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Weekly strategic communications advice to help you drive relevance and impact

June 18, 2024

We are bullish and optimistic about the state of AI today and where the technology is headed. That said, there are looming issues we are keeping a close eye on, ranging from individual privacy concerns (looking at you, Apple and Google) to evolving regulations, and an increasing sense of “AI fatigue” creeping into the zeitgeist. 

We celebrated AI Appreciation Day this week, a “holiday” started in 2021 to get the world thinking about the technology, its positive contributions, and its ethical implications. Did AI make up this holiday? Perhaps. 

With AI permeating nearly every aspect of our lives, do we need a designated day to appreciate it? Not really. 

As Axios’ Ina Fried said in her piece “celebrating” the day, “Making the best use of genAI requires an appreciation of the technology. But appreciation does not obligate a blind embrace.”

So we are (completely unofficially, of course) renaming July 16 as “AI Understanding Day,” a day to reflect on the warp-speed progress we’ve seen flash before our eyes, look ahead at the benefits it is delivering today, what needs work, and anticipate what’s actually possible tomorrow. 

For Inkhouse, it’s been fascinating to have a front-row seat to AI history as our tech and VC clients continue to push the realm of what’s possible—and we’re only getting started. Last year, AI infiltrated our consciousness; this year, we’re learning what’s real and what’s hype (a correction the Financial Times called “not a replay of the dot-com bubble, but a remix”); next year, stories will require use cases with tangible benefits to break through the noise.

Our advice? Learn as much as you can about AI and figure out where it can augment your personal or professional life. If you missed our Orchestra AI Task Force talking about the future of the technology, you can check it out here.

Speaking of AI, our data experts, Keith Giannini and Sally Brown, have analyzed AI media coverage trends and how terms like AI, machine learning, data, and others drive news stories. Check out our latest Inksights blog on AI’s media domination here.

• LinkedIn rolls out sponsored newsletters, which could be a good tool to promote signups, and crowd user’s feeds.
• Musk wants X to be the next Venmo, but the free version.
• Threads opens up its API so developers can build their own integrations. This is a big step for the app (and agencies!).
• TikTok has officially filed its opening brief with the Federal Court to challenge its forced sale or ban. But big brands are already pulling back on ad spend to prepare.

Client Exclusive

Databricks in Databricks and Shutterstock are trying to remove the copyright risk from AI image generation (exclusive)

Client Feature

Borderless AI in Is Toronto the Next Silicon Valley? Borderless AI CEO Suggests ‘Yes’

Client Broadcast

Energize Capital on AI's Role in Climate Tech

Client Report

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute in New Study Shows Which Antidepressants May Cause the Most Weight Gain

Client Broadcast

Gravity and Eclipse on TradeTalks Driving Profitable Sustainability Across Investment

Client Broadcast

Deep Instinct on New York Stock Exchange TV Deep Instinct CEO delves into how their deep learning technology is transforming cybersecurity

Client Roundup

Client Roundup in AI Appreciation Day

Congratulations to our client Princeton NuEnergy! Read their latest funding announcement in Axios Pro: Exclusive: Princeton NuEnergy raises $30M to recycle batteries with plasma. 

And Peak Energy on their $55M Series A! Read more in Bloomberg: Sodium-Ion Battery Startup Peak Sparks Lithium Alternative.

• On Capitol Hill, a new bipartisan bill was introduced in the House by Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-VA., and Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., requiring federal agencies to designate Chief Artificial Intelligence Officers (CAIOs), as directed by President Biden’s Executive Order on AI. In the Senate, more than 50 civil society groups sent a letter to leadership calling for a floor vote on bills that would regulate the use of AI in campaign communications. These bills include the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, the AI Transparency in Elections Act and the Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act.
  
  
• Florida and Washington have moved forward with rulemaking around AI legislation. These bills aim to limit misinformation and AI during campaigns and establish state AI task force members, respectively.
  
  
• The U.S. Department of the Treasury published a new set of proposed rules to ban or require notification of certain AI and other technological investments in China that threaten U.S. national security.
  
  
• The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the 1984 Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council case and Chevron doctrine. Under the new ruling, courts will be expected to exercise independent legal judgment, without deferring to a federal agency’s interpretation. Companies will need to look to the courts—and Congress—not federal agencies which have traditionally taken up the mantle for regulations.

The Glen Echo Group is an Orchestra network partner. Coalition builders, campaign creators and policy wonks, the Glen Echo Group transforms complicated tech and innovation challenges into positive outcomes for the digital world.