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Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment (Sony) want to update a lawsuit against the AI music-generation platform Suno. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, major record labels UMG and Sony, as well as Warner Music Group, accused Suno of “massive and ongoing infringement” in a lawsuit that states it “copied sound recordings from the labels ‘en masse and ingested them into its AI model.” Music Business Worldwide reported that the original complaint listed 560 copyrighted works in a June 2024 filing. As it relates to Suno’s actions, the lawsuit claimed that if there was no copyright violation, “Suno’s service would not be able to reproduce the convincing imitations of such a vast range of human musical expression at the quality that Suno touts,” according to Forbes. Suno CEO Mikey Shulman said in a statement at the time that the company “prize(s) originality” and said its technology is “designed to generate completely new outputs, not to memorize and regurgitate pre-existing...
Anthropic is nearing a trillion-dollar valuation after raising new funding. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Anthropic is an AI safety and research company. It is behind Claude, which recently rolled out its latest model, Opus 4.8. Early testers said the model demonstrates better judgment and is more reliable with agentic tasks, according to information shared by Anthropic. Series H Funding Round Anthropic has been scaling rapidly, with revenue crossing $47 billion in May 2026. To continue meeting demand, the company has raised several rounds of funding since its inception in 2021. Notable names such as 2 Chainz and Tristan Thompson have invested in the company, according to AFROTECH™. Its most recent funding round, as of this writing, is a $65 billion Series H raised in May, according to a press release. The round was led by Altimeter Capital, Dragoneer, Greenoaks, and Sequoia Capital, valuing the company at $965 billion post-money. Anthropic previously raised $30 billion in a...
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says the league plans to use AI-assisted technology to automate objective calls. Silver was asked on “The Pat McAfee Show” what would be done to mitigate flopping in the league. By NBA standards, flopping is “ an attempt to either fool referees into calling undeserved fouls or fool fans into thinking the referees missed a foul call by exaggerating the effect of contact with an opposing player.” Silver notes distinctions among selling a flop, an exaggeration, and “a true flop.” Nonetheless, he says the league plans to roll out an AI-powered system with cameras around the court that will make instant, objective calls, allowing referees to focus on more difficult ones. He also said the system would mirror the Hawk-Eye system, which is a technology used in tennis to determine if the ball is in or out using multiple cameras , per Topend Sports. “We’re going to move to a system where that whole category of calls will be automatic where you know it’s going to...
Amazon MGM Studios and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have established a fund to support creators with AI production tools. GenAI Creators’ Fund According to a press release, the GenAI Creators’ Fund will provide filmmakers, digital creators, and tech startups with funding and access to “professional-grade AI tools” to support the production of high-quality film and television content. Recipients will use Project Nara, Amazon MGM Studios ’ AI-powered production platform built on AWS , which supports both animation and live-action workflows. According to the release, the platform enables video generation and editing, streamlines feedback sharing, and provides progress tracking throughout the production process. “Creative breakthroughs happen when visionary storytellers are given access to transformative tools,” said Albert Cheng, head of AI Studios at Amazon MGM Studios, in the press release. “The GenAI Creators’ Fund and Project Nara position human creativity at the center of our efforts...
Byron Allen’s acquisition of BuzzFeed has closed. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Allen is a media mogul with an estimated net worth of $1 billion through Allen Media Group, an affiliate of Allen’s family office. Allen Media Group’s portfolio includes nearly 400 local TV broadcast affiliates and a network of 650 free, ad-supported television channels, according to Variety. In May, Allen Media Group announced it would acquire BuzzFeed for $120 million, and Allen would become CEO. Allen succeeds Jonah Peretti, who will step into the role of president of BuzzFeed AI after two decades as CEO. Peretti carries the belief that AI “will fundamentally transform the media industry and empower creative people to build in new ways, and I believe the opportunity is enormous.” The deal officially closed on May 27 through Allen Family Digital, with an acquisition of nearly 51% of BuzzFeed’s outstanding shares, per Variety. Allen Family Digital acquired 40 million shares of BuzzFeed at $3 per...
