Oct 28, 2024

Character.AI tightens safety measures after teen suicide

AI chatbot safety overhaul: Character.AI has implemented significant safety enhancements to its platform in response to growing concerns about user well-being, particularly for minors. The company has introduced a suite of new features aimed at improving content moderation, detecting potentially harmful discussions, and providing users with more control over their interactions with AI chatbots. These changes come in the wake of a tragic incident involving a 14-year-old user who died by suicide after months of engaging with a Character.AI chatbot, leading to a wrongful death lawsuit against the company. The update represents a crucial step in addressing the potential risks...

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Cohere unveils new AI models to tackle global language barriers

Cohere expands multilingual AI capabilities: Cohere has launched two new open-weight models, Aya Expanse 8B and 35B, as part of its Aya project aimed at bridging the global language divide in foundation models. Key advancements in multilingual AI: The Aya Expanse models expand performance advancements in 23 languages, building on the success of the previously released Aya 101 large language model. The 8B parameter model makes breakthroughs more accessible to researchers worldwide, while the 35B parameter model provides state-of-the-art multilingual capabilities. Both models are now available on Hugging Face, a popular platform for sharing and accessing AI models. Technical innovations...

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Browser Company unveils new Arc browser successor

New AI-Powered Browser on the Horizon: The Browser Company, creators of the innovative Arc browser, has announced plans to develop a new, more accessible browser aimed at mainstream users. The company's CEO, Josh Miller, revealed the project in an interview with The Verge and a YouTube video, highlighting the need for a simpler browsing experience that can appeal to a broader audience. This new browser will retain Arc's strengths while offering a more familiar interface and increased AI integration to simplify workflows and automate repetitive tasks. Addressing Market Challenges: Despite Arc's popularity among power users, its complexity has hindered widespread...

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AI set to transform pharmaceutical industry, Nvidia predicts

AI's potential to transform drug discovery: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicts that artificial intelligence will revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in the realm of drug discovery and development. Nvidia has unveiled a pilot project with Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk, utilizing an AI-powered supercomputer to train models for vaccine design and disease mutation analysis. Machine learning's potential in pharma includes rapidly scanning millions of possibilities to assess drug effectiveness for different diseases, potentially replacing months of lab work. A notable breakthrough in the field is Google DeepMind's AlphaFold software, which predicts molecular structures and interactions, earning its inventors the Nobel Prize...

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AI robot’s painting may sell for $120,000 at Sotheby’s auction

AI-Generated Art Enters the Auction Scene: Sotheby's is set to make history by offering its first artwork created by a humanoid robot using artificial intelligence, challenging traditional notions of art and authorship. The piece, titled "A.I. God. Portrait of Alan Turing (2024)," was created by Ai-Da Robot, a project developed by British gallerist Aidan Meller. The painting is estimated to fetch between $120,000 and $180,000 at the auction scheduled for October 31, 2024. Sotheby's will accept cryptocurrency as payment for the artwork, highlighting the intersection of cutting-edge technology and the art market. The Artist Behind the Artwork: Ai-Da Robot represents...

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AI-powered scam threatens homeowners with property theft

AI-powered property scams emerge: A new form of fraud involving artificial intelligence has surfaced, with scammers attempting to steal entire houses from their rightful owners using sophisticated deepfake technology. The big picture: Property appraiser Marty Kiar of Broward County, Florida, has reported instances where scammers nearly succeeded in defrauding local title companies by impersonating property owners using AI-generated deepfakes. In one case, a woman claiming to be the owner of a vacant lot contacted a title company to initiate a sale. When asked to verify her identity via video call, the scammer presented an AI-generated deepfake of a woman who...

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US may pressure EU to tighten China export controls, ASML warns

US-China tech tensions intensify: The CEO of Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML anticipates increased US pressure on the EU to further restrict technology exports to China, highlighting escalating geopolitical tensions in the global AI race. ASML CEO Cristophe Fouquet expressed his expectation of continued US pressure on allies for more restrictions during the Bloomberg Tech Summit. The company, a leading producer of lithography machines crucial for advanced chip manufacturing, has already faced export restrictions to China at Washington's insistence. The Netherlands banned ASML from selling its most advanced machines to China last year, with the US subsequently extending the ban...

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Reid Hoffman hosts ‘Masters of Scale Summit’ to discuss AI with industry leaders

AI's transformative impact on technology and society: The Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco brought together industry leaders to discuss the far-reaching implications of artificial intelligence on various aspects of technology, business, and human life. Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and prominent venture capitalist, hosted the event, interviewing key figures like Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman and former Salesforce CEO Bret Taylor. The summit explored critical questions about AI's longevity, its impact on human cognition, and the evolving nature of humanity in an AI-driven world. AI's staying power and market potential: Industry experts at the summit addressed skepticism about...

