 |
|
|
|||||
SoundCloud is facing backlash after creators took to social media to complain upon discovering that the music-sharing platform uses uploaded music to train its AI systems. According to SoundClouds terms of use, unless a separate agreement states otherwise, users explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop, or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of and for providing the services. These terms appear to have been added to SoundClouds website in February 2024. Futurism was the first to report on artists concerns. Musical duo The Flight brought attention to the terms this week, alerting fellow creators. Ok then . . . deleted all our songs that we uploaded to SoundCloud and now closing account, the duo posted on Bluesky. Another user replied: Thanks for the heads-up. I just deleted my account. A SoundCloud spokesperson says the company believes AI can help expand artist’s creative output, but must be used with consent, attribution, and fair compensation. “SoundCloud has never used artist content to train AI models, nor do we develop AI tools or allow third parties to scrape or use SoundCloud content from our platform for AI training purposes,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “In fact, we implemented technical safeguards, including a ‘no AI’ tag on our site to explicitly prohibit unauthorized use. The February 2024 update to our Terms of Service was intended to clarify how content may interact with AI technologies within SoundClouds own platform. Use cases include personalized recommendations, content organization, fraud detection, and improvements to content identification with the help of AI Technologies.” Tech companies have increasingly relied on public and private content to train AI systems, which require vast amounts of data to function effectively. To reflect this, companies have been revising their terms and conditions to include clauses about artificial intelligence and generative AI. In November, X updated its terms of service to allow training of its machine learning and AI models on user content. The Federal Trade Commission warned in February 2024 that companies risk violating the law if they quietly alter their privacy policies to use customer data for AI training without proper notice. “It may be unfair or deceptive for a company to adopt more permissive data practicesfor example, to start sharing consumers data with third parties or using that data for AI trainingand to only inform consumers of this change through a surreptitious, retroactive amendment to its terms of service or privacy policy,” the agency said in a post. Critics of such AI policy changes are urging companies to implement more transparent opt-out options or, ideally, require users to opt in. Like many other tech firms, SoundCloud has been embracing AI. In November, it launched six new AI tools designed to meet a wide range of creative needs. At that time, SoundCloud also announced it had joined AI For Musics Principles for Music Creation With AI” pledge, committing to uphold ethical and transparent AI practices that respect creators rights. SoundCloud is paving the way for a future where AI unlocks creative potential and makes music creation accessible to millions, while upholding responsible and ethical practices,” CEO Eliah Seton said in a November blog post. “Were proud to be the platform that supports creators at every level, fuels experimentation, and empowers fandom.” Update: This article has been updated to include comment from SoundCloud.
Category:
E-Commerce
Switzerland’s president lamented disappointing talks Friday with U.S. President Donald Trump’s treasury secretary that did not ease stiff U.S. tariffs on Swiss goods, but she expressed hope for a solution to a more consequential U.S.-China face-off on tariffs in Geneva this weekend. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, who also serves as finance minister, said she was nonetheless encouraged by the talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as Switzerland tries to wriggle out of hefty 31% U.S. tariffs on Swiss goods as part of Trump’s sweeping reciprocal tariffs on countries around the globe. Their meeting was only an appetizer for the potentially market-moving talks Saturday and Sunday between Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Geneva. Keller-Sutter also met with the Chinese envoy, but said it was merely a courtesy. As for the U.S.-China talks, the Swiss leader alluded to the election of the first U.S.-born pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, and quipped: “I said to Secretary Bessent that apparently the Holy Spirit was in Rome yesterday, and I hope that he will come to Geneva over the weekend. The talks have been shrouded in secrecy and the Chinese and U.S. sides have declined to specify where they will take place other than somewhere in Geneva, which hosted U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2021before Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While the U.S. administration has temporarily suspended the most severe tariffs against every target country except China, the 31% rateif restoredwould put Switzerland in a worse position than its neighbors in the European Union, which are to face 20% U.S. tariffs on EU goods. The Swiss government said its talks Friday with Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer