Jul 31, 2024

A New AI Blood Test Predicts Male Infertility

The AI-powered blood test shows promise in predicting male infertility risk, potentially making initial screening more accessible without the need for specialized labs, though it is not a replacement for comprehensive semen analysis. Key Takeaways: Researchers have developed an AI system that can predict male infertility risk with 74% accuracy by measuring hormone levels in blood samples associated with sperm production. The AI model can also predict non-obstructive azoospermia, a severe form of infertility where sperm are absent from semen, with 100% accuracy. While the AI-enhanced blood test could make initial infertility screening more accessible in primary care settings, it...

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Zyphra Launches Open-Source Small Language Model Zamba2

The recently released Zamba2-2.7B is a cutting-edge small language model that delivers superior performance and efficiency, underscoring the growing prominence and potential of SLMs in the AI landscape. Key Takeaways from Zamba2-2.7B Release: Zyphra's latest model, Zamba2-2.7B, sets a new standard for small language models, offering impressive capabilities and efficiency: Zamba2-2.7B achieves twice the speed and 27% reduced memory overhead compared to other models, matching the performance of larger 7B models. The model is trained on a substantial dataset of approximately 3 trillion tokens derived from Zyphra's proprietary datasets, ensuring high-quality and relevant training data. Advanced techniques such as interleaved...

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Mentioning AI in Products May Reduce Consumer Trust and Purchase Intent

The increasing use of AI in products may not always lead to higher sales, as mentioning the technology can reduce consumer trust and purchase intent. Key findings: A study led by Washington State University researchers reveals that including the term "artificial intelligence" in product descriptions consistently lowered consumers' likelihood of buying those products: Across experiments involving over 1,000 U.S. adults, products described as using AI were consistently less popular compared to identical offerings without the AI mention. The negative impact of AI disclosure on purchase intent was mediated by lower levels of emotional trust, suggesting consumers feel less confident about...

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Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is an AI-Powered Smartphone at a Competitive Price

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus, a new AI-powered smartphone, has launched with promising features and specs that position it as a potential competitor in the mid-range market: The (2a) Plus boasts a triple 50MP camera setup, 4K video recording, 20GB of RAM, and speeds 10% faster than its predecessor, the Nothing Phone (2a), at a price point of $399. Nothing claims impressive battery life and fast charging capabilities, with the phone able to handle nearly 18 hours of continuous social media scrolling or provide a full day's charge in just 20 minutes. AI-driven enhancements take center stage: Nothing is embracing...

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U.S. Copyright Office Urges New Law to Combat AI-Generated Digital Replicas

The U.S. Copyright Office has called for new federal law to combat unauthorized digital replicas, as part of its ongoing study on AI and copyright: The Office's Report responds to the growing threat of convincingly manipulated videos, images, and audio that falsely depict individuals, recognizing that existing legal protections are insufficient. Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter emphasizes the urgency of nationwide protection against the reputational and financial harms caused by unauthorized digital replicas, affecting public figures and private citizens alike. Comprehensive AI and copyright initiative: The Copyright Office launched a wide-ranging study in early 2023 to examine the complex intersection...

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U.S. to Exempt Allies from Chip Restrictions

Key developments: The Biden administration is reportedly planning to exempt allies like Japan and the Netherlands from forthcoming restrictions on advanced semiconductor technology exports, leading to a rally in chip stocks worldwide: Reuters reported that the U.S. will exempt key allies from the planned trade restrictions, which aim to limit China's access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The news led to significant gains for major chip companies in Japan, the Netherlands, and South Korea, with shares of Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML climbing as much as 11% in Amsterdam. Industry impact: U.S. chip giants Nvidia and AMD also saw substantial...

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Wix’s New AI Blogging Tools Will Write Your Entire Article for You

Wix introduces AI-powered blogging tools to generate SEO-optimized content, potentially flooding the web with low-quality posts and prioritizing search rankings over genuine information. Key features of Wix's AI blogging tools: Wix's new AI-powered blogging features aim to make it easier for users to create SEO-optimized content without writing the posts themselves: The tools can generate AI-created drafts or outlines for blog posts, which human writers can then use as a foundation to maintain the appearance of user-generated content. Users can receive suggestions for blog titles, copy, and images based on their website's information, products, events, or services. The AI can...

