AI/News
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HP’s new OmniBook Ultra Flip is impressive — once you remove the bloatware
The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip represents HP's latest entry into the premium convertible laptop market, combining high-end specifications with versatile functionality. Core specifications and design: The laptop features a sophisticated blend of performance hardware and convertible functionality, centered around Intel's latest mobile processing technology. Built around the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor with an integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for AI-focused tasks Available with up to 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and storage options ranging from 512GB to 2TB Sports a 14-inch touchscreen OLED display with 2880 x 1800 resolution that can fold into a tablet configuration Features a distinctive...
read Jan 10, 2025Meta faces new lawsuit for using copyrighted books to train AI
Meta faces accusations of deliberately using pirated books to train its AI systems, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg allegedly approving the use of unauthorized content despite internal concerns. Key allegations: The lawsuit, filed by prominent authors including Ta-Nehisi Coates and Sarah Silverman, claims Meta knowingly used pirated books from the LibGen dataset to train its Llama language model. Internal Meta communications revealed that executives were aware LibGen contained pirated content The dataset was allegedly distributed through peer-to-peer torrents Documents produced during discovery suggest Zuckerberg approved the use of LibGen despite concerns from Meta's AI executive team Legal context: This case represents...
read Jan 10, 2025Worst in Show at CES 2025
A panel of technology critics has announced their "Worst in Show" awards at CES 2025, highlighting products they consider problematic for privacy, repairability, and sustainability. Key product concerns: The spotlight devices that exemplify concerning trends in consumer technology, from excessive data collection to planned obsolescence. The Ultrahuman Rare Luxury Smart Ring, priced at $2,200, earned "Least Repairable" for its non-replaceable battery that fails after 500 charges Bosch's "Revol" AI-powered smart crib received criticism for its extensive baby monitoring capabilities through cameras, microphones, and sensors The TP-Link Archer BE900 router was labeled "Least Secure" due to potential security vulnerabilities Samsung's Bespoke...
read Jan 10, 2025Speediance showcases AI-powered home fitness tech at CES 2025
Speediance introduced two new smart home fitness products at CES 2025, combining AI technology with versatile exercise equipment to create comprehensive workout solutions. Product Innovation: Speediance unveiled the Gym Monster 2 and VeloNix Stationary Bike at CES 2025, marking significant advancements in home fitness technology. The Gym Monster 2 builds upon its predecessor with enhanced functionality, featuring multiple workout stations including a squat rack, cable machine, ski trainer, and rowing station AI-powered personalization adapts to individual fitness goals and progresss The system transforms between different exercise modes, allowing users to combine strength training with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) Technical Specifications:...
read Jan 10, 2025Meta removes AI Hitler personas from Facebook
Meta's Facebook platform was found hosting AI-powered chatbots impersonating Adolf Hitler and other prohibited figures, violating the company's own AI Studio policies, according to an NBC investigation. The policy landscape: Meta's AI Studio, launched last year, allows users to create chatbots on Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp under specific guidelines. The platform prohibits chatbots from impersonating living people, copyrighted characters, religious figures, terrorists, and mass murderers Meta claims to review all chatbots before they go live to prevent "inaccurate, offensive, or otherwise objectionable" content The company recently made controversial changes to its "hateful conduct" standards, allowing for broader speech on...
read Jan 9, 2025MIT unveils AI that can mimic sounds with human-like precision
MIT researchers have developed an artificial intelligence system capable of vocally imitating sounds without requiring specific training, marking a significant advancement in AI-generated audio. Key innovation: The system draws inspiration from human vocal communication patterns and leverages a model of the human vocal tract to generate authentic sound imitations. The technology can successfully replicate diverse sounds ranging from natural phenomena like rustling leaves to mechanical noises such as ambulance sirens The system demonstrates bi-directional capabilities, both producing vocal imitations and identifying real-world sounds from human vocal recreations Technical approach: MIT CSAIL's research team developed three distinct model variations to achieve...
