NVIDIA Secures $3 Million Investment While Amazon Expands AI

The artificial intelligence sector is buzzing with diverse developments, from celebrity voice licensing to national infrastructure initiatives and evolving business models. Actors Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have partnered with AI voice-cloning company ElevenLabs, licensing their voices for commercial use. McConaughey, an investor in ElevenLabs since 2022, plans to use the technology to translate his newsletter, Lyrics of Livin', into Spanish, while Caine's voice will be available on the newly launched Iconic Voice Marketplace. This move by ElevenLabs, which also features voices from Liza Minnelli and Dr. Maya Angelou, signals a shift in Hollywood's engagement with AI, despite past industry concerns. Globally, nations are accelerating their AI capabilities. Uzbekistan is collaborating with U.S. tech giant NVIDIA to establish national AI infrastructure and training centers, aiming to become Central Asia's digital leader. This includes creating an AI Excellence Center and deploying two national AI clusters by 2026 with a $3 million investment, and providing NVIDIA-powered supercomputing systems to top universities. Similarly, Prime Data Centers and Lambda are partnering to build an AI-optimized supercomputing hub in Southern California, utilizing NVIDIA Blackwell technology to accelerate complex AI workloads. Businesses are also seeing new AI-powered tools and shifting market dynamics. Amazon is rolling out new AI features for its business clients, including the Amazon Business Assistant for conversational support and Savings Insights for Business Prime members. Meanwhile, AI businesses are increasingly focusing on selling computing power rather than just software, driven by the high costs of training and running AI models. This requires significant investment in infrastructure like servers and GPUs. NECF has launched MediaXBook, an AI-powered marketplace targeting the over $500 billion global media and creator production market, designed to monetize underused production resources. Additionally, Black Duck Software Inc. introduced AI model risk scanning to its platform, helping identify and analyze open-source AI models, including those from repositories like Hugging Face, for license compliance and regulatory adherence. However, the rapid expansion of AI also brings market concerns and competitive shifts. The advertising and marketing industry is experiencing layoffs, with some attributing job losses to fears about AI's impact. Robert Smith, CEO of Vista Equity Partners, warns that parts of the AI market are showing signs of

Key Takeaways

• Actors Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine licensed their voices to AI company ElevenLabs for commercial use, including for McConaughey's newsletter and ElevenLabs' Iconic Voice Marketplace.
• Uzbekistan is partnering with NVIDIA to build national AI infrastructure, including an AI Excellence Center and two national AI clusters by 2026, backed by a $3 million investment.
• Amazon is introducing new AI tools for businesses, such as the Amazon Business Assistant and Savings Insights for Business Prime members.
• AI businesses are increasingly selling computing power and access to models, requiring heavy investment in infrastructure like servers and GPUs, rather than just software.
• NECF launched MediaXBook, an AI-powered marketplace aiming to monetize underused production resources in the over $500 billion global media and creator production market.
• Black Duck Software Inc. added AI model risk scanning to its platform, identifying open-source AI models, including those from Hugging Face, for compliance and regulatory checks.
• Prime Data Centers and Lambda are collaborating to create an AI-optimized supercomputing hub in Southern California, utilizing NVIDIA Blackwell technology.
• Chinese AI models are gaining traction in Silicon Valley due to lower costs, with Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky choosing Alibaba's Qwen for operations.
• The advertising industry is experiencing layoffs, with some attributing job security concerns to the rise of generative AI.
• Robert Smith, CEO of Vista Equity Partners, warns of

  McConaughey and Caine License Voices to AI Company

  Actors Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine partnered with AI company ElevenLabs to license their voices for digital use. ElevenLabs, founded in 2022, allows brands to use celebrity voices in content and ads. McConaughey, an investor since 2022, will use it to translate his newsletter, Lyrics of Livin', into Spanish. Caine licensed his voice for the Iconic Marketplace and ElevenReader app, stating it amplifies voices for new storytellers. This move comes amid ongoing industry debate about generative AI's role in entertainment.

