Google Releases Generative AI Video Tool Through Vertex AI - 1

Photo by Thomas William on Unsplash

Google Releases Generative AI Video Tool Through Vertex AI

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert

Google Could announced that its business users can now access Veo—an AI tool to generate videos—and that starting next week all users can test the latest version of Imagen 3—an AI tool to create images—through Vertex AI.

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

  • Business users on Vertex AI can now access Google’s AI video tool Veo to generate footage
  • Starting next week all Vertex AI users will access the latest version of Imagen 3 to create photorealistic and high-quality images from text prompts
  • The new AI tools are aimed at assisting brands and businesses to create visuals for storytelling purposes

The tech giant shared the update yesterday, explaining that business users will get access to Veo through Vertex AI, Google Cloud’s machine learning platform, in private mode.

“As the first hyperscaler to offer an image-to-video model, we’re helping companies transform their existing creative assets into dynamic visuals,” wrote Warren Barkley, Sr. Director of Product Management, at Google in a public update .

Veo, the text and image-to-video generator was announced at the Google I/O 2024 in May and is now available for companies to generate high-quality footage with images and prompts using different visual and cinematic styles. The tool, developed by Google Deepmind, is already being used by different companies to create images for visual storytelling.

According to The Verge , Veo can generate videos with a 1080p resolution that could potentially last around a minute, but Google didn’t disclose the specific length this AI tool is capable of providing.

Veo: our most capable video generation model is now available on Vertex AI in private preview! Developed by @GoogleDeepMind , Veo generates high-quality videos based on text or image prompts in a range of cinematic & visual styles with exceptional speed → https://t.co/ZXTIHYRSPr pic.twitter.com/vYsmqALjAa — Google Cloud (@googlecloud) December 3, 2024

Google shared multiple examples and included the names of brands like Mondelez International and Agoda already using the technology to create images and generate content.

The other AI tool, Imagen 3, can generate photorealistic and high-quality visuals from text prompts and edit images with basic prompts. Users will be able to generate images with their own logos, brands, and styles.

Google has also clarified that the new AI tools will generate content with an invisible watermark launched by Google DeepMind in October and have been designed to prevent the creation of harmful content and protect users’ data.

Surveillance Data Industry Faces Crackdown As FTC Issues Ban - 2

Image by rawpixel.com, from Freepik

Surveillance Data Industry Faces Crackdown As FTC Issues Ban

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on Tuesday a ban on Venntel, a major location data provider, from selling sensitive consumer data.

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

  • FTC banned Venntel and Gravy Analytics from selling sensitive consumer location data.
  • Sensitive data included locations like clinics, religious sites, and refugee shelters.
  • Venntel supplied location data to U.S. agencies, including ICE and the FBI.

The order targets Gravy Analytics, Venntel’s parent company, and demands the deletion of historic data collected from vulnerable locations, including health clinics, places of worship, and refugee shelters.

Venntel’s location data is sourced through smartphone apps and the advertising ecosystem. The data has been sold to government agencies such as the IRS, FBI, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as reported on Tuesday by 404 Media .

Venntel also supplies data to surveillance tools like Babel Street’s Locate X and Fog Data Science, used for tracking individuals’ movements.

The complaint alleges that Gravy Analytics and Venntel violated federal laws by collecting and selling location data without users’ consent. The companies reportedly continued using this data even after learning that users had not agreed to its collection.

They also sold lists linking individuals to sensitive attributes, such as medical conditions, religious beliefs, and political activities.

FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Samuel Levine emphasized the significance of protecting Americans’ privacy. “Surreptitious surveillance by data brokers undermines our civil liberties,” Levine said.

The FTC accused Gravy of violating the FTC Act by selling sensitive data, including health and political information, without informed consent. Gravy collected over 17 billion location signals daily from a billion devices, continuing to do so despite consumers’ objections.

This action follows concerns about Venntel’s role in tracking phones at locations like abortion clinics and Black Lives Matter protests. An investigation by 404 Media and others revealed Venntel’s use of smartphone apps to gather location data without users’ explicit consent.

To address these allegations, the FTC has proposed a settlement prohibiting the companies from selling or using sensitive location data, except in cases involving national security or law enforcement.

The order also mandates the deletion of previously collected data and the creation of a sensitive data program to protect consumer privacy.

The ban underscores increasing scrutiny of location data firms’ practices and their impact on privacy. Senator Ron Wyden, who advocated for protecting military personnel’s data, commended the FTC’s decisive measures, said 404 Media.

Gravy Analytics did not respond to press inquiries. This enforcement action highlights the growing tension between surveillance capabilities and safeguarding civil liberties.