Controversial artist ironically seeks millions of dollars in compensation for AI-generated collections as OpenAI sidesteps bankruptcy with $6.6 billion in funding from Microsoft and NVIDIA

All that, plus Windows 11 received a major update this week.

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AI billionaires and wannabe AI millionaires topped the headlines this week. We also saw Microsoft release a major update to Windows 11 as well as the latest version of Office. Tack on some early Prime Day and Anti-Prime Day deals and reviews of the latest gadgets and games, and you have a recipe for a big helping of news to catch up on. Here’s a recap of the biggest tech stories from the past week.

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“Art is dead, dude. It’s over. AI won. Humans lost”

“Art is dead,” according to Jason M. Allen, an artist who won a digital art competition with a piece of work created by Midjourney. Allen claims that he’slost millions of dollarsfrom people stealing work he created with AI. The ironic complaint has caused a conversation about ownership of AI-generated work.

“The Copyright Office’s refusal to register Theatre D’Opera Spatial has put me in a terrible position, with no recourse against others who are blatantly and repeatedly stealing my work without compensation or credit.”

In order to generate artwork, or any content, AI models have to be trained on real-world examples. Simply put, any piece of art made with AI is the result of a massive number of art pieces made by people. But the strength of that connection is up for debate. Some argue that human artists have been trained by looking at other work, so AI models are replicating that process. Others argue that artistry is about more than entering prompts and having a tool create an image. At least for the moment, the US Copyright Office falls into the latter, arguing that AI-generated work lacks human authorship.

Allen’s work may be made with AI, but his quotes on the topic sound like a cliche human artist from a TV show. “I’m not going to apologize for it. I won, and I didn’t break any rules. This isn’t going to stop. Art is dead, dude. It’s over. AI won. Humans lost.” Apparently, art is dead, but Allen wants his bank account to live on.

Windows 11 2024 Update

Windows 11 received a major update this week, bumping PCs to version 24H2. The Windows 11 2024 Update includes several new features, but it’s probably turning more heads for its performance improvements. Microsoft made several under the hood changes to Windows 11 with this update, giving PCs a noticeable boost in everyday computing. The operating system should feel smoother and experience less lag after being installed.

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Thebest Windows on Arm laptopscan now run emulated apps better, thanks to anew emulation layer for x86 applications. PCs with certain CPUs and GPUs that install the Windows 11 2024 Update should see better gaming performance as well. Evenunsupported PCs get a boostwhen running the Windows 11 2024 Update.

In addition to performance improvements and security updates, the Windows 11 2024 Update includes several new features and changes. Our Senior Editor Zac Bowdenbroke down the most important changeswhen the update launched:

We have a fullWindows 11 2024 Update reviewand a guide onhow to install the Windows 11 2024 Updateto help get your PC onto the latest version of Windows.

OpenAI raises $6.6 billion

OpenAI shouldn’t have to worry about being on the verge of bankruptcy for a while. The company secured$6.6 billion of investment from NVIDIA and Microsoft. That influx of cash bumped OpenAI’s valuation to $157 billion. At one point, it appeared that Apple would join other tech giants as part of the latest investment in OpenAI, butApple reportedly pulled out of investingat the last minute.

While Microsoft and NVIDIA were the ones to invest billions of dollars, OpenAI was the company with demands, or at least sternly phrased requests. OpenAI asked investors to not invest in competing AI companies, including Anthropic, xAI, SafeSuperintelligence (SSI), Perplexity, and Glean round out the list of five companies OpenAI does not want its investors to deal with. Notably, SSI was co-founded byIlya Sutskever, who also co-founded OpenAI.

OpenAI will have to continue to invest heavily into training its models and improving its tech, since competition in the AI space is heavy. NVIDIA, which makes millions on the hardware side of AI,debuted its own LLM this week.

Office 2024

Microsoft 365 is one of the core services at Microsoft, but it is not the only way to access Office applications.Microsoft unveiled Office 2024this week, which lets you use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook on a Mac or PC. Unlike Microsoft 365, Office 2024 does not require a subscription. Instead, you need to pay a one-time payment of $149.99 or $249.99 depending on which apps you’d like to use.

Microsoft still lauds Microsoft 365 as the best way to use Microsoft services, but there are workflows in which Office 2024 is a better fit.

Office 2024 has several updates when compared to its predecessor, Office 2021. The new version of Office has a refreshed look that aligns with Windows 11 and quite a few new features.

