Sep 27, 2024

Google, Warner Bros partner to bring AI captions to Max streaming

AI-powered captions coming to Max: Warner Bros. Discovery partners with Google to introduce AI-generated closed captions on its Max streaming platform, aiming to improve accessibility and viewing experience. The big picture: This collaboration leverages Google's latest generative AI technology to automate the captioning process, making content more readily available for all audiences, including those with auditory impairments. Closed captions have been a standard feature in the entertainment industry, but manual captioning is expensive and time-consuming, especially for platforms with large content libraries like Max. AI assistance can help overcome these challenges and potentially facilitate multiple language translations. The new technology...

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Meta’s Orion glasses aim to succeed where Google Glass failed

Meta's AI Wearables Revolution: Meta unveiled two groundbreaking smart glasses at Meta Connect 2024, potentially overcoming the stigma associated with previous AI wearables like Google Glass. The smart glasses lineup: Meta introduced an upgraded version of its Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses and previewed Orion, a more advanced augmented reality (AR) and AI-powered device. The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses focus on fashion and comfort, with subtle AI integration and a $330 price point. Orion, still in prototype stage, offers a more immersive AR and AI experience with hand and eye-tracking capabilities. Addressing past failures: Meta's approach tackles key issues that plagued...

read Sep 27, 2024

100+ companies have pledged compliance with the EU AI Act

Major tech players commit to EU AI regulations ahead of schedule: Over 100 companies, including industry giants like Google, Microsoft, Adobe, and Samsung, have pledged early compliance with the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act, signaling a proactive approach to AI governance. The AI Act officially became law on August 1st, 2023, marking a significant milestone in regulating artificial intelligence technologies within the European Union. While some provisions of the Act, particularly those concerning "high risk" AI systems, are not set to be enforced until August 2027, many companies are voluntarily accelerating their compliance efforts. Notable signatories to the early compliance...

read Sep 27, 2024

New research shows bigger AI models not always better

Llama-3 models performance in medical AI: Unexpected results and implications: A recent study comparing various Llama-3 models in medical and healthcare AI domains has revealed surprising findings, challenging assumptions about model size and performance. The Llama-3.1 70B model outperformed the larger Llama-3.2 90B model, particularly in specialized tasks like MMLU College Biology and Professional Medicine. Unexpectedly, the Meta-Llama-3.2-90B Vision Instruct and Base models showed identical performance across all datasets, an unusual occurrence for instruction-tuned models. Detailed performance breakdown: The study evaluated models using datasets such as MMLU College Biology, Professional Medicine, and PubMedQA, providing insights into their capabilities in medical...

read Sep 27, 2024

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE will pack high-end AI features at midrange price

Samsung's latest mid-range contender: The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE aims to bring premium features and Galaxy AI capabilities to a more affordable price point, positioning itself as a compelling option for budget-conscious consumers seeking high-end smartphone experiences. The Galaxy S24 FE is set to begin shipping on October 3, 2024, with a starting price of $649.99 for the 128GB model and $709.99 for the 256GB variant. This device seeks to bridge the gap between Samsung's flagship offerings and more budget-friendly options, incorporating many premium features while making strategic compromises to maintain a lower price point. Design and display: The Galaxy...

read Sep 27, 2024

Americans more satisfied with car dealerships due to digitization, AI

Digital transformation reshapes car buying experience: A recent study reveals that digitization has significantly impacted the car purchasing process, with most Americans conducting extensive online research before visiting dealerships. Key findings on consumer behavior: 60% of respondents purchased new vehicles, while 40% opted for leases 80% of buyers spent less than $50,000 on their purchase 84% bought from traditional dealerships, while 15% used online platforms like Carvana or CarMax 88% reported their buying experience was the same or better than previous purchases Online research plays crucial role: 54% of respondents spent 1-10 hours researching online before buying 25% dedicated more...

read Sep 27, 2024

AI models on Hugging Face surge past 1 million milestone

AI model explosion on Hugging Face: Hugging Face, a leading AI hosting platform, has reached a significant milestone by surpassing 1 million AI model listings, showcasing the rapid expansion and diversification of the machine learning field. The platform, which began as a chatbot app in 2016, pivoted to become an open-source hub for AI models in 2020, now offering a wide array of tools for developers and researchers. Hugging Face hosts numerous high-profile AI models, including Llama, Gemma, Phi, Flux, Mistral, Starcoder, Qwen, Stable Diffusion, Grok, Whisper, Olmo, Command, Zephyr, OpenELM, Jamba, and Yi, along with 999,984 others. Customization driving...

read Sep 27, 2024

How Monks uses AI to create personalized marketing campaigns

AI-powered campaign revolutionizes sleep wellness marketing: Digital marketing agency Monks leveraged Google AI to create a highly personalized and effective campaign for sleep wellness company Hatch, demonstrating the transformative potential of AI in marketing. Innovative use of AI in audience targeting: Monks employed Gemini, Google's AI model, to identify and analyze potential customer segments for Hatch's new Restore 2 smart clock. Gemini conducted extensive research, examining social media trends, search queries, industry reports, and competitor analysis to suggest target personas. The AI model helped narrow down the most promising audience segments, resulting in three key personas: the Stressed Professional, the...

