Survey: 80% of Consumers Prefer Free Services, Apps And Digital Content, Willing to Share Data for Ad-Based Access

According to a survey by IAB with 1,500 consumers, it was revealed that many consumers are completely okay with using social media services with ads by exchanging their personal data with the sites. Consumers know that if they want to access the ad- based websites or apps for free, they need to exchange their personal data one way or another. The survey also shed light on advertisements, consumers’ stance on ad-free content and their preferences about sharing data to get free access to different sites.

80% of consumers in the survey said that they believe that social media and the internet should be free to all people. This is because people share their thoughts and views about different things on social media and paid social sites will stop them from freely sharing their opinions. Another reason is that not everyone can afford paid services on social media and it would be hard for them to pay for different websites and apps. Three in four consumers know that if they share their data with different websites, it helps them to personalize ads and 70% said that they have no problem with sharing their data with the websites as long as the website or app is free.

Internet, website, and app usage highly valued by consumers. IAB study reveals they'd seek $37,619 annually without free access. IAB survey shows how much the digital marketing sector has to compensate per year to users for not using the internet, social websites and apps. Gen-Z wants the highest compensation amount with $54,169 per year, followed by millennials with $40,343 compensation amount. Gen-X and Boomers demanded the least compensation amount with $36,932 and $29,407 respectively. If a user wants to use a website or app after paying for it, he will have to pay $164 on average.

Fourth-fifth of the consumers in the survey do believe that a free website means that they will have to see advertisements but Gen-Z don’t believe so. Gen-Z believes that websites are free for other reasons like basic rights or free speech. Overall, the study finds that consumers are more inclined to watch or see ads, than pay to browse ad-free.

Read next: Generative AI Showdown: Google's Bard, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Microsoft's Bing Chat, and Claude AI Face Off
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

New Survey of Business Executives by Fortune Shows that Elon Musk is the Most Overrated CEO in America

Elon Musk is probably the most popular CEO in America right now but it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have many haters. Fortune conducted a survey of hundreds of business executives in America and the results showed that Elon Musk is the most overrated CEO in America. Fortune hasn’t said anything about the exact number of people surveyed but the questions in the survey are public. Fortune asked these business executives to name the most underrated and most overrated CEO. Surprisingly, Elon Musk was also declared the most overrated CEO in America last year. This year, he received 399 votes and became the most overrated CEO once again. The second most overrated CEO was Disney’s Bob Iger who received 302 votes.

Elon Musk is always busy being the CEO to different companies including electric vehicle, Tesla, and rocket company known as SpaceX. Last year, he also bought Twitter and renamed it X. Elon Musk is greatly congratulated on starting electric vehicle and commercial space companies but on the other hand, he was also criticized for making extremely ambitious decisions. He is continuously postponing sending humans to Mars through SpaceX. In 2017, he said that he will send the first human to Mars in 2024. Then in 2021, he postponed it to 2026. Now, he is saying that humans will probably reach Mars in 2029. This shows that Elon Musk doesn’t have a proper timeline about when he will send a human to Mars. These kinds of empty promises have made people think of him as an overrated CEO who only knows how to talk but never takes any actions to fulfill his promises. Representatives of Musk have not commented about this survey yet.

Photo: Photo by Trevor Cokley / U.S. Air Force Academy / Dvidshub

Read next: Creator Economy Boom: $480 Billion by 2027, but Why Are Most Creators Still Struggling?
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Creator Economy Boom: $480 Billion by 2027, but Why Are Most Creators Still Struggling?

Creating content online sounds like an awesome way to make a living, right? You follow your passions, share your work, and build a fanbase that pays you. But here's the fact – most creators aren't making much money.

A recent report from Kajabi, a platform for creators, found that a whopping 96% of creators earn less than $100,000 a year. Not a shocker, really. Another study in 2022/2023 showed that less than 5% of creators make more than $100k annually, almost the same result.