were convivial and constructive and were aimed to lay out the guidelines for a deal on the issue of customs duties to be discussed again in coming weeks. On April 9a week after Trump announced the U.S. reciprocal tariffshe spoke with Keller-Sutter by phone and later announced a pause in their implementation for 90 days and capped the additional U.S. tariffs at 10% for most countries, with the notable exception of China. Of course, it is disappointing,” Keller-Sutter said when asked about the lack of a deal in talks with Bessent, before alluding to her earlier phone conversation with Trump. I also told President Trump that this was not fair. But on the other hand, you know, I mean, were not looking back, we are looking forward. “And were really encouraged by the talks we had that were going to find a solution, and the U.S. side really engaged with Switzerland also to find a swift solution, she told reporters. Keller-Sutter trumpeted Swiss investment in the United States, saying it has created 400,000 jobs and average salary $130,000, which is a lot in the United States. She said she didn’t know whether her call with Trump on April 9 convinced him to ease back on the tariffs, before adding with a laugh: He should listen to women. Going into the weekend talks between Bessent and He, the U.S. slapped 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, and Beijing has responded with 125% tariffs on U.S. goods. Earlier Friday, Trump floated the prospect that those could be lowered sharply in a social media post. 80% Tariff on China seems right!” Trump wrote on his social media account, before alluding to Bessent. “Up to Scott B. Jamey Keaten, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
After musing publicly and privately with the idea of raising the top tax rate for wealthy millionaires as Republicans draft his big bill in Congress, President Donald Trump early Friday backed off that callsort of. Trump posted on social media that hiking taxes on anyone, even the rich, could stir a political backlash, reviving the Read my lips: No new taxes warnings of the Bush-era that helped topple a president. The post came days after he floated the idea of higher taxes on those single filers earning $2.5 million and above. But this time, the president, didnt completely discourage GOP lawmakers from pursuing that option as they rush to finish their massive tax breaks and spending cuts package this weekend. The problem with even a TINY tax increase for the RICH, which I and all others would graciously accept in order to help the lower and middle income workers, is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, Read my lips, Trump wrote. In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but Im OK if they do!!! Trump wrote Friday. The last ditch-push by the president comes as Republicans are laboring to push his big, beautiful bill toward public hearings next week, on track for a House vote by Memorial Day. Divisions run strong in the party, and the president’s on-again, off-again push for millionaires taxes complicates the outcome. Over the past months, Trump has repeatedly brought up the idea of imposing a higher rate for millionaires and the president revived his request in private talks. Trump told Speaker Mike Johnson again this week he wants to see a higher rate on the wealthy in the big bill coming from Congress, according to a person familiar with the conversations and granted anonymity to discuss the private talks. The president sees higher taxes on millionaires as a way to clip the argument coming from Democrats that the GOPs big tax package only benefits his wealthy friends, including billionaire Elon Musk, the person said. Thanks to Trumps 2017 tax cuts bill, the top rate is now a 37% bracket that expires at the end of the year. That rate is for incomes beyond about $600,000 for single filers. Trump would like to see that rate expire, reverting back to 39.6%, or 40%. This week Trump pitched top rate on incomes of around $2.5 million for individuals and $5 million for couples. The debate over millionaires has been raging with a robust collection of anti-tax activists led by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Grover Norquist at Americans for Tax Reform and others working vigorously to prevent any tax hikes. Trump appeared Friday to have again heeded the message from Gingrich, who has warned that George H.W. Bush during the 1988 presidential campaign pledged to not to implement any new taxes as president. Bush then faced an onslaught of criticism during his unsuccessful 1992 reelection campaign for breaking that promise. Trump posted a few weeks ago that Gingrich was correct. But on Friday the president said independent candidate Ross Perot had caused Bushs loss that year. As the conversations swirl in public and private, they keep coming back to Trumps own politically-populist instincts, touching off the GOP divide. Im not excited about the proposal, but I have to say, there are a number of people in both the house and the Senate who are, said Sen. Mike Crapo, the GOP chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said earlier this week on the Hugh Hewitt show, and if the President weighs in in favor of it, then thats going to be a big factor that we have to take into consideration as well. Lisa Mascaro and Seung Min Kim, The Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||