read Jan 9, 2025Virgo’s AI model analyzes endoscopy videos using MetaAI’s DINOv2
MetaAI's DINOv2 computer vision technology is enabling Virgo, a San Diego-based medical company, to analyze endoscopy videos using artificial intelligence, with the goal of improving patient outcomes and advancing precision medicine. The innovation: Virgo has developed VirgoCloud, a system that captures and processes endoscopy videos, while also creating AutoIBD, an AI model that identifies potential candidates for inflammatory bowel disease clinical trials. The company has amassed over 1.75 million procedure videos, reportedly the largest dataset of its kind VirgoCloud connects to existing endoscopic equipment to capture, compress, and encrypt procedure videos The system transmits data to a HIPAA-compliant web portal...
read Jan 9, 2025Naqi unveils neural earbuds at CES to control devices with your mind
A new neural earbud technology from Naqi, demonstrated at CES 2025, enables users to control electronic devices through brain waves and subtle facial movements, offering a non-invasive alternative to brain-computer interfaces. Core technology and functionality: Naqi Neural Earbuds translate brain activity and micro-gestures into device commands without requiring surgical implants. The earbuds detect and interpret signals from subtle actions like teeth clenching and quick sideways glances to control connected devices During demonstrations, users successfully controlled smart lamps and moved on-screen cursors using these micro-gestures The technology reads both brain wave patterns and facial muscle movements to enable precise device control...
read Jan 9, 2025DeepMind chief scientist calls for alternatives to prompt engineering
OpenAI's ChatGPT has sparked widespread adoption of prompt engineering as a method to interact with AI systems, but Google DeepMind's principal scientist argues this approach may be fundamentally flawed. The current state of prompt engineering: The practice of crafting specific instructions for large language models has emerged as a dominant interface method for AI systems, with companies like Uber developing dedicated prompt engineering disciplines. Prompt engineering gained prominence following ChatGPT's success in 2022-2023 The field focuses on refining instructions to achieve optimal AI outputs Major organizations have invested heavily in developing prompt engineering expertise Key criticisms from DeepMind: Meredith Ringel Morris,...
read Jan 9, 202575 AI-discovered molecules are entering clinical trials
A new generation of artificial intelligence tools is accelerating drug discovery and development, with multiple AI-discovered molecules now entering clinical trials. The big picture: The pharmaceutical industry is witnessing a transformation as AI-driven drug discovery companies compete to develop new treatments for difficult diseases, potentially reducing the traditional 10-15 year, $2 billion development timeline. Insilico Medicine, a US-based startup, has developed an AI-discovered drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) that has shown promising results in early clinical trials At least 75 AI-discovered molecules have entered clinical trials, marking a significant milestone in pharmaceutical development Major tech companies like Alphabet have...
read Jan 9, 2025AI revolutionizes university archives by uncovering historical insights and preserving the past
A rise in artificial intelligence adoption is changing how universities handle archival practices, with new tools enabling faster document processing while raising concerns about data accuracy and permissions. Current landscape: Universities serve as crucial repositories for historical documents, research papers, and increasingly, digital content like websites and social media posts. Traditional archival work remains largely manual, including document scanning and metadata entry Most new university materials are created in digital formats like PDFs Many institutions face backlogs in converting analog materials to digital formats AI's role in paper archives: Artificial intelligence technologies are demonstrating significant capabilities in processing historical documents...
read Jan 9, 2025How GM is using AI to pinpoint optimal EV charging locations
Electric vehicle drivers hit record sales at GM in 2024, prompting the automaker to leverage artificial intelligence for strategic placement of charging stations across the United States. Strategic partnerships: GM has established key collaborations to expand its charging network and enhance the charging experience for EV drivers. GM and EVgo are deploying 2,850 DC fast charging stalls nationwide, including 400 flagship locations in metropolitan areas equipped with 350 kW ultra-fast chargers The flagship stations feature user-friendly designs with pull-through layouts, enhanced lighting, and protective canopies A partnership between GM, Pilot Flying J, and EVgo has resulted in over 130 operational...
