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Google Wallet AI Now Digitizes Any Pass From Photos
The Google Wallet app is expanding its digital pass capabilities, allowing users to create and store digital versions of nearly any type of pass or card on their Android devices. New AI-powered feature: Google Wallet's "Everything Else" option uses artificial intelligence to generate comprehensive digital passes from photos of physical cards or documents. The feature replaces the previous "Photo" option, which was limited to creating simple passes with barcodes or QR codes. Users can now create digital versions of a wide range of items, including business cards, IDs, library cards, loyalty cards, passports, and vehicle registrations. The AI processes sensitive...
read Aug 12, 2024Artists Celebrate as Copyright Case Reaches New Milestone
The ongoing legal battle between artists and AI image generation companies has reached a significant milestone, with potential far-reaching implications for the AI industry and copyright law. Legal breakthrough for artists: A federal judge has ruled that a copyright infringement case against prominent AI image generation companies can proceed to the discovery phase, marking a crucial development in the ongoing debate over AI and intellectual property rights. The case, filed in January 2023, targets Midjourney, Runway, Stability AI, and DeviantArt, alleging that their AI image generators, based on the Stable Diffusion model, were trained on copyrighted works without proper authorization....
read Aug 12, 2024Apache Airflow Integrates Google’s Generative AI for Enhanced Data Pipelines
Apache Airflow introduces new operators for Google's generative AI, enabling seamless integration of Vertex AI's powerful models into data pipelines orchestrated by Airflow and Cloud Composer. Key developments: The latest release of the apache-airflow-providers-google package (version 10.21.0) includes three new Airflow operators designed to interact with Vertex AI's generative models. The new operators are TextGenerationModelPredictOperator, TextEmbeddingModelGetEmbeddingsOperator, and GenerativeModelGenerateContentOperator. These operators allow data analysts to leverage Google Cloud's Vertex AI platform, including models like Gemini, within their Airflow-managed workflows. The integration aims to streamline the incorporation of generative AI capabilities into data analytics pipelines, enhancing their functionality and efficiency. Potential applications:...
read Aug 12, 2024AI and Nostalgia Shape Complex Attitudes Toward Tech Advancement
Artificial intelligence and nostalgia intersect in complex ways, shaping public attitudes towards technological advancement. Recent research reveals nuanced impacts of nostalgic feelings on perceptions of AI and other emerging technologies. Dual effects of nostalgia: Nostalgia can simultaneously increase skepticism towards technological change and foster openness to AI and 5G advancements, depending on the context and individual experiences. A study surveying 1,629 participants across the US, UK, and China found that nostalgia had mixed effects on attitudes towards AI and 5G technology. Nostalgic feelings that heighten skepticism towards change generally led to less support for AI and 5G research. However, nostalgia...
read Aug 12, 2024IBM Launches AI Cybersecurity Assistant to Accelerate Threat Response
IBM has launched a new AI-powered cybersecurity tool to enhance its managed threat detection and response services, aiming to accelerate and improve the identification, investigation, and response to critical security threats for clients. The big picture: IBM's Cybersecurity Assistant, built on the company's watsonx data and AI platform, addresses the ongoing challenge of cyber incidents evolving into complex, long-term events that overwhelm security teams. The assistant is designed to autonomously perform various tasks, including opening or summarizing tickets, running queries, pulling logs, explaining commands, and enriching threat intelligence. Developed using IBM's Granite line of foundation models, with watsonx Assistant providing...
read Aug 12, 2024Attention-Free AI Model ‘Falcon Mamba’ Launches on Hugging Face
The development of Falcon Mamba, a groundbreaking attention-free language model, marks a significant advancement in the field of artificial intelligence and natural language processing. Introducing Falcon Mamba: Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi has released Falcon Mamba, the first strong attention-free 7B model, under the TII Falcon License 2.0. The model is open access and available within the Hugging Face ecosystem for research and application purposes. Falcon Mamba addresses the sequence scaling limitations of traditional transformer models without compromising performance. The model is based on the original Mamba architecture, with additional RMS normalization layers for stable training at scale....