So, even though the idea of making money from your hobbies is cool, the reality is that most creators can't quit their traditional 9to5 work role, and only a tiny group is making money through online ventures. While MrBeast is out there making big bucks, thousands of creators are barely making anything.

According to the Kajabi's report, the creator economy is supposed to hit $480 billion by 2027, with 50 million enthusiasts in the online creator world. And here comes the secret to success – 66% of creators in 2022 heavily relied on partnering with brands. Great for established creators, but for most, it's a journey with unexpected twists, as "they are unpredictable and [super] competitive" when it comes to small creates.

Successful influencers, the ones making substantial earnings, figured out that instead of just chasing followers or brand deals, they succeed by diversifying. They have income streams beyond social media, like digital products, teaching, and consulting.

• Also read: How Long Does It Take to Make a Living as a Creator?

YouTube is still the go-to platform for most creators, with 4 in 10 (42 percent to be exact) saying they'd lose over $50,000 annually without it. But here's the hard statistic – 88% of YouTube videos don't even hit 1,000 views.

In a gist, the report confirms what we already know, i.e. getting your content in front of people is one thing, but turning it into cash is a whole other challenge. Becoming a successful creator needs hard work, research, and years of dedication. It's not just about posting videos and waiting for money. If you're committed, there are more chances now, but it might take more effort than you think.

Read next: Your Smartphone Might Be Giving You ADHD, Here’s What You Need to Know
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

EU Members Make Final Compromise On AI Act

The AI Act is one that many EU nations have been debating over for quite some time.

We saw nations like Germany and France and now Italy put their reservations on the side and that has paved the way for other states in the EU to vote in favor of the last compromise in the much talked about AI Act.

While activists are celebrating the ordeal, many critics have become super wary of the exceptions on this side of the spectrum.

The final vote arose during the committee that featured members from every nation. There were deputy reps to the European Union. When we saw the ambassadors rubber-stamping the ordeal, it was a big endeavor that first came into the public eye last year in December.

This means the AI Act was green-lighted to be voted across the EU Council. It held the official decision-making powers and that’s when the decision first came across the European Parliament.

Once the majority comes into play, we shall see the AI Act get published in the EU’s Official Journal and transform into a law in about 20 days.

The entire AI Act would put a ban across all systems that have been outlined as having serious risks like those seen in different US states or social scoring formats found in places like China. These are used to classify individuals depending on the behavior at stake.

💻 Historical moment at #Coreper today!

🇪🇺 After 3 years of work and efforts by 7 presidencies, Ambassadors @EUCouncil just approved the final compromise text on the #AIAct.

👏 First of a kind in the world! https://t.co/vloepAYrYE pic.twitter.com/LZroC2lB6R

— Niels Timmermans - (he/him) (@timmermansniels) February 2, 2024

This is a draft legislation that is deemed to be one of the latest comprehensive AI laws out there today. It sets out new limits in terms of the high-risk AI and which systems get the chance to impact voters or harm an individual’s overall health.

To be more specific on this front, we’ve got plenty of generative AI models like ChatGPT that are subject to be targeted here. This would force the AI Act to make content generated through such means attain labels so people are more informed about what’s going on.

Last but not least, the bill would prohibit all such models from rolling out summaries regarding copyrighted data.

For a while, we’ve been seeing the impact of this AI Act be in constant threat thanks to countries like France and Germany as well as Italy. Meanwhile, the opposition put into place in terms of the control linked to foundation models was also a topic of debate in this regard.

For months, all EU member states were called out and told not to undermine this particular AI law by saying yes to all claims regarding AI Act adoption. They felt adopting the law would cause heavy regulation that would halt creativity and innovation.

The EU regulator also felt that it was not right to leave the regulatory burden across smaller actors and that’s when we witnessed a few countries take a step back. Both Germany as well as Italy added how they were on the rise to prevent double regulation across phases like implementation. There were many reps who added how Europe needs to design competitive AI models while not overburdening firms having high-risk obligations.

The European Parliament also said it was unacceptable to leave all the regulatory burden on smaller actors, and the trio finally relented.