read Jan 9, 2025AI achieves breakthroughs in programming and science while public perception may lag behind
OpenAI and other leading AI companies are making significant technical advances that are not readily apparent to the general public, particularly in specialized domains like programming and scientific research. Recent breakthroughs: OpenAI's latest o-series models and DeepSeek have demonstrated remarkable improvements in technical reasoning and problem-solving capabilities. In just one year, AI models progressed from basic performance to surpassing human experts on PhD-level scientific questions, with OpenAI's o3 model outperforming domain specialists by approximately 20% Performance on the SWE-Bench programming benchmark has skyrocketed from 4.4% to 72% in a single year, showcasing dramatic improvements in coding abilities These models are...
read Jan 9, 2025Mississippi Governor signs AI executive order and plans state innovation hub
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has signed an executive order establishing the state's first formal framework for implementing artificial intelligence in government services. Key components of the order: Executive Order No. 1584 requires the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) to conduct a comprehensive review and inventory of AI technologies currently used across state agencies. ITS must create a standardized assessment form to evaluate existing and developing AI systems The department will work with public and private stakeholders to develop policy recommendations The initiative aims to promote cross-agency collaboration in AI adoption Policy framework and guidelines: The executive order establishes...
read Jan 9, 2025AI gym management software boosts fitness businesses with personalized plans and automated operations
The rapid adoption of AI-powered gym management software is driving significant growth in the fitness industry, with the market projected to expand by $201.5 million between 2025 and 2029. Market dynamics and growth trajectory: The gym management software market is experiencing substantial expansion with a 12.5% CAGR through 2029, driven by increasing demand for AI-powered solutions. Gym operators are leveraging these platforms for complex operations including member tracking, class scheduling, and billing systems Integration with wearables and mobile apps enables comprehensive progress tracking and behavior pattern analysis Cloud-based solutions are becoming increasingly prevalent, offering scalability and operational efficiency AI-driven personalization...
read Jan 9, 2025Microsoft unveils rStar-Math enabling small AI models to match larger models in math
Microsoft has developed rStar-Math, a new reasoning technique that enhances small language models' mathematical problem-solving abilities, achieving performance levels comparable to larger, more resource-intensive models. The breakthrough explained: rStar-Math represents a significant advancement in making smaller AI models more capable at complex mathematical reasoning. The technique employs Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS), a method that helps AI systems methodically explore different solution paths, similar to how humans think through complex problems step by step rStar-Math generates both natural language explanations and Python code to solve mathematical problems The system underwent four rounds of self-improvement using 747,000 math word problems as...
read Jan 9, 2025Gates Foundation funds national initiative to improve schools’ AI readiness
Program Overview: The Consortium for School Networking will implement a nationwide training initiative, funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to help school districts assess and improve their AI readiness. The program will utilize a "train-the-trainer" model to teach district teams how to evaluate their AI preparedness using the K-12 Gen AI Maturity Tool Training will begin with 10-20 people at the national level, followed by four regional training sessions Regional trainers will then provide ongoing support to local districts, with particular focus on under-resourced and rural areas Assessment Framework: The K-12 Gen AI Maturity Tool, launched jointly by...
read Jan 9, 2025Meta secretly trained its AI models on a Russian ‘shadow library,’ court docs show
Meta's use of pirated books database LibGen to train its AI language models has been revealed through court-ordered document unredaction, marking a significant development in an ongoing copyright lawsuit filed by authors. The core revelation: Meta accessed and utilized Library Genesis (LibGen), a controversial pirated content database, for AI model training, despite internal concerns about the legality and optics of this approach. Internal company discussions about using LibGen data were escalated to CEO Mark Zuckerberg Meta employees expressed hesitation about accessing LibGen data from corporate laptops The company's AI team ultimately received approval to use the pirated materials Legal context...