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Senators Propose “No Fakes Act” to Protect Against Unauthorized AI Replicas

Senators introduce bill to protect against unauthorized AI replicas: Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) are introducing the updated "No Fakes Act" to prevent the creation of AI replicas without consent, sparked by actress Scarlett Johansson's recent accusation against OpenAI. The bill would grant individuals a federal property right to approve the use of their voice, appearance, or likeness in AI replicas, with legal consequences for unauthorized use. The protection would extend to both celebrities and everyday people, according to Sen. Coons. OpenAI claims it never intended to mimic Johansson's voice and had hired a different voice actress...

read Jul 31, 2024

Practical Tips to Build AI Literacy and Stay Ahead in the Age of AI

The rapid pace of AI development has made staying informed a challenge, but Nathaniel Whittemore, host of The AI Daily Brief podcast and founder of Superintelligent, has developed effective strategies for curating information and leveraging AI in his content creation workflow. Curating AI news with specialized tools: Whittemore utilizes a combination of tools to stay on top of the latest developments in AI: X bookmarks, Google News, and news aggregator Feedly help him discover and organize relevant articles and updates. Research tool Perplexity aids in diving deeper into specific topics and finding additional context. Insights from producing a top-ranked podcast:...

read Jul 31, 2024

Deepfake Porn is a Harrowing New Frontier of Digital Harassment for Women

The rise of deepfakes has enabled a disturbing new form of digital harassment targeting women, even at the highest levels of politics, with little recourse for victims. A public servant targeted: Sabrina Javellana, one of Florida's youngest elected officials, discovered explicit deepfake images of herself posted on online forums alongside misogynistic comments: The fakes were nearly identical to real photos from her social media accounts, but with her clothes digitally removed. As a progressive politician, Javellana had faced vitriolic threats before, but this violation felt distinctly personal and traumatizing. Seeking help and finding dead ends: Javellana's attempts to get the...

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Apple Chooses Google’s AI Chips Over Nvidia, Signaling Shift in Industry Landscape

Apple has chosen to use Google's AI chips instead of industry-leading Nvidia GPUs for its new artificial intelligence infrastructure, a move that could have significant implications for the AI industry. Key details from Apple's research paper: A report published on Monday revealed that Apple is using Google's tensor processing units (TPUs) to power its AI model training process, rather than Nvidia's widely-used GPUs: Apple deployed 2,048 of Google's advanced TPUv5p chips and 8,192 TPUv4 processors to develop the server-side of its new AI model, which is designed to operate on iPhones and other Apple products. The research paper detailing Apple's...

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Why We May Be Closer Than We Think to AI Reading Our Minds

The rapid advancement of AI and its potential to read our minds is becoming a reality, with significant implications for the future of imagination, privacy, and human-AI interactions. Decoding brain activity at MIT: Researchers are making progress in understanding the complex patterns of brain waves and their associations with various cognitive processes and neurological conditions: Scientists have identified distinct interactions between beta and gamma waves across the cortex that target the processing of specific stimuli, rather than being generic in nature. Synchronous brain waves have been linked to epilepsy, while impaired predictive coding in the brain has been associated with...

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Taco Bell is the Latest Fast Food Chain to Offer Voice AI at the Drive-Thru

Taco Bell is expanding its use of AI technology to handle drive-thru orders in the US, with the goal of improving efficiency and profitability. AI-powered drive-thru ordering: Yum! Brands, Taco Bell's parent company, has been testing Voice AI technology at over 100 Taco Bell drive-thru locations in the US for around two years. The company plans to expand the technology to "hundreds" of Taco Bell stores by the end of the year. Voice AI is also being introduced to five KFC restaurants in Australia, another Yum! Brands subsidiary. Potential benefits of AI in fast food: Yum! Brands is promoting the...

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Alt-Weeklies Are Publishing Loads of AI-Generated OnlyFans Clickbait

The once-iconic alt-weeklies are now publishing AI-generated clickbait about OnlyFans alongside their editorial content, marking a troubling trend in the decline of these publications. AI-generated content masquerading as journalism: Several prominent U.S. alt-weekly newspapers, including the Village Voice, LA Weekly, and the Riverfront Times, are running search-engine-optimized listicles about porn performers that appear to be AI-generated: These listicles, which rank pornographic performers by various demographics, are presented as editorial content without any labels indicating they are advertisements or sponsored posts. AI detection startup Reality Defender scanned a sample of these posts and found a "high probability" that they contain AI-generated...

read Jul 31, 2024

Takeaways from the Zuck-Huang Chat at SIGGRAPH this Week

The CEOs of NVIDIA and Meta recently discussed the future of open-source AI and virtual assistants, envisioning AI becoming as ubiquitous as websites and social media for businesses. Democratizing AI Creation: Meta launched AI Studio, a platform designed to make AI development accessible to millions of creators and small businesses. AI Studio allows users to create, share, and discover AI characters, potentially opening up AI development to a wider audience. Zuckerberg believes that in the future, every business will have an AI, just like they have email addresses, websites, and social media accounts today. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-cmMcMZoZ4[/embed] NVIDIA's AI Advancements: NVIDIA showcased...

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How AI is Accelerating Professional Soccer

Artificial intelligence is transforming the world of soccer, from tactical planning to player performance and fan engagement, ushering in a new era of innovation and excellence in the sport. AI's impact on tactical planning and player performance: The integration of AI in soccer is revolutionizing the way teams approach the game and manage their players: Top European clubs like Liverpool and Barcelona are using AI to analyze vast amounts of data, helping coaches understand opponents' play styles, strengths, and weaknesses, enabling them to devise more effective tactics. MLS teams such as LA Galaxy and Atlanta United leverage AI for detailed...

