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Healthvana Thinks a Drag Queen AI Chatbot Will Revolutionize Patient Engagement
Healthvana, a patient engagement platform company, is taking a unique approach to help engage people about their health by using drag queen personas in their AI chatbot. Drag queens bring acceptance and de-stigmatization to healthcare interactions: Healthvana believes that drag queen personas provide an unvarnished, empathetic truth that is both fun and de-stigmatizing, making patients feel more comfortable discussing their health concerns. The company's AI chatbot allows patients to interact with a standard AI or a drag queen AI, with 80% of patient conversations happening with the drag queen persona. Patients are using the platform to have serious, open conversations...
read Jul 12, 2024Firefox Tests AI Chatbot Integration, Prioritizing User Choice and Privacy
Firefox is testing AI chatbot integration, allowing users to interact with AI models directly within the browser, while prioritizing user choice, agency, and privacy: Key developments: Firefox's nightly build now includes an experimental, opt-in AI chatbot feature that aims to enhance productivity by minimizing the need to switch between tabs or applications: Users can enable the feature through the settings menu and choose from various chatbot options, including ChatGPT, HuggingChat, Google Gemini, and Le Chat Mistral. The AI chatbot integration is not built into Firefox's core elements, emphasizing the principles of user choice and optional usage. Functionality and limitations: While...
read Jul 12, 2024EU’s AI Act Compliance Deadlines Set, Ushering in New Era of AI Regulation
The EU's landmark AI Act sets compliance deadlines for tech companies, beginning the countdown to a new era of AI regulation. The sweeping set of rules aims to protect citizens' rights and ensure transparency in the development and use of AI systems. Key compliance deadlines: The AI Act will come into effect on August 1st, 2024, with several compliance deadlines tied to this date: By February 2nd, 2025, companies must comply with bans on AI applications that pose an "unacceptable risk," such as biometric categorization, emotion recognition in sensitive settings, social scoring systems, and certain predictive policing tools. By May...
read Jul 12, 2024Anthropic’s Console Upgrade: Empowering AI Development with Enhanced Prompting and Customization
Anthropic's Console gets major upgrade, bolstering its position as a powerhouse tool for AI development; The Console, powered by Anthropic's advanced Claude 3.5 Sonnet model, now offers enhanced capabilities for building sophisticated prompts and fine-tuning AI interactions, making it an essential tool for developers and AI enthusiasts. Key features and improvements: Prompt generator: Users can input task descriptions in natural language, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet will generate high-quality, detailed prompts tailored to the specific task, streamlining the prompting process and eliminating the "blank page" problem. Customizable interfaces: The Console allows for more than just text input, enabling users to set...
read Jul 12, 2024NVIDIA Is Going to Release Some Major Papers at SIGGRAPH 2024
NVIDIA researchers are set to present over 20 papers at the SIGGRAPH 2024 conference, showcasing advancements in rendering, simulation, and generative AI that promise to revolutionize the creation of virtual worlds and synthetic data. Diffusion models enhance visual storytelling and texture painting: NVIDIA's research is pushing the boundaries of diffusion models, making it easier for creators to generate consistent imagery for storytelling and enabling real-time texture painting on 3D meshes: ConsiStory, a collaboration with Tel Aviv University, introduces a technique called subject-driven shared attention, which dramatically reduces the time needed to generate a series of images featuring the same character...
read Jul 12, 2024A Startup Spun out of Meta Has a Massive AI Model that Speaks the Language of Proteins
A startup spun out of Meta has unveiled a massive AI model that speaks the language of proteins, creating new fluorescent molecules in an impressive proof-of-principle demonstration. EvolutionaryScale debuts protein language model ESM3: EvolutionaryScale, launched by former Meta scientists, announced its new protein language model ESM3 this month alongside $142 million in new funding to apply the model to drug development, sustainability, and other areas: ESM3 was trained on over 2.7 billion protein sequences and structures, as well as data on protein functions, allowing it to design proteins to user specifications. The model is seen as a frontier in the...
read Jul 12, 2024IBM Exec: Integrating Enterprise Data into AI Models is Key to Success
IBM's David Cox champions open innovation in enterprise generative AI, emphasizing the importance of transparency, collaboration, and the integration of proprietary business data into AI models. Nuanced view of openness in AI: Cox challenges the notion that openness in AI is a simple binary concept, highlighting the growing ecosystem of open models from various sources, including tech giants, universities, and nation-states: He raises concerns about the quality of openness in many large language models (LLMs), noting that some provide only a "bag of numbers" without clear information on how they were produced, making reproducibility difficult or impossible. Cox outlines key...
read Jul 12, 2024AI’s Persuasive Power: Balancing Public Health Benefits with Manipulation Risks
OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman is promoting AI's potential to positively influence public health by persuading people to make healthier choices, while the company also grapples with the risks of increasingly persuasive AI models. Key takeaways: OpenAI is actively researching the persuasive capabilities of AI and the potential risks associated with this power: Altman co-authored an article highlighting Thrive AI, a startup aiming to use AI to nudge people towards healthier behaviors through personalized recommendations. OpenAI's Preparedness team, led by Aleksander Madry, is studying the extent to which AI models can be used to persuade people, as well as the associated...
