AI is not "alright, alright, alright"

Hi. I’m Hunter, the founder of FryAI …

I’m a PhD candidate in AI ethics, and I spend (literally) every day tracking what’s actually happening in AI beyond the headlines. I’ve had my research published in major academic journals and tech outlets, but this newsletter is my baby.

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The first premium email goes out tomorrow — and I’m breaking down what most people are misunderstanding about AI-generated images right now, and why it’s not really about deceptive images — it’s about who is in control. I’m also going to explain the one financial signal I’m watching that hasn’t hit headlines yet … I just finished putting it together, showed it to my wife, and she was even “very impressed” (her words, not mine) — and she’s not even that into AI …

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What’s up? Matthew McConaughey has officially trademarked his iconic catchphrase, “Alright, alright, alright” to prevent it from being misused by AI.

Want the details? The phrase, made famous in Dazed and Confused, is now protected as a sound mark — meaning even the tone and rhythm of how it’s said is legally owned by McConaughey. Along with that, he trademarked seven famous audio and video clips tied to his voice and likeness. These trademarks don’t just protect his words — they legally lock down the exact tone, pitch, and delivery of his voice, making it harder for AI tools to copy him. Unlike traditional publicity laws, these trademarks give him the ability to sue in federal court, even if the AI use isn’t tied to advertising or selling products.

Why is this important? AI tools are getting better at mimicking celebrities' voices and faces, often without their permission. Trademarking personal elements like speech or gestures gives stars like McConaughey a new way to control how their identity is used in the AI age. It’s one step toward protecting voices we all recognize. Perhaps others will follow suit.

What’s new? Wikipedia announced new licensing deals with major AI companies, including Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Perplexity, and France’s Mistral AI.

Want the details? These companies rely on Wikipedia’s human-edited articles to train their AI models, which need large amounts of trustworthy information. Until now, many companies scraped the site without paying, which caused heavy strain on Wikipedia’s servers and led to fewer human visitors. Under the new agreements, these AI companies will pay for fast, large-scale access to Wikipedia through its “Enterprise API”—a service built specifically to handle high-volume data requests from tech firms. This means AI tools get cleaner, faster data, and Wikipedia gets financial support to handle the demand and stay online.

Why does this matter? Wikipedia has been one of the internet’s most valuable free resources—and it costs real money to keep it running. By having AI companies contribute financially, Wikipedia can stay online, independent, and useful to everyone. Plus, Wikipedia itself may soon benefit from AI tools that improve its search and editing features.

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