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WhatsApp Rolls Out Voice Messaging with Meta AI for Android Beta Testers
WhatsApp has introduced voice messaging with Meta AI, expanding the AI chatbot's capabilities beyond text and images. The new feature, currently limited to select Android beta testers, signals Meta's push to integrate its AI assistant across its popular apps, potentially setting the stage for a new era of AI-powered communication. Key Takeaways: WhatsApp beta for Android (version 2.24.16.10) now includes a voice message button in the Meta AI chat interface, allowing users to send voice messages to the AI chatbot. This update expands Meta AI's capabilities within WhatsApp, which were previously limited to text and image-based interactions. The voice messaging...
read Aug 2, 2024GitHub Just Launched an AI Model Playground for Developers
GitHub Models is a new feature that tightly integrates generative AI models into existing developer tools and workflows, aiming to make AI more accessible and accelerate the development of AI applications. Seamless integration with developer tools; GitHub Models allows developers to explore, test, and compare various AI models directly within the GitHub web interface, GitHub Codespaces, or Visual Studio Code, streamlining the process of experimenting with AI and incorporating it into their projects: The feature provides a robust playground for developers to interact with leading models like Meta's Llama 3.1, OpenAI's GPT-4o and GPT-4o mini, Cohere's Command, and Mistral AI's...
read Aug 2, 2024If You Work With Data, Try These Generative AI Data Analytics Tools
The rapid growth of data and the potential insights hidden within it have led to the development of generative AI tools that democratize data analytics, making it accessible to everyone, not just data scientists. The challenge of too much data: The exponential growth of data presents a challenge in extracting valuable insights that can drive advancements in various fields, from healthcare to business: The problem lies not in the lack of information but in the overwhelming amount of data available, making it difficult to know where to start. Traditionally, extracting insights from data required highly skilled individuals and significant time...
read Aug 2, 2024How to Use ChatGPT on Your Phone
The ChatGPT mobile app brings the power of the AI chatbot to smartphones, enabling users to access its capabilities on the go for tasks ranging from mundane to creative. Getting started with ChatGPT on mobile: The process of setting up and using the ChatGPT mobile app is straightforward and user-friendly: Users can download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store and sign in using their preferred method (email, Google, or Apple). To initiate a conversation, users simply type their prompt or query into the prompt box and tap the arrow to generate a response from ChatGPT. The...
read Aug 2, 2024Not All Semiconductor Firms Are Benefitting from the AI Boom
The boom in artificial intelligence (AI) is not benefiting all semiconductor firms equally, as recent earnings reports highlight the complexities and dominance of certain companies in the chip supply chain. Winners in the AI boom: Companies like Nvidia and AMD are reaping the rewards of tech giants' increased spending on computing resources for training large language models (LLMs) and developing generative AI applications: Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs) are widely used for training LLMs, leading to a significant boost in the company's revenue. AMD's new MI300X AI chip is gaining traction, with the company expecting data center GPU revenue to...
read Aug 2, 2024The SeaCheck App Uses AI to Update Beachgoers on Sea Conditions
Innovative technology: The SeaCheck app, launched by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, harnesses the power of real-time data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide up-to-date information about sea conditions: Users can access current information about sea temperature, wind speed, and wave height for Boscombe Beach -- so if you don't live in the UK, you unfortunately can't access it to understand local conditions, at least for now. The app aims to help beachgoers make informed decisions before entering the water for swimming, paddling, or surfing. Pilot program and future enhancements: The SeaCheck app is currently in a pilot phase...
read Aug 1, 2024GenAI Strains Data Centers, Highlights Urgent Need for Modernization
The rapid rise of generative AI is straining data centers and driving urgent modernization efforts, while budgets remain tight. As CIOs rush to bring genAI capabilities online, they face the daunting challenge of providing the immense power, cooling, and processing required to support these demanding workloads. The staggering energy demands of genAI: The scale of resources needed to support genAI is hard to comprehend, with ChatGPT alone estimated to consume enough daily energy to power 33,000 US homes. Data centers accounted for 4% of US energy consumption in 2022, and this figure is projected to reach 6% by 2026, according...
read Aug 1, 2024Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Appoints 1st Chief AI Officer
CISA hires inaugural Chief AI Officer, signaling growing importance of AI in federal cybersecurity efforts. Key Development: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has appointed its first-ever Chief AI Officer, following a government-wide mandate issued in March: The hiring of a Chief AI Officer at CISA is particularly noteworthy given the agency's critical role in safeguarding national infrastructure, combating foreign influence operations, and ensuring election cybersecurity. This move comes as part of a broader push across all federal agencies to prioritize AI integration and oversight, with more such appointments expected in the near future. CISA's Unique Position: As the...
