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Actors union strikes AI voice deal with startup Ethovox
Groundbreaking AI voice model agreement: SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors and performers, has reached a significant deal with Ethovox, a company developing an advanced AI voice model. The agreement focuses on fair compensation for voice performers whose work contributes to training Ethovox's AI model, which could be used to create "digital replicas" of voices. This deal marks a notable step in addressing concerns about AI's impact on the entertainment industry and performers' rights. Key provisions of the agreement: The contract between SAG-AFTRA and Ethovox sets important precedents for performer compensation and protection in the age of AI voice technology. Voice...
read Oct 30, 2024Why AMD’s stock dip offers a good buy opportunity
AMD's Q3 Results and AI Chip Outlook: Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) reported strong third-quarter results, but its stock fell due to investor expectations for faster growth in its AI chip business. AMD's revenue increased 18% year-over-year to $6.82 billion, surpassing estimates of $6.71 billion. Adjusted earnings per share rose 31% to 92 cents, matching analysts' expectations. The company's data center segment saw significant growth, with sales more than doubling year-over-year to $3.55 billion. AMD raised its full-year sales projections for AI chips to over $5 billion, a $500 million increase from previous guidance. Market reaction and investment thesis: Despite positive...
read Oct 30, 2024T-Mobile unveils ambitious roadmap with emphasis on AI at investor event
T-Mobile's strategic vision and growth trajectory: T-Mobile recently held its Capital Markets Day in San Francisco, showcasing its past successes and outlining ambitious plans for future growth, with a strong emphasis on leveraging AI and expanding its network capabilities. The company highlighted its impressive performance over the past three years, including adding more than 12 million post-paid net customers and exceeding synergy savings projections from the Sprint merger. T-Mobile's market capitalization has increased by nearly 50% over the past three years, reflecting strong financial results and investor confidence. Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and fiber expansion: T-Mobile is aggressively pursuing growth...
read Oct 30, 2024Google’s AI-powered ‘Overviews’ now accessible to over 1 billion people
AI Overviews expands globally: Google has significantly expanded its AI Overviews feature, making it available in more than 100 countries and accessible to over a billion monthly users. The feature, which uses Google's Gemini AI models to summarize search query answers, was initially launched in the U.S. and later expanded to a handful of other countries. AI Overviews now support multiple languages, including English, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish, depending on the user's location and search language preferences. The expansion demonstrates Google's confidence in the feature, despite earlier speculation about potential drawbacks. Enhanced user experience and engagement: Google claims...
read Oct 29, 2024Microsoft launches suite of AI tools for software development
Microsoft's AI-powered developer tools: A game-changer for software creation: Microsoft has unveiled a comprehensive suite of artificial intelligence tools aimed at revolutionizing the software development process and solidifying its position in the AI-driven future of application creation. The rise of the AI engineer: A new category of software developer is emerging as organizations rush to integrate AI capabilities into their applications. The "AI engineer" represents a fundamental shift in how software is conceived, built, and deployed, moving beyond traditional coding patterns to include model evaluation, prompt engineering, and managing probabilistic AI outputs. This transition reflects the growing need for developers...
read Oct 29, 2024New York Times experiment shows how to help journalists with AI without replacing them
AI as a Journalistic Tool: The New York Times has demonstrated a novel application of artificial intelligence in investigative journalism, using it to analyze extensive audio recordings related to Donald Trump's election fraud claims. The NYT utilized AI to transcribe over 400 hours of conversations from the Election Integrity Network, generating nearly 5 million words of text. This approach showcases the potential of AI as a powerful research tool in journalism, enabling reporters to process and analyze vast amounts of data efficiently. Advancements in AI Transcription: Recent years have seen significant improvements in AI transcription technology, with some tools now...
read Oct 29, 2024OpenAI may make its own AI hardware by 2026
OpenAI's hardware strategy shift: OpenAI is reportedly exploring new avenues to power its AI systems, including the use of AMD chips and the development of custom silicon, as the company seeks to optimize its infrastructure and manage costs. Reuters reports that OpenAI is incorporating AMD chips into its Microsoft Azure setup, diversifying its hardware portfolio beyond Nvidia processors. The move comes as AMD's data center business has doubled in a single year, with its MI300 chips introduced last year playing a significant role in this growth. Custom chip development: OpenAI is reportedly working on developing its own custom silicon to...
read Oct 29, 2024Stability AI founder steps down as controlling shareholder
Leadership shakeup at Stability AI: Former CEO Emad Mostaque has relinquished his controlling stake in the troubled artificial intelligence startup, marking a significant shift in the company's ownership structure. Mostaque, who co-founded Stability AI in London in 2019, had previously held at least 75% of the company's shares. The change in ownership was revealed through recent corporate filings in the UK. This development follows Mostaque's resignation as CEO in March 2024, which came amid a series of challenges for the company. Turmoil at Stability AI: The company has faced a tumultuous period, characterized by internal strife and external legal challenges....
