The emerging technology is offering comfort to some bereaved families by digitally recreating the appearance and voice of those who have died. At the same time, experts are raising concerns about the psychological and ethical implications of using AI to simulate the dead.

One such customer is 28-year-old office worker Lee Geon Hui, who commissioned an AI-generated video of his late grandfather as a gift for his father. Lee wrote the script himself, imagining the words his grandfather might have wanted to say.

The virtual recreation addressed Lee’s father as “my most precious son,” expressed regret for making him work on the family farm during childhood and apologized for opposing his decision to pursue a career as a hairstylist.

Lee said his father initially refused to watch the video but later viewed it and became emotional.

“My father said he wouldn’t watch the video. But then he did, and he shed tears. So I felt rewarded,” Lee said. “I wrote the script … as it was what I actually wanted to tell my father.”

Lee’s grandfather died in a car accident before Lee was born. He said seeing his father’s emotional reaction highlighted how deeply he still missed his own father decades later.

AI Memorial Videos Become a Growing Industry

South Korea has seen increasing interest in AI-powered memorial services as advances in generative AI make digital recreations more realistic.

Seoul-based startup Vaice says it now serves around 300 customers each month. According to CEO Jeongu Won, most clients are people in their 40s and 50s seeking AI-generated videos of deceased parents, while others create videos of grandparents as gifts for their parents.

The company typically requires several photographs and short voice recordings to recreate a person’s likeness. A standard three- to five-minute video costs approximately 600,000 won (about $390).

Won said families frequently play the videos during traditional memorial ceremonies or major Korean holidays when relatives gather to remember loved ones.

Many of the personalized scripts include expressions of love, unresolved regrets or messages of forgiveness that surviving family members wished they had shared before the person’s death.

Another company, JL Standard, introduced a similar service about five years ago. Executive Choi Yu Ha said public skepticism has eased over time as audiences have become more familiar with AI-generated recreations, including televised appearances featuring digital versions of deceased entertainers.

Experts Warn of Emotional and Ethical Risks

While supporters believe the technology can provide emotional closure, researchers caution that recreating deceased individuals also raises difficult questions about consent, privacy and mental health.

Yong Man Ro, an AI researcher at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, described the technology as both beneficial and potentially disruptive because it directly affects human emotions.

“It’s a double-edged sword, as it deals with human emotions,” Ro said. “As AI technologies become part of people’s lives, they can also bring about cultural experiences and shocks that we have never experienced.”

Legal experts argue that clearer regulations are needed as AI becomes capable of producing increasingly lifelike digital replicas.

Choung Wan, an emeritus professor at Kyung Hee University Law School, said laws should protect the dignity and posthumous rights of deceased individuals. He suggested AI recreations should not be permitted if the individual explicitly opposed such use before death and called for limits on commercial use of a person’s image and voice.

Future AI ‘Griefbots’ Present New Challenges

Researchers believe ethical concerns could become even more complex if AI systems evolve beyond one-way video messages into interactive “griefbots” capable of carrying on extended conversations with bereaved family members.

Several startups are already experimenting with conversational AI designed to simulate deceased individuals.

Choung warned that healthy grieving typically involves accepting the reality of loss and that prolonged conversations with AI replicas could interfere with that process.

“Psychologically, a healthy mourning involves a process to acknowledge the absence of the deceased and pass through the pains of their losses,” Choung said. “But speaking with an AI system simulating a living person could undermine the process of accepting deaths and rather cause a negative effect of leaving bereaved families trapped in a fantasy.”

Won said Vaice is proceeding cautiously regarding conversational AI because unsupervised interactions could create unforeseen ethical issues.

Technology Advances Continue

AI-generated memorials are becoming increasingly realistic as image generation and voice synthesis technologies improve.

Choi said today’s systems can reproduce details as fine as facial wrinkles and skin texture, leading many customers to feel the digital recreations closely resemble their loved ones.

Ro, whose own parents died last year, created a one-minute AI-generated video that he shared with his siblings during a family gathering. The digital versions of their parents encouraged them not to worry and to take care of themselves.

Although the experience was deeply moving, Ro said the family viewed the video only once.

“One time was enough to watch it to honor our late parents who were quite elderly. We moved on,” he said.

