• AI KATANA
  • Posts
  • How AI is Shaping and Distorting Beauty Standards

How AI is Shaping and Distorting Beauty Standards

Also: Nations building their own AI models add to Nvidia's growing chip demand

Author

AI KATANA
August 29, 2024

Morning!

In today’s newsletter, we explore how AI is redefining beauty standards, pushing the boundaries of reality through hyper-realistic, unattainable ideals, and the philosophical implications this has on societal perceptions of self-worth. We also delve into the rising demand for Nvidia’s chips as nations build custom AI models, driving substantial revenue growth for the tech giant. Klarna’s aggressive AI-driven workforce reduction raises concerns about the balance between efficiency and employee well-being. Google’s rollout of its Gemini AI chatbot for Gmail on Android aims to enhance user experience, albeit with some limitations. Additionally, we highlight Goldman Sachs and Nomura’s adoption of Meta’s Llama AI models to improve their operations. In our AI jobs and tools update, Stripe introduces new AI tools for payments and fraud prevention in Asia, and OpenAI’s valuation could soon surpass $100 billion amid new funding talks.

Sliced just for you:

  • 👩🏻 How AI is Shaping and Distorting Beauty Standards

  • 🌏 Nations building their own AI models add to Nvidia's growing chip demand

  • 📊 At Klarna, AI is helping reduce payroll in a big way

  • 🤖 Google’s AI chatbot for your Gmail inbox is rolling out on Android

  • 🏦 Goldman, Nomura tap Meta Llama AI models

AI is increasingly shaping and distorting beauty standards, pushing them beyond the bounds of reality through tools like Midjourney and social media filters. These AI-driven technologies are creating hyper-realistic, yet artificial, images that redefine what is considered beautiful, often promoting unattainable ideals. This trend parallels the influence of the K-beauty industry, which has popularized flawless skin and symmetry, but AI extends these standards to an extreme, unanchored by human biology. The philosophical implications of this shift are profound, as these AI-generated ideals risk becoming the new norm, overshadowing the diverse and authentic beauty found in the real world. The impact is particularly concerning for societal perceptions of self-worth, especially among younger users who are susceptible to these unrealistic standards. However, some industry players like Dove are pushing back by promoting authenticity and diversity through initiatives such as the “Real Beauty Prompt” Playbook, which encourages transparency and the celebration of natural beauty in digital content. As AI continues to influence beauty, the challenge lies in maintaining a connection to authentic human diversity and embracing imperfection in an increasingly AI-driven world.

As nations increasingly focus on developing their own AI models, the demand for Nvidia’s chips is surging. Governments are investing in AI infrastructure to create models tailored to their specific languages, cultures, and data, viewing AI as a critical component of national security and economic strategy. This trend is expected to significantly boost Nvidia’s revenue, with projections now estimating that these government initiatives will contribute low double-digit billions to Nvidia’s income by January 2025. Countries like Japan are building AI supercomputers using Nvidia’s advanced graphics processors, underlining the strategic importance of custom AI models. This demand comes amid broader global interest in generative AI, with Nvidia continuing to dominate the hardware market despite regulatory challenges, such as tightened export controls affecting its sales to China.

Klarna, a Swedish fintech company, is significantly leveraging AI to streamline operations, aiming to reduce its workforce from 5,000 to 2,000 employees in the coming years. This strategic move, focused on using AI in marketing and customer service, has already resulted in a headcount reduction to 3,800. Klarna’s CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, highlighted that these cuts could allow the company to offer better compensation to the remaining employees. The company’s AI tools, including a ChatGPT plug-in, have already demonstrated significant efficiency, handling two-thirds of customer service interactions and contributing to a $40 million profit improvement expected in 2024. However, this aggressive AI-driven downsizing has drawn criticism, with experts warning about the potential negative impacts on employee well-being and job satisfaction. Critics emphasize that while AI can enhance efficiency, it should complement rather than replace human workers, as companies risk alienating their workforce and facing backlash over such drastic cuts.

Google is rolling out its Gemini AI chatbot for Gmail on Android, allowing users to ask questions about their inbox and perform tasks like finding specific details in emails, viewing unread messages, or summarizing emails on a particular topic. Previously available on the web, this Gmail Q&A feature is now accessible on mobile, with an iOS rollout expected soon. However, the feature is not universally available; it requires a subscription to Google One AI Premium or a Google Workspace plan with specific Gemini add-ons. Users are advised to verify the chatbot’s outputs, as generative AI tools can sometimes produce inaccurate results. The rollout will be gradual, potentially taking up to 15 days to reach all users.

Goldman Sachs and Nomura have adopted Meta’s open-source AI models, Llama, to enhance their operations. Since its launch 18 months ago, Llama has seen nearly 350 million downloads and has been integrated into various financial services by major firms. Goldman Sachs uses the Llama models within its GS AI Platform to extract information from documents, while Nomura utilizes Llama on AWS for tasks like text summarization, code generation, log analysis, and document processing. Meta’s commitment to open-source AI, as championed by Mark Zuckerberg, is positioned as a strategy to avoid being locked into competitors’ ecosystems and to create broader economic opportunities. This approach contrasts with the more proprietary models of other AI industry leaders.

🧑🏽‍💻 AI Jobs

🛠️ AI tools updates

Stripe has introduced several AI-powered tools aimed at enhancing cross-border commerce in Asia, unveiled during its Stripe Tour Singapore. The new Optimized Checkout Suite uses AI to automatically select the best payment methods for customers, improving checkout experiences and increasing conversion rates. Additionally, Stripe launched a no-code A/B testing tool for payment methods and an Adaptive Pricing feature that localizes pricing across 150 markets, helping businesses manage multiple currencies and fluctuating exchange rates. This feature has reportedly boosted cross-border revenue by 17.8% for users. To combat fraud, Stripe introduced Radar Assistant, an AI-driven tool that enables businesses to create and test fraud prevention rules using simple language prompts, aiming to reduce fraudulent transactions while minimizing false positives. Stripe also announced a partnership with NICEPay to enable U.S. merchants to accept payments from South Korean customers with a localized experience. These developments highlight Stripe’s ongoing expansion in Asia, where it has seen significant growth in cross-border payment volume.

💵 Venture Capital updates

OpenAI is reportedly in discussions to raise new funding, which could push its valuation beyond $100 billion. The funding round is expected to be led by Thrive Capital, with an investment of around $1 billion. This would follow OpenAI’s previous valuation of $86 billion, supported by major backers like Microsoft, Khosla Ventures, and Y Combinator. Microsoft’s significant investment in OpenAI, particularly after the success of ChatGPT, has strengthened their partnership, though Microsoft recently relinquished its observer seat on OpenAI’s board. OpenAI’s rapid growth, coupled with leadership changes and ongoing development of AI technologies, continues to make it a central figure in the AI industry.

🫡 Meme of the day

⭐️ Generative AI image of the day