Top 3 tech, startup and sustainability stories of the week 18th-22nd March, 2024 -

Apple, YouTube and UK’s food waste sustainability efforts are this week’s top 3 stories

1-Apple in touch with Google to use Gemini

Apple is reported in negotiations with Google to bring its Gemini generative AI technology to the iPhone, according to Bloomberg .

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, confirmed that Apple is spending “a tremendous amount of time and effort” on AI features, and plans to launch them to its customers “later this year.” Bloomberg’s story reveals the AI features built into Apple’s products could be powered by a mix of first- and third-party AI models. Apple’s models could power on-device generative AI with iOS 18, to be released this year, while cloud-based AI features like text- and image-generation could come via partnerships with the likes of Google. If the potential AI deal between Apple and Google comes to fruition, Google’s AI tools to be used more than 2 billion iPhones in the market.

**Apple in touch with Google to use Gemini** (Image: Ars Technica)

2-YouTube content creators to be required to label AI-generated content

Starting last week, YouTube content creators to be required to label AI-generated content. This is a part of a broader effort by YouTube to be transparent about content that could confuse or mislead users. Online safety experts have raised questions that the use of AI-generated content could confuse users on the internet, especially before the elections in the United States in 2024.

As a YouTube content creator reports their video includes AI-generated content, YouTube will add a label in the description, expressing that it contains “altered or synthetic content” and that the “sound or visuals were significantly edited or digitally generated.” By the way, content creators who continuously fail to use the new label on synthetic content that should be disclosed may face penalties such as content removal or suspension from YouTube’s Partner Program.

3- UK government urged to make food waste reporting compulsory

The UK government faces fresh calls to introduce compulsory food waste reporting, with many of the UK’s leading food retailers asking ministers to introduce new regulations, according to the story at Businessgreen.com An open letter penned by social impact company Too Good To Go and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) was sent to Environment Secretary Steve Barclay, calling on the government to revamp efforts to tackle a food waste mountain that is estimated to cost the UK around £22bn annually. The letter has been signed by more than 30 leading companies from the UK’s food, retail and manufacturing industries, covering Aldi, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. (Let me note that I had an interview with Evreka, a Turkish startup operating in waste management)

Andrew Opie, BRC’s Director of Food and Sustainability, said compulsory food waste reporting would be a “key step” in reducing food waste and would help retailers to better understand their waste hotspots and where surplus food can be redistributed. On the other hand, Opie underlined that while most retailers already report on their waste voluntarily through WRAP’s Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, compulsory reporting would enable greater transparency throughout the supply chain.