  Caine and McConaughey Partner with ElevenLabs for AI Voices

  Oscar-winning actors Michael Caine and Matthew McConaughey signed deals with ElevenLabs, an AI voice-cloning company. This partnership allows ElevenLabs to replicate their voices using artificial intelligence technology. Caine expressed excitement, saying it amplifies voices for new storytellers. ElevenLabs, founded in 2022, initially focused on dubbing but faced misuse cases in January 2023, leading them to promise new safeguards.

  Oscar Winners License Voices for AI Marketplace

  Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine made separate deals with AI audio company ElevenLabs to create licensed synthetic versions of their voices for commercial use. ElevenLabs announced these partnerships on November 11 and launched its "Iconic Voice Marketplace." This platform ethically licenses voices of celebrities and historical figures for audio projects. McConaughey, an investor for years, will use the technology for a Spanish audio version of his newsletter, while Caine's voice will be available on the marketplace.

  ElevenLabs Partners with Celebrities for AI Audio

  ElevenLabs has made deals with Hollywood actors to create AI audio. While Hollywood previously had concerns about AI leading to strikes, some artists are now open to the technology. ElevenLabs also launched a marketplace where brands can use authorized AI-generated voices of celebrities. This marketplace will feature voices from Michael Caine, Liza Minnelli, and Dr. Maya Angelou.

  Uzbekistan and NVIDIA Partner for National AI Growth

  Uzbekistan is partnering with U.S. tech giant NVIDIA to build national AI infrastructure and training centers. This collaboration aims to make Uzbekistan Central Asia's digital leader by focusing on knowledge exchange, education, and infrastructure. They will create an AI Excellence Center using NVIDIA technologies to train educators and integrate AI into higher education. By 2026, Uzbekistan plans two national AI clusters and an Industrial AI Excellence Center with a $3 million investment. Top universities will also receive NVIDIA-powered supercomputing systems, with procurement starting in late 2025.

  Uzbekistan Boosts US Ties and National AI Strategy

  Uzbekistan is strengthening its partnership with the United States through new economic, diplomatic, and technological efforts. A new Uzbekistan-U.S. Business and Investment Council will boost economic engagement. The country will also expand its diplomatic presence in the U.S. and offer visa-free travel for U.S. citizens starting January 1, 2026. Uzbekistan is also building its AI capacity, partnering with NVIDIA to create an AI Excellence Center and deploy two national AI clusters by 2026. These initiatives aim to modernize Uzbekistan and position it as a global innovation hub.

  Amazon Launches New AI Tools for Businesses

  Amazon is introducing new AI-powered tools to help its business clients. The Amazon Business Assistant is now available at no extra cost, offering smart conversational support and recommendations for account use and configuration. This assistant learns from user interactions to suggest more efficient buying methods. Soon, U.S. Business Prime members will also get Savings Insights, an Amazon Business Analytics feature to help find savings. Additionally, Amazon Business and AWS are working with Deloitte to create solutions for industrial buying and sourcing operations.

  Layoffs Rise in Ad Industry Amid AI Fears

  Layoffs are becoming common in the advertising and marketing industry, fueling fears about AI's impact on jobs. Brandtech group media agency Jellyfish recently cut 50 roles due to reduced client spending. Other major companies like Dentsu, WPP, Interpublic Group, and Omnicom have also announced significant job losses. While current cuts are mainly due to restructuring and financial issues, many believe generative AI will cause more layoffs next year. Some older workers worry about age discrimination if they are seen as less skilled with AI tools.

  AI Businesses Sell Computing Power Not Just Software

  AI businesses are changing how Silicon Valley operates by selling computing power instead of just software. The high cost of training and running AI models forces these new companies to focus on providing access to their models, which need massive computing resources. This shift means AI companies must invest heavily in infrastructure like servers and GPUs. They also need to be more vertically integrated, control their supply chains, and focus on customer success. Transparency in pricing and capabilities is also crucial for customers to trust and effectively use AI models.