Germany and Italy sent signals that would seek to avoid double regulation in the implementation phase, and France’s representatives said Europe still needs to build competitive AI models and avoid overburdening companies with high-risk obligations.

This is a major step taken in the EU and one that critics feel was a long time coming.

Photo: Digital Information World - AIgen

Read next: A New Study Shows that AI Can Help a Lot in Resolving Cases About Copyright Infringement
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Glass Shatters, But Functionality Persists: Vision Pro's Resilience Unveiled in Extreme Drop Test

Today marks the debut of Apple's Vision Pro headset, inviting immediate scrutiny through drop tests by AppleTrack geeks. Hand-on tutorials suggest the headset's glass resilience surpasses initial concerns.

In routine scenarios, like accidental collisions with walls while navigating your living space in the headset, the front glass endures surface scrapes without succumbing to severe damage.

"I've noticed that if you grab [the New Vision Pro], it just kind of falls off, and for something that is this top-heavy, I have already made the mistake. You really have to grab it by the band. So, the first thing to know is, don't grab it by the light seal.", highlighted the Sam Kohl in the video.

Remarkably, the audio pods cease function before the glass yields. While a fall from head height may lead to front glass shattering, the headset remains predominantly operational.

Photo: AppleTrack / YT

In simulating everyday mishaps, Kohl deliberately collided the Vision Pro with room walls. It withstood standard force levels, with the likelihood of personal injury surpassing that of glass fractures.

Despite an unscathed camera, glass, and lenses, the right-side speaker fell silent. An internal break along the band disrupted the connection, rendering the audio pod powerless.

The headset, however, demonstrated resilience, absorbing impacts from successive drops onto carpeted surfaces. Subsequent falls revealed increased speaker damage and vulnerability in the bands. The light seal frequently detached, owing to a weak magnetic connection.

In an extreme scenario, an eighth descent from considerable heights resulted in Vision Pro glass shattering. Strikingly, the shattered glass could be peeled away, and the primary functionality of the headset persisted. Both the internal and external EyeSight screens illuminated and operated normally, defying the absence of an intact front glass cover.

Interestingly, the EyeSight display appeared marginally brighter without the cover glass.

Kohl concluded that: "I've dropped it a couple of times, and for me, a couple of takeaways stand out. Firstly, the light seal should be a bit stronger, as it tends to pop off easily, having done so in literally every drop. If you pick it up like the Vision Pro, it's falling second. If bumped into stuff, I think your head is going to hurt more than the glass. I don't see a realistic scenario where running into an object with this would cause it to shatter. Even if it does, you're not going to cut yourself.", adding further, he explained that, "I'm most shocked that the speaker grills and one of the speakers fried before any other part, meaning it's built very well overall. The front giant piece of glass isn't the weakest point, contrary to what you might think. I'm generally shocked at how strong this is. The fact that it took 10 to 12 ft before breaking the Vision Pro is amazing. I'm still blown away that, for $3500, the build quality in this is actually really good."

The complete video documentation of this experiment is accessible on YouTube.



Read next: 54% of People Liked AI Generated Copy Better
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Amazon’s Latest Earnings Report For Q4 2023 Shows Massive $14 Billion Ad Revenue

The end of 2023 was a successful one for tech giant Amazon who managed to secure huge profits in Q4, thanks to its advertising services.

The company has reached a more than successful target of $14 billion after hitting new records in revenue generated through advertising. These stats mark a huge 26.8% rise during the same time when we compare stats from 2022. This result is better than the predictions made by media outlet Wall Street Journal.

The performance is certainly outstanding and helps to safeguard the organization in terms of digital ads and its recovery from a very challenging and shaky start to the year 2023. This kind of trend is more than likely to boost users’ confidence among those marketers who work and plan each and every step of their move.

It would not be wrong to mention that such successful facts and trends regarding superior performance and revenue continue to build the trust of marketers and ensure they remain optimistic at all times.

So what can we expect from the future, well, Amazon hopes to get a net sales target going in the $138 billion and $143 billion range during Q1 of 2024. This would display a growth arising between 8 to 13% when you compare stats from Q1.

