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Apple is reportedly experimenting with an AI-driven advertising platform, partnering with a select group of collaborators, according to Business Insider. This cutting-edge tool is allegedly designed to optimize ad placements within the App Store, potentially enhancing the performance of App Store Search Ads. While AI in advertising is not new, with giants like Google and Facebook already implementing such technologies, Apple’s foray into this space marks a significant development, given its relatively limited advertising options.
Presently, Apple offers a few ad formats within the App Store, allowing developers to promote their apps in the Today tab, the Search tab, top of search results, and at the bottom of app product pages. The company also manages advertising campaigns for the News and Stocks apps, though these are largely coordinated through third parties like NBCUniversal.
Despite being in its infancy, Apple’s advertising venture is poised for substantial growth, with some analysts projecting the company’s ad business to surge to $6 billion by 2025, fueled primarily by Search Ads contributing $4.1 billion, according to a recent AppleInsider report.
The shift toward AI-driven advertising is reshaping the industry, offering targeted efficiency for advertisers and personalized experiences for users. With AI, advertisers can pinpoint their audience with greater accuracy, improving ad spend effectiveness and user engagement. This technology allows for real-time analysis of user preferences, ensuring ads displayed are more relevant and appealing.
Business Insider speculates that the adoption of AI for ad placement could signal Apple’s intentions to expand its ad-supported services, not only within the App Store but across its ecosystem. An AI placement tool could become increasingly vital as Apple potentially introduces more Search Ads slots and explores new avenues for ad display, including other system apps.
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OpenAI has officially responded to Elon Musk’s legal actions with a sharp retort, describing the billionaire’s allegations as based on “convoluted — often incoherent — factual premises.” This statement, according to Bloomberg, came as part of a court filing in San Francisco in response to a lawsuit Musk filed against the AI research company, its CEO Sam Altman, and President Greg Brockman. Musk’s lawsuit claims that OpenAI has deviated from its original mission of developing responsible AI technology and accuses it of becoming excessively dependent on Microsoft Corp., its most substantial investor.
In a detailed blog post accompanied by emails sent by Musk to OpenAI employees, the company addressed these accusations head-on last week. One of the critical points of OpenAI’s legal defense is the assertion that Musk’s claims are unfounded due to the absence of a founding agreement or any formal agreement with Musk, contrary to what his complaint suggests.
“The relief Musk seeks is as extraordinary as his claims are contrived,” OpenAI stated in its court documents, as per Bloomberg. The filing further criticized Musk’s legal demands, including a significant reorganization of OpenAI and a redistribution of its technology based on a “fictitious contract” Musk alleges was breached.
Additionally, OpenAI’s response cautioned against the potential for Musk to exploit the legal discovery process to access sensitive proprietary information and technology belonging to OpenAI. The company emphasized the need for stringent oversight to ensure that any discovery demands from Musk would not compromise OpenAI’s intellectual property and operational secrets.
This legal battle unfolds against the backdrop of growing debates over the governance of artificial intelligence technology and its ethical implications. Musk, who was one of the co-founders of OpenAI before stepping back from active involvement, has been a vocal critic of the pace and direction of AI development, warning of the potential risks associated with unchecked advancements in AI technology.
The post OpenAI’s court filing counters Elon Musk’s lawsuit allegations appeared first on ReadWrite.

Airbnb has announced a comprehensive policy update that effectively bans the use of indoor security cameras by hosts within their rental properties, according to a recent report by The Verge. This policy change, effective April 30, represents a major update in the company’s approach to enhancing privacy and trust among its worldwide customers.
In a departure from its previous policy, which allowed for security cameras in non-private areas of a rental, such as living rooms and hallways, provided they were disclosed and visible, Airbnb has now opted to ban these devices entirely within the indoor premises. This decision addresses the discomfort and privacy concerns raised by guests who have encountered hidden surveillance equipment in their accommodations.
To complement the indoor camera ban, Airbnb is also tightening regulations around the use of outdoor surveillance cameras. Hosts must now inform guests about the presence and precise location of any outdoor cameras at the time of booking. The policy specifically prohibits the placement of cameras in secluded outdoor areas, including places like outdoor showers, to ensure guest privacy.
An additional policy update mandates the listing of noise decibel monitors, used by hosts to detect loud noises indicative of parties — a violation of Airbnb’s rules since 2022. This transparency is part of Airbnb’s effort to maintain a respectful environment for both hosts and guests.
Juniper Downs, Airbnb’s lead for community policy and partnership, highlighted the collaborative process behind these updates. “These changes were made in consultation with our guests, hosts, and privacy experts, and we’ll continue to seek feedback to help ensure our policies work for our global community,” Downs stated.
Airbnb has set a deadline for hosts to comply with these new requirements by removing all indoor cameras from their listings. The company has vowed to take action against any listings reported to have indoor cameras after the April deadline, which could include removal from the platform.
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After an open beta last year, Warner Bros.’ MultiVersus has an official release date for the free-to-play game.
Warner Bros.-owned Player First Games has announced that MultiVersus will return in full from May 28, 2024. Spanning multiple franchises (and not the only one of its kind making the news recently), the fighter game has been developed using Unreal Engine 5, headed up by director Tony Huynh.
Player First Games plans to share more specific details ahead of MultiVersus’ May release, but it’s confirmed to be accessible via Steam and the Epic Games Store on PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.
“The team has heard your feedback, we’ve learned a lot from our open beta,” Huynh said in a video announcement. “From day one, we set out to make a game that not only packs a punch but makes a mark on the game genre we love.”

What’s new in MultiVersus after the open beta?
Those ‘learnings’ mean that the game will undergo a few changes in pursuit of “an improved gameplay experience.” This includes a new Player-versus-Environment complete with its own rewards, new fighters joining the multi-IP library, and new stages based on “reimagined universes and environments.”
Player First Games pulled the game offline after the beta to make those changes. After racking up 20 million players by September 2023, there has been a 10 million player increase since August. It was the most played game on Steam for several weeks, and therefore, pulling the game entirely didn’t go down well with many players.
Now, however, the game is on its way back, and if last year’s promises are to be believed, “all progress and previously earned or purchased content will carry over.”

New threads for launch. What ya think? #MultiVersus pic.twitter.com/BgqIJV5yKZ
— MultiVersus (@multiversus) March 11, 2024

Featured image: Warner Bros. Games
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