read Oct 29, 2024Having trouble accessing Apple’s new AI features? Try this
Apple's AI features arrive with iOS 18.1: The latest iOS update introduces a suite of AI tools, but users need to take an extra step to access them. Apple has released iOS 18.1, which includes new AI features under the "Apple Intelligence" umbrella. Users must join a waitlist and explicitly activate Apple Intelligence in their settings to access these features. The waitlist process is quick, typically taking only minutes for users to gain access. How to activate Apple Intelligence: Users need to navigate through specific settings to enable the new AI features on their devices. Go to Settings > Apple...
read Oct 29, 2024Thoughts from Ethan Mollick on agentic AI and superintelligence
The dawn of agentic AI: Ethan Mollick, a prominent AI researcher and professor at Wharton, shares insights on the latest developments in artificial intelligence, particularly the emergence of agentic AI capabilities. Mollick's observations come in the wake of Anthropic's announcement that their AI model, Claude, can now interact with computer interfaces in a manner similar to humans. This development marks a significant shift from conversational AI to more autonomous, task-oriented systems capable of complex planning and execution. Key features of agentic AI: The new paradigm of AI interaction involves delegating tasks to the AI and allowing it to work independently,...
read Oct 29, 2024How the ‘echo prompting’ technique can produce better results with AI chatbots
Echo prompting: A simple yet powerful AI technique: Echo prompting is a straightforward method that can significantly improve the quality of responses from generative AI systems by instructing the AI to repeat or rephrase the user's query before answering. The technique involves adding a simple instruction to the prompt, such as "Repeat the question before you start to answer the question." Echo prompting can be used with various generative AI applications, including popular ones like ChatGPT. This method is analogous to human communication, where people sometimes repeat questions to ensure understanding or buy time to formulate a response. How echo...
read Oct 29, 2024Why Meta is positioned to be the biggest beneficiary of AI
Meta's AI potential: A game-changer for digital advertising and content: Meta's strategic position in the tech industry, combined with its vast user base and data resources, positions the company to potentially become the world's most valuable enterprise through its leveraging of generative AI technologies. Meta's existing strengths in automated, data-driven advertising provide a solid foundation for integrating generative AI, potentially revolutionizing the creation of personalized ads at scale and improving targeting precision. The company's extensive network of small advertisers gives it a unique advantage, as these businesses can more readily adopt and benefit from AI-generated creative content compared to larger...
read Oct 29, 2024Entertainment company Dolphin partners with deepfake protection firm Loti AI
AI-powered protection against deepfakes and unauthorized content: Dolphin, an entertainment marketing and production firm, has partnered with Loti AI to combat the rising threat of AI-generated deepfakes and unauthorized content distribution. The partnership aims to safeguard companies and celebrity clients from fake accounts, false endorsements, deepfakes, and unlicensed content distribution. Dolphin will provide its subsidiaries, including 42West, The Door, Shore Fire, Special Projects, and Elle Communications, access to Loti's advanced detection and takedown tools. The collaboration will also involve Dolphin offering feedback to assist Loti in further developing and expanding its services. Industry response to AI-generated content challenges: The partnership...
read Oct 29, 2024Snowflake customers are already seeing returns on their AI app use
AI-driven efficiency gains in enterprise: Early adopters see rapid results: Snowflake customers are reporting significant productivity improvements and cost reductions from implementing generative AI applications, with some seeing benefits in as little as four days. Snowflake, a data warehouse vendor, recently hosted a dinner where customers shared their experiences with AI applications in production environments. These early adopters are finding that even simple AI use cases can create substantial value quickly for enterprises willing to experiment and innovate. Dramatic cost savings through email automation: TS Imagine's implementation of an AI-powered email management system has resulted in a 97% reduction in...
read Oct 29, 2024Hong Kong plans AI regulations to safeguard financial sector
Hong Kong's stance on AI regulation in finance: Christopher Hui, Hong Kong's Secretary for Financial Services, emphasizes the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and the need for proper governance in financial markets. Hui identifies AI as a high-priority topic for Hong Kong's financial sector. The Secretary stresses the necessity of implementing appropriate oversight measures for AI applications in financial markets. This statement suggests Hong Kong is actively considering how to regulate AI within its financial services industry. Broader implications for global fintech: Hong Kong's focus on AI regulation in finance reflects a growing trend among major financial hubs to address...
read Oct 29, 2024New algorithm enables driverless cars to avoid hitting unseen pedestrians
AI advances in driverless car safety: A new algorithm developed by VERSES AI, a California-based cognitive computing company, aims to improve how autonomous vehicles predict and respond to hidden objects and unpredictable movements on the road. The algorithm enhances driverless cars' ability to anticipate the sudden appearance of vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians that may be initially out of sight. This development addresses a critical challenge in autonomous driving technology: accurately predicting the behavior of road users who are temporarily obscured from the vehicle's sensors. Key innovation - occlusion reasoning: The algorithm incorporates occlusion reasoning, a technique that helps autonomous systems...
