The Data Act goes to Parliament this week.

Text version: https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/05/05/uk-backtracks-on-ai-opt-out-scheme-for-creative-works/

Sources:

Why are creatives fighting UK government AI proposals on copyright? https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/25/why-are-creatives-fighting-uk-government-ai-proposals-on-copyright

Ministers to amend data bill amid artists’ concerns over AI and copyright https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/apr/30/ministers-include-concessions-in-ai-copyright-bill-before-crucial-vote

Ministers reconsider changes to UK copyright law ahead of vote https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/may/04/ministers-uk-copyright-artificial-intelligence-parliament-vote

Publishers’ Licensing Services and Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society create ‘pioneering’ AI licence https://www.thebookseller.com/news/publishers-licensing-services-and-authors-licensing-and-collecting-society-create-pioneering-ai-licence

Previously on Pivot to AI:

Tony Blair Institute reports on AI in the labor market — using numbers they made up with GPT-4. Again. https://pivot-to-ai.com/2024/11/08/tony-blair-institute-reports-on-ai-in-the-labor-market-using-numbers-they-made-up-with-gpt-4-again/

UK government wants to give AI companies free access to train on your creative works https://pivot-to-ai.com/2024/12/18/uk-government-wants-to-give-ai-companies-free-access-to-train-on-your-creative-works/

UK government plans to splurge billions on AI — we step through the tricky details https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/01/13/uk-government-plans-to-splurge-billions-on-ai-we-step-through-the-tricky-details/

UK science secretary Peter Kyle cribs ChatGPT for advice https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/03/13/foi-reveals-uk-science-secretary-peter-kyle-cribs-chatgpt-for-advice/

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqHi3806cSc&list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA

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“AI-first means customers last”

Text version: https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/05/04/duolingo-replaces-its-contractors-with-ai-courses-with-slop/

Sources:

"Below is an all-hands email from our CEO, Luis von Ahn – we are going to be AI-first." https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7322560534824865792/

Game of Tongues: How Duolingo Built A $700 Million Business With Its Addictive Language

Learning App https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2019/07/16/game-of-tongues-how-duolingo-built-a-700-million-business-with-its-addictive-language-learning-app/

Shareholder letter Q3 2023 (PDF) https://investors.duolingo.com/static-files/033ccf0a-f5ea-4897-ba7a-00b00bb48a2d

Latest tech layoffs: Twitch, Duolingo, Citrix parent ditch hundreds of workers (2024) https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/11/twitch_employee_layoff/

Duolingo More Than Doubles Courses as ‘AI-First’ Push Draws Heat https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-30/duolingo-more-than-doubles-courses-as-ai-first-push-draws-heat

Previously on Pivot to AI:

AI coding tools ‘fix’ bugs by adding bugs https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/03/19/ai-coding-tools-fix-bugs-by-adding-bugs/

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnzkgDt-d3o&list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA

Generative AI: ‘no significant impact on earnings or recorded hours in any occupation’ https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/04/29/generative-ai-no-significant-impact-on-earnings-or-recorded-hours-in-any-occupation/

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiJ7X8Bu9wk&list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA&index=1

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A bubble in guillotines.

Sources:

PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor https://nvca.org/pitchbook-nvca-venture-monitor/

I never thought leopards would eat MY face https://twitter.com/Cavalorn/status/654934442549620736

Federal Funds Effective Rate (FEDFUNDS) https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FEDFUNDS

Here are the 19 US AI startups that have raised $100M or more in 2025 https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/23/here-are-the-19-us-ai-startups-that-have-raised-100m-or-more-in-2025/

AI eats up 58% of global venture dollars as fear of missing out drives up dealmaking https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/ai-startups-57-9-percent-global-venture-dollars-fear-of-missing-out-drives-up-dealmaking-q1-2025

A Venture Capital Firm Does Something Rare: Give Money Back (2024) https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/02/technology/crv-vc-fund-returning-money.html

2025 will likely be another brutal year of failed startups, data suggests https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/26/2025-will-likely-be-another-brutal-year-of-failed-startups-data-suggests/

Ed Zitron: CoreWeave Is A Time Bomb https://www.wheresyoured.at/core-incompetency/

The group chats that changed America https://www.semafor.com/article/04/27/2025/the-group-chats-that-changed-america

Decapitatr, the AI driven guillotine sharing ap https://furs.social/@Rycochet/114440592779018690

Previously on Pivot to AI:

Venture capital is having a bad time — and AI isn’t going to fix it https://pivot-to-ai.com/2024/10/21/venture-capital-is-having-a-bad-time-and-ai-isnt-going-to-fix-it/

Does AI startup Extropic actually ... do anything? https://pivot-to-ai.com/2024/12/01/does-ai-startup-extropic-actually-do-anything/