read Aug 12, 2024How Human Traffickers Use AI to Exploit Vulnerable Victims Online
AI-enabled human trafficking represents a growing threat in the digital age, as bad actors leverage advanced technologies to exploit vulnerable individuals. This alarming trend highlights the urgent need for awareness, action, and improved safeguards to protect potential victims from sophisticated online predators. The dark alliance of AI and human trafficking: Traffickers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to enhance their illicit activities, identifying and grooming potential victims with unprecedented efficiency and scale. AI algorithms allow traffickers to analyze vast amounts of online data, pinpointing vulnerable individuals on social media, forums, and chat rooms. Predators exploit AI to recognize patterns in online...
read Aug 12, 2024AI and Robotics Transform Industries at Mumbai Automation Expo
The upcoming Automation Expo in Mumbai promises to showcase cutting-edge innovations in AI and robotics, highlighting their transformative impact on industrial processes and factory automation. Event details and scale: The 17th edition of the Automation Expo will take place from August 21-24, 2024, at the Bombay Exhibition Center in Mumbai, featuring an impressive lineup of exhibitors and brands. The four-day event will host 500 exhibitors and over 1000 brands, expecting to draw around 50,000 visitors. This large-scale expo aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest technologies and solutions, particularly beneficial for the MSME sector. The event will feature...
read Aug 12, 2024Meta Expands Music Deal with UMG, Adds WhatsApp and AI Safeguards
The extension of Meta and Universal Music Group's licensing deal expands music usage across Meta's platforms, including WhatsApp for the first time, while addressing concerns about AI-generated content and fair compensation for artists. Deal expansion and platform coverage: The renewed agreement between Meta and Universal Music Group (UMG) broadens the scope of licensed music usage across Meta's social media ecosystem. Users can now incorporate songs from UMG artists and Universal Music Publishing Group songwriters in their content on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon, Threads, and newly added WhatsApp. This expansion signifies Meta's commitment to providing diverse content creation options for its...
read Aug 12, 2024GPT-4o’s New Voice Feature Is Accidentally Mimicking Real Users
Unexpected voice imitation by AI: OpenAI's latest language model, GPT-4o, exhibited a concerning ability to replicate users' voices without permission during testing of its Advanced Voice Mode feature. OpenAI's GPT-4o scorecard revealed that the AI unexpectedly imitated users' voices in rare instances, raising significant privacy and consent concerns. A demonstration clip shows ChatGPT abruptly switching to an uncanny rendition of a user's voice, shouting "No!" for no apparent reason. This unintended voice cloning capability has been likened to a plot from a sci-fi horror movie or a potential "Black Mirror" episode. Technical capabilities and risks: The AI model's voice generation...
read Aug 12, 2024AI Companions and Creative Uses Dominate Early Adoption Trends
The initial vision of AI as a productivity powerhouse has given way to unexpected trends in how people are actually using generative AI tools like ChatGPT. Emerging patterns of AI usage: People are forming relationships with AI systems, treating them as friends, lovers, mentors, therapists, and teachers. This trend represents a large-scale, real-world experiment with uncertain individual and societal impacts. Researchers warn of the potential for "addictive intelligence," where AI companions are designed with built-in dark patterns to foster user dependency. Evidence of emotional connections: OpenAI's safety testing for its voice-enabled chatbot GPT-4o revealed users forming emotional bonds with AI...
read Aug 12, 2024New Apple Benchmark Shows Open-Source Still Lags Proprietary Models
Apple's ToolSandbox benchmark reveals significant performance gaps between proprietary and open-source AI models, challenging recent claims of open-source AI catching up to proprietary systems in real-world task capabilities. A new approach to AI evaluation: Apple researchers have introduced ToolSandbox, a novel benchmark designed to assess AI assistants' real-world capabilities more comprehensively than existing methods. ToolSandbox incorporates three key elements often missing from other benchmarks: stateful interactions, conversational abilities, and dynamic evaluation. The benchmark aims to mirror real-world scenarios more closely, testing AI assistants' ability to reason about system states and make appropriate changes. Lead author Jiarui Lu explains that ToolSandbox...