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iOS 18.1 has arrived — here’s how to access it and what’s inside

iOS 18.1 Release: A New Era of Apple Intelligence Apple has officially rolled out iOS 18.1, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of its mobile operating system and introducing the first wave of Apple Intelligence features to compatible iPhones. Key features and availability: iOS 18.1 brings a host of new capabilities, including enhanced customization options and the initial rollout of Apple's artificial intelligence tools. The update is available for download as of 11 am ET today, October 28, 2024. Compatible devices include the iPhone 16 lineup, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Users can expect improvements to...

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OpenAI CFO reveals 75% of revenue from consumer subscriptions

OpenAI's consumer-driven revenue model: OpenAI, the prominent artificial intelligence startup, derives approximately 75% of its revenue from consumer subscriptions, according to Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar. In a recent Bloomberg TV interview, Friar revealed that the majority of OpenAI's business comes from individual users paying for its products, such as the ChatGPT chatbot. The company's paid consumer plan for ChatGPT starts at $20 per month, indicating a significant user base willing to pay for advanced AI capabilities. This revenue breakdown highlights OpenAI's success in monetizing its consumer-facing products, even as it competes in the corporate AI market. User conversion and...

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OpenAI denies GPT-5 Orion rumors as ‘fake news’

Breaking news in AI: OpenAI CEO disputes claims of imminent GPT-5 release: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has publicly refuted a recent report suggesting the company plans to launch a new AI model, potentially GPT-5, by the end of this year. The disputed report: The Verge published an article claiming that OpenAI is preparing to release a new AI model codenamed "Orion" as early as December 2024. The report suggested that Orion would initially be made available to select companies for product and feature development. It also claimed that Microsoft engineers were already preparing to host Orion on Azure as...

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Perplexity AI search engine hits 100M weekly queries

AI search startup Perplexity reports significant user engagement: Perplexity, an artificial intelligence-powered search engine, is experiencing substantial growth with over 100 million queries processed weekly, according to its CEO. Perplexity's CEO has announced that the AI search engine is handling more than 100 million queries per week, indicating strong user adoption and engagement. This level of usage suggests that Perplexity is gaining traction in the competitive search engine market, potentially challenging established players. Legal challenges amid growth: Despite its reported success, Perplexity is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with a major media conglomerate. News Corp has filed a lawsuit...

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Takeaways from the latest A16Z podcast on the intersection of AI and crypto

The convergence of AI and crypto: Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, cofounders of a16z, explore the unexpected intersection of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency in a special episode of their podcast. The duo discusses the emergence of a unique memecoin that has gained traction through the support of a meme-savvy, Bitcoin-wielding large language model (LLM). This crossover episode from the Ben & Marc Show delves into the implications of combining postmodern theories and internet memes within an LLM. Key topics explored: The conversation covers several intriguing aspects of the AI-crypto nexus, highlighting the rapid evolution and unexpected outcomes in these fields....

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Google AI assistant ‘Jarvis’ may book flights and find deals autonomously

AI-powered web browsing on the horizon: Google is reportedly developing an autonomous AI assistant called Project Jarvis, designed to streamline web-based tasks and potentially revolutionize how users interact with their browsers. Project Jarvis is being developed to take control of a user's web browser, handling tasks such as research, shopping, and flight bookings. The AI assistant is expected to operate by capturing and interpreting frequent screenshots of the user's computer screen, then taking appropriate actions like clicking buttons or entering text. Jarvis may be previewed as early as December 2023, coinciding with the launch of Google's Gemini 2.0 AI model....

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Get Apple Intelligence on iPhone, iPad and Mac in these easy steps

Apple Intelligence Arrives on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS: Apple's new AI-powered suite of tools, known as Apple Intelligence, is now available for compatible iPhones, iPads, and Macs, bringing advanced features like Writing Tools, Clean Up, Notification Summaries, and a redesigned Siri. Device compatibility and software requirements: Apple Intelligence is supported on a wide range of devices, but specific software versions are necessary to access the new features. iOS 18.1 is required for iPhones iPadOS 18.1 is needed for iPads macOS Sequoia 15.1 is the prerequisite for Macs A list of compatible devices is available, though not provided in this summary...

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How to use AI to transform home videos into cinematic masterpieces

AI-powered animation breakthrough: Runway's new Act-One feature transforms home videos into Hollywood-style animated films, potentially revolutionizing the animation industry by making sophisticated techniques more accessible to a broader range of creators. Act-One streamlines the facial animation process, requiring only a video camera to capture an actor's face during performance. The AI technology reworks facial movements and expressions from the input video to fit an animated character, capturing even the most nuanced emotions. The tool can produce multi-character dialogue scenes by having a single actor perform multiple roles, which are then mapped onto different characters in one scene. Democratizing animation production:...