Tags: Artificial Intelligence, AI Memorials, Generative AI, South Korea, Digital Afterlife, AI Ethics, Grief Technology, Emerging Technology, Digital Humans, AI Regulation

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Security Controls Expand Across Urban Airspace

Under the new rules, all drone sales within Beijing’s city limits will be banned, with limited exceptions granted only to approved institutions such as universities or public safety agencies. According to reporting from The Associated Press, individuals or organizations seeking exemptions must obtain police authorization, reinforcing centralized control over drone usage.

Authorities have also introduced penalties for violations, including fines and confiscation of equipment, signaling a stricter enforcement posture. Analysts say the measures go beyond previous restrictions, which had already limited drone flights in much of the capital.

Commercial Impact Extends to Retail and Technology Sector

The Beijing drone ban is already affecting retailers and manufacturers, particularly domestic industry leaders. Stores have been instructed to remove drones from shelves, while e-commerce platforms are blocking purchases for customers with Beijing delivery addresses, AP reporting indicates.

Industry observers note that the policy could disrupt local sales even as Chinese companies dominate the global consumer drone market. The restrictions highlight a tension between technological leadership and internal security priorities, especially in a city that serves as China’s political center.

Global Security Context Shapes Policy Direction

The crackdown comes amid growing international scrutiny over drone technology and its potential use in surveillance or conflict. Western governments, including the United States, have moved to restrict Chinese-made drones over national security concerns, according to previous Associated Press reporting.

Experts say Beijing’s decision mirrors a broader global trend in which governments are tightening control over emerging technologies linked to data collection and aerial monitoring. The convergence of domestic regulation and international pressure underscores how drones have become a focal point in technological competition.

Strategic Implications for Governance and Innovation

The new regulations designate Beijing’s entire administrative area as tightly controlled airspace, requiring official approval for any drone-related activity. Analysts argue this could set a precedent for other major cities in China, potentially reshaping the regulatory landscape for urban drone usage.

At the same time, the policy raises questions about balancing innovation with security. While exemptions exist for research and public services, broader restrictions may slow commercial experimentation and limit consumer access in one of the country’s most important markets.

Conclusion

As the Beijing drone ban takes effect, it signals a decisive shift toward stricter governance of low-altitude technologies in China’s capital. The policy is likely to influence both domestic regulatory trends and global debates over the security risks and economic value of drone technology.

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A young AI startup named Perplexity is suddenly at the center of big tech’s attention—and that’s saying something when the companies watching are Meta and Apple.

According to reports from Bloomberg and The Information, Meta held acquisition talks with Perplexity in late April or early May. While no deal was reached, the discussions signal just how serious Meta is about staying competitive in the AI race. Apple, too, has reportedly had internal conversations about acquiring the company, though those talks are said to be early and exploratory.

Neither Meta nor Apple offered public comments, and Perplexity’s head of communications, Jesse Dwyer, told CNN the company has “no knowledge of any current or future M&A discussions.”

So, what exactly is Perplexity—and why are tech giants circling?

What is Perplexity?

Founded in 2022, Perplexity is a new kind of search engine that uses artificial intelligence to scan the web and serve up clean, summarized answers—alongside clickable source links for transparency. Think of it like Google Search crossed with a chatbot, but more focused on accuracy and explainability.

Perplexity offers two modes:

• Quick Search for fast answers
• Pro Search for deeper research (limited to three uses per day on the free plan)

Like ChatGPT and other AI tools, Perplexity isn’t just about answering questions. Users can also upload files, generate images, plan trips, and curate content based on interests. Many of these more advanced features are part of a $20/month premium plan, which also unlocks unlimited pro searches, more AI models, and enhanced project tools.

The company is also developing its own web browser, Comet, which hints at broader ambitions beyond search.

Why Are Meta and Apple Interested?

Both Meta and Apple are playing catch-up in the AI space—and Perplexity could help close the gap.

Apple’s AI Catch-Up

At its June developer conference, Apple unveiled AI-powered features like smarter emoji and live language translation. But its flagship voice assistant, Siri, still hasn’t been fully revamped despite an announcement more than a year ago.

Behind the scenes, Apple is also weighing alternatives to Google, which currently pays billions to remain the default search engine in Safari. That deal is under fire in an antitrust case brought by the Justice Department—raising the stakes for Apple to find or build its own search solution. Acquiring Perplexity could offer a strong foundation.

Apple already partners with OpenAI and Google to enhance iPhone features, but as analyst Ben Bajarin put it to CNN, “Apple needs to be relevant here. The fact that they don’t have a lot to show for their efforts is what gives most people concern.”