read Jul 11, 2024AI Raises Concerns Among Students About Privacy, Democracy, and Future of Work at Risk
The rise of AI is prompting important discussions about its implications for the future of work, education, and society. MIT's Ramesh Raskar shares insights on key concerns raised by students and young professionals. Data privacy and regulation: As AI and large language models (LLMs) enable the creation of various applications, there are concerns about the need for proper regulation and control to prevent misuse and protect personal data: Examples like facial recognition technologies and ubiquitous tracking of personal data by third parties highlight the challenges in ensuring data privacy and ownership in the AI era. The notion of data democratization...
read Jul 11, 2024Researchers are Using AI to Decipher Sperm Whale ‘Language’
Researchers have uncovered complex structures in sperm whale communication that bear similarities to those found in human language, potentially revolutionizing our understanding of these enigmatic ocean giants. AI reveals sperm whale "phonetic alphabet": Using artificial intelligence to analyze thousands of sperm whale recordings, researchers identified 156 distinct codas (rhythmic click sequences) and their basic building blocks, akin to phonemes in human language: The AI detected subtle variations in coda speed, rhythm, and ornamentation, suggesting a richer information-carrying capacity than previously thought. The sperm whale "phonemes" can be combined to create a vast repertoire of vocalizations, hinting at the possibility of...
read Jul 11, 2024AI’s Future: From Search Engine to Creative Partner, Transforming Work and Life
Anthropic co-founder Jared Kaplan sees AI becoming ubiquitous, with a focus on on-demand bespoke software that can actively collaborate with users to build tools and content. AI as a creative partner: Kaplan envisions a future where AI doesn't just use pre-built software but crafts custom software on demand, transforming how teams leverage AI in enterprise settings: Anthropic's Artifacts feature hints at AI moving beyond being a fancy search engine to becoming a creative partner, potentially upending software development and content creation. AI agents could navigate complex codebases, make multiple changes, and run tests to verify their work, significantly impacting software...
read Jul 11, 2024Utah Launches AI Policy Office to Shape Regulations and Mitigate Risks
Utah has launched its Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy to shape AI regulations and explore the most effective methods of mitigating risks while fostering responsible development. Key focus areas: The Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy (OAIP) will study AI-related issues and collaborate with industry experts, academics, and regulators to find and implement best practices in AI regulation: The OAIP's first focus area will be the use of AI in healthcare, with a specific emphasis on mental health applications. Businesses, academic institutions, and other subject matter experts are invited to participate in this initiative. The office is also seeking public input...
read Jul 11, 2024K-pop Fans Clash Over AI’s Role in Beloved Genre
The use of AI in K-pop music and music videos has sparked a divisive debate among fans, as leading groups like Seventeen and Aespa experiment with the technology. Fans divided on AI's role in K-pop: While some fans appreciate AI's potential to help artists overcome creative blocks, others worry it could diminish the personal connection between fans and their favorite musicians: Seventeen member Woozi admitted to "experimenting" with AI for songwriting on their latest album, stating that it's a "technological development that we have to leverage, not just be dissatisfied with." Fans value K-pop artists who are hands-on with choreographing,...
read Jul 11, 2024Microsoft, Apple Retreat from OpenAI Board Amid Regulatory Scrutiny and Legal Battles
Microsoft and Apple pull back from OpenAI board roles as regulatory scrutiny intensifies: Microsoft and Apple have decided to relinquish their advisory board positions at OpenAI amidst growing regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech's influence over leading AI startups. Microsoft, OpenAI's biggest backer and most important partner, confirmed it will abandon its advisory role on OpenAI's board of directors. Apple, which recently struck a deal to integrate ChatGPT into its products, has also withdrawn plans to take an advisory board role. The decisions come as governments in the U.S. and Europe are taking a closer look at the power dynamics between...
read Jul 11, 2024AI Startup Jacobi Robotics Raises $5M to Make Box-Stacking Safer and More Efficient
A startup is using AI to revolutionize the tedious and injury-prone task of stacking boxes on pallets in warehouses, potentially delivering a tangible win for commercial robotics in the near term. The importance of pallets in the global supply chain: Pallets are ubiquitous in the movement of goods worldwide, with billions in circulation and hundreds of billions of dollars worth of products transported on them annually: Over 2 billion pallets are used in the U.S. alone, carrying $400 billion in exported goods each year. Despite their critical role, loading boxes onto pallets remains a manual task fraught with risks of...
read Jul 11, 2024Intuit Lays Off 1,800, Plans to Hire 1,800 in AI and Data Push
Intuit lays off 1,800 employees while also planning to hire 1,800 new ones as it focuses on investing in AI and data. Restructuring at Intuit: CEO Sasan Goodarzi announced layoffs, which include approximately 1,050 employees "not meeting expectations," as part of the company's plan to accelerate investments in data and AI: The layoffs come after Intuit had previously been noted for avoiding mass layoffs last spring, unlike many of its peers in the tech industry. Intuit recently shut down the Mint app and MailChimp-owned TinyLetter, signaling a shift in the company's priorities and focus. Investing in AI and data: Intuit's...