read Jan 9, 2025Open LLM leaderboard study offers glimpse into true CO2 emissions of AI models
The environmental impact and performance characteristics of large language models reveal complex trade-offs between model size, emissions, and effectiveness. Key findings on model size and emissions: Larger language models generate higher CO2 emissions, but their performance improvements don't always justify the increased environmental cost. Models with fewer than 10 billion parameters demonstrate strong performance while maintaining relatively low carbon emissions The relationship between model size and performance shows diminishing returns as models grow larger Community-developed fine-tuned models typically demonstrate better CO2 efficiency compared to official releases from major AI companies Technical performance analysis: Detailed evaluation of 70B parameter models reveals...
read Jan 9, 2025This AI wellness platform announced at CES combines personal avatars and real-time diagnostics
AI Wellness announced Mission 2025, a comprehensive health technology initiative that combines AI-powered digital avatars with personalized wellness solutions, during their presentation at CES 2025. Core initiative overview; Mission 2025 integrates artificial intelligence with holistic health solutions through the Hey Abby Protocol, an AI system designed to streamline health education and business operations. The platform aims to connect wellness brands with new technological opportunities while making health solutions more accessible to individuals The Hey Abby Protocol serves as the technological foundation, providing interactive AI tools for business optimization and user engagement The initiative emphasizes personalized learning and real-time health diagnostics...
read Jan 9, 2025Google’s new AI feature turns your Discover feed into personalized podcasts
What's new: Google is testing a feature called Daily Listen that transforms users' search interests and Discover feed activity into personalized five-minute audio summaries. The experimental feature is currently rolling out to Android and iOS users in the United States through Google's Search Labs Daily Listen analyzes users' search history and Discover feed interactions to identify and summarize relevant news stories The feature provides both audio content and text transcripts for accessibility Key features and functionality: The AI-powered system offers a comprehensive suite of audio controls and user interaction options. Users can access playback controls including play, pause, mute, rewind,...
read Jan 9, 2025AI-powered hotel to open in Las Vegas in 2025
Las Vegas is set to welcome its first AI-powered hotel in May 2025, featuring 300 rooms and an advanced system that creates personalized experiences for guests through data analysis and virtual assistance. Project overview: Growth Holdings is developing a hybrid property near Allegiant Stadium that will combine hotel accommodations and residential living spaces. The property will feature a 60-40 split between hotel rooms and apartments The location is strategically positioned within walking distance of the Las Vegas Raiders' home stadium This development serves as a prototype for potential national and global expansion, with Dubai mentioned as a future location AI...
read Jan 9, 2025Grok AI chatbot debuts on iPhone for US users
X's AI chatbot Grok is now available as a standalone iPhone app for users in the United States, marking an expansion of xAI's artificial intelligence offerings beyond the X platform. Key details: The iOS app release represents a beta version of Grok that maintains full functionality from its X platform integration. Users can access real-time information, ask questions, and generate images through the mobile interface The app launched after initial testing in select countries during December 2023 Android availability remains unannounced Market positioning: Grok's wider accessibility aligns with broader industry trends in AI chatbot deployment. The service became free for...
read Jan 9, 2025Stanford researchers bring AI to theater arts in new experiment
The intersection of artificial intelligence and live theater is expanding through innovative projects at Stanford University, where Professor Michael Rau is integrating AI technologies into theatrical performances. Key innovations; Stanford professor Michael Rau is developing three distinct approaches to incorporating AI in theater productions. An AI image generator creates real-time visual alterations of live performances, projecting transformed feeds that can represent dream sequences or alternate dimensions Large language models generate spontaneous scripts based on audience suggestions, which are converted to audio and transmitted to actors via earbuds A pose analysis tool creates 3D images of actors' movements, enabling detailed study...
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