Meta’s AI Talent Hunt

Meta has been aggressive in its AI push, investing heavily and offering eye-popping pay packages—reportedly up to $100 million—to lure top talent. CEO Mark Zuckerberg sees AI as central to Meta’s future, across products like Instagram, WhatsApp, and its line of Ray-Ban smart glasses.

In addition to courting Perplexity, Meta recently invested in Scale AI, a data-labeling startup now valued at over $29 billion, and even brought on its founder Alexandr Wang.

While Meta’s open-source Llama models are widely used by developers, the company has faced setbacks too. It delayed the release of its next-gen Llama model, and its new standalone AI app raised privacy concerns after some “private” user queries were found to be public.

But There’s a Catch: Content Controversies

Perplexity’s rise hasn’t been without drama. The BBC recently threatened legal action, accusing the AI tool of scraping its content without permission. Media giants like Dow Jones and the New York Post have also sued the startup, alleging copyright infringement and traffic theft.

This issue—how AI models use and credit content—remains one of the biggest unresolved debates in the AI world, and one that could shape how Perplexity grows, partners, or gets acquired.

The Bottom Line

Whether or not Meta or Apple ultimately buys Perplexity, their interest alone speaks volumes. As AI continues to redefine how we search, learn, and communicate, companies that can’t keep up risk being left behind.

And with search being a key battleground, startups like Perplexity may find themselves in high demand—either as partners, tools, or billion-dollar acquisitions.

Source: CNN – What is Perplexity, the AI startup said to be catching Meta and Apple’s attention

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The head of one of the world’s leading AI companies has issued a stark warning: artificial intelligence could trigger a surge in unemployment that we’re not prepared for.

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that AI is rapidly surpassing humans at nearly every intellectual task. “We’re going to collectively, as a society, grapple with it,” Amodei said. “AI is going to get better at what everyone does — including CEOs like me.”

How bad could it get? Amodei predicts that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs, pushing unemployment in the U.S. as high as 20% within the next five years. For context, the last time unemployment neared that level was during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This isn’t just a casual forecast — it’s a warning from someone at the forefront of the AI revolution. And it comes as Anthropic unveils AI technology designed to work nearly a full human workday on complex tasks, with minimal supervision.

Why This Matters: White-Collar Jobs at Risk

Historically, technology has tended to replace low-skilled jobs, with the idea that displaced workers could retrain for better-paying roles. But Amodei’s warning flips that script: AI might soon replace specialized, highly educated professionals — people who’ve invested years in training and schooling. And retraining at that level may not be easy or even possible on a large scale.

He even suggests that governments consider taxing AI companies to help offset the societal impacts. “If AI creates huge total wealth, a lot of that will, by default, go to the AI companies and less to ordinary people,” Amodei said. “It’s not in my economic interest to say that, but I think this is something we should consider — and it shouldn’t be a partisan issue.”

Jobs in the Crosshairs: Who’s Most Vulnerable?

From paralegals to payroll clerks, financial advisers to software coders, many white-collar roles could face major upheaval. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently predicted that AI will write half of Facebook’s code within a year, and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella said AI already writes about 30% of Microsoft’s code.

Amodei shared that about 40% of people using Anthropic’s AI are employing it to fully automate jobs, while 60% use it to augment their work — and the automation number is growing. Just last week, Anthropic launched an AI model that can work independently for nearly seven hours straight.

A Rapid, Unprecedented Shift

What sets this AI revolution apart is its speed and scope. Amodei warns this wave of change is “faster, broader, harder to adapt to” than previous technological shifts. Most people don’t realize how quickly AI is evolving.

While some experts believe AI will mostly automate tasks rather than entire jobs, and others think the pace may slow as AI runs out of training data, there’s broad agreement on one thing: it’s time to start planning for AI’s economic impact.

University of Virginia economist Anton Korinek put it plainly: “Historically, the economy has created new jobs to replace old ones. But intelligent machines might be able to do those new jobs, too — and faster than humans.”

The Silver Lining: AI’s Potential to Help Humanity

Amodei isn’t sounding the alarm just to scare people. He believes AI can help solve major challenges — from curing diseases to advancing human knowledge. “I wouldn’t be building this technology if I didn’t think it could make the world better,” he said.

His warnings also build his reputation as a responsible leader who wants to steer AI development carefully, amid growing public and governmental scrutiny. Tech futurist Tracey Follows explained, “By raising these concerns now, Amodei is being transparent. If AI causes major disruption in the next five years, Anthropic can say they warned us.”