Andrew Macdonald is getting candid about Uber’s spending on AI. Previously, Uber Chief Technology Officer, Praveen Neppalli, admitted the company had already reached its AI spending target in just four months, with Anthropic’s Claude Code playing a role, as it was used by around 5,000 of its engineers, according to Fortune. AI has enabled features such as ride pricing and route optimization for the rideshare company. In an interview with the “Rapid Response and Masters of Scale” podcast, Uber President and Chief Operating Officer Andrew Macdonald questioned the company’s AI spending and acknowledged it’s becoming “harder to justify.” “When you hear companies talking about, ‘Hey 25% of code commits over the last quarter were AI driven.” Or ‘Our token usage went from X to Y.’ You know all these sort of numbers, and it’s amazing. I think it’s this massive transformation of society, but then you sometimes go and you talk to your senior engineering leaders and you’re saying ‘Okay how...
Robinhood’s new trading feature and credit card product allow AI agents to operate on users’ behalf. Robinhood revealed two new AI agentic products on Wednesday, May 27, as tech companies continue to rally around the trend of AI agents. The Robinhood Agentic Trading Account allows an agent to trade stocks for users through a dedicated wallet. Additionally, the Agentic Credit Card offers 3% cash back on purchases made by an agent. The trading platform uses its Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to connect both the trading account and credit card products to third-party AI agents, according to the company website. An MCP server is a type of software that serves as a bridge between AI agents and external tools. Platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Open Claw, and Cursor support connectivity to MCP servers, the website noted. For those curious about learning more about AI agents, Multi-Grammy award winner will.i.am offers a course in agentic AI at Arizona State University, as previously...
TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) have signed a new agreement. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the companies previously agreed to a licensing agreement that brought UMG’s recorded music and publishing catalogs back to TikTok. It was described as a “new era of strategic collaboration” at the time of its announcement in 2024, with promises to provide new monetization opportunities and protections for human artistry amid the rise of AI in the music industry, per TikTok’s newsroom. “ We look forward to working together to forge a path that creates deeper connections between artists, creators, and fans. In particular, we will work together to make sure that AI tools are developed responsibly to enable a new era of musical creativity and fan engagement while protecting human creativity,” said Ole Obermann, TikTok’s global head of music business development, at the time. Latest Agreement Explained TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) have announced a new multi-year global...
Many AI-generated accounts profiting from the likeness of Black woman influencers have been removed. BBC and AI publication Riddance researchers discovered various accounts on TikTok and Instagram featuring hyper-sexualized Black female digital characters or avatars. These posts failed to provide any disclaimers that the content was AI-generated. It was also noted that 60 accounts, most of which were found on Instagram, had links to paid content on third-party websites that were sexually explicit. Some accounts did not link to paid content. @irzajhonsamith Hi Guys Comment Your Country😍 #viral #trending #short #usareel ♬ original sound – Nia According to the BBC, failing to flag AI-generated content went against both Instagram and TikTok policies. BBC highlighted Black model Riya Ulan, whose content was manipulated in a video posted on TikTok and Instagram, earning more than 35 million views and 173 million views respectively. This was 47 times the number of views she had garnered on...
Google’s former and current CEO have both weighed in on the promise of new graduates in the age of AI, despite some showing skepticism about the technology. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt delivered the commencement address to the University of Arizona’s Class of 2026, describing AI as a “technological transformation” that will influence every profession, according to a video shared by The Wall Street Journal. Some graduates booed during parts of his speech. Schmidt acknowledged several fears among graduates, including concerns that their futures have already been decided, “the machines are coming,” jobs will disappear, and that AI could worsen climate issues, the outlet shared. “Today, we stand on this edge of another technological transformation. One that will be larger, faster, and more consequential than what came before,” he told graduates during his address. “It will touch every profession, every classroom, every hospital, every laboratory, every person, and every relationship...