  NECF Launches AI Platform to Monetize Idle Resources

  Networked Everywhere Connected Forever NECF launched MediaXBook, an AI-powered marketplace designed to generate revenue from underused production resources. This platform targets the over $500 billion global media and creator production market. MediaXBook automatically matches idle assets like temporary satellite capacity or specialized talent with companies that need them. This helps reduce costs and creates new revenue for content owners and distributors. The platform is currently in private beta and aims to streamline production and enhance workflows for various media industries.

  Black Duck Software Adds AI Model Risk Scanning

  Black Duck Software Inc. introduced AI model risk scanning to its Software Composition Analysis platform. This new feature helps identify and analyze open-source AI models, even hidden or modified ones, within software development. It offers comprehensive insights into a company's AI model landscape, including identification, CodePrint scanning for models from repositories like Hugging Face, and license compliance checks. The platform also displays metadata to ensure regulatory adherence and project requirements, supporting emerging standards like the European Union AI Act.

  Prime and Lambda Build AI Supercomputing Hub

  Prime Data Centers and Lambda are partnering to create advanced AI-optimized infrastructure in Southern California. Their new deployment at LAX01, Vernon's first AI-ready data center, will use NVIDIA Blackwell technology to accelerate complex AI workloads. This collaboration combines Prime's data center design with Lambda's AI cloud platform, enabling companies and researchers to train and deploy advanced AI models faster. LAX01 provides 33 megawatts of power across 242,000 square feet, specifically engineered for high-density, GPU-accelerated environments. This partnership aims to support demanding AI applications and boost Southern California's role as an AI innovation hub.

  Chinese AI Models Gain Ground in Silicon Valley

  Chinese AI models are becoming popular in Silicon Valley, with American companies using them for their operations. Developers like Alibaba, Z.ai, Moonshot, and MiniMax offer "open" language models at much lower costs than their US competitors. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky chose Alibaba's Qwen, and Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya moved work to Moonshot's Kimi K2, praising their performance and affordability. Data shows Chinese AI tools are frequently used, with over 540 million cumulative downloads of Chinese open models by October. These models are especially attractive to cost-conscious startups and use older chips not affected by US export controls.

  Vista CEO Warns of AI Market Bubbles

  Robert Smith, CEO of Vista Equity Partners, stated that some parts of the AI market are experiencing "bubbles." Speaking at Yahoo Finance's Invest event, Smith, a major investor in enterprise software, noted that while AI is still in its early stages, hype leads to inflated valuations. He cautioned against companies simply rebranding existing products as AI-powered, calling it "marketing" rather than true innovation. Despite these concerns, Smith remains positive about AI's long-term potential to transform industries, improve efficiency, and create new business models. He advises focusing on the core technology and its practical uses.

  Sources

  • Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine license likenesses as generative AI debate deepens
  • Michael Caine and Matthew McConaughey partner with ElevenLabs for AI voice cloning
  • Oscar Winners Sign AI Deal to Clone Voices
  • ElevenLabs strike deals with celebs to create AI audio
  • Uzbekistan Partners with NVIDIA to Build National AI Infrastructure and Training Centers - The Times Of Central Asia
  • Uzbekistan Deepens U.S. Partnership Through New Investment Council and National AI Strategy - The Times Of Central Asia
  • Amazon Debuts AI-Powered Tools for Business Clients
  • As industry layoffs become the ‘new normal’, so does fear of AI’s impact on adland's job market
  • One key way AI businesses are different from the 'old' Silicon Valley
  • NECF Introduces AI-Powered Platform To Put Underused Production Resources To Work
  • Black Duck Software introduces AI model risk scanning
  • Prime Data Centers and Lambda Partner to Power the Next Era of Superintelligence with AI-Optimized Infrastructure in Southern California
  • China’s AI is quietly making big inroads in Silicon Valley
  • Vista Equity Partners CEO Robert Smith: Some parts of AI market are ‘in bubbles’