What’s Next? Facing the AI Future Together

Amodei told Cooper he’s “raising the alarm” because others in the industry haven’t been as vocal. “I don’t think we can stop this bus,” he said. “But I hope to steer the technology so we’re aware of and address the harms — while still unlocking the benefits.”

The AI revolution is already here — and it’s changing how we work faster than most of us realize. The question now is how society, business leaders, and policymakers will respond before the economic shockwaves hit.

Source: CNN – Why this leading AI CEO is warning the tech could cause mass unemployment

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Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have made it possible for speech synthesis tools to generate eerily realistic voices. These tools can mimic accents, whisper, and even clone the voices of real people. But with these developments, it raises the question: how can we tell the difference between a human voice and an AI-generated one?

Today, it’s easier than ever to have a conversation with AI. From chatbots that answer questions to AI systems that speak multiple languages and use different accents, technology is making it possible for machines to communicate like never before. In fact, some AI-powered tools can now clone the voices of real people. For instance, one AI tool was recently used to replicate the voice of late British broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson for a podcast series. Another example is natural history broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, who was disturbed to hear his voice cloned by AI to say things he never said.

While some of these voice-cloning tools are used for harmless entertainment, others are being exploited in scams to deceive people. For example, criminals use AI-generated voices to trick people into transferring money or revealing personal information.

However, not all AI-generated voices are used maliciously. They are also integrated into chatbots powered by large language models, making conversations with machines sound more natural and convincing. Take ChatGPT’s voice function, for example. It can respond with variations in tone and emphasis, much like a human would to convey empathy or emotion. It can also interpret non-verbal cues like sighs or sobs, speak in over 50 languages, and even make phone calls to assist with tasks. In one demonstration, ChatGPT even ordered strawberries from a vendor over the phone.

These AI advancements lead to a compelling question: is there anything truly unique about the human voice that helps us distinguish it from machine-generated speech?

The Challenge of Telling AI from Human Voices

Jonathan Harrington, a phonetics expert at the University of Munich, Germany, has spent years studying how humans speak, produce sounds, and create accents. He is impressed by how realistic AI-generated voices have become in recent years. However, he believes there are still subtle cues that can help us tell the difference.

To explore this, we set up a challenge. We asked Conor Grennan, Chief AI Architect at New York University Stern School of Business, to create audio clips where he reads a passage from Alice in Wonderland—once with his own voice and once with an AI-generated voice from ElevenLabs, a speech-cloning software company. After playing the clips for people, around half of them struggled to tell which voice was human and which was AI.

One of the cybersecurity experts we spoke to, Steve Grobman from McAfee, was also unable to easily distinguish the two voices. He mentioned that AI voices may lack certain nuances, such as the natural cadence or breathing patterns we associate with human speech. For instance, humans often breathe irregularly, while AI-generated voices may sound too perfect.

In fact, many experts acknowledge that detecting deepfakes—AI-generated speech or video that imitates real people—can be difficult for the human ear. For example, a deepfake of Bill Gates once fooled listeners, making it sound as though he was endorsing a quantum AI stock trading tool. Despite sounding like him, it was flagged as a fake by deepfake detection software.

How Can We Tell AI from Human Voices?

While AI-generated voices have become impressively realistic, there are still some clues that can help us tell them apart from human speech.

One key feature to listen for is intonation, or the rise and fall in pitch during a sentence. Humans typically adjust their pitch to reflect the meaning or emotion behind their words. For example, the phrase “Marianne made the marmalade” may sound different depending on whether it’s a statement or a question. AI voices can struggle with this level of nuance.

Another clue lies in prosody, the rhythm and pattern of speech. Humans naturally emphasize certain words for meaning, and AI voices often fail to replicate this consistently. For example, if asked, “Did Marianna make the marmalade?”, a human would likely emphasize the word made, while an AI might emphasize a different word.

Additionally, breathing patterns can be a giveaway. Humans naturally breathe irregularly, and their breath intakes may vary in length. AI-generated voices, however, might sound too perfect or regular, giving away their artificial nature.

The Growing Threat of Voice Cloning

As AI voice technology improves, concerns about voice cloning are rising. Experts worry that cloned voices could be used in scams, identity theft, or to manipulate individuals. One cybersecurity example highlighted by Assaf Rappaport, CEO of cybersecurity firm Wiz, involved criminals creating a voice clone of him using a recent talk he gave. They attempted to use the cloned voice to deceive his employees into revealing credentials, though the attempt was unsuccessful.

