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The publishing platform Medium will be banning AI-generated content from its paid Partner program in a new policy that goes into effect from May 1, 2024.
All content and stories generated using artificial intelligence will be taken off payrolls and could see users getting taken off the monetization platform.
An email written to current partners has been leaked by the X user @JonGillhams, with the notice highlighting how the platform is intended for “human storytelling, no AI-generated writing.”

Google and Medium have both just released updated policies identifying and restricting the use of AI text on their platforms…
April 9th @Google Updated its Merchant Center requiring merchants to identify AI-generated text:
“will require merchants to disclose text content that… pic.twitter.com/EYc5kQ1tza
— Jonathan Gillham (@JonGillhams) April 11, 2024

The Medium team says they’ve “recently defined and clarified our specific policies around the different uses of AI-generated content and technologies, and what is allowed in the Medium Partner Program.”
People are warned that if they have used AI to write the full article or story, as a Partner member, they will have their work removed and potentially their enrollment in the program revoked.
The artificial intelligence content policy differs for those who aren’t earning money from their Medium-published work.
In its policy, the American platform says “AI-generated writing that is disclosed as such and is not behind the paywall is eligible for General Distribution, but it is not eligible for Boost distribution.”
If the work isn’t disclosed properly, this will be given Network Only distribution so it won’t be eligible for wider publication.
The publisher explains it as a thorough detection process to identify AI writing as they utilize a wide variety of tools combined with human review.
Medium celebrates million member milestone
The update in the policy comes as the platform sees a million members on the site for the first time ever.
The CEO at Medium, Tony Stubblebine, took to a blog post to thank the members as the milestone rolled around: “There is a moment in our not-so-distant past where a million members seemed impossible.
“So for us, we’re feeling some combination of relief and disbelief: ‘Wow, this really just happened?’
…And to every Medium member. Thank you for being a part of this community. We’re so glad you’re here.”
Featured Image: Photo by Thomas Lefebvre on Unsplash
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After the largest decline in iPhone sales since the Covid-19 lockdowns, Samsung has reclaimed the top spot. Apple lost its title as the leading global mobile phone seller due to a significant drop in sales compared to its South Korean competitor.
Until the end of 2023, Samsung held the title of the largest mobile phone seller for 12 years, but Apple’s iPhone models surpassed it in sales at that time. However, after just one quarter, it was pushed down to second place, thanks to impressive sales of the Galaxy S24 series, which launched in January earlier this year. Samsung reportedly shipped more than 60 million Galaxy S24 series phones during the period.
Global smartphone shipments increased to almost 8 per cent to 289.4 million units during January-March, with Samsung, at 20.8 per cent market share, clinching the top phone maker spot from Apple, according to research firm IDC. While Apple’s smartphone shipments dropped about 10 per cent in the first quarter of 2024.
During the first quarter, Xiaomi, a leading smartphone maker from China, held the third position with a market share of 14.1 per cent. Apple’s smartphone shipments in China shrank more than two per cent in the final quarter of 2023 from a year earlier.
Is Apple struggling to maintain its position?
The decline highlights the difficulties the U.S. company faces in its third largest market, where some Chinese firms and government bodies restrict employees’ use of Apple devices. This action reflects measures similar to those the U.S. government takes against Chinese apps on security grounds.
Ryan Reith, group vice president at IDC, responsible for Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers, stated: “While IDC expects these two companies to maintain their hold on the high end of the market, the resurgence of Huawei in China, as well as notable gains from Xiaomi, Transsion, OPPO/OnePlus, and vivo will likely have both OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) looking for areas to expand and diversify.
“As the recovery progresses, we’re likely to see the top companies gain share as the smaller brands struggle for positioning,” he added.
In November, the tech giant said revenues dipped one per cent to $89.5 billion in the three months to September 30 compared to the same period last year. Similarly, in January, an Apple analyst anticipated a considerable decrease in iPhone shipments this year.
Featured image: Canva
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A girl in India has managed to thwart a monkey attack thanks to the help of an Amazon Alexa device.
The incident occurred on Thursday (April 11), at a residence in the Basti region of Uttar Pradesh. Pankaj Ojha had reportedly left the main door open by mistake when a large-sized monkey entered his house. The primate entered the double-storey residence, vandalized the drawing room on the ground floor, and then climbed to the kitchen on the first floor in search of food.
Ojha’s 13-year-old sister-in-law, Nikita, and his 15-month-old daughter, Vamika, were playing in a bedroom next door when they spotted the monkey coming towards them. Thanks to Nikita’s quick thinking, she managed to frighten the pesky monkey away by instructing her Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen.) to imitate a dog’s bark. Startled, the intruder leapt out of a window and vanished from view.
The Times of India quoted Nikita, who said, “There were no adults around when the monkey walked in. I was scared but determined to prevent an attack. I spotted the Alexa kept above the refrigerator in the kitchen and gave it the command. Since everything was happening so quickly, I was not sure whether the trick would work. Fortunately, it did.”
Ohja added: “Most electronic appliances in my home are synced with Alexa. It’s usual for us to give commands and get things done. But for the first time, it saved the two kids in my house from an imminent monkey attack.”
Amazon responds to Alexa monkey rescue
An Amazon spokesperson told ABP Live, “The incident in Basti is a great example of how quick thinking paired with easy-to-use technology like Alexa can be of assistance around the house. It is very simple to just ask Alexa in English, Hindi or Hinglish for music, information, and in this case the sound of a dog barking. We are committed to making Alexa more useful for customers in India.”
It’s not the first time an Amazon Alexa has come to the rescue. In June 2023, a woman in Hutto, Texas, used the device to call her daughter, who immediately contacted emergency services after her mother had collapsed at home. “If it hadn’t been for Alexa, and it hadn’t been for my daughter, I wouldn’t be here today,” Jeannie Dubbel told KVUE.
Featured image: Canva
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The Australian sports betting company BlueBet has been fined $50,000 for gambling advertising breaches following a complaint from a member of the public.
BlueBet was found guilty of 43 charges of displaying gambling advertising on or above a public road, which is classed as an offense under the Gambling Regulation Act 2003.
The fine and agreed costs will be paid to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) who launched the investigation after a person got in touch with concerns of a breach.
They found that over two weeks in August and September 2022, Bluebet’s advertising appeared on numerous digital billboards across several freeways.
The CEO of VGCC Annette Kimmitt AM expanded on the verdict through a blog post on the official website: “Gambling advertising has no place on public roads where it is readily visible to children and other vulnerable groups.
“These places are especially difficult to avoid as part of day-to-day activities. This decision sends a clear message to wagering providers that flout these protections for our community.”
The betting company faced a smaller fine than what would otherwise have been given as the Magistrate said he took into account their guilty plea, cooperation with the VGCCC, and the changes that BlueBet has implemented to prevent the breaches from occurring again.
The Magistrate Greg Thomas said he would have fined them $70,000 and recorded a conviction otherwise.
He also said how he found it difficult to accept BlueBet’s defense that they didn’t know they were breaching the law, as the location was described as being a ‘prime position’ to ‘target males aged 15-54 years old.’
Victoria continues to protect players as other investigations are concluded
BlueBet isn’t the first to be fined by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission this year, or even this month.
At the beginning of April, the Victorian registered bookmaker MintBet was fined $100,000 for repeated breaches of its Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct. This was due to extended periods of gambling by a customer.
The Commission found the company did not stop taking bets from the customer despite indicators of distress that could be related to problem gambling which is a requirement of their Code.
The customer had placed 327 bets and lost $31,149. They gambled through their online account for 35 hours in a period of roughly 50 hours.
Featured Image: Photo by Urlaubstracker on Unsplash
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