Videos used to be an almost universal way of verifying or treating something as authentic, but those days are now gone.
A new app available in the US and Canada, OpenAI's Sora 2, makes it possible with just a few lines of text for users to generate short videos of just about anything.
The results have been at once amazing, and also worrying on several levels.
We gave Sora 2 a try and spoke with experts about what it all means for society.
It's rare to see an app that brings up so many conflicting emotions - but probably just a taste of many more AI tools that will follow.
The big story
Jensen Huang's world
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang took to the stage in Washington for his company's GTC event
In brief | Ever since the passing of Steve Jobs in 2011, it has been a topic of debate as to whether there would be a figure in the technology world who would be able to exert the same amount of influence.
In this reporter's opinion, Nvidia's chief executive Jensen Huang proved this week why he is the closest thing to the late Apple co-founder.
Mr Huang addressed his company's much-anticipated GTC event in Washington, but in the grander scheme of things, he held the world's attention on a technical, geopolitical and, to some extent, philosophical level.
Why it matters | It would be easy to suggest that Nvidia, a design company founded in 1993, was luckily riding the AI boom in recent years, but if that were the case it would probably not have had the staying power that it's currently enjoying.
On Wednesday, Nvidia made history by achieving a market capitalisation of $5 trillion. That's more than just luck; it all comes back to the persistent vision of its founder, Mr Huang, who has been talking to just about anyone who would listen about accelerated computing, which boils down to the powerful GPUs and CPUs that make AI possible.
He's not without critics but Mr Huang has been one of the more transparent tech leaders in recent years, rarely if ever avoiding reporters' questions.
Whether or not his Utopian vision of AI comes to fruition, his push to put Nvidia front and centre of it all is paying off.
Quoted | "America needs to be the most aggressive in adopting AI technology of any country in the world, bar none. That's an imperative. We can't regulate our way out of this. We can't fear monger our way out of this. We can't doomer our way out of this. We have to encourage every single company and student to use AI"
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, speaking to reporters in Washington after his address at GTC
Future in focus
Are fears of an AI tech bubble ill-conceived?
• Cliched comparison |AI boom is different from dotcom bubble, says US Federal Reserve Chairman
Amazon's headquarters in the South Lake Union neighbourhood of Seattle
Amazon announced it plans to cut about 14,000 corporate roles as it reorganises its workforce to streamline operations and accelerate investment in artificial intelligence, according to an internal memo published this week. While unflinching proponents of AI maintain that the technology won't affect the labour market at all, others say the news from Amazon about redundancies, some of the largest in the company's history, indicate that AI will indeed be making a dent in the workforce.
This is a signal: First and foremost, Amazon to a degree acknowledges that it wants to use AI to make the company leaner and more efficient. Some unrelenting enthusiasts of the technology continue to claim that "AI won't take your job; someone who uses AI will take your job". But there's a precedent with the internet revolution to suggest that adage doesn't quite hold up. Also, if in fact AI can be as powerful as envisioned, it would only make sense that it would affect jobs. Those full-on proponents of AI who insist that it won't lead to at least some job losses are being extremely naive.
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How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Results:
CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off
1. Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds
Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
Option 2: 50% across three years
Option 3: 30% across five years
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