read Aug 1, 2024Black Forest Labs’ ‘Flux’ Is the Lates Open-Source Text-to-Image Model
Flux by Black Forest Labs sets a new standard for open-source text-to-image models with its impressive 12B parameters and Midjourney-like aesthetics. Introducing Flux: Black Forest Labs, the team behind Stable Diffusion, has released Flux, the largest state-of-the-art open-source text-to-image model to date: Flux pushes the boundaries of creativity and performance, delivering high-quality visuals reminiscent of Midjourney. The model boasts an impressive 12B parameters, setting a new standard for open-source text-to-image models. Three Variations of Flux: BFL has released three versions of the model, each catering to different user needs and licensing requirements: FLUX.1 [dev]: The base model, open-sourced with a...
read Aug 1, 2024OpenAI Removes Non-Disparagement Clauses, Recommits to AI Safety
OpenAI's commitment to AI safety and employee rights takes center stage as the company gears up for its next major release, signaling a proactive approach to addressing key concerns in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Collaboration with US AI Safety Institute: OpenAI has partnered with the US AI Safety Institute to provide early access to its upcoming foundation model, demonstrating a commitment to prioritizing safety in the development process: While no specific release date for the new model has been announced, the collaboration underscores OpenAI's efforts to engage with external experts to ensure responsible deployment of its AI technologies. The...
read Aug 1, 2024Perplexity Introduces Sponsored Questions in Shift to Ad-Driven Model
Perplexity has introduces sponsored follow-up questions in its AI search engine, marking a shift towards an advertising-driven model similar to Google's search ads. Key details of Perplexity's new sponsorship scheme: The AI conversational search engine is partnering with publishers to introduce paid "related follow-up questions" that users see when researching a topic: Sponsored questions will be clearly labeled, mirroring the approach of Google's sponsored search links. Initial partners include TIME, Der Spiegel, Fortune, Entrepreneur, The Texas Tribune, and WordPress.com, who will share revenue with Perplexity based on the number of people who see the branded questions. Implications for traditional publishing...
read Aug 1, 2024Gary Marcus: How Outliers Expose the AI Industry’s Fragile Future
The rapid rise and potential fall of the current AI industry can be largely explained by one crucial fact: AI struggles with outliers, leading to absurd outputs when faced with unusual situations. The outlier problem: Current machine learning approaches, which underpin most of today's AI, perform poorly when encountering circumstances that deviate from their training examples: A Carnegie Mellon computer scientist, Phil Koopman, illustrates this issue using the example of a driverless car accident involving an overturned double trailer, which the AI system failed to recognize due to its unfamiliarity with the situation. This limitation, also known as the problem...
read Aug 1, 2024HBR: College Remains Vital Despite Rise of Online Learning and AI
The era of online learning has led some to question the value of a traditional college education, but in-person higher education still offers unique benefits that can't be replicated through a screen. The misguided perception of college as merely an information gatekeeper: The abundance of free online learning resources has caused many to view college solely as a means of acquiring knowledge and skills, overlooking its other valuable offerings: College provides transformative experiences that help students develop crucial soft skills like critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and creativity. These competencies are often best acquired through teamwork and repetition, which...
read Aug 1, 2024Anthropic’s New ‘APS’ Simplifies Complex Data Processing for AI Apps
Aryn Partitioning Service launch announcement: Anthropic has announced the Aryn Partitioning Service (APS), a serverless, GPU-powered API for segmenting and labeling PDF documents, performing OCR, extracting tables and images, and more, aiming to simplify the processing of complex, unstructured data for various applications. Key features and benefits: APS runs the Aryn Partitioner and its state-of-the-art, open-source deep learning DETR AI model, which has been trained on over 80,000 enterprise documents. The service can lead to 6x more accurate data chunking and 2x improved recall on hybrid search or RAG compared to off-the-shelf systems. Users can access APS through an API...
read Aug 1, 2024Germany Accuses China of Cyber Attack, US Mulls AI Export Restrictions
Key details of the cyber attack: Germany's Ministry of the Interior and Home Affairs has attributed a 2021 cyber attack on the Federal Office of Cartography and Geodesy (BKG) to China-controlled actors, alleging espionage as the motive: The attackers first compromised devices belonging to private individuals and businesses before infiltrating the BKG's systems. A part of the BKG's network was compromised, but malware was not found elsewhere in the agency's systems, and the attacker was not able to maintain a presence after networks were rebuilt. Germany's strong condemnation: Federal minister of the interior Nancy Faeser issued a stern warning to...
read Aug 1, 2024Embracing Agility: How to Thrive in the Evolving World of Generative AI
The world of generative AI is rapidly evolving, and organizations must embrace agility and experimentation to effectively harness its potential and remain competitive. Adapting to the GenAI landscape: Adopting an agile, iterative approach is crucial for organizations looking to successfully integrate generative AI technologies: Companies should foster a culture of experimentation, continuously testing, refining, and adapting their AI models based on real-time feedback and performance metrics. Cross-functional collaboration between technical teams, business stakeholders, and end-users is essential to ensure that AI applications are not only technically robust but also aligned with key business objectives and user needs. Real-world examples of...