Microsoft Office 2024 (Home) | $149.99 at Microsoft

This one-time purchase provides you access to the desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote on one Mac or PC.

👀See at:Microsoft

Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024 | $249.99 at Microsoft

This edition of Office 2024 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook. It is also approved for commercial use.

👀See at:Microsoft

Review Roundup

This week, our experts took a close look at the latest laptops, accessories, and games. All of the devices we went hands-on with earned at least a 4/5, and three of them earned a nearly perfect score.

★★★★⯨ASUS ProArt PX13★★★★⯨Razer Kraken V4★★★★⯨Razer Firefly V2 Pro★★★★ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16★★★★Starfield: Shattered Space

To kick things off, we looked at theASUS ProArt PX13, which features a wheel in its trackpad. “The inclusion of the ASUS Dial on the touchpad combined with the ASUS Pen 2.0 makes for some very convenient interactions with creative programs without requiring users to purchase extra accessories,” said our Rebecca Spear.

That unique feature, the laptop’s performance, and the PC’s gorgeous screen earned the ASUS ProArt PX13 high marks.

TheRazer Kraken V4also earned praise. The headset is comfortable, features RGB lighting, and even looks good with a pair of Razer Kitty Ears V2. “The Razer Kraken V4 checks all the boxes,” said our Zachary Boddy. “It’s comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions, offers a versatile and responsive sound profile, can last for dozens of hours on a single charge, and has no issues with wireless connectivity. It goes toe-to-toe with the best in the sub-$200 range and often compares very favorably.”

Starfield: Shattered Space, has received mixed reviews on Steam and Xbox, with some arguing that Bethesda hyped the expansion then fell short. Our Samuel Tolbert explained that he enjoyed the expansion in hisStarfield: Shattered Space review, but that he agreed with one major complaint shared by many.

Make sure to check out all of our reviews to see what our team loves (and dislikes) about the latest gadgets and games.

Early Prime Day deals

Amazon Prime Big Deal Daysevent officially kick off on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. But you don’t have to wait until Tuesday to save hundreds of dollars on PCs or save a bundle on accessories and other gadgets. Retailers, includingWalmart,Target, andBest Buy, are racing to drop prices to create early holiday deals and to clear shelves. We’ve already covered dozens of deals and will cover more next week. Here are some of the hottest deals.

Lenovo Legion Go |was $749.99now $649.99 at Best Buy

Take portable gaming to the next level with the Lenovo Legion Go. The Lenovo Legion Go is great for running light indie titles like Hollow Knight for four hours unplugged to big-budgeted AAA titles like Elden Ring plugged in. This gaming handheld can also turn into a miniature workstation thanks to its built-in kickstand, multiple USB-C ports, and large 8.8 display capable of 144Hz refresh rates.

👀See at:Best BuyorLenovo

✅Perfect for:Gamers looking for a gaming handheld with a decent battery life, the biggest screen possible for good display scaling, and the ability to play games in tabletop mode with detachable controllers.

❌Avoid if:You prefer getting a dedicated PC rig or gaming laptop for more graphically intense games, don’t play games on the go, or if you have tiny hands.

🔎Our experience:Lenovo Legion Go review

💰Price check:$699.99 at Walmart

LG C4 |was $1,096.99now $946.99 at Walmart

The LG C4 has the specs you need to get the best gaming experience from your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or PS5. The TV has four HDMI 2.1 ports and supports Dolby Vision Gaming HDR, VRR, ALLM, NVIDIA G-Sync, and AMD FreeSync Premium. The 4K OLED screen of the TV has a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, helping deliver smooth gameplay.

👀See at:AmazonorBest Buy

✅Perfect for:Gamers who want to get the best experience when using an Xbox Series X, Xbox Series X, or PS5.

❌Avoid if:You already have an LG C3 or need the best audio quality without adding a soundbar.

💰Price check:$946.99 at Amazon

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K |was $49.99now $24.99 at Amazon

An Amazon Fire TV Stick is a useful media tool for streaming, and now, you can use it to play games. At just $25, this is a perfect way to save some money in order to test out big titles like Starfield or Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. Once you have the stick, just pick up an Xbox controller and subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

See at:Amazon

💰Price check:$25 at Best Buy

👀Get an Xbox Series S instead:$300 at Best Buy

✅Great for:Trying out Xbox games at a low price

❌Don’t buy if:You’d rather put the money toward a console

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.