Cybersecurity expert Pete Nicoletti from Check Point Software recommends being cautious if you suspect someone is using a voice clone. He advises asking personal questions or suggesting you’ll call back to verify their identity. In a work setting, you should avoid making wire transfers based solely on a phone call from someone claiming to be a high-level executive.

The Future of AI Voices

AI voice technology is improving rapidly, and experts like Dane Sherrets, innovation architect at HackerOne, believe it will only get more convincing. AI can now mimic human-like inflection, breathing, and even hesitation, but it’s still not perfect. While AI can replicate much of human speech, it struggles to capture the full range of human emotions and the complexities of context.

As AI continues to advance, experts are working to develop better detection tools. McAfee, for example, is partnering with major PC manufacturers to install deepfake detection software on devices, and ElevenLabs offers a free tool to detect AI-generated voices. However, as AI technology and detection tools evolve, we may find ourselves in a race where distinguishing AI from humans becomes increasingly difficult.

Conclusion: The Importance of Face-to-Face Interaction

Given the growing capabilities of AI-generated voices, it’s becoming harder to tell whether you’re speaking to a human or a machine. Experts recommend being cautious and using alternative methods to verify someone’s identity, such as asking personal questions or using voice validation methods. In some cases, the best solution might be to spend more time interacting in person.

In the battle between AI-generated voices and detection technology, we may find that the key to distinguishing a real person from a machine lies not in the voice itself, but in the authenticity of human interaction.

Were you able to tell which voice was AI and which was human in our “Alice in Wonderland” challenge? The first clip was AI, and the second was human.

Source

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Google Cloud’s DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA) team surveyed nearly 3,000 technology professionals globally and AI adoption is increasing rapidly within technology shops.

Also: 5 tips for choosing the right AI model for your business

Over three-quarters (76%) of respondents said they rely on AI for tasks like code writing, summarizing information, and code explanation. At least 81% said their companies have shifted technology resources into developing AI.

AI adoption was positively correlated with increased flow, productivity, job satisfaction, code quality, and internal documentation quality. At least 67% reported that AI is helping them improve their code.

Also: Asana launches a no-code tool for designing AI agents – aka your new ‘teammates’

So far, so good. Overall, a 25% increase in AI adoption in development shops is associated with the following metrics:

• 7.5% increase in documentation quality
• 3.4% increase in code quality
• 3.1% increase in code review speed
• 1.3% increase in approval speed
• 1.8% decrease in code complexity

However, the researchers noted AI adoption is also associated with a decrease in delivery stability: “AI adoption may negatively impact software delivery performance,” according to Nathen Harvey and Derek DeBellis, both with DORA.

Also: Technologist Bruce Schneier on security, society and why we need ‘public AI’ models

Close to four in ten professionals (39%) reported having “little or no trust” in AI. “This unexpected low level of trust indicates to us that there is a need to manage AI integration more thoughtfully,” the researchers said. “Teams must carefully evaluate AI’s role in their development workflow to mitigate the downsides.”

The survey revealed AI adoption was accompanied by an estimated decrease in delivery throughput of 1.5% and an estimated reduction in delivery stability of 7.2%.

“Our data suggest that improving the development process does not automatically improve software delivery — at least not without proper adherence to the basics of successful software delivery, like small batch sizes and robust testing mechanisms,” the researchers said.

Also: Gartner’s 2025 tech trends show how your business needs to adapt – and fast

“AI has positive impacts on many important individual and organizational factors which foster the conditions for high software delivery performance. But, AI does not appear to be a panacea.”

These results led the research authors to suggest a potential need for change management practices in the age of AI-powered development. They urged companies to adopt the following measures:

• “Enable your employees and reduce toil by orienting your AI adoption strategies towards empowering employees and alleviating the burden of undesirable tasks.”
• “Establish clear guidelines for the use of AI and address procedural concerns and foster open communication about its impact.”
• “Encourage continuous exploration of AI tools and provide them dedicated time for experimentation, and promote trust through hands-on experience.”

The survey also documents the benefits of a platform-engineering approach to development and operations. As many as 89% of respondents said they use an internal developer platform, reporting an average 6% gain in productivity at the team level when their organizations have dedicated platform teams.

 Source

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