read Aug 1, 2024‘OnePlus Open Apex’ AI-Powered Foldable Phone Launches Next Week
The OnePlus Open Apex Edition, a cosmetic refresh of the OnePlus Open smartphone, is set to launch on August 7 with a new red colorway and potentially enhanced storage and AI features, but may come at a higher price point. New design and inspiration: The Apex Edition introduces the "Crimson Shadow" colorway, a striking red hue with a faux leather texture inspired by the iconic Hasselblad 503CW 60 Years Victor Red Edition camera. The phone's large black camera island combined with the new red color gives off a strong Deadpool vibe, making it visually distinct from the original OnePlus Open....
read Aug 1, 2024ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Feature Generating Buzz and Concern Among Early Users
ChatGPT's Advanced Voice feature is generating buzz with its impressive capabilities, though some realistic outputs are causing unease. Key Takeaways: Select users have access to ChatGPT's new Advanced Voice feature, which allows the AI to speak in various accents, dialects, and even imitate specific scenarios like an airline pilot's announcement. The AI's adaptability to different voices and accents is remarkable, with examples showcasing its ability to speak dozens of languages and regional variations. While the feature is not perfect yet, with limitations like struggling to add appropriate sound effects, the overall performance is still impressive and has the potential to...
read Aug 1, 2024Hedra AI Raises $10M to Empower Video Creators with Speed and Control
AI video creation tool Hedra launches with $10M in seed funding to enable faster, more expressive video generation for content creators, marketers, and businesses. Key Takeaways: Hedra's flagship offering, Character-1, stands out in the crowded generative AI video market by balancing speed and control, allowing users to create longer-form, character-centric videos more efficiently: Hedra has raised a relatively small $10M seed round compared to well-funded competitors like Runway ($237M), Pika ($80M), and Luma ($70M), but has already seen strong traction with over 350,000 users generating 1.6 million videos. Character-1 focuses on integrated workflow tools for automating the production of YouTube videos,...
read Aug 1, 2024Stability AI’s ‘Stable Fast 3D’ Generates 3D Images in Half a Second
Stability AI introduces Stable Fast 3D, a rapid single-image 3D model generation technology, significantly reducing processing time and expanding practical applications across industries. Key Advancements: Stable Fast 3D represents a major leap forward in 3D image generation speed and efficiency: The new model can generate a 3D image from a single input image in just half a second, a dramatic improvement over previous models that required minutes to achieve similar results. Stable Fast 3D builds upon Stability AI's prior work with the TripoSR model, incorporating innovative methods for high-quality 3D mesh reconstruction from single images. Technological Innovations: The model combines...
read Aug 1, 2024How AI is Reshaping the C-Suite
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into high-level business operations is reshaping corporate governance and strategic decision-making, with profound implications for C-suite dynamics and responsibilities. Pressures to integrate AI: Corporate boards and investors are increasingly pushing CEOs to develop comprehensive AI strategies and implement systems that enable real-time, data-driven decision-making: Investors are demanding more rigorous and transparent models, particularly in areas like revenue forecasting where AI can provide strategic insights. AI has demonstrated the capability to offer strategic recommendations at the C-suite level when provided with relevant data, but its integration is not without challenges. Balancing AI insights and...
read Aug 1, 2024AI Music Startup Suno Challenges Copyright Law in Landmark Lawsuit
Boston-Based AI startup Suno is asserting its right to use copyrighted music to train its AI models that generate new songs, arguing that this practice does not violate copyright law and is protected under fair use provisions. Legal Precedent and Fair Use: Suno's legal team draws parallels to a previous case where Google was allowed to create a searchable index of millions of books without infringing on publishers' copyrights, setting a precedent for using copyrighted material to develop new products: The company argues that training AI models on copyrighted music to generate new, original songs falls under fair use, as...
read Aug 1, 2024You Can Chat with Google’s New AI-Powered Chrome Browser
Google unveils AI-powered Chrome features to enhance browsing and search experiences. Conversational history search: Chrome's new feature leverages Google's AI to help users find previously visited web pages using natural language queries: Users can ask questions like "What was that ice cream shop I looked at last week?" and Chrome will present relevant pages from their browsing history. The feature is easily accessible through the history tab and requires no additional setup, but can be turned off in settings if desired. Incognito mode browsing data will not be included in the search results, maintaining user privacy. Tab compare for easy...
read Aug 1, 2024Advertising Association Releases Inaugural AI Taskforce Report
The Advertising Association's inaugural AI Taskforce report outlines the creative potential, risks, and regulatory challenges of AI in marketing. Key findings and recommendations: The report, co-chaired by Google and VCCP, aims to build communities and share best practices around AI adoption in marketing: The report is divided into three sections: The AI Context and Opportunity, AI in Action, and Regulation, Sustainability and Ethics in AI. Rather than providing strict guidelines, the report focuses on fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among marketers regarding AI implementation. The Advertising Association's AI Taskforce, established in September 2023, seeks to navigate the complexities of AI...
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