read Oct 29, 2024Chat2DB automates SQL writing and data analysis with AI
AI-powered SQL assistant revolutionizes database interaction: Chat2DB Local is a powerful tool designed to streamline SQL writing and data analysis processes through artificial intelligence, promising to transform the way developers and analysts interact with databases. Key features and capabilities: Chat2DB Local leverages AI to generate optimal SQL queries and provide rapid data insights, effectively saving time and enhancing productivity for database professionals. The tool boasts compatibility with all popular databases, ensuring widespread applicability across various development environments. By utilizing AI datasets, Chat2DB Local demonstrates a deep understanding of database structures and operations, enabling more accurate and efficient query generation. The...
read Oct 29, 2024Hedra launches new voice cloning feature — here’s how to use it
AI-powered character creation evolves: Hedra, an AI character maker, has introduced a new voice cloning feature, allowing users to create digital avatars with personalized voices, marking a significant advancement in AI-driven content creation. Hedra's voice cloning technology enables users to replicate their voice using a short audio clip, which can then be applied to any character created or uploaded on the platform. The feature is exclusively available to paid subscribers, with plans starting at $10 per month. Hedra has gained popularity for its user-friendly interface and accurate mouth movement synchronization in character animations. How the voice cloning process works: Users...
read Oct 29, 2024How sales leaders should navigate the GenAI landscape
The AI revolution in sales: Navigating the hype and confusion: Generative AI (genAI) is causing significant disruption in the sales industry, leaving revenue leaders struggling to keep pace with rapid developments and separate genuine innovations from marketing hype. Revenue leaders are inundated with claims about new AI "game-changers" for sales, creating a sense of urgency to adopt these technologies or risk falling behind competitors. The rapid pace of change in genAI has led to confusion among leaders, who are hesitant to react without a clear AI strategy or broader technology roadmap in place. Many sales and operations leaders are experiencing...
read Oct 29, 2024Apple Intelligence update: How good did Siri really get?
Apple's Siri gets an AI upgrade: Apple has released iOS 18.1, bringing significant improvements to Siri through the integration of Apple Intelligence, although the digital assistant still falls short of competing with advanced AI chatbots. The new Siri features a redesigned visual interface, appearing as a multi-colored neon glow around the screen edges instead of the previous pulsing ball. Users can now interact with Siri by pressing the lock button or using a new text-to-Siri option. Key improvements in the new Siri: Apple Intelligence has enhanced Siri's capabilities in several areas, making it more user-friendly and responsive. Siri can now...
read Oct 29, 2024Pika Labs adds spooky AI video effects for Halloween
AI Video Innovation for Halloween: Pika Labs has unveiled a suite of spooky AI video effects just in time for Halloween, showcasing a unique approach to AI-generated content that sets them apart from competitors. The new effects include eye-popping, decapitation, and levitation, designed to create engaging, shareable content for social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. These "Pikaffects" are built on top of the company's Pika 1.5 AI video model, allowing users to transform static images into dynamic videos with just a few clicks. The process is user-friendly: upload an image, select an effect, and within minutes, a custom video...
read Oct 29, 2024AI model Claude was given access to Minecraft and it decided to build a mansion
AI's unexpected architectural prowess: Anthropic's Claude 3.5 (Sonnet) AI model has demonstrated an impressive ability to design and construct a complex mansion within the popular video game Minecraft, despite lacking specific training in this area. The experiment, conducted by X user Adonis Singh, utilized the Mindcraft project, which enables language models to interact with Minecraft through text commands. Claude 3.5 incorporated architectural elements such as domes, arches, lighting, color contrast, and symmetry in its mansion design. While the aesthetics of the AI-generated mansion may be debatable, it undeniably resembles a substantial residential structure. Technical implementation: The process of enabling Claude...
read Oct 29, 2024X’s AI chatbot Grok can now analyze images
Grok's vision upgrade: A leap forward for xAI's chatbot: Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, has introduced image analysis capabilities to its AI assistant Grok, marking a significant advancement in its functionality. Key features of the update: Grok can now analyze and comprehend images in addition to its existing text capabilities The AI can interpret visual content including documents, diagrams, and photographs It can understand spatial relationships within images to better describe their contents Users can leverage this feature for tasks like generating recipe ideas from ingredient photos or identifying landmarks in shared images Integration with X platform: A new...
read Oct 29, 2024Cisco unveils its vision for the future with new AI agent and XR capabilities
Cisco's WebexOne 2024: A leap into AI-powered collaboration: Cisco unveiled significant artificial intelligence and extended reality upgrades to its Webex platform, marking a transformation from a simple video conferencing tool to a comprehensive collaboration suite for the modern workplace. Key innovations in AI and customer service: Webex AI Agent, a groundbreaking platform, enables organizations to swiftly deploy AI-powered customer service agents capable of handling complex interactions. The AI Assistant, integrated across Cisco's cloud offerings, leverages large language models to automate workflows and enhance productivity for users across various business functions. Extended reality integration pushes boundaries: Cisco's partnership with Apple brings...
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