has progressed beyond talks.
Google’s Big Chromebook AI Push
Google held a big Chromebook event in New York a few weeks back, announcing a major update to Chromebooks by integrating Gemini AI models into ChromeOS. The focus was on Chromebook Plus devices, debuting on-device AI features like smart tab grouping, AI-powered photo editing, and other features running locally. Jeff was at the event and saw the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 take center stage, powered by the MediaTek Kompanio Ultra processor for local AI processing. He talks all about what grabbed his attention on this week’s show.
Meta and Oakley Launch AI Smartglasses
Meta has a new smartglasses partner in Oakley, bringing performance AI glasses to market. The Oakley Meta HSTN is designed for athletes, creators, and everyday users, featuring hands-free 3K video recording, IPX4 water resistance, open-ear speakers, and integrated Meta AI with voice commands. Retail price is $399 standard and $499 for the limited edition with Desert 24k Prizm Polar lenses. Pre-orders start July 11. I am seriously considering grabbing a pair for myself.
Kids, Parents, and Teachers on Generative AI
The Turing Institute released a study examining children aged 8-12, their parents, and teachers in the UK and how they interact with generative AI. More than half have used generative AI tools, with 22% of children (mostly using ChatGPT) engaging for creativity, learning, and entertainment. Many kids are excited about AI, especially if their parents are optimistic. Concerns remain about exposure to inaccurate or inappropriate content and the erosion of critical thinking skills. Teachers enjoy using the tools but worry about plagiarism and student engagement. Still, everyone sees the potential.
Chatbots Step In for Kids’ Therapy
The New York Times reports that kids are being referred to chatbots for therapy while waiting for traditional services. Woebot, a chatbot rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy, delivers pre-approved responses to help manage distress and reinforce coping skills. Kids find comfort and privacy in chatting with the bot, appreciating its non-judgmental nature, a recurring theme that I’ve noticed.
Sam Altman on Parenting and AI
Sam Altman spoke with Andrew Mayne on the first OpenAI podcast, sharing his parental experience with AI: “Clearly people have been able to take care of babies without ChatGPT for a long time. I don’t know how I would have done that.” He added, “My kids will never be smarter than AI. They will use it incredibly naturally and look back at this like a very prehistoric time period.” He acknowledged the downsides: “There will be problems. People will develop these somewhat problematic or very problematic parasocial relationships and society will have to figure out new guardrails. But the upsides will be tremendous.”
Lightning Round
OpenAI took down promotional materials for its $6.5B Jony Ive partnership after a court issued a temporary restraining order over the use of "io." The AI hearing device company IYO filed a trademark lawsuit, but OpenAI says the deal is still moving forward as they review legal options.
What are OpenAI and Jony Ive working on? According to court filings, it’s definitely not a wearable or in-ear gadget, and not coming before 2026. Your guess is as good as mine!
Meta told its Oversight Board it can’t detect or label AI-created video and audio on its platforms, only static images. The Board called this “incoherent and unjustifiable,” urging Meta to invest in better tech.
The Senate ruled a controversial provision banning states from regulating AI for ten years can remain in the Trump administration’s tax and spending bill. It conditions federal broadband funding on states NOT enacting AI rules. Tech companies are happy, but bipartisan criticism remains.
Perplexity is rolling out its AI-powered Comet browser to select Windows users, expanding beyond its initial Mac beta. It’s an Agentic Search browser with integrated AI tools. Broader releases and an Android version are in development.
John Oliver’s latest episode took aim at AI Slop, showing how easy it is for AI creators to churn out viral videos. He highlighted how less savvy users, especially older ones, are falling for AI content, much to their kids’ disbelief.
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