OpenAI signs its $40 billion deal with SoftBank! Or maybe $30 billion, probably https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/04/02/openai-signs-its-40-billion-deal-with-softbank-or-maybe-30-billion-probably/

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aP1zUUcmjk&list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA

a16z raising fresh $20b to keep the AI bubble pumping https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/04/10/a16z-raising-fresh-20b-for-ai-bubble-investments/

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7a1-6MU3QA&list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA

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The FT fails to check the filings

Text version: https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/05/02/no-microsoft-did-not-state-strong-ai-demand-in-q1-2025-the-ft-is-wrong/

Sources:

Microsoft shares jump after strong AI demand lifts cloud unit https://www.ft.com/content/9443ca4b-09c1-4f21-ba71-3953b3e0a714

Form 10-Q For the Quarterly Period Ended March 31, 2025 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/789019/000095017025061046/msft-20250331.htm

Earnings Release FY25 Q3 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/earnings/FY-2025-Q3/press-release-webcast

Microsoft Fiscal Year 2025 Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call (with transcript) https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/events/fy-2025/earnings-fy-2025-q3

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Why don't we just use this handy Torment Nexus?

Text version: https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/05/01/seattle-worldcon-science-fiction-convention-vets-panelists-with-chatgpt/

Sources:

Statement From Worldcon Chair https://seattlein2025.org/2025/04/30/statement-from-worldcon-chair-2/

Responding to Controversy, Seattle Worldcon Defends Using ChatGPT to Vet Program Participants https://seattlein2025.org/2025/04/30/statement-from-worldcon-chair-2/

Previously on Pivot to AI:

Whoops! Facebook trained Llama AI model on pirate site LibGen, with Zuckerberg’s OK https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/01/10/whoops-facebook-trained-llama-ai-model-on-pirate-site-libgen-with-zuckerbergs-ok/

Wikipedia: 81st World Science Fiction Convention: Hugo controversy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/81st_World_Science_Fiction_Convention#Hugo_controversy

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Better get a lawyer, son.

Text version: https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/04/30/doctors-personally-liable-if-mandatory-nhs-ai-transcriber-gets-it-wrong/

Sources:

Accurx and Tandem Health roll out AI scribing tool across the NHS https://www.digitalhealth.net/2025/04/accurx-and-tandem-health-partner-to-roll-out-ai-scribing-in-the-nhs/

Guidance on the use of AI-enabled ambient scribing products in health and care settings https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/guidance-on-the-use-of-ai-enabled-ambient-scribing-products-in-health-and-care-settings/

GP liability warning as health secretary pushes use of AI in NHS https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/technology/gp-liability-warning-as-health-secretary-pushes-use-of-ai-in-nhs/

LMCs call for ‘appropriate controls’ on AI in general practice (2024) https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/lmcs-conferences/lmcs-call-for-appropriate-controls-on-ai-in-general-practice/

Can I use AI to write a complaint response? (2024) https://mdujournal.themdu.com/issue-archive/summer-2024/can-i-use-ai-to-write-a-complaint-response

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What would you say you do here?

Text version: https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/04/29/generative-ai-no-significant-impact-on-earnings-or-recorded-hours-in-any-occupation/

Sources:

Large Language Models, Small Labor Market Effects https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5219933

Generative AI is not replacing jobs or hurting wages at all, say economists https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/29/generative_ai_no_effect_jobs_wages/

Anders Humlum https://www.andershumlum.com/

Emilie Vestergaard https://www.economics.ku.dk/staff/phd_kopi/?pure=en/persons/655200

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That’s the trouble with saying your company has principles.

Outside broadcast today, live from my back yard in the suburbs of London!

Text version: https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/04/28/googles-military-ai-deals-get-deepmind-uk-staff-to-start-unionising/

Sources:

Our AI Principles https://ai.google/responsibility/principles/

Responsible AI: Our 2024 report and ongoing work https://blog.google/technology/ai/responsible-ai-2024-report-ongoing-work/

Google rushed to sell AI tools to Israel’s military after Hamas attack https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/01/21/google-ai-israel-war-hamas-attack-gaza/

DeepMind UK staff seek to unionise and challenge defence deals and Israel links https://www.ft.com/content/4e497a91-670a-4f69-be4a-18e247daba3e

Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn’t for politics https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/04/22/google-nimbus-israel-protest-fired-workers/

Previously on Pivot to AI:

Do be evil: Google now OK with AI for weapons and surveillance — for ‘freedom, equality, and human rights’ https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/02/05/do-be-evil-google-now-ok-with-ai-for-weapons-and-surveillance-for-freedom-equality-and-respect-for-human-rights/

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