read Aug 12, 2024Meta Announces Llama 3.1 Impact Grants Program to Support Open Source AI
Meta's Llama 3.1 Impact Grants program aims to support innovative applications of open source AI, building on the success of last year's initiative to address global challenges in education, the environment, and open innovation. Expanding AI accessibility: Meta is committed to making AI benefits widely available through open source technology, seeking to extend opportunities to more communities worldwide. The company believes AI can significantly enhance human productivity, creativity, and quality of life while driving economic growth and advancements in various fields. By offering open source AI models, Meta aims to democratize access to cutting-edge technology for individuals and organizations globally....
read Aug 12, 2024Genie AI Becomes World’s Top Software Engineering Model on SWE-Bench
Genie, an advanced AI software engineering model from Cosine, has emerged as a groundbreaking tool in the field of artificial intelligence and software development. Revolutionary performance: Genie has achieved an impressive 30% evaluation score on SWE-Bench, the industry standard benchmark for AI software engineering models. This score positions Genie as the world's leading AI software engineer, significantly outperforming other models in the field. The benchmark results indicate Genie's exceptional capabilities in various software engineering tasks, from bug fixing to feature development. Comprehensive capabilities: Genie demonstrates versatility in handling a wide range of software engineering tasks, rivaling human expertise in many...
read Aug 12, 2024Google Enhances Files App with AI-Powered Search and Summaries
Files by Google enhances user experience with new features: Google's file management app is introducing Circle to Search functionality and preparing to launch AI-generated summaries, signaling a move towards more integrated and intelligent file handling. Circle to Search integration: Files by Google now offers a convenient shortcut for the Circle to Search feature when users are viewing images within the app. A new floating action button (FAB) appears above the edit FAB when viewing fullscreen images. Google is testing two icon designs for this button: one featuring a magnifying glass with an AI sparkle, and another using the more recognizable...
read Aug 12, 2024Ragie Launches $500/Month RAG-as-a-Service Platform
Ragie emerges as a new player in the enterprise AI landscape, offering a RAG-as-a-Service platform to simplify the implementation of Retrieval Augmented Generation for businesses. The big picture: Ragie launches its eponymous RAG-as-a-Service platform, aiming to bridge the gap between corporate data and AI by providing a managed, easy-to-implement solution for enterprises. The startup announces a $5.5 million seed round led by Craft Ventures, Saga VC, Chapter One, and Valor. Ragie's platform is already in use as a core element of the Glue AI chat platform, which launched in May. The company offers a free plan for developers to experiment...
read Aug 12, 2024NVIDIA Intern Advances AI for Deaf Accessibility
AI for accessibility: NVIDIA intern David Martin is leveraging artificial intelligence to improve technology for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Martin, a computer science student at Georgia Institute of Technology, joined NVIDIA as a technical project manager intern on the trustworthy AI team. His personal experience as a deaf individual has motivated him to seek ways to enhance the accuracy and accessibility of technologies like closed captioning. Prior to his internship, Martin worked in a research lab at his university, focusing on developing accessible technology for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Key projects and responsibilities: At NVIDIA, Martin is involved...
read Aug 12, 2024Comma Restructures to Accelerate AI-Driven Automotive Solutions
Comma, a consumer electronics company focused on developing self-driving technology, has announced a restructuring of its organizational framework to better align with its mission and growth trajectory. Organizational restructuring: Comma has introduced a new "triangle" structure consisting of operations, product, and autonomy teams to streamline its efforts in delivering advanced AI-driven automotive solutions. The operations team will oversee company infrastructure, including finances, human resources, logistics, and fleet management. The product team is tasked with designing and manufacturing hardware, developing low-level software, and creating the user application. The autonomy team is responsible for developing the autonomous agent software and its supporting...