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Apple dangles $1M reward for hacking its AI servers

Apple's bold move in AI security: Apple is offering a substantial bug bounty of up to $1 million for security researchers who can successfully hack its new AI-focused server system, Private Cloud Compute, designed for the upcoming Apple Intelligence feature. The company is inviting security researchers to test the robustness of Private Cloud Compute, which will handle complex generative AI tasks for Apple Intelligence. This initiative aims to address privacy concerns and validate Apple's claims about the security of its AI infrastructure. The bug bounty program is part of Apple's efforts to build trust in its AI systems and improve...

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DeepMind’s new AI agents framework mimics human-like reasoning

AI agents evolve with dual-system approach: DeepMind researchers have introduced a new framework called Talker-Reasoner, inspired by human cognition models, to enhance AI agents' reasoning capabilities and user interactions. The Talker-Reasoner framework aims to balance fast, intuitive responses with slower, more deliberate reasoning in AI systems. This approach is based on the "two systems" model of human cognition, first introduced by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman. The framework divides AI agents into two distinct modules: the Talker (System 1) and the Reasoner (System 2). Understanding the dual-system cognitive model: The two-systems theory suggests that human thought is driven by two distinct...

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Claude derails AI coding demo by browsing photos instead

AI agent evolution stumbles: Anthropic's latest Claude 3.5 Sonnet model, designed to autonomously control computers, encounters amusing glitches during demonstrations, highlighting both progress and challenges in AI agent development. During a coding demonstration, Claude unexpectedly opened Google and browsed photos of Yellowstone National Park instead of writing code. In another incident, the AI accidentally stopped a lengthy screen recording, resulting in lost footage. Advancing AI capabilities: Claude 3.5 Sonnet represents Anthropic's foray into developing AI agents capable of performing tasks autonomously by interacting with computers like humans do. The model can now use a computer cursor, input keystrokes, and perform...

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This new AI tool helps businesses optimize their pricing strategy

Innovative AI-Powered Pricing Tool Debuts: Pricing Maker, a new AI-driven pricing strategy generator, has launched to help businesses optimize their product and service pricing. Key features and capabilities: Utilizes artificial intelligence to generate pricing strategies tailored to specific businesses Incorporates real-time market data to inform pricing recommendations Aims to maximize profitability for users Offers free access to its AI-driven pricing tools Target market and applications: Designed for businesses seeking to optimize their pricing strategies Particularly relevant for product-based companies and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers Applicable across various industries and business models Launch details and initial reception: Introduced on Product Hunt in...

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British self-driving vehicle startup to begin testing across the US

Wayve expands self-driving AI operations to the US: British start-up Wayve is taking its autonomous vehicle technology across the Atlantic, launching a testing program in San Francisco and opening an office in Sunnyvale, California. Key developments in Wayve's expansion: The company is conducting its first on-road trials outside the United Kingdom A small fleet of Ford Mustang Mach-Es equipped with Wayve's technology will be deployed in San Francisco and the Bay Area Human test drivers will be present in the vehicles during the trials The initial focus will be on developing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) rather than fully autonomous...

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AI helps deliver cash aid to hurricane-affected families

AI-powered disaster relief innovation: GiveDirectly, a nonprofit organization, is leveraging artificial intelligence to deliver direct cash aid to hurricane-affected families in the United States, marking a significant shift in disaster relief approaches. Nearly 1,000 households impacted by hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida are set to receive $1,000 in direct cash payments through this AI-driven program. GiveDirectly has partnered with Google to use their SKAI tool, which analyzes pre- and post-storm aerial images to identify the hardest-hit areas. The organization combines storm impact data with poverty maps to target families with the highest need, streamlining the aid distribution process. Streamlined...

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Prudential taps Google AI to streamline medical claims

AI-powered insurance claims verification: Prudential adopts Google's MedLM: Prudential is implementing Google's MedLM generative AI models to streamline and enhance the accuracy of medical insurance claims verification, marking a significant shift in the insurance industry's approach to claims processing. The technology behind the innovation: Google's MedLM, a family of large language models specifically trained for healthcare applications, is at the core of Prudential's new initiative. MedLM evolved from its predecessors Med-PaLM and Med-PaLM2, offering two models designed to handle basic and complex healthcare workflows. The larger MedLM model is tailored for intricate tasks, while the medium model can be customized...

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AI models are fooled by common scams, study reveals

AI models vulnerable to scams: Recent research reveals that large language models (LLMs) powering popular chatbots are susceptible to the same scam techniques that deceive humans. Researchers from JP Morgan AI Research, led by Udari Madhushani Sehwag, conducted a study exposing three prominent LLMs to various scam scenarios. The models tested included OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and GPT-4, as well as Meta's Llama 2, which are behind widely-used chatbot applications. The study involved presenting 37 different scam scenarios to these AI models to assess their responses and vulnerability. Scam scenarios tested: The research team employed a diverse range of fraudulent situations to...

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