What does the firm’s CEO have to say on this front? According to him, Q4 has transformed into a serious and record-breaking endeavor.

CEO Andy says their fast delivery for those having a Prime subscription is worth a mention. They are also lowering costs to ensure the masses stay happy and smiling. And this resonates well with all individuals across the board. These are reflected in happy clients who cannot get enough, generating great satisfaction among the masses.

Let’s not forget how the company’s advertising services are at their peak as we speak. They have driven all kinds of positive results and with new firms springing up and picking up the pace, seeing such feedback from Amazon customers is going to be loved by all for obvious reasons.

The CEO hopes this is a great and positive start for 2024 and then hopes the company will work toward building bigger targets for a more successful year and many more to come. Amazon said it hoped advertising revenue would continue to spiral in an upward direction.

Photo: Digital Information World - AIgen/HumanEdited

Read next: Meta Shares Solid Performance Stats For Q4 2023 Including 25% YoY Revenue Increase
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Google Bard Introduces Image Creation Feature Using Imagen 2, Competing with OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus

Google's Bard AI chatbot is leveling up to take on OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing/Copilot image creator. Under Sundar Pichai's leadership, the tech giant has announced some nifty upgrades, adding image creation capabilities with its Imagen 2 AI model and enhancing the Gemini Pro version.

Jack Krawczyk, Bard's product lead, highlighted these improvements, making Bard a globally accessible AI partner for various tasks. A free tool for crafting AI images is now part of Bard, expanding its user base.

Now all users need is, just ask the Google Bard in regular chats to create one or more images of any particular idea, and it'll return with prompted images.

Google's Gemini Pro, tailored for language processing, now supports over 40 languages. This includes Korean, Spanish, Tamil, Italian, and Russian, making it accessible in more than 230 countries. The advanced understanding, summarizing, reasoning, and coding capabilities of Gemini Pro, along with Bard's double-check feature, enhance user experiences.

A major update is Bard's integration of AI image generation using the Imagen 2 model, directly competing with OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus with DALL-E 3. Users can prompt Bard with descriptions like "create an image of a creative looking modern robot working on laptop for work," and it generates visuals in 10-30 seconds.

Despite Bard's speed, it has limitations. Aspect ratio adjustments and non-English prompts are not supported. Google addresses copyright concerns, allowing users to report legal issues related to AI-generated media.

In my testing, I asked Bard to create an image, and it returned with the result featured below. At first glance, it looks good, but upon downloading the images, they appear to be of very low quality with low pixel count, particularly when I ask Bard to generate more. While, on the other hand, Bing and ChatGPT Plus produce a lot more better quality (I'd say high definition) photos with less chances of producing garbage/glitchy results. 

Image: Created using Bard AI. Uploaded without editing. Which shows the results are not very appealing.

Surprisingly, as of now, Google is not allowing other users to download the images I created, even when I share those chats publicly. This could be due to the fact that the tool is still in its development phase.

Back to the topic, to ensure ethical use, Google limits the creation of inappropriate content and embeds digitally identifiable watermarks in images. This helps users distinguish between AI-generated visuals and those crafted by human artists.

In addition to Bard updates, Google introduces ImageFX, an experimental image generation tool powered by Imagen 2. Available in the AI Test Kitchen, ImageFX provides users with expressive chips for refining prompts and exploring creative dimensions. The AI Test Kitchen also showcases other projects like MusicFX, creating tunes up to 70 seconds, and TextFX, an experiment for creative artists.

🖼 Introducing ImageFX in @LabsDotGoogle.

This new tool offers users a powerful interface to quickly and safely explore image generation.

Find out more. → https://t.co/WuX3HYzzJi pic.twitter.com/OVxTtneuyp

— Google DeepMind (@GoogleDeepMind) February 1, 2024

Read next: Sundar Pichai Unveils Google's AI Innovations: Circle to Search, Lens, and Bard Redefining the Future
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World