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Google’s AI Optimizes Traffic Lights, Reducing Stops by 30% in Early Tests

Google's Project Green Light aims to optimize traffic flow with AI and Maps data. Key Takeaways: Google's Project Green Light utilizes AI and historical travel data from Android users to analyze driver behavior at intersections and make recommendations to cities for optimizing traffic light timing: The system models driver behavior at specific intersections using data from Maps users to determine optimal signal timing adjustments Cities can implement Google's AI-based recommendations without needing additional hardware or software, simply inputting the suggestions into their existing light scheduling systems In some cases, the optimizations have reduced the number of stops drivers experience by...

read Jul 31, 2024

AI Features to Expect in Apple’s iOS 18.1 Beta

Apple has unveiled the iOS 18.1 beta, introducing a range of AI-powered features and enhancements to the iPhone user experience, with a stable release expected in the coming months. Key Takeaways: The iOS 18.1 beta introduces Apple Intelligence features, including an enhanced Siri, AI call recording and transcriptions, and writing tools. While the beta is currently available for developers, the stable release is expected to roll out in September, closely following the iPhone 16 series debut. However, the full-fledged Apple Intelligence rollout may take longer, with sources suggesting these features may be available on iOS by October. Enhanced Siri and...

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Baidu’s Self-Reasoning AI Holds Promise for Combating Hallucinations

Baidu unveils self-reasoning AI framework to enhance language model accuracy: Baidu's innovative approach aims to tackle the issue of hallucination in large language models by enabling AI systems to critically evaluate their own knowledge and decision-making processes. The multi-step framework involves assessing the relevance of retrieved information, selecting pertinent documents, and analyzing the reasoning path to generate well-supported answers. By being more discerning about the information it uses, the AI system can improve accuracy and transparency, which is crucial for building trust in AI-generated content. Impressive performance with limited training data: Baidu's self-reasoning AI framework has demonstrated remarkable results, outperforming...

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Google’s AI Olympics Ad Sparks Backlash

Key Takeaways: Google's new Olympics commercial showcasing an AI chatbot helping a young girl write a letter to her track star idol has drawn criticism for its portrayal of AI's role in facilitating human connection and creativity: The ad depicts a father using Google's Gemini chatbot to help his daughter write a letter to Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, with the AI composing the message based on prompts. Critics argue that the ad undermines the authenticity and cuteness of a child writing a personal letter to their idol by inserting a large language model into the process. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgtHJKn0Mck[/embed] Reactions and...

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AMD’s Data Center Boom Overshadows Gaming Woes

The revenue growth and strong market position of AMD is driven by its data center business, while gaming segment faces challenges due to the maturing console cycle. The company is investing heavily in AI and expects significant growth opportunities across its business. Record data center revenue fuels AMD's growth: AMD's Q2 revenue increased 9% year-over-year to $5.8 billion, surpassing analyst expectations, primarily driven by the data center segment: Data center revenue reached a record $2.8 billion, a 115% increase compared to the previous year, powered by strong demand for AMD Instinct GPUs and 4th Gen Epyc processors. Client segment revenue...

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Here are the Features Acer Just Integrated into its New AI Computers

Acer introduces a range of AI-powered features in its laptops to enhance user experience and productivity. These features leverage AI technologies to improve everyday computing tasks, video conferencing, and personalization. Smarter digital assistance with Copilot: Acer AI-powered laptops come with Microsoft Copilot, a part of the latest Microsoft Windows operating system, which offers advanced digital assistance: Copilot can answer queries, draft emails and messages, and even create images from simple text prompts. It also integrates with other apps, including Microsoft's Edge Browser to summarize entire web pages, boosting productivity. Enhanced video conferencing with Acer PurifiedView and PurifiedVoice: Acer's AI-powered features...

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Google Photos AI Editing Tools Are Now Free

The AI editing tools in Google Photos, once reserved for paying Google One customers, are now freely accessible to all users. Google recently shared insights into effectively using these features, particularly highlighting the differences between Magic Eraser and Magic Editor's erase tool. Key Takeaways: Google's senior product manager, Selena, explains the distinct use cases for Magic Eraser and Magic Editor: Magic Eraser excels at quick, minor edits, such as removing small background objects in landscape shots. Magic Editor's generative AI capabilities make it better suited for more complex, prominent foreground object removal, as it can effectively fill the space left...

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AI Search War Heats Up as AI Firms Partner with Publishers

Perplexity recently announced revenue-sharing deals with publishers, but it is far from the only player in the space with its eyes set on how to make AI search a big (and ethical) business. The appeal of AI-powered search: AI chatbots aim to provide comprehensive answers to user queries, eliminating the need to open and read multiple links. The promise of these chatbots means tech giants are racing to develop their own versions of AI-powered search. Tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI are vying to leverage generative AI to transform the traditional search experience. For AI-powered search to work effectively,...

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