read Sep 27, 2024

Apple doubles down on climate pledge, Google hedges

AI's impact on tech companies' climate goals: The rapid development of artificial intelligence is causing some tech giants to reconsider their climate commitments, while others maintain their environmental targets. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has indicated that the company's carbon emissions goal, set for 2030, is becoming "challenging" due to the energy demands of AI development and training. Pichai described the current situation as an "uncomfortable interim phase," suggesting that Google may need to adjust its climate targets in the short term. In contrast, Apple's VP of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, has reaffirmed the company's commitment to becoming...

read Sep 27, 2024

Google’s NotebookLM will now summarize and analyze YouTube videos

Introducing NotebookLM's YouTube Integration: Google's AI note-taking app, NotebookLM, has expanded its capabilities to include summarization and in-depth analysis of YouTube videos, offering users a powerful tool to extract key information from lengthy content. The new feature works by analyzing the text from a YouTube video's transcript, including auto-generated ones, to provide concise summaries and topic breakdowns. Users can simply add a YouTube link to NotebookLM, which then uses AI to generate a brief overview of the main topics discussed in the video. The app allows for further exploration by enabling users to click on specific topics for more detailed...

read Sep 27, 2024

California passes 9 landmark AI content regulation bills

California takes legislative action on AI: Governor Gavin Newsom has signed nine bills into law, addressing various risks associated with AI-generated content, particularly deepfakes, while 29 more AI-related bills await his decision by September 30. The new legislation covers a range of issues, including protecting performers' digital likenesses, combating the misuse of AI-generated content, and addressing deepfakes in election campaigns. These laws represent a significant step in regulating AI technology and its potential impacts on society, entertainment, and politics. Protecting performers and their digital rights: Two of the signed bills focus on safeguarding actors and performers from unauthorized use of...

read Sep 26, 2024

Labor Department issues new AI guidelines to ensure inclusive hiring

New AI hiring guidelines aim to promote inclusivity: The US Labor Department has introduced a voluntary framework to ensure inclusive hiring practices for people with disabilities when using artificial intelligence in recruitment processes. The AI & Inclusive Hiring Framework is based on practices from the NIST AI Risk Management Framework and provides guidance on applying AI risk-management practices to specific use cases or industries. The framework aims to help employers leverage AI technology to advance inclusive hiring policies while managing associated risks, particularly for people with disabilities. This initiative comes as part of the Biden administration's efforts to address concerns...

read Sep 26, 2024

New Meta AI tools will translate audio reels in real time

AI-powered translation revolutionizes social media content consumption: Meta has unveiled a groundbreaking AI translation tool that promises to transform how users interact with Facebook and Instagram Reels across language barriers. Key features of the new AI translation tool: Automatically translates audio in Reels to the viewer's preferred language Utilizes advanced dubbing and lip-syncing technology to simulate the speaker's voice in the target language Synchronizes lip movements to match the translated audio, creating a more natural viewing experience Current testing and future expansion: Meta is conducting small-scale tests on its platforms, focusing on English and Spanish translations Initial tests involve creators...

read Sep 26, 2024

Facebook, Instagram now use AI to edit, answer questions about photos

AI-powered photo analysis and editing come to Meta platforms: Meta has announced significant AI enhancements to its chatbot, Meta AI, enabling users to interact with and manipulate images across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Multimodal capabilities for image understanding: Meta AI can now "see" and analyze photos shared in chats, offering users the ability to ask questions about image content. Users can inquire about objects, animals, or scenes in photos, with Meta AI providing accurate identifications and descriptions. The AI can offer practical information based on image content, such as providing recipes and ingredient lists when shown a photo of...

read Sep 26, 2024

AI-powered sales and marketing teams earn more, Bain study shows

AI-enhanced pricing emerges as a revenue booster: Companies leveraging generative AI for sales and marketing are outpacing their competitors in revenue growth, with AI offering significant advantages in pricing strategies. The power of data-driven decision making: Organizations utilizing data-driven guidance and analytics demonstrate increased confidence in price negotiations and report higher success rates in closing deals. Companies in the top quartile of revenue growth are twice as likely to deploy multiple generative AI use cases in sales and marketing compared to those in the bottom quartile. This trend highlights the growing importance of AI adoption in maintaining a competitive edge...

read Sep 26, 2024

Blackstone commits £10bn to AI data centre in Blyth

Major AI investment in UK: Private equity giant Blackstone has confirmed a £10bn investment to build one of Europe's largest artificial intelligence data centers in Blyth, Northumberland, creating approximately 4,000 jobs. The investment marks a significant boost for the UK's AI sector and economy, with the government hailing it as a demonstration that the country is "open for business." The Blyth site was previously earmarked for an electric car battery factory by Britishvolt, which collapsed earlier this year. Construction of the data center is expected to commence in 2024, with about 1,200 jobs dedicated to the project's construction phase. Economic...