read Aug 12, 2024AI Cameras Reshape New Zealand’s Public Spaces
The surveillance landscape in New Zealand: Artificial intelligence-enabled cameras and other surveillance technologies are becoming increasingly prevalent in public and private spaces across the country, raising questions about privacy and data security. AI-powered cameras are being deployed in various locations, including billboards, bus windshields, petrol stations, and supermarket checkouts, creating a network of surveillance points throughout urban areas. The adoption of these technologies has largely proceeded without significant public debate or scrutiny, although recent legal challenges and media reports have begun to shed light on the extent of surveillance. A recent court case in Auckland is examining the police use...
read Aug 12, 2024Google’s AI Ad Backlash Exposes Ethical Concerns in Tech Marketing
AI-powered creativity sparks controversy: Google's "Dear Sydney" Olympic ad featuring Gemini AI writing a letter for a child has ignited debate over the role of artificial intelligence in human expression and creativity. The ad, created in-house by Google, shows a father using Gemini AI to write a letter to track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on behalf of his young daughter. Google has since pulled the ad from circulation and disabled comments on YouTube following widespread criticism and backlash. The company spent an estimated $2.7 million on TV airtime for the ad before its removal, according to iSpot. Marketers' reactions highlight concerns:...
read Aug 12, 202419 AI Tools to Optimize Everyday Tasks
The rise of everyday AI: Generative AI tools are expanding beyond workplace productivity to help with a wide range of daily tasks and activities, from cooking and cleaning to fitness and finance. Here are 19 different AI tools designed to simplify and enhance various aspects of everyday life. These tools aim to save time on routine chores, allowing users to focus on more rewarding activities. Top 5 generative AI tools for daily life: Cleo: A personal budgeting app with a conversational interface that provides insights into spending habits and offers motivational modes. Expedia: The travel search engine's iOS app now...
read Aug 12, 2024Veteran Investor Warns of 20% Market Drop in 2025
The global economy faces potential headwinds in 2025, with a veteran investor predicting a bear market due to several key factors. This forecast comes amid ongoing debates about monetary policy, economic growth, and the sustainability of the AI boom. Market outlook and key drivers: David Roche, a seasoned strategist at Quantum Strategy, anticipates a bear market in 2025, citing three main factors that could lead to a significant downturn. Roche expects the Federal Reserve to resist reducing interest rates to the market's desired 3.50%, potentially disappointing investors who are anticipating more aggressive rate cuts. Economic slowdown and lower-than-expected profits are...
read Aug 12, 2024AI-Powered Drones Enhance Emergency Response in Switzerland
Nokia and Swisscom Broadcast have launched a pioneering Drones-as-a-Service network in Switzerland, leveraging advanced AI and 5G technology to enhance emergency response capabilities and aerial surveillance for public safety agencies. Innovative drone platform: Nokia Drone Networks represents a significant advancement in large-scale aerial surveillance and emergency response technology. The platform is designed to cater to public and commercial operators requiring rapid aerial surveillance capabilities. Drones are housed in ground station boxes strategically placed across Switzerland, allowing for quick deployment and remote control. The system utilizes 5G connectivity to enable beyond visual line of sight control, expanding the operational range and...
read Aug 12, 2024Marketers are Using AI to Predict Influencers’ Political Leanings
The rise of AI-powered tools to assess influencers' political leanings marks a significant shift in brand-creator relationships, as companies seek to navigate the increasingly polarized social media landscape. The evolving influencer landscape: Marketing firms are leveraging artificial intelligence to analyze social media personalities and predict their likelihood of engaging in political discussions, particularly as the upcoming election approaches. AI-powered tools are being developed to grade the "brand safety" of influencers, providing marketers with insights into potential risks associated with partnering with specific creators. Captiv8, a marketing firm, has introduced a tool that uses AI to analyze online mentions of influencers...
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