read Jul 11, 2024Super Micro Poised for Upside, Wells Fargo Says
Super Micro Computer poised for upside preannouncement, according to Wells Fargo: Super Micro, a server company and AI play, could issue a positive announcement ahead of its early August earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter, potentially offsetting its third-quarter revenue miss. Wells Fargo analysts, led by Aaron Rakers, note that Super Micro has historically either preannounced or published its earnings release date around 19 days after the close of its quarterly results. Improved investor sentiment and the stock's valuation boost optimism for a possible upside preannouncement late next week. Super Micro's shares have more than tripled this year, climbing 215%,...
read Jul 11, 2024OpenAI’s Altman Launches AI Ethics Council to Ensure Responsible Development
OpenAI's Sam Altman co-founds AI Ethics Council to help ensure responsible AI development as the technology rapidly advances; The new council, co-founded by Altman and Operation HOPE CEO John Hope Bryant, aims to establish ethical guidelines for AI and ensure traditionally underrepresented communities have a voice in the AI revolution. Council's mission and goals: The AI Ethics Council's primary objectives are to identify, advise on, and address ethical questions surrounding AI, such as bias and discrimination in training data and accountability issues: The council wants to ensure AI advancements are transformative but also ethical and inclusive, with a focus on...
read Jul 11, 2024Anthropic’s ‘Artifact Remix’ Feature Now Enables Users to Collaborate and Share Content
Anthropic has released a new Artifact Remix feature for its Claude AI chatbot, enabling users to publish, share, and build upon AI-generated content in a collaborative manner. Key features of Artifact Remix: The new feature allows users to create standalone pieces of content with Claude, such as documents, images, code, and interactive displays, and make them publicly accessible via shareable links: Users can view Artifacts created by others and remix them by modifying or iterating on the original content through conversations with Claude. Remixing an Artifact creates a new conversation in Claude, incorporating the original content and allowing for further...
read Jul 11, 2024Google’s AI Chief Reveals Secrets to Unlocking Generative AI’s Potential for Enterprises
Yasmeen Ahmad, managing director of strategy and outbound product management for data, analytics and AI at Google Cloud, shares his thoughts on how to unlock the potential of generative AI during the VB Transform conference. The role of data in improving large language models (LLMs): While increasing the size of LLMs can lead to better performance, it's not the only factor; domain-specific data plays a crucial role in enhancing the models' capabilities: Smaller models trained on domain and context-specific information can outperform huge models with a large number of parameters, highlighting the importance of data in empowering AI models. Fine-tuning...
read Jul 11, 2024AWS Announces Major Expansion of AI Offering
Amazon Web Services announced a major expansion of its AI capabilities, aiming to outpace competitors and solidify its position in the rapidly evolving cloud market. Rapid AI development to attract customers: AWS is betting that its speedy development of AI products will make its cloud services more attractive to customers, as it faces increasing competition in the cloud infrastructure market: AWS has launched over 320 major generative AI features into general availability this year, more than double that of all other large cloud providers combined, according to Matt Wood, AWS' vice president of AI products. 90% of these launches come...
read Jul 11, 2024Google and Samsung Partner to Bring Advanced AI to Galaxy Devices
Google and Samsung join forces to power advanced AI capabilities on Galaxy devices, setting the stage for a more intelligent and intuitive user experience. Key Takeaways: The partnership between Google and Samsung brings Gemini AI features to Galaxy devices, enabling seamless integration of AI assistance into everyday smartphone interactions: Gemini AI can now read and respond to content displayed on the phone's screen or within a video being watched, providing contextual information and engaging in relevant conversations. New Circle to Search features enhance the user's ability to quickly access information and perform searches based on the content they are currently...
read Jul 11, 2024AMD Acquires Silo AI for $665M, Boosts European AI Presence
AMD strengthens its AI capabilities with the acquisition of Silo AI, a prominent European AI startup, for $665 million. Silo AI's background and expertise: The Finland-based startup, described as the "largest private AI lab in Europe," has a proven track record of providing AI solutions to major companies: Silo AI has worked with renowned firms such as Philips, Rolls-Royce, and Unilever, showcasing its ability to deliver AI-driven solutions across various industries. The acquisition of Silo AI follows AMD's purchase of another AI startup, Nod.ai, last year, demonstrating the company's commitment to expanding its AI capabilities. AMD's AI strategy and competitive...
read Jul 11, 2024How AI Is Being Used to Change Scientific Research
Dr. Bradley Love, a professor of cognitive and decision sciences at University College London, is using AI to fundamentally change the way scientific research is conducted, focusing on predictions and cross-domain pattern recognition to overcome the limitations of siloed, human-driven research. Building BrainGPT to predict the future of neuroscience: Dr. Love and his team have developed BrainGPT, an AI language model that assists in neuroscientific research by processing vast amounts of data across different domains to find patterns and make predictions about new situations: BrainGPT aims to create a "collective mind" by treating individual research papers as incomplete contributions to...
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