read Sep 26, 2024

Asus unveils AI-powered Copilot+ PCs with Intel’s latest chips

Intel's AI-powered PC revolution: Asus has unveiled a new lineup of Copilot+ PCs in India, featuring Intel's latest Core Ultra Series 2 processors and advanced AI capabilities. Key product launches: The new Asus Copilot+ PC lineup includes the Zenbook S 14 laptop, ASUS NUC 14 Pro AI mini-desktop, and ExpertBook P5405 business laptop, all designed to leverage on-device AI for enhanced user experiences. These devices will receive a free update to the Copilot+ PC experience when it becomes available, further expanding their AI capabilities. The integration of Intel's Core Ultra Series 2 processors provides up to 47 TOPS (Tera Operations...

read Sep 26, 2024

New study raises questions about true impact of AI coding assistants

AI coding assistants: Promise vs. reality: Recent studies and developer experiences reveal a mixed picture of the impact of AI-powered coding tools on productivity and code quality. A study by Uplevel, comparing the output of 800 developers using GitHub Copilot over a three-month period to their previous performance, found no significant improvements in productivity metrics. The study measured pull request (PR) cycle time and PR throughput, finding no substantial gains for developers using Copilot. Surprisingly, the use of GitHub Copilot was associated with a 41% increase in bug introduction. That said, there is significant evidence that other developers and organizations...

read Sep 26, 2024

1,300 AI-produced movies showcase at SF gala — here’s how they were received

AI-Generated Films Take Center Stage: A groundbreaking gala event in San Francisco showcased short films created using artificial intelligence, marking a significant milestone in the intersection of technology and filmmaking. The Project Odyssey AI Film Gala, organized by Civitai, a platform for AI-generated art and tools, took place at the office of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Over 100 attendees gathered to witness the screening of AI-generated short films, blending elements of a traditional film festival with the tech-focused atmosphere of Silicon Valley. The event featured a competition with more than 1,300 entries, each film required to be 4 minutes...

read Sep 26, 2024

How underwater data centers may promise greener computing

The AI energy conundrum: As generative AI services continue to expand, concerns about their energy consumption and environmental impact are growing, prompting exploration of innovative solutions like underwater data centers. The processing power required for AI systems, particularly large language models used in chatbots, consumes significant amounts of energy. This increased energy usage raises questions about the sustainability of AI technology and its effects on surrounding ecosystems. Some companies are proposing underwater data centers as a potential solution, utilizing seawater for cooling and temperature control of GPUs. Underwater data centers: A closer look: While the concept of submerging data centers...

read Sep 26, 2024

The biggest announcements from Meta Connect 2024

Meta Connect 2024 unveils AI innovations and new hardware: Meta's annual Connect conference showcases the company's latest advancements in AI, AR, and VR technologies, highlighting its vision for the future of social media and the metaverse. Key announcements and product launches: Meta introduces a range of new features and products, including AI-powered voice assistants, smart glasses, and VR headsets. Meta debuts AI voice mode with celebrity voices, allowing users to interact with AI assistants voiced by Awkwafina, John Cena, and Judi Dench. The company announces plans to integrate AI-generated images into Facebook and Instagram feeds, enhancing user content creation capabilities....

read Sep 26, 2024

How MetaAI Voice compares to other AI assistants

The dawn of conversational AI assistants: Meta has entered the race to create the ultimate voice assistant with MetaAI Voice, joining competitors like OpenAI's ChatGPT Voice and Google's Gemini Voice in the rapidly evolving landscape of conversational AI technology. MetaAI Voice is designed to provide natural language interaction for Meta's products, including Ray-Ban smart glasses and Quest VR headsets, where traditional input methods like keyboards or touch screens are impractical. The new voice assistant can handle complex and vague queries, demonstrating its ability to understand context and provide relevant responses. Unlike its competitors, MetaAI Voice offers celebrity voices, including Dame...

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Microsoft expands AI development hub to Abu Dhabi

Microsoft expands Global Engineering Development Center to Abu Dhabi: The tech giant's strategic move aligns with the UAE's vision to become a leading global technology hub, focusing on cloud computing, AI, and cybersecurity. Key details of the expansion: The center will develop cutting-edge solutions in cloud computing, AI, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure It aims to capitalize on the region's growing digital ecosystem and skilled workforce The expansion provides opportunities for local talent to collaborate with Microsoft's global teams The move is expected to foster knowledge transfer between global and regional markets Strategic importance for the UAE: Aligns with the UAE's...

read Sep 26, 2024

Confused by AI jargon? Here are the most essential terms you should know

The AI lexicon: As generative AI rapidly evolves and gains traction in enterprise settings, understanding the key terminology is crucial for CIOs and business executives navigating this complex landscape. Foundation concepts and models: Large language models (LLMs) and foundation models serve as the cornerstone of many generative AI applications, providing the basis for more specialized and task-specific AI systems. Large language models are neural networks trained on vast amounts of text data, enabling them to generate human-like text and perform various language-related tasks. Foundation models are pre-trained on diverse datasets and can be adapted for multiple downstream tasks through fine-tuning...

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