Issue #74

Kebab chain trials robot meat shavers, massive corporate payouts cause insurance collapse, LinkedIn’s AI assistant scares users, and more. 

‍News from June 19 - June 26

Judge OKs Training AI on Copyrighted Work

A US judge ruled that training AI models on copyrighted materials constitutes ‘fair use’ in a landmark ruling that will likely impact dozens of similar AI copyright lawsuits across the US. 

In Bartz v. Anthropic, senior district judge William Alsup ruled that Anthropic’s use of copyrighted material met the ‘fair use’ doctrine, which allows for the use of copyrighted materials without permission if the use is ‘transformative’. The judge ruled that Anthropic used the copyrighted text to generate new text, not reproducing it verbatim. 

Senior district judge William Alsup: “The technology at issue was among the most transformative many of us will see in our lifetimes.” The judge also ruled that the book authors who brought the legal action in August 2024 can sue Anthropic for downloading vast amounts of material from pirated databases to train their AI tool, Claude. 

Source

‍Massive Corporate Payouts Cause Insurance Collapse

US liability insurance companies are on the verge of breakdown because massive payouts have become normalised. The cost of casualty insurance, which businesses buy to protect themselves from legal claims, has risen for the last twenty-three quarters to fund the increasingly large payouts, with one insurer raising prices by 25% yearly. 

According to executives, the large payouts are driven by people abusing the system, including litigation finance companies that fund corporate disputes in exchange for a percentage of the payout.

Everest chief executive Jim Williamson: “It won’t be a question of how much you’re willing to pay — the cover won’t be available. No one will offer it at any price. That’s when you start to see a real breakdown.”

Source

Pet Owners Choose Euthanasia Over High Prices

Veterinary prices have increased by 60% since 2015, leaving pet owners more likely to euthanise their pets than pay for their treatment. 

According to the British Veterinary Association, the increasing prices correlate with the acquisition of smaller veterinary practices by big companies, 6 of which dominate 60% of the British market, up from 10% in 2013. 

Companies like IVC Evidesia monitor and impose financial targets on their vets, who feel pressured to drive revenue at the expense of providing care. In one instance, a regional manager bought a veterinary practice a cake after they met their financial targets. One vet said “it went down badly” because the staff were covered in animal urine and blood at the time. 

Source

Bulletin Board

• Hugo Boss Defends Brand From Small Pet Shop. Hugo Boss ordered a Liverpool-based pet shop, Boss Pets, to delete its website because its name contained the word ‘boss’. While acknowledging the word ‘boss’ is Merseyside slang for ‘great’, a spokesperson for the German fashion house said Hugo Boss had to “protect our brand rights”. Boss Pets lawyer Francis McEntegart: “My client is a small local business that is just starting out selling pet wellness products. It’s not going to interfere with the profits of Hugo Boss in any way.” Source
• Kebab Chain Trials Robot Meat Shavers. German Doner Kebab, one of Britain’s largest kebab restaurant chains, is trialling “robot meat shavers” in 3 of its 150 franchises and laying off staff. CEO Simon Wallis said it was due to the “tough environment” faced by British businesses. CEO Simon Wallis: “In our world, it’s quite a skill to shave a skewer – and when you’re doing it at pace on a Friday, Saturday night, there’s an argument that getting a robot to do it can improve the quality.” Source
• Dr. Squatch Gets Acquired. British consumer goods giant Unilever acquired men’s personal care brand Dr. Squatch in a deal reportedly surpassing $2 billion. US-based Dr. Squatch gained a cult following for its viral campaigns, including one with SpongeBob SquarePants, and another involving Sydney Sweeney’s bathwater. Dr. Squatch CEO Josh Friedman said the deal will help “amplify the brand’s mission to make men happier and healthier.” Source
• LinkedIn’s AI Assistant Scares Users. According to LinkedIn’s CEO, the professional social network’s AI writing assistant is not as popular as predicted. In his view, LinkedIn users don’t want to use it out of fear of a backlash for posting something clearly written using AI. CEO Ryan Roslansky: “If you’re getting called out on X or TikTok, that’s one thing. But when you’re getting called out on LinkedIn, it really impacts your ability to create economic opportunity for yourself.” Source
• Tesla’s Robotaxis Investigated. The US transportation safety regulator is investigating Tesla after videos surfaced of its robotaxis, launched this weekend, driving in the wrong lane and breaking the speed limit. This is the second investigation by the transport safety regulator into Tesla, after a Tesla, allegedly using the autonomous driving feature, killed a 71-year-old woman in 2023. Tesla CEO Elon Musk: “I predict that there will be millions of Teslas operating fully autonomously in the second half of next year.” Source

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