For years, Black women have been told that education, adaptability, and professionalism would create economic stability. But new labor data suggests that even being highly educated and deeply embedded in the workforce is not enough to shield them from economic instability when systems shift. According to analysis published by the Feminist Majority Foundation, Black women’s unemployment had climbed to 6.4% in April 2025, well above the national unemployment rate reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, white women’s unemployment remained significantly lower at 3.8%. Now in 2026 those numbers have reached 7.3% and 3.7%, respectively. How AI And DEI Rollbacks Are Impacting The Workforce The numbers arrive at a moment when companies are aggressively integrating AI into workplace operations while simultaneously scaling back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Together, those shifts are creating a labor market where Black women...
Spotify is rolling out a new AI product aimed at improving the experience for music fans in partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG). Billboard reports that Spotify users will be able to create covers and remixes of songs by participating UMG artists and songwriters. The update was announced during Spotify’s Investor Day presentation on May 21 and is made possible by a licensing deal that covers recorded music and publishing rights, enabling Spotify to release generative AI music tools. Spotify sees this as an opportunity to increase exposure and revenue for UMG artists. “Solving hard problems for music is what Spotify does, and fan-made covers and remixes are next. What we’re building is grounded in consent, credit, and compensation for the artists and songwriters that take part. Through each technological transformation, we have worked together with Sir Lucian and his team to evolve the music ecosystem into a richer, more beneficial experience for fans and a more rewarding...
Waymo will pause operations in several cities. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Waymo, owned by Alphabet Inc., is an autonomous ride-hailing service that calls itself the “world’s most experienced driver.” The company, co-led by Tekedra Mawakana, says its technology uses detailed custom maps, real-time sensor data, and AI to determine its position on the road at all times, rather than relying solely on GPS. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Waymo (@waymo) Waymo has served more than 20 million riders and completes more than 400,000 rides a week. However, it will pause operations in Atlanta after one of its robotaxis drove through a flooded street, according to TechCrunch. “Safety is Waymo’s top priority, both for our riders and everyone we share the road with. During a period of intense rain yesterday in Atlanta, an unoccupied Waymo vehicle encountered a flooded road and stopped,” the company said in a statement, per TechCrunch. The vehicle has since been recovered...
will.i.am was an early investor in several tech companies, including OpenAI. In 2025, Fortune estimated his net worth at $50 million, attributing it to his music career and investments in early-stage companies such as Tesla, Pinterest, and OpenAI. “I did some pretty cool investments in the past,” will.i.am told Fortune. He described OpenAI as one of his smartest investments to date. OpenAI launched in 2015 with support from billionaires such as Reid Hoffman, Elon Musk, and Peter Thiel, as well as Amazon Web Services and other industry giants. Hoffman played a significant part in will.i.am’s investment in AI, according to Forbes. Hoffman initially wanted the musician to invest in OpenAI’s rival, Inflection AI, which he co-founded with Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. “One day, Reid called me and said, ‘There’s this guy you should meet named Mustafa. I know you’re interested in AI, and there’s not that many people from the industry that have the vernacular and understanding of the...
Wyclef Jean has big plans ahead for his music career. In an interview with Yahoo Finance, Jean, a Haitian-born musician, took a blast to the past to reflect on making music in his basement, where he built a studio. One of Hip-Hop’s best-selling albums, The Fugees’ 1996 album “The Score,” was created there. According to BET, the album, which includes “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “Ready or Not,” sold 22 million copies. “‘The Score,’ one of the, you know, the biggest Hip-Hop selling albums, is done out of a basement. So, which is normal today. For a young kid to have a computer, be in their room, and literally lay out the entire music,” Jean told Yahoo Finance. “ We was doing this 30 years ago inside of a basement and making it cool to do music in your bedroom. ‘Ready or Not,’ I did that in my small little bedroom in the Booga basement in the hood.” Now, that many years later, Jean is not only planning to release a new album but also to explore nearly every genre he has...