Microsoft and American publisher HarperCollins have signed a deal to train AI models on non-fiction books
It was reported that in November 2024, Microsoft signed an agreement with American publisher
Microsoft Signs AI-Learning Deal With News Corp.'s HarperCollins - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-19/microsoft-signs-ai-learning-deal-with-news-corp-s-harpercollins
Microsoft is the mystery AI company licensing HarperCollins books, says Bloomberg - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/19/24300893/microsoft-ai-training-deal-harpercollins-report
HarperCollins to allow tech firms to use its books to train AI models | Publishing | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/nov/19/harpercollins-tech-firms-books-train-ai-models-nonfiction-artificial-intelligence
Microsoft Ignite 2024: Embracing the future of Windows at work | Windows Experience Blog
https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2024/11/19/microsoft-ignite-2024-embracing-the-future-of-windows-at-work/
Tech companies like Microsoft are using a variety of data, including social media and news articles, to train their AI models, and are seeking high-quality texts to license as learning sources to improve their programs' accuracy and output subject matter expertise.
HarperCollins announced to multiple international media outlets that it had reached an agreement with an anonymous AI technology company to allow limited use of select non-fiction books in training AI models to improve model quality and performance. HarperCollins also stated, 'Part of our role is to provide book authors with the opportunity to consider whether their work can be used for AI training, while protecting the fundamental value of their work and the revenue and royalty streams we share.' 'This agreement is made possible by its limited scope and by establishing clear guardrails around model output that respect authors' rights,' the publisher said, clarifying that it is up to the author whether or not to use their book for AI training.
Daniel Kibblesmith, an American children's author, reported receiving an email from HarperCollins in November 2024 asking if he could use one of his previously published books to train an AI model. In the email, HarperCollins explained that they would offer a three-year license for $2,500 per book, with certain credit protections and limitations on the generation of AI answers.
Abominable.
— Daniel Kibblesmith ( @kibblesmith.com ) November 16, 2024 4:36 AM
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HarperCollins said of the company it has contracted with, 'While the company has asked us to keep its identity confidential, we have every reason to believe it is a large, respected company.' However, an anonymous source told Bloomberg that the company in question is Microsoft, and that HarperCollins' books will be used to train an undisclosed AI model. The source also said that Microsoft has no plans to use the data to create books.
Microsoft has declined to comment on this report.
At the developer conference ' Microsoft Ignite 2024 ,' which has been held since November 18, 2024, Microsoft announced that it will be collaborating with quantum computer developer Atom Computing to release a commercial quantum computer in 2025. The company also announced that it will be adding a feature called 'Interpreter in Teams' to its video conferencing tool 'Microsoft Teams,' which will translate the speaker's voice in real time.
Microsoft Teams will have a feature to replicate your voice and speak in a different language - GIGAZINE
Microsoft has also been focusing on AI in recent years, releasing the Copilot+ PC, a PC suitable for running AI, including the AI assistant Copilot.At Microsoft Ignite 2024, the company also announced advanced tuning features for Copilot Studio , which allows users to create their own original Copilot, as well as the ability to call Azure AI directly within Copilot Studio.
Bring your own knowledge - YouTube
According to Microsoft, since the launch of Copilot Studio, more than 100,000 organizations have created or edited AI agents through Copilot Studio. 'Copilot Studio has grown much faster than we expected, and it's grown faster than any other cutting-edge technology we've released to date,' Microsoft's Charles Lamanna told VentureBeat. 'The number of Copilot Studio users has doubled in just four quarters.'
Additionally, Microsoft announced Azure AI Foundry , a new platform for Azure AI services that includes Azure AI Studio , a development hub for generative AI, and revealed that it will provide Azure AI Foundry SDK , a software development kit for managing Azure AI Foundry.
Regarding the Azure AI Foundry SDK, Microsoft said, 'It provides a simplified coding experience that enables developers to integrate components to build AI applications wherever they build, including GitHub, Visual Studio, and Copilot Studio, supporting the development process from ideation to coding to uploading to the cloud.'
Additionally, Microsoft has announced
According to Microsoft, Azure HBv5 Virtual Machines delivers approximately 6.9 TB/s of memory bandwidth, up to eight times faster than previous versions, solving the memory performance bottlenecks inherent in standard server designs that prevent time-to-analysis and cost-effectiveness.
Microsoft also announced its first data processing unit, the Azure Boost DPU . A DPU is dedicated hardware designed to handle specific data processing tasks, such as data traffic security and network routing. The Azure Boost DPU is designed for 'high-efficiency, low-power data-centric workloads,' and Microsoft claims that 'Azure servers equipped with the Azure Boost DPU can run storage workloads with four times the performance of existing servers while consuming one-third the power.'
'Designed for scale-out and composable workloads on Azure, Azure Boost DPUs deliver high efficiency across multiple areas of cloud infrastructure, including storage, networking, and acceleration,' Microsoft said.
Additionally, we announced the Azure Integrated Hardware Security Module (Azure Integrated HSM), a cloud security chip that can contain digital cryptographic signatures and the bit strings used to encrypt data in a secure module without sacrificing performance or latency. Like a TPM, the Azure Integrated HSM contains built-in hardware keys used for encryption and signing, making it more difficult to steal data than software-based keys.
According to Microsoft, the Azure Integrated HSM will be installed on Azure hardware in 2025 and will be available for sensitive applications and general workloads.
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