Adobe Launches AI Video Tool to Compete with OpenAI

A message reading "AI artificial intelligence", a keyboard, and robot hands are seen in this illustration taken January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
A message reading "AI artificial intelligence", a keyboard, and robot hands are seen in this illustration taken January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Adobe Launches AI Video Tool to Compete with OpenAI

A message reading "AI artificial intelligence", a keyboard, and robot hands are seen in this illustration taken January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
A message reading "AI artificial intelligence", a keyboard, and robot hands are seen in this illustration taken January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Adobe on Wednesday released the first public version of an artificial intelligence tool that can generate video clips and revealed how much it will charge, but said it will not set pricing for major users such as studios until later this year.

The Firefly Video Model, as Adobe is calling the service, will compete against Sora, a model developed by ChatGPT creator OpenAI, and startup Runway, both of which currently offer video-generation services. Facebook owner Meta Platforms has also developed a video-generation AI model but has not given a timeline for when it will be released.

Adobe's model differs from its rivals because it is geared toward generating clips that will fit into how film and television studios use Premiere Pro, its flagship video editing software.

To that end, many of the features that Adobe is emphasizing revolve around feeding existing shots into the video model and asking it to generate clips that fix or expand on shots that were taken on a real production set but that did not come out quite right.

Adobe said the service will generate five-second clips at 1080p resolution. While that is shorter than the clips of up to 20 seconds generated by OpenAI's service, Adobe executives said the majority of individual clips in most productions are only three seconds.

Adobe said a user can generate 20 clips per month for $9.99 and 70 clips for $29.99. That compares with 50 videos for $20 per month with OpenAI's plan at lower resolution and a $200 OpenAI plan that can handle longer, higher resolution videos.

Adobe is also working on a "Premium" pricing plan for studios and other high-volume video users and will release those pricing details later this year. Alexandru Costin, Adobe's vice president of generative AI, said the company is working to generate 4K video and will remain focused on quality rather than longer clips.

"We actually think that great motion, great structure, great definition scheme, making the actual clip look like it was film, is more important than making a longer clip that's unusable," Costin told Reuters.



China Approves First Two Level-3 Autonomous Driving Cars from State-owned Automakers

People pass by the entrance to Volkswagen (China) Technology Company, a 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) R&D center in Hefei in eastern China's Anhui province, on Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ken Moritsugu)
People pass by the entrance to Volkswagen (China) Technology Company, a 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) R&D center in Hefei in eastern China's Anhui province, on Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ken Moritsugu)
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China Approves First Two Level-3 Autonomous Driving Cars from State-owned Automakers

People pass by the entrance to Volkswagen (China) Technology Company, a 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) R&D center in Hefei in eastern China's Anhui province, on Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ken Moritsugu)
People pass by the entrance to Volkswagen (China) Technology Company, a 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) R&D center in Hefei in eastern China's Anhui province, on Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ken Moritsugu)

China's industry regulator on Monday approved two Chinese cars with level-3 autonomous driving capabilities, marking the first time such vehicles have been cleared by the national regulator as legitimate products ready for mass adoption.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved the two electric sedans from state-owned automakers Changan Auto and BAIC Motor in its latest automobile product entry category, said Reuters.

The two models are allowed to activate conditional autonomous driving in designated areas of Chongqing and Beijing with speed limits of 50km/h and 80km/h, respectively, the ministry said in a statement. The automakers will conduct trial operation with the cars on the specific roads via their ride-hailing units, it added.

The auto industry has defined five levels of autonomous driving, from cruise control at level one to fully self-driving cars at level five, and level three allows drivers to take their eyes and hands off the road in certain situations.

The move underscored China's ambition to lead the development and adoption of autonomous driving, a technology poised to disrupt the auto industry globally. Last year, China lined up nine automakers for public tests to advance the adoption of self-driving cars.

Chinese regulators earlier this year had sharpened scrutiny of the assisted driving technologies following an accident involving a Xiaomi SU7 sedan in March. That incident killed three occupants when their car crashed seconds after the driver took control from the assisted-driving system.

But government officials are pressing Chinese automakers to rapidly deploy even more advanced systems. In their level-3 push, Chinese regulators also are upping the regulatory ante by holding automakers and parts suppliers liable if their systems fail and cause an accident.

Autonomous driving developers such as Pony AI and WeRide have been testing their level-4 cars with licenses granted by local governments across China.

Tesla's Full Self-Driving, a level-2 driver assistance system, has been partially approved in China since February and falls short of its capabilities in the United States.


Elm Company Named Strategic Partner for International Data and AI Conference

Elm Company Named Strategic Partner for International Data and AI Conference
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Elm Company Named Strategic Partner for International Data and AI Conference

Elm Company Named Strategic Partner for International Data and AI Conference

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) announced a strategic partnership with Elm Company for the International Conference on Data and AI Capacity Building (ICAN 2026), enhancing collaboration to empower the data and artificial intelligence ecosystem and promote innovation in education and human capacity development.

This partnership comes as part of preparations for ICAN 2026, organized by SDAIA from January 28 to 29 at King Saud University in Riyadh, with the participation of a select group of specialists and experts from around the world, SPA reported.

The step represents a qualitative addition that contributes to enriching the conference’s knowledge content and expanding partnerships with leading national entities.

Elm Company brings extensive experience in designing digital solutions and building technical capabilities, reinforcing its role as a strategic partner in supporting the conference. It contributes by developing training tracks and digital empowerment programs, participating in the technology exhibition, and presenting qualitative initiatives that help empower national competencies in the fields of data and artificial intelligence.


Foxconn to Invest $510 Million in Kaohsiung Headquarters in Taiwan

Construction is scheduled to start in 2027, with completion targeted for 2033. Reuters
Construction is scheduled to start in 2027, with completion targeted for 2033. Reuters
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Foxconn to Invest $510 Million in Kaohsiung Headquarters in Taiwan

Construction is scheduled to start in 2027, with completion targeted for 2033. Reuters
Construction is scheduled to start in 2027, with completion targeted for 2033. Reuters

Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker, said on Friday it will invest T$15.9 billion ($509.94 million) to build its Kaohsiung headquarters in southern Taiwan.

That would include a mixed-use commercial and office building and a residential tower, it said. Construction is scheduled to start in 2027, with completion targeted for 2033.

Foxconn said the headquarters will serve as an important hub linking its operations across southern Taiwan, and once completed will house its smart-city team, software R&D teams, battery-cell R&D teams, EV technology development center and AI application software teams.

The Kaohsiung city government said Foxconn’s investments in the city have totaled T$25 